Saturday's early WAC report

AW Prince is on a roll (actually he's always on a roll) and back with video of Nevada recruit Jordan Burris. Go here and a sub is required.

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Eric Bossi of Rivals is reporting that Louisiana Tech (and many others) has offered 6-foot-8 Forrest Robinson, who plays for the Houston Select club team and attends Eastland High in Texas. Go here and a Rivals sub is required. Here is the young man's MySpace site. Here is a January 2010 feature from the local newspaper.

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Former New Mexico Stater Justin Hawkins is exploring sponsoring a Las Cruces-based club basketball team. Jason Groves offers the details.

A Jason Groves update on Justin Hawkins

Here's Jason Groves with an update on Justin Hawkins:

Hawkins makes Kings' summer team
Jason Groves
Las Cruces Sun-News
7/09/2008

LAS CRUCES — When former New Mexico State forward Justin Hawkins didn't hear his name called on draft night, he took a breath before moving on.

Prior to the June NBA Draft, Hawkins said he had guarantees from four different teams, promising a roster spot on their summer league squads.

"It didn't change the fact that I still wanted to get drafted, but it eased my mind," said Hawkins on Tuesday from Los Angeles.

One of the teams that was interested in Hawkins was the Sacramento Kings, led by former Aggie head coach Reggie Theus. The Kings picked Hawkins up for the 2008 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. Sacramento plays its first Summer League game on Friday as the schedule lasts through July 20...

Go here for the remainder.

An update on Justin Hawkins' NBA prospects

We've been a little surprised about the seemingly news blackout on New Mexico State's Justin Hawkins but Jason Groves comes to our rescue with this:

Hawkins continues to garner NBA attention
Jason Groves
Las Cruces Sun-News
6/13/2008

LAS CRUCES — It's been an up-and-down summer for Justin Hawkins, but somehow the former New Mexico State University swingman has kept a level head and is still on track to pursuing an NBA career.

Hawkins returned to his native California after the Aggies' triple overtime loss to Boise State in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament final. He began training for the invite-only Portsmouth Invitational, but it turned out he was also able to spend some time with his father, who was fighting illness.

Hawkins' father passed away soon after, but the former Aggie said his dad would have wanted him to continue playing the game.

"I went to my dad's funeral on a Tuesday, and then had to leave (for Los Angeles) that night," Hawkins said on Wednesday. "I didn't get to Portsmouth until 10 a.m. on Wednesday and then it was nonstop. I didn't play that well in our first game, but the next two days, I played great."

... Go here for the remainder, including some news on Fred Peete.

We hope you watched the WAC finals

How would you like to be Greg Graham's agent right now? It's fascinating how the worm turns -- not only will the Boise administrators need to re-up Graham but with a nice raise -- not that, to be fair, such wasn't in the plans already. This despite a few hot air Bronco fans somehow believing a Coach K-alike is panting to come to Boise or that Dean Smith would come out of retirement to pursue the Bronco head coaching position. Greg Graham is one of the good guys in the profession and now he has the leverage.

Speaking of such, you have to pull for Matt Bauscher. A former walk-on who thoroughly understands his strengths and limitations plus his role on the team, he is one of those cerebral types we love to watch, seemingly always in the right place at the right time and such doesn't happen on its own. Opportunistic guys like him put themselves in the right position to favorably affect a game -- it's not happenstance.

You also have to love Matt Nelson's footwork and positioning -- he puts on a big man clinic.

We are so glad that Reggie Larry's airball freethrow ultimately didn't matter. The kid is a warrior and is amazingly effective among the trees for being just for 6-5.

In the Department-Of-Full-Disclosure, we have to admit we expected New Mexico State to win this one. Even after the game began and NMSU was down by double figures, we anticipated the Aggie athleticism and deeper bench would still prevail. Sometimes, it's difficult to factor in greater heart. That plus better shot selection. We can't quantify it but we have a sense -- it's just a feeling -- that New Mexico State may have actually been less effective than possible because of having too many players in the rotation -- too much talent -- leading to not necessarily looking to its seniors at crucial moments or for crucial shots. Our preference is the ball in the hands of Fred Peete or Justin Hawkins. However, maybe it was simply better free throw shooting overall that did the trick and nothing else.

Tri-umph! Broncos going to the Big Dance after a triple-overtime victory in WAC title game
Boise State breaks a school record for wins and an NCAA tourney drought in victory over NMSU
Nick Jezierny
Idaho Statesman
March 16, 2008

LAS CRUCES, N.M. - Need any more proof that this Boise State men's basketball team is the best in school history?

The Broncos won their school-record 25th game Saturday night in the toughest of settings with the highest of stakes on the line - an NCAA Tournament bid.

Boise State outlasted New Mexico State 107-102 in triple overtime on the Aggies' home court in front of 10,921 to win its first WAC Tournament title and the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

"I'm proud of our guys - they hung tough," BSU coach Greg Graham said. "At times people sold them short, but they wouldn't give up. We've hung in there and raised the bar forever at Boise State."

It is BSU's first appearance in the Big Dance since 1994, a span of 14 years. That's how long it seemed to take for the Broncos to finally sew up Saturday night's game.

"I feel like crying. I feel like puking. I don't know what to do," said forward Tyler Tiedeman, who scored 17 points and made five huge 3-pointers before fouling out in the third overtime. "We're going dancing, and that's all that matters..."

Go here for the remainder.

OR

Aggies lose triple-OT thriller
Jason Groves
Las Cruces Sun-News
3/16/2008

LAS CRUCES — The Aggies rode their seniors for two years, including 55 minutes of postseason basketball on Saturday at the Pan American Center.

Fourth-seeded Boise State outlasted No. 3 New Mexico State University 107-102 in three overtimes to win the school's first Western Athletic Conference Tournament in the highest scoring game in WAC Tournament history.

The Broncos secured their first NCAA Tournament berth since 1994, while the Aggies hope to land one of 32 berths in the Postseason NIT or the inaugural 16-team College Basketball Invitational.

"I'm not sure what the administration's views are," Aggies head coach Marvin Menzies said. "I think we got a pretty good record and we got to the conference final so I think we should get a bid."

The NIT selection occurs tonight at 5 p.m.

"I'm extremely honored and proud to coach these seniors into this final conference championship game," Menzies said.

In the third overtime with the game tied at 92, the Aggies went to the capable shoulders of senior center Hatila Passos for much of the period. Passos finished with 15 points and 15 rebounds...

Go here for the remainder.

PLUS

Broncos rule, and it's been a wild ride
Brian Murphy
Idaho Statesman
3/16/08

LAS CRUCES, N.M. — New rule: ESPN is obligated to carry every Boise State athletic contest. ESPNU-Can't-Believe- It, sponsored by Maalox. The nation will watch.

New rule: Boise State fans must stop calling for Greg Graham to be fired. And instead drop a bottle of Tums and an apology in the mail for him.

New rule: Every child born in Boise between now and the Broncos' first NCAA Tournament game in 14 years must be named either Reggie or Larry. And every woman should pray for a labor shorter - and easier on the stomach - than the Broncos' triple-overtime classic in the WAC Tournament against host New Mexico State.

The Broncos don't make it easy on their fans or themselves, but as evidenced by some spastic postgame dancing (Michael Flatley need not worry), they are finally going to the biggest dance around:

The NCAA Tournament.

Reggie Larry sat on the Broncos' bench and cried tears of joy. Larry, the tournament MVP, scored a career-high 31 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and left exhausted by his 48-minute virtuoso performance Saturday night. I think Georgia played fewer minutes Saturday - and the Bulldogs won twice at the SEC Tournament.

"I told you I was going to do whatever I can to get this done, no matter what it is, no matter what it takes," Larry said, his body aching and tears trickling down his cheeks.

New rule: There is crying in basketball...

Go here for the remainder.

AND

Broncos, Aggies play a classic in title game
Felix Chavez
Las Cruces Sun-News
3/16/2008

LAS CRUCES - What else would you expect but a triple overtime thriller in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament final?

The regular season featured a four-way tie for the regular season title between Boise State, New Mexico State, Utah State and Nevada, which all finished with a 12-4 mark.

The aforementioned teams consequently made the semifinals of the WAC Tournament. On Saturday night in the title game, Boise State got it done 107-102 in a game that certainly had all the beauty of what March Madness and college basketball is about.

The Aggies, who were hosting the tournament for the second straight year, looked like a beaten team early in the game when they got down 21-7. They still looked beaten with 7:46 left in the contest when Boise State went up 61-48 after a 3-pointer.

But NMSU is a team that has gone through a lot on and off the court this season and it wasn't going to get blown out in its own building.

The Aggies eventually went ahead 71-70 on a Jonathan Gibson 3-pointer. But Boise State's Reggie Larry forced the first overtime time with a free throw.

Then the game became a grind it out, emotion-packed affair.

Boise State somehow survived after losing starters Matt Nelson and Tyler Tiedeman to fouls. And how about Boise State guard Anthony Thomas and his clutch play in the third overtime? The sophomore guard foolishly fouled NMSU's Hatila Passos with 3.3 seconds left in the first overtime and Passos converted the three-point play to tied the game at 80 and force a second overtime. But in overtime three, Thomas scored seven points, including a huge three-point play with 42.6 seconds left to put the Broncos up 102-97.

The Thomas play was the final twist and turn of a game that had plenty. Saturday's game was one you didn't want to miss a play, because something big was sure to happen if you did...

Go here for the remainder.

The All-WAC teams are announced

Unfortunately, no All--Freshman team was selected -- that would have been very interesting and probably would have created many arguments.

These selections are per the league coaches:

2007-08 WAC Men's Basketball Postseason Award Winners

First Team

Reggie Larry, Boise State, F, 6-6, 222, Sr.
Kevin Bell, Fresno State, G, 5-10, 165, Sr.
Marcelus Kemp, Nevada, G, 6-5, 210, Sr.
Justin Hawkins, New Mexico State, F, 6-7, 205 Sr.
Jaycee Carroll, Utah State, G, 6-2, 175, Sr.

(OUR EDITORIAL: No argument here, these are the top five WAC players and producers game-in and game-out)

Second Team

Matt Nelson, Boise State, F, 6-9, 233, Sr.
Matt Gibson, Hawai`i, G, 6-5, 180, Sr.
Jordan Brooks, Idaho, F, 6-3, 195, Jr.
JaVale McGee, Nevada, F, 6-11, 235, So.
Gary Wilkinson, Utah State, F, 6-9, 240, Jr.

(OUR EDITORIAL: Even this second quintet is hard to rebut. The selection of Matt Gibson is probably the only one to challenge -- at least to a degree -- but he did have a marvelous season. LT's Kyle Gibson and Boise's Tyler Tiedeman would be his closest competitors)

Player of the Year: Jaycee Carroll, Utah State

(OUR EDITORIAL) No argument here. He produced every game and opposing coaches had to devise defensive plans around him)

Freshman of the Year: Armon Johnson, Nevada, G, 6-3, 190, Reno, Nev. (Hug HS)

(OUR EDITORIAL) His stats and production are unbeatable. 61 assists to 31 turnovers as Nevada's nominal point AND as a freshman is tremendous. Add 11.4 ppg. and 4.1 rpg. and he simply had the best season of any of the frosh)

Don Haskins Coach of the Year: Greg Graham, Boise State

(OUR EDITORIAL: If this competition was between Stew Morrill, Mark Fox, Marvin Menzies and Graham, then it's clearcut in our minds that Graham was the correct choice -- he got the most out of his set of players)

All-Newcomer Team

Jordan Brooks, Idaho, F, 6-3, 195, Jr.
Armon Johnson, Nevada, G, 6-3, 190, Fr.
Herb Pope, New Mexico State, F, 6-8, 235, Fr.
C.J. Webster, San Jose State, C, 6-8, 255, So.
Gary Wilkinson, Utah State, F, 6-9, 240, Jr.

(OUR EDITORIAL: Herb Pope is a major talent and will have his shot in the NBA but he averaged 23.7 minutes in 12 conference games, scoring 10.3 ppg. on .437% shooting. He also nabbed 6.5 rpg. and notched 24 assists. But as weird as it sounds, Wendell McKines may deserve a spot on this team, even in place of Pope. McKines scoring and rebounding were less -- 5.9 ppg. and 5.2 rpg. respectively but he outshot Pope from the floor, .611% to .422%. Pope played 23.7 mpg. to 16.6 for McKines. At the very least, it's an interesting argument but realistically it looks like the coaches were correct. But do keep in mind that SJSU's Justin Graham averaged 10.9 ppg. while shooting .519% from the floor but missed some games due to injury)

All-Defensive Team

Matt Bauscher, Boise State, G, 6-3, 205, Sr., Caldwell, Idaho (Spokane CC)
Matt Gibson, Hawai`i, G, 6-5, 180, Sr., Oklahoma City, Okla. (Three Rivers CC)
Lyndale Burelson, Nevada, G, 6-3, 190, Jr., Seattle, Wash. (Franklin HS)
JaVale McGee, Nevada, F, 6-11, 235, So., Flint, Mich. (Hales Franciscan HS)
Fred Peete, New Mexico State, G, 6-4, 200, Sr., Memphis, Tenn. (Kansas State)


(No argument here but it's interesting that no forwards made the team)

Around the WAC last night

Wow, what a crowd it is at the top:

Pack basketball: WAC title is fit for four
Steve Sneddon
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
March 9, 2008

FRESNO, Calif. -- The Nevada Wolf Pack was the last team to move into the Western Athletic Conference penthouse, but did it with in style behind Marcelus Kemp's 25 points and a powerful performance by JaVale McGee.

McGee had a double-double with 23 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Wolf Pack to a regular-season ending 76-63 victory over Fresno State and a piece of the four-way WAC title tie with Utah State, New Mexico State and Boise State on Saturday night. It is Nevada's fifth straight regular-season title -- either outright or shared.

"We have not dominated everybody," Nevada coach Mark Fox said. "We have not cracked national rankings like we had done in previous years, but they're going to send us a trophy. I'm extremely proud of these kids for that."

The Pack ran its record to 20-10 overall and 12-4 in the WAC to force the first four-way tie for in conference history.

"This is the fifth year in a row Nevada has won a championship. It's a tradition," the Pack's Brandon Fields said. "That was our goal before the season started. We did it."

It was a low-key celebration for the Pack that included several high fives and a couple of pats on backs...

Go here for the remainder.

OR IF YOU PREFER

Nevada tandem takes it to 'Dogs
Fresno State will see McGee, Kemp as tourney's No. 7 seed.
Gary Estwick
The Fresno Bee
03/09/08

Freshman Nedeljko Golubovic gave Fresno State a glimpse into its future on Saturday, scoring early over Nevada's JaVale McGee, his 7-feet nemesis of the night.

Then McGee showed why Nevada clinched at least a share of its fifth consecutive Western Athletic Conference regular season title, and is a favorite to win next week's conference tournament.

McGee recovered from a shaky defensive start against Golubovic and gave the Wolf Pack enough offensive momentum to ruin Senior Night for six Bulldogs with a 76-63 win at the Save Mart Center.

"He hit shots from everywhere," Fresno State coach Steve Cleveland said.

McGee scored 23 points and keyed a surge early in the second half with consecutive baskets in the post and on the perimeter, stretching a five-point halftime advantage to as much as 20 in the final minutes.

"We knew we had to play harder in the second half," McGee said. "Everything offensively fell into place."

Nevada (20-10 overall, 12-4 WAC) ends the regular season in a four-way tie with Utah State, New Mexico State and Boise State, and will enter the Pan American Center on Thursday as a No. 2 seed.

Their opponent? Fresno State, which dropped to the No. 7 seed.

It's distressing news for the Bulldogs (13-18, 5-11), which have struggled against Nevada during two regular season games. The reason is simple: McGee teamed up with guard Marceleus Kemp, a WAC Player of the Year candidate who on Saturday scored a game-high 25 points. McGee and Kemp were the lone double digit scorers for Nevada, but it was all the Wolf Pack needed...

Go here for the remainder.

AND

Utah State wraps up WAC title, top seed
Shawn Harrison
Logan Herald Journal
March 8, 2008

MOSCOW, Idaho — Utah State finished the job Saturday night.

The Aggies jumped on the Vandals early and never really let the hosts get back into the game, rolling to a 78-58 victory Saturday night at the Cowan Spectrum in the Kibbie Dome. With the win, the USU men’s basketball team climbed atop the standings in the Western Athletic Conference as the regular season came to a close.

The Aggies (23-9, 12-4) will share the regular season title with Boise State, Nevada and New Mexico State, but will enter the conference tournament as the top seed because they hold the tiebreaker.

“I told the kids they can say WAC champs and feel good about it,” USU head coach Stew Morrill said. “They had to go out and earn it on the road.”

Saturday night’s win in front of 1,383 fans was the fifth straight for USU and completed a two-game road sweep. It was just the sixth win away from the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum this season for the Aggies.

“It’s our first road sweep and it was timed just right,” Morrill said. “We’re guaranteed postseason with this win. We’ve won 23 for nine years in a row and guaranteed postseason for nine years in row, so that is pretty dang positive.”

By earning the top seed for the upcoming WAC Tournament, USU is guaranteed of at least a bid to the NIT. However, the Aggies are hoping to continue to keep up the momentum when they head to Las Cruces, N.M., and go dancing. USU opens the conference tournament on Thursday at 2:30 p.m., playing the winner of the play-in game between San Jose State and Louisiana Tech.

“We are the No. 1 seed in the tournament and we are going to the postseason,” said USU guard Jaycee Carroll, who scored a game-best 23 points on 7-of-12 shooting. “I’m as happy as can be. It was real team effort tonight.”

The Aggies shot 63.6 percent from the field for the game and made 19-of-22 free throws. USU outrebounded Idaho (8-20, 5-11) 34-19. The Vandals shot 37.7 percent from the field...

Go here for the remainder.

AND

Aggies earn co-championship, will be No. 3 seed in WAC Tourney
Jason Groves
Las Cruces Sun-News
3/09/2008

LAS CRUCES — Justin Hawkins showed why this senior class will be remembered for helping restore a winning tradition at New Mexico State University.

In his last regular season game at the Pan American Center, Hawkins poured in a career high 37 points in a 106-71 victory over Hawaii on Saturday.

Their senior night victory ensured the Aggies of a piece of their first regular season Western Athletic Conference championship. The last time the Aggies won a regular season conference championship was in 2001-02 when they tied for the Sun Belt West division title.

"These five men represent the backbone of our success," said NMSU head coach Marvin Menzies to the 7,296 in attendance following the game.

The WAC regular season ended on Saturday with four teams, NMSU, Boise State, Utah State and Nevada, tied atop the standings at 12-4 in conference play. After league tiebreaking procedures, the Aggies are No. 3 and will play No. 6 Idaho at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday in the last of four quarterfinals. The opponent doesn't seem to matter to the Aggies, who enter the WAC Tournament winners of nine of their last 11. NMSU finished the season 7-1 at the Pan Am.

"It doesn't matter, we're at home," said senior point guard Fred Peete, who flirted with a triple double on Saturday with 16 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. "We have shown this season that we are a team to be reckoned with when it comes to protecting home turf..."

Go here for the remainder.

OR IF YOU PREFER

N.M. St. rolls by Hawaii, 106-71
Dayton Morinaga
Honolulu Advertiser
March 8, 2008

LAS CRUCES, N.M. -- It was like cramming minutes before for a final exam.

The University of Hawai'i men's basketball team arrived in town less than five hours before tip-off, then tried to take on one of the biggest teams in the Western Athletic Conference without any practice time.

Predictably, the Rainbow Warriors failed their latest road test, this one a 106-71 rout by New Mexico State.

"We're not going to use travel as an excuse, but it was a factor to show up four hours before you play a game and then have to come out and play one of the best teams in the conference," Hawai'i head coach Bob Nash said.

Due to flight problems, the 'Bows were stranded in Dallas on Friday and did not get a chance to practice. They arrived in Las Cruces around 2:15 p.m. (Mountain time) yesterday. The game started at 7:05 p.m.

"Rough," senior point guard Matt Gibson said. "I don't like to make excuses, but if there's a good time for one ... "

Once in the Pan American Center, Hawai'i's lag jet or otherwise was apparent.

The Aggies dominated every phase of the game to avenge a 23-point loss to the 'Bows on Jan. 31 in Honolulu...

Go here for the remainder.

AND

From the official WAC site:

Louisiana Tech 87, San Jose State 83

RUSTON, La. - A career-high 28 points from Kyle Gibson and double-digit efforts from four other players gave Louisiana Tech its second consecutive victory, an 87-83 Senior Night victory over San Jose State at the Thomas Assembly Center on Saturday night.

"Our whole thing was about finishing strong," Tech head coach Kerry Rupp said. "We've always talked about having three seasons. The third season is the WAC Tournament where everybody starts 0-0. Again, I'm proud that our guys never gave up. We got the lead in the first half and they came right back on us. But we had to dig in, fight and battle and find a way to gut it out and win the ball game. We had to put bodies on people and step up, take charges and make them take tough shots."

Gibson, the only underclassman among the top 10 scorers in the Western Athletic Conference, played all 40 minutes and burned the nets with his 28 points on 9-of-15 shooting, including a 4-for-7 effort from three-point range. It was the 18th time this season that Gibson led the Bulldogs in scoring. Jonathan "JC" Clark added 16 points and James Loe had 15, while Dwayne Lathan and Orren Tims added 11 apiece off the bench.

J.J. Marshall, the lone senior for Louisiana Tech (6-23, 3-13 WAC), got his first career start and played six minutes, dishing out a career-best three assists.

San Jose State (12-18, 4-12 WAC) was led by C.J. Webster, who had a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds on the night. Jamon Hill took top honors for the Spartans with 19 points, while Tim Pierce, Chris Oakes and DeVonte Thomas had 18, 13 and 12, respectively.

The Bulldogs won the game despite being more than doubled up in the rebounding department; the Spartans pulled down 46 boards to Tech's 21. But 51.9-percent shooting - including an amazing 9-of-13 effort from three-point range in the first half - carried the Bulldogs to the victory.

Things couldn't have gone much better for Tech in the first half. Clark and Gibson combined to knock down five 3-pointers, helping the Bulldogs jump out to a lead as big as 13 points with under two minutes to play. A pair of layups wrapped around a Tech free throw would shrink the lead to 10 at the half.

San Jose would come out of the locker room on fire, though. The Spartans would open the second half on a 20-8 run, taking a two-point lead at the 13:46 mark. Almost all of their points during that stretch came on second-chance attempts as the Bulldogs did not pull down a rebound - this one offensive - until the 13:03 mark. By that time, San Jose had a four-point lead.

From that point on, the lead would change hands seven times and there would be six ties as the teams traded baskets over the next eight-plus minutes. A driving layup from Loe with just over four minutes to play would give Tech a 73-71 lead.

Free throws down the stretch would be pivotal as Loe, Lathan and Clark would hit eight of 10 shots in the final 2:30 to preserve the victory.

Tonight's game turned out to be a preview of the opening round of the 2008 WAC Tournament, which begins Tuesday in Las Cruces, N.M. Louisiana Tech and San Jose State will meet for the third time this season on Tuesday night to kick off postseason play.

"You have to bring your best game," Rupp said about the WAC Tournament. "We want to keep moving forward as a team. As long as we have games to play, we can keep moving forward. I think we've made tremendous strides. Everybody has to stay focused and give great energy and enthusiasm."

Our take on the upcoming ALL-WAC teams

The 2007-2008 All-WAC teams are apparently to be announced on Sunday so we wanted to beat the voters who count to it with our own offerings.

As a reminder, here are the pre-season selections by the WAC coaches. Surprisingly, there were a few clunkers, especially on the second team.

Preseason Coaches All – WAC Team
First –Team

Jaycee Carroll Utah State (Preseason Player of the Year)
Reggie Larry Boise State
Justin Hawkins New Mexico State
Marcelus Kemp Nevada
Fred Peete New Mexico State

Second-Team

Matt Nelson Boise State
Kevin Bell Fresno State
Hector Hernandez Fresno State
Demarshay Johnson Nevada
Bobby Nash Hawaii

Fred Peete just never put it together this season and we'll be very surprised if he even makes the second-team this season. He's certainly been helpful to NMSU -- no doubt -- but not having a mainstay season.

Hector Hernandez was among the most disappointing as he seemed to really miss playing alongside Dominic McGuire and Quinton Hosley. His numbers, 9.5 ppg on a shooting percentage of .388 -- this for a 6-9 senior -- were unremarkable. Hernandez scored 11.2 ppg. and shot .453% as a junior. To his credit, he did grab 7.3 rpg. this season.

Demarshay Johnson had moments this season but nothing equating to any ALL-WAC status. The same with Bobby Nash.

There are a number of newcomers we talk about later in this piece who deserve a position on the ALL-WAC second team.


Very interestingly, the pixel-stained wretches -- other wise known collectively as the WAC newspaper beat reporters -- somehow had the foresight to include Kevin Bell of Fresno State on their first team choices -- they didn't pick a second five.

Preseason Media All-WAC Team
First-Team

Jaycee Carroll Utah State (Preseason Player of the Year)
Reggie Larry Boise State
Kevin Bell Fresno State
Justin Hawkins New Mexico State
Marcelus Kemp Nevada

Surprisingly, Nevada's JaVale McGee is nowhere to be seen. His numbers were small last year but it was obvious that he would be the starting center for the Wolf Pack this season and be playing major minutes.

Headlining the For-What-It's-Worth Department, here are our 2007-2008 ALL-WAC selections as selected today:

Jaycee Carroll - nobody could stop him, period and this is a 6-2 guard not necessarily graced with the ultimate athletic prowess.
Kevin Bell - seriously, the Bulldogs might have won one, maybe two conference games this season without Bell.
Marcelus Kemp - Without his scoring and ability to draw the focus of a team's defense, everyone else on the Wolf Pack would have been less effective.
Justin Hawkins - He was so often the glue that kept the Aggies rolling despite the absences of various players.
Reggie Larry - He led his team in minutes played, scoring, rebounding, offenive rebounding, blocked shots and was a close second in steals.

For self-disclosure sake, we didn't forsee Kevin Bell's shooting improvement nor the overall effectiveness of Reggie Larry. If it was the pre-season, our top five would probably have included Boise State's Matt Nelson in place of his teammate. Nelson had a fine season but it's just that Larry enjoyed an even better one.


Now Kevin Bell could certainly qualify as Most Improved Player (MIP) but we're actually going with Boise State's Tyler Tiedeman whose scoring average went from 4.4 ppg. as a junior to 14.0 ppg. this season. His shooting was 540% overall and an amazing .503% on a team-leading 145 three-point attempts. Tiedeman shot .472% overall last season and .397% from long range on 57 three-point attempts. Nobody predicted such a dramatic improvement.

Speaking of Bell, he scored 18.7 ppg. this season, shooting .455% on 422 attempts and drawing 206 foul shots -- this after shooting less than .400% last year.

Lousiana Tech's Kyle Gibson is also deserving of mention in the MIP category despite the poor season for the Bulldogs. Gibson scored 15.5 ppg. and grabbed 5.5 rpg. after 4.5 ppg. and 1.6 rpg. in 2006-2007.

Hawaii's Riley Luettgerodt deserves listing here for doubling his scoring average this season from 6.2 ppg. to 12.3.

NMSU's Jonathan Gibson too as he produced 12.5 ppg. while shooting .422% on a team-leading 161 three-point attempts. Last year, it was 2.6 ppg. and a .338 overall shooting percentage, .286% on his threes.


As for WAC Freshman of the Year and the WAC Freshmen Team:

The top award must go to Armon Johnson of Nevada. Johnson scored 11.7 ppg. on .496% overall shooting. while adding 4.1 rpg. and 97 assists.

Trying to avoid any bias, we see the runner up as Justin Graham of San Jose State, despite missing some leagues games due to injury. He scored 11.6 ppg. with a team-leading 68 assists while shooting .494% overall and .438% on threes.

Utah State's Tai Wesley is right behind, his placement due to the lesser role he played on his respective team. Wesley scored 10.2 ppg. while nabbing 4.4 rpg. He led the Aggies with 23 blocked shots and also garnered 64 assists .

NMSU's Wendell McKines is also a worthy mention what with his 6.7 ppg. on .591% from the floor and 6.1 rpg. Teammates Herb Pope and Jahmar Young produced well once eligible but we'll go with McKines out of the three. That certainly should make some jaws drop.

Also throw Louisiana Tech's Dwayne Lathen in the mix for consideration as he has enjoyed a sparkling second half of the season.


The Top WAC Newcomer is a battle royal. Idaho's Jordan Brooks with 12.9 ppg., 6.3 rpg.,129 assists and 47 steals as the focal point for the Vandal offense cannot be discounted. Utah State's Gary Wilkinson put up 13.3 ppg. and 6.9 rpg.while shooting .575%. Two San Jose Staters are deserving of mention: C.J. Webster with 10. 8 ppg., 6.3 rpg. and 60 assists and Chris Oakes' 10.7 ppg. and 7.5 rpg.

Ulitimately, we have to go with Brooks for his role and the importance of it in making the relatively weak Vandals go.

Cowabunga! NMSU demolishes Utah State

Yes, Utah States was shorthanded but still nobody expected such a rout. Let's get right into it:

NMSU scores big home win against Utah State
Jason Groves
Las Cruces Sun-News
1/27/2008

LAS CRUCES — Perhaps New Mexico State University would take it easy on Utah State on Saturday.

Maybe not.

After all, Aggies head coach Marvin Menzies knows what it's like to play shorthanded.

Utah State head coach Stew Morrill suspended four players for a violation of team rules on Saturday and the Aggies ran Morrill's UtAgs out of Las Cruces, 100-70, in front of 7,014 fans at the Pan Am and countless more on ESPN2.

It was the UtAgs first WAC loss of the season.

"Our hope was with their roster being a little depleted, we could maybe wear them down a little bit and it worked," Menzies said. "I expressed a little statement of sympathy for Stew because I've been in his shoes before and it's not fun but it is basketball and it's a part of the business. You have to do what you have to do to teach these kids lessons."

Saturday's victory also helped NMSU keep Utah State within striking distance in the conference standings. NMSU improved to 11-11 and 5-2 in league play while the UtAgs are now 15-6 and 5-1 in the WAC...

Go here for the remainder.

and

From the Utah perspective:

Blowout
Shawn Harrison
Logan Jerald Journal
January 27, 2008

LAS CRUCES, N.M. — A stiff challenge became even harder before the game even began for Utah State.

But the Aggies came out and hung with a talented New Mexico State team for the first 13 minutes. Then it got away and turned real ugly for the visitors.

In a battle of the Western Athletic Conference Aggies, it was those wearing Crimson and White that reigned. NMSU used a surge before halftime to get some breathing room, blew it open to start the second half and cruised to a 100-70 win Saturday at the Pan American Center in front of 7,014 fans.

“We just got our butts kicked, that’s what it boils down to,” USU head coach Stew Morrill said. “It was no fun. They (Southern Aggies) deserve all the credit...”

Go here for the remainder.

and

Nevada cncludes a very successful road trip.

Pack basketball: Nevada blows past Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
STEVE SNEDDON
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
1/27/2008

Nevada 83, Louisiana Tech 70
Key stat: 61.2 percent. That was Nevada's shooting percentage from the field as it hit 30 of 49 for the game after hitting 16-of-25 for 64 percent in the second half.
Key play: JaVale McGee's layup to begin the Pack's second half scoring came after Tech had scored the first four points to cut the deficit to seven points and it never got any closer.
Key to the game: It was Nevada's composure and confidence after the lead changed hands eight times in the first 13 minutes of the game and then rallied to lead by 23 points twice.

RUSTON, La. -- The Nevada basketball team is better here than it is at Lawlor Events Center.

The Wolf Pack loses every once in a while in Reno. It never loses at Thomas Assembly Center, or so it seems. The Pack extended its win streak at the arena to seven games as it stopped Louisiana Tech, 83-70, in front of 1,467 fans Saturday.

Nevada's reserves particularly liked the Assembly Center as they combined for 31 points after combining for a total of 12 points in the previous three games against Idaho, Boise State and New Mexico State. Senior David Ellis led the Pack off the bench with a career-high 14 points on 7-of-7 shooting from the field.

Among the starters, JaVale McGee and Armon Johnson had 12 points each and Marcelus Kemp had 11 as no Pack player played more than 28 minutes.

"I subbed a lot for everybody," Nevada coach Mark Fox said. "We didn't have a real sharpness to us early. We paraded them in and out of there before we were able to look a little sharper.

"We had difficulty defending early and we had to play some zone. Eventually, we got geared up. That zone played a big part for us. It allowed us to play two big players and not have to adjust to their smaller lineup."

Nevada was able to go back to its more familiar man-to-man defense after it began taking control in the final minutes of the first half...

Go here for the remainder.

and

What's the story with Matt Gipson (or 'Honolulu Inc' as we call him)? He was disciplined earlier this year and also in 2005-2006. The starting point and a fifth-year senior, it seems he should be exhibiting leadership, especially so for his younger teammates, but sadly is not doing so.

University of Hawaii burns Idaho, 58-53
Dayton Morinaga
Honolulu Advertiser
January 27, 2008

MOSCOW, Idaho—A disciplined defense — and a disciplined Matt Gibson — led the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team to a 58-53 victory over Idaho last night.

A Cowan Spectrum crowd of 1,518 — the largest home attendance of the season for Idaho — walked into the freezing night in silence as Hawai'i was able to avenge a disappointing loss here last season.

"I thought everybody contributed to this win, that's what makes it a good win," Hawai'i head coach Bob Nash said. "We talked about being at our best defensively for this game, and for the most part, I thought we were."

Gibson led the Rainbow Warriors with 16 points off the bench.

He did not start due to disciplinary reasons, but entered the game with 15:19 remaining in the first half and played extensively the rest of the way.

"This is my job, and regardless of the situation, I'm going to do my part to help this team win," Gibson said.

The 6-foot-5 senior point guard, who was held out of Friday's practice for "insubordination," shot 6 of 9 from the field and passed for four assists in 30 minutes last night.

"It was a big deal at the time, but we weren't going to let it divide us," Nash said. "We addressed the issue, Matt was held accountable for his actions, and he came out and helped us win the game."

Gibson's effort led a balanced Hawai'i attack. Bobby Nash and Jared Dillinger added 12 points each, and P.J. Owsley scored a season-high 10.

The score was tied at 48 with 2:58 remaining, but Gibson's driving layup put Hawai'i up for good at 50-48 with 2:23 remaining. The 'Bows went 8 for 8 on free throws in the final 1:47 to secure the victory...

Go here for the remainder.

and

Fresno State and Eddie Miller rout San Jose State.

Home cookin' gets it done for Bulldogs
Miller, 'Dogs get back into win column with rout of Spartans
Gary Estwick
The Fresno Bee
1/26/08

Eddie Miller pumped his chest with both hands, glanced into the Save Mart Center crowd and smiled, signaling the return of his jump shot.

Nedeljko Golubovic was more subtle with his celebrations during Fresno State's 75-58 win over San Jose State. The freshman, who earned his second start of the season, supplemented his post moves with several high fives from teammates on the bench.

For the first time in a week, the Bulldogs had something to be happy about. And Kevin Bell had help scoring.

In front of 10,619 fans, Miller broke out of his two-game slump with 27 points, tying a career high.

"It's hard going into someone else's gym and play as well as you want to," Miller said. "You come back home, it's a lot different."

Golubovic added 14 points to go along with six rebounds, and with each basket in the post, continued to develop into another scoring threat the team desperately needs.

On defense, Golubovic did just enough to slow down C.J. Webster, denying him the ball in the first half and in the second half, he helped double-team C.J. Webster. Golubovic had four steals, thanks to intercepting entry passes.

Bell, Fresno State's leading scorer this season, finished with 15 points and eight assists...

Go here for the remainder.

Last night in the WAC

It may be a down year for the WAC but it's also one where almost any member can pull off a surprise -- as you'll read.

Ags sloppy, but extend streak to 10
Shawn Harrison
Logan Herald Journal
January 25, 2008

RUSTON, La. ­ Notching their 10th win in a row was never really too much in doubt for the Aggies Thursday night.

But stretches of sloppiness had Utah State head coach Stew Morrill less than happy following the game. The Aggies did what they had to in beating an undersized and undermanned Louisiana Tech bunch, 71-61, at the Thomas Assembly Center in front of 1,391 fans.

“It’s a win,” Morrill said. “It’s in the right column. We’ll take it.”

The veteran Aggie coach was not up for making any excuses about travel and being on the road for the first time since early December. It came down to taking care of the ball against this Western Athletic Conference foe. USU (15-5, 5-0 WAC) had a season-high 24 turnovers in the game.

“Twenty-four turnovers is unacceptable,” Morrill said. “... By tomorrow I will feel good about, because it’s a win...

Go here for the remainder.

AND

Aggies slip up, lose to Nevada
Jason Groves
Las Cruces /Sun-News
1/25/2008

LAS CRUCES ­ For the 6,689 listed in attendance, it was hard to tell which team was fighting for its life in fifth place and which was in second place in the Western Athletic Conference.

Nevada defeated New Mexico State University 87-78 on Thursday at the Pan American Center, beating the Aggies for the fifth time in the last six meetings.

"We didn't start out like we wanted to and they got on a run and that was the difference in the game," NMSU senior forward Justin Hawkins said. "From the opening tip, we didn't play the way we wanted to play as far as tempo."

Neither team could find the mark early, but the Wolf Pack woke up long enough for a 19-5 run in the first half and were never truly threatened, cruising past an Aggies team that lost a golden opportunity to score a big conference win at home. The Wolf Pack shot a blistering 64 percent in the second half to seal the win.

"We tried to change up defenses and mix it up, but they did a phenomenal job shooting the ball," Aggies head coach Marvin Menzies said. "We didn't match their intensity from the beginning of the game."

Wolf Pack freshman point guard Armon Johnson was too much for the Aggies on the perimeter. Johnson scored 20 points and added four assists. Sophomore guard Brandon Fields led the Wolf Pack with 21 points and senior Marcelus Kemp scored 17...

Go here for the remainder.

AND

Here's another look from the same newspaper:

Nevada guards control tempo against NMS
Felix Chavez
Las Cruces Sun-News.
1/25/2008

But that's where they stood entering Thursday night's critical Western Athletic Conference matchup with second-place New Mexico State at the Pan American Center.

The Wolf Pack played like the more desperate team, particularly in the first half as it built a 36-25 halftime lead en route to a 87-78 win to get themselves back in the league race.

"We're a young team, but we were resilient tonight," Nevada coach Mark Fox said. "We still had some young moments, but this was a good win for us. We hope to show some consistency."

Nevada, which shot 56.4 percent from the field and 53.3 percent from 3-point range, was simply better than NMSU Thursday night, getting open treys, penetrating to the basket and answering the Aggies whenever NMSU tried to get back into the game...

Go here for the remainder.

AND

From the Nevada perspective:

Pack basketball: Nevada plays spoiler to NMSU
Steve Sneddon
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
January 25, 2008

LAS CRUCES, N.M. -- What a difference five days made for the Nevada basketball team, which got its chance to ruin a favored home team's evening and enjoyed it.

Brandon Fields scored 21 points, Armon Johnson had 20 and Marcelus Kemp finished with 17 to lead the Wolf Pack past New Mexico State, 87-78, in front of 6,689 fans at Pan American Center on Thursday night. In a game that the Pack, which was a four-point underdog, led by as many as 18 points, Aggie fans looked a lot like their Reno counterparts when Boise State shocked Nevada, 95-80, last Saturday.

"It definitely lifts the spirits of our teammates," Fields said. "We're playing for a WAC championship. After the loss against Boise everybody was kind of down. This got everybody's confidence level back up."

The Pack shored up its defense, which had been drilled by Boise State, and rolled offensively, hitting 31-of-55 from the field for 56.4 percent, which was second to only its 56.9 percent against UC Irvine in the second game of the season. Nevada also hit 8-of-15 shots from 3-point range for 53.3 percent, its highest percentage in any game...

Go here for the remainder.


AND

BSU finally clicks at home, wallops Hawaii
Nick Jezierny
Idaho Statesman
January 25, 2008

With the exception of its win over then-No. 20 BYU, most of the Boise State men's basketball team's best moments have come away from Taco Bell Arena.

The Broncos finally gave their home fans - the 4,896 who came out despite blizzard conditions - a taste of what they've been missing.

BSU defeated Hawaii 95-80 on Thursday, but don't let that score fool you. The Broncos led by as many as 31 points before emptying their bench and settling for a 15-point win, their sixth in the past eight games.

BSU won at Nevada on Saturday by an identical score and showed no hangover from the victory.

"Coach emphasized no letdowns and making a statement at home," senior Matt Bauscher said. "We haven't really played two halves at home all year. I think, despite the last 5 minutes of the game, we owned them from start to finish."

Bauscher scored a team-high 21 points and had eight assists. He made all five of his 3-point shots as the Broncos (14-5, 5-2 WAC) went 14-of-22 from behind the arc to overwhelm Hawaii (7-11, 3-3).

BSU never trailed and the only time the score was tied was 0-0. The Broncos forced 10 first-half turnovers, limited Hawaii to 30.8 percent shooting and made 57.7 percent of their own shots to take a 47-22 halftime lead...

Go here for the remainder.

AND

Three-point Shooting Sinks Men's Hoops at Idaho
Courtesy: San Jose State Athletics
1/24/2008

Moscow, Idaho-----Even though C.J. Webster posted his fourth double-double of the season and Mac Peterson came off the bench with a season scoring high, the night belonged to Idaho guard Mike Hall who set a school record with nine 3-point baskets leading the Vandals to a 74-63 win over San Jose State University in a Western Athletic Conference men’s basketball game.

Hall finished with a career-high 29 points missing only one 3-point try in the first half. Guard Jordan Brooks added 19, 17 of them after halftime, for Idaho (5-13, 2-5 WAC).

“We made a lot of mental errors and to Idaho’s credit, they took advantage of them. What was really big for them, was we cut it to it to four (56-52, with 5:32 to go) and he (Hall) made two 3’s, one in transition and one in a breakdown by our defense,” said San Jose State George Nessman. “You have to give Idaho credit in that situation. They played a really composed game.”

The Spartans (9-9, 2-4 WAC) had four players in double-figure scoring with center Chris Oakes and Webster each scoring 14. Webster added a game-high 14 rebounds and was credited with a season-high 6 assists as he and Oakes effectively worked a high-low post game on offense together. The Spartans’ top two inside men combined to make 12-of-17 from the field.

DaShawn Wright added 11 and Peterson scored 10.

“I felt like I was a ‘zone.’ I was pretty wide open tonight,” said Hall, who came into the game making 41.1 percent from three-point range and scored Idaho’s first 12 points of the game, all on three-pointers...

Go here for the remainder.

Biggest game of the night: NMSU at Boise

The most important game of the night in the WAC -- that is in terms of how the WAC league games eventually play out this season and obviously keeping mind that it's early -- is New Mexico State against Boise State up in Idaho.

The Broncos own a home victory against San Jose State and a road win up in Moscow against Idaho to date so NMSU will actually be the first full-fledged test for Coach Greg Graham's squad. Yes, the Aggies are down in players but retain enough talent and firepower to give Boise State a solid challenge.

Big Matt Nelson will actually be facing off against someone bigger than him in Martin Iti, whose best talent is shotblocking. That will be a key duel. Also watch for how Reggie Larry performs. Boise wins if these two win their respective matchups.

New Mexico State has a road win against Idaho and a home victory over Fresno State so tonight's contest is its biggest challeneg this early in league play. Justin Hawkins will fill the stat sheet as usual so the key for the Aggies is how Jonathan Gibson performs. If he can get into the high teens or the twenties in scoring without having to take a same number of shots to do so then NMSU will be in good position to come away with a win. Also, Iti must remain out of foul trobule.

The WAC next season

Sometimes we get way ahead of ourselves but every college basketball coaching staff projects its rosters at least two or three, if not more, years out. It's necessary in order to determine what player losses will be taking place, what positions will need upgrading or reinforcing, how to keep the proportionate amount of freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors on the roster, etc.

We took a moment and drew up the following -- a projection of mainstay players departing the league at the conclusion of the 2007-2007 season. As is typical, a large number of talented players will have completed their athletic eligibility, including:

Boise State - no Matt Nelson, no Reggie Larry, no Tyler Tiedeman, no Matt Bauscher in 2008-2009 (this foursome make up four fifths of the Bronco starting five)

Fresno State - no Eddie Miller, no Kevin Bell, no Hector Hernandez, no Alex Blair in 2008-2009 (here are three, and sometimes four starters)

Hawaii - no Matt Gibson, no Jared Dillinger, no Riley Luettgerodt, no P.J. Owsley, no Bobby Nash in 2008-2009 (this is Hawaii's current starting five)

Idaho - no Michael Crowell, no Clyde Johnson, no Darin Nagle in 2008-2009 (two starters and a 20 mpg. player)

Louisiana Tech - no Keith Smith in 2008-2009 (he is a starter)

Nevada - no Marcelus Kemp, no David Ellis, no DeMarshay Johnson in 2008-2009 (plus JaVale McGee will be getting NBA overtures but should play another season)

New Mexico State - no Justin Hawkins, no Martin Iti, no Hatila Passos, no Fred Peete in 2008-2009 (there are three, sometimes four starters in this bunch)

San Jose State - no Jamon Hill, no Kevin Fleming, no Lance Holloway in 2008-2009 (no starters)

Utah State - no Jaycee Carroll, no Stephen DuCharme, no Kris Clark in 2008-2009 (three starters, including the probable league MVP)

Obviously, talent will be incoming. Nevada has a nationally-ranked recruiting class coming into Reno. LA TECH has a number of talented redshirt transfers itching to get on the court next season.

Anyway, this gives you a sense of who is on their last go around the league. But as coaches always insist, keep in mind the games are played on the court -- not in anyone's imagination.

So where are we at?

No, I'm not asking for you to check your GPS device, I'm talking about the state of the WAC after the first week of conference play. Let's check-in on this past weekend, keeping in mind that Utah State and Nevada -- the most interesting matchup -- was postponed when Mother Nature developed a case of WAC conference interruptus.

Go ahead and toss them daggers dipped in bias at my armor-plated bias but redshirt freshman Justin Graham went for 29 points against Hawaii on Saturday night--- hands down the best performance this weekend. A senior laden Hawaii squad just could not handle him as he went over, under, around and through the Rainbow Warriors, earning an amazing 17 fouls shots. Graham wasn't necessarily en fuego, he was simply unstoppable.

But yes, the Spartans lost.

Utah State's Tai Wesley, yet another freshman, did Hawaii in earlier in the week with an outstanding performance of 27 points.

On to this weekend:

Justin Hawkins has been an Aggie mainstay since he stepped foot on the court in Las Cruces but Jonathan Gibson has been the biggest more-than-pleasant surprise so far this season for Marvin Menzies. The Aggies have enough role players to be formidable if Hawkins and Gibson can keep up the scoring.

New Mexico State 77, Fresno State 67

N.M.–New Mexico State men’s basketball senior guard/forward Justin Hawkins had a game-high 26 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Aggies a 77-67 win over Fresno State, Saturday, Jan. 5 in Las Cruces.


In NMSU’s WAC home opener, sophomore guard Jonathan Gibson added 17 points while senior guard Fred Peete recorded 10 points en route to the Aggies snapping a three-game losing streak to Fresno State.

For the Bulldogs, senior guards Kevin Bell scored 19 points and Eddie Miller provided 11 points.

AND

Credit Bob Nash's team for playing Utah State very tough in Logan and for beating SJSU in San Jose. Maybe the Rainbow Warriors are jelling and can remain effective with its quartet of fine jump shooters and one big man for the remainder of conference play.

Hawai‘i 85, San Jose State 79

SAN JOSE, Calif. - The University of Hawai`i men's basketball team handed first-year head coach Bob Nash his first Western Athletic Conference victory and picked up its first road win of the year by holding off San Jose State, 85-79, Saturday night at The Event Center.

Hawai`i led by double-digits for much of the game and held off a late Spartan rally to improve to 5-9 overall and 1-1 in the WAC. San Jose State dropped to 6-7 overall and 0-2 in the WAC.
UH continued it dominance over San Jose State with its 10th straight win over the Spartans and fifth straight in San Jose. Hawai`i has not lost to the Spartans since 2003.

Matt Gibson led UH with 18 points, eight assists and five rebounds before fouling out in the waning minutes. Bobby Nash and Riley Luettgerodt each poured in 14 points, while Jared Dillinger added 13.

UH's win offset a stellar performance by San Jose State's freshman guard Justin Graham who finished with a game-high 29 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field and 14-of-17 shooting from the line

AND

The best part about the season Greg Graham and the Broncos have enjoyed so far is that any rumbling about the need for a men's basketball equivalent of Chris Petersen @ BSU has been muzzled. Let's hope it never resurfaces as Graham, one of the good guys in college coaching, is as fine a coach as can be had up Idaho way. Whether it's Nelson Larry or Larry Nelson, the Boise Staters have a formidable duo in the frontcourt, one that has carried the team to date with no sign of abatement.

Boise State 95, Idaho 84


MOSCOW, Idaho (AP) -Matt Nelson and Reggie Larry scored 25 points each Saturday as they led Boise State to a 95-84 win over Idaho.

The victory extends the Broncos' winning streak over the Vandals to 13 straight games.

Paul Noonan added 12 points for BSU (11-3, 2-0 Western Athletic Conference).

The Vandals (3-10, 0-2) were led by Jordan Brooks, who scored 22 points. Mike Hall added 20 for UI.

Idaho tied the game at 56-56 with 18:25 left in the second half following a pair of Mike Hall free throws that came as a result of a technical foul by Larry. The Vandals then took the lead on a Brooks basket, 58-56, with 17:58 left.

But that was it for UI. The Broncos went on a 15-2 run that featured three Larry 3-pointers that built the BSU lead to 73-60.

Go here for complete game writeups.

New Mexico State gets by Idaho on the road

The final score was actually closer than we expected but a WAC road win is nothing to discount or minimize. We know the Vandals are primarily a new version -- let's hope they are an improved one.

New Mexico State Aggies win WAC opener on the road at Idaho
Jason Groves
Las Cruces Sun-News
1/03/2008

MOSCOW, Idaho - In front of a sparse crowd, the Aggies ended their road woes with a 78-68 victory over Idaho on Wednesday.

New Mexico State opened the Western Athletic Conference schedule with their first road win in eight tries this season, entering Saturday's home game against Fresno State at 7-9.

"It's such a long road," said NMSU head coach Marvin Menzies, who is now 1-0 in the WAC. "I should be more excited, but I can't stop thinking about Fresno State."

After a torrid first half where each team was 15-for-30 from the field, both teams cooled off early in the second half, but it was the Vandals who were ice cold from the field.

"We were just missing," said Idaho forward Clyde Johnson, whose team fell to 3-9 and 0-1 in the WAC. "They were playing us different, opening up the middle so that's how we came back, but we just weren't hitting shots and you can't win if you can't score."

Idaho knocked down six 3-pointers in the first half. The Vandals couldn't bring the Aggies out of their zone in the second half and the Aggies started to create easy opportunities off of long rebounds from missed 3s. Aggies sophomore guard Jonathan Gibson grabbed one of his five rebounds at the free throw lane and raced the length of the court, kissing a right-handed floater off the glass from the left side of the lane to put NMSU up 56-49 with 14:43 left.
"We zoned them a lot in the second half," Aggies senior center Martin Iti said. "We talked more to get through those screens."

Idaho came back to tie it at 61-61 with 9:25 to play, but the Aggies held off the Vandals by shooting 7-for-8 from the foul line in the last 42.3 seconds for their seventh win of the season...

Go here for the remainder.

Pope headed to court...basketball court? Hawkins is eligible

Why is it that New Mexico State seems to making the most news of all the WAC teams? Curiously, it 's more about off-the-court issues.

From the Las Cruces Sun News web site comes two more updates:

BREAKING: Pope's attorney says player is cleared
Sun News Report
12/21/2007

Herb Pope's attorney Stephen Hubert said that the player has been cleared to play basketball for the Aggies. Hubert said that Judge Jerald Valentine signed a release for Pope's Pell Grant , releasing him to play for NMSU.

"Judge Jerald Valentine today signed a restraining order restraining the NCAA from declaring Mr. Pope ineligible and ordering New Mexico State University to give him his Pell Grant," Hubert said.

NMSU has not confirmed the report.

OUR TAKE: Okay, now why is this a Pell Grant concern and not an athletic scholarship one? Is it because Pope has gone the financial aid route -- Pell Grant --something available to any student who, based on family income, qualifies instead of waiting and sitting out until the NCAA makes a athletic scholarship eligibility determination? Are we missing something here? Any assistance from any financial aid gurus out there in the audience would be appreciated.

and

Justin Hawkins to play on Saturday at Louisville
Teddy Feinberg
Las Cruces Sun-News
12/21/2007

New Mexico State University Athletics Director McKinley Boston confirmed Friday morning that Aggie forward Justin Hawkins will play in Saturday's game at Louisville.

Hawkins' status was initially in doubt because of academic issues following NMSU's fall semester. The player returned to Las Cruces following the team's Wednesday night loss to the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. He will be rejoining the Aggies prior to their game against Louisville.

"Justin Hawkins will be playing tomorrow," Boston said. "His issues have been cleared on our end. He will be eligible to play for the remainder of the year."

Two other players, senior center Hatila Passos and junior guard Paris Carter, are facing similar situations as Hawkins. Both of them remain in a state of flux and appear unlikely to appear in Saturday's contest.

"(Passos and Carter) will remain in Las Cruces until their issues are resolved," Boston said.

OUR TAKE: May it's just the way it happened to play out and simply a coincidence but the best player on the team gets his situation cleared up first while a contributor and a seldom-used newcomer await determinations. Plus, why isn't Coach Marvin Menzies doing the announcing instead of the A.D.? Could it be because Menzies is in Louisville with the rest of the team?

Parsing the Aggies?

No, the name of this blog hasn't been changed but it sure seems more items get posted about New Mexico State men's basketball than any other WAC member.

Here comes a bunch more.

Jason Groves has been busy today with a couple of items-turned-into-articles. It always astounds us when seniors -- the supposed leaders on a team -- fall down in their respective commitments to academics. It's not like they have a couple more years to get back on the court.

Hawkins, Passos, Carter face eligibility issues
Jason Groves
Las Cruces Sun-News
12/20/2007

LAS CRUCES - New Mexico State University men's basketball coach Marvin Menzies confirmed reports on Thursday morning that three players were not with the team as it traveled to Louisville for a game on Saturday.

Senior starters Justin Hawkins and Hatila Passos and junior Paris Carter returned to Las Cruces following the Aggies' 83-69 loss at the University of New Mexico on Wednesday night.

"They have to clear up some academic stuff before they can go out and play," Menzies said. "I am hoping they can get on a plane this afternoon. I found out after the game lastnight. Nothing is official. I am waiting to get some response from the academic people at our place."

NMSU Compliance Officer Braun Cartwright said NMSU is in the process of evaluating fall semester grades for student athletes. He said grades were made official on Thursday morning.

"We haven't made any final determinations," Cartwright said. "After each semester, we have to review that term's grades and GPA for the following semester."

This lengthier article followed:

COMMENTARY: New staff's honeymoon period ends
Jason Groves
Las Cruces Sun-News
12/20/2007

LAS CRUCES - If there were any questions about when the honeymoon period for New Mexico State University men's basketball coach Marvin Menzies would end, those questions were answered in front of 17,243 Lobo fans on Wednesday night.

After an 83-69 loss to the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, Menzies said that the blame fell on him for not having his players ready for the road, where the Aggies fell to 0-6 on the year and 5-8 overall.

The Aggies were down one at the half and took a brief lead on the first possession of the second half before being outscored 16-0 and outclassed the next seven minutes, not to mention the porous defense that allowed UNM sophomore Roman Martinez to go off for a career-high 24 points - 19 more than his average coming in. Martinez, who is a player noted for making hustle plays, found openings in the Aggies' zone and man defense.

The Aggies have also unraveled on a more important front - the classroom.

On Thursday, Menzies confirmed senior starters Justin Hawkins, the team's leading scorer and rebounder, and center Hatila Passos, along with junior transfer guard Paris Carter, were not with the team as it traveled to Louisville for another stiff road contest on Saturday afternoon. Menzies was hopeful that the three players would clear up their academic issues and join the team before Saturday's tipoff, but it's become irrelevant in a season where eligibility issues were among Menzies' largest concerns during the first semester. NMSU freshman forward Herb Pope was on hand in Albuquerque to support his teammates even as he waits to be declared eligible by the NCAA...

Go here for the remainder.

WAC teams dropping early games - more news & notes

Anyone know for sure what is up with LA TECH's heralded recruit Olu Ashaolu? After scoring 12 points in the opener, his name didn't appear in the box score of the game against Mississippi State (a 75-45 loss). Coach Kerry Rupp is thin upfront and could really use Ashaolu's 6-7 height and especially his 235 pounds in the paint. Keith Smith is manning the frontcourt, along with Adrian Rogers (bothered by a hamstring injury), but both are 6-7 but lighter than Ashaolu...

...The continuing dominance of Boise State football has put men's basketball Coach Greg Graham into a delicate position. Heck, even the success of the Bronco women's basketball team is adding to the pressure.
Idaho Statesman columnist Brian Murphy has a column about just this subject:

A pivotal season begins for Graham, Bronco men
Brian Murphy
Idaho Statesman
11/09/2007

The goal for the Boise State men's basketball program is simple: A spot in the postseason.

No numbers. No slogans. No fancy mottos. The Broncos simply want to be one of 97 teams playing in the NCAA or NIT tournaments in March.

"That's the fans', the media's, everyone's benchmark: ‘Are you in the postseason?' " said coach Greg Graham, who is beginning his sixth season with BSU. "That's the key for us right now."

It might also be the key to extending Graham's tenure. The long-time Oregon assistant is in the fourth year of a five-year contract extension signed after the Broncos' 2004 trip to the NIT's third round.

Since then, Boise State is 47-47.

Absolutely average on the court. And losing the competition for attention in this decidedly pro-winner town.

Attendance last season was 4,393 ­ the first time in three seasons it cracked 4,000 ­ and down about 1,000 since 2003-04. Season ticket sales are up this year to 5,348, thanks largely to an NCAA Tournament tie-in.

Coaches rarely enter the final season of a contract. It's a recruiting liability, so they're either extended or let loose.

Go here for the remainder...

...Graham's team did beat Utah Valley at home with a couple of new names leading the way in overtime. JC transfer guard Jamar Greene and redshirt freshman wing Paul Noonan combined for 11 of the Broncos 14 overtime points as Boise eked out a 73-72 victory...

...New Mexico State's 80-72 road loss to Ohio certainly won't help in any national ranking but it's much more critical if the Aggies don't win the WAC tourney and have to depend on getting selected for an at-large bid to the Big Dance. Ohio University zoned NMSU due to being outsized and lost the rebounding battle 45-38 -- getting just 17 minutes from center Leon Williams who got into early foul trouble. Coach Marvin Menzies' squad shot just 41% from the floor, 6-28 on threes. Steady Justin Hawkins put up 19 points and nabbed seven rebounds but committed seven turnovers. Sophomore guard Jonathan Gibson shot well overall and scored 15 points but was cold from long range going 1-6 on his three-point attempts. Still no further word on the eligibility of freshmen Herb Pope and Jahmar Young...

...Hawaii lost at home on a last second free throw to San Diego thereby spoiling Bob Nash's coaching debut. Bobby Nash was his usual solid self with 22 points and nine boards. Jared Dillinger, a non factor up to this season, scored 14 points and looks to be one of the inspirational stories of the basketball season to date. Here's one article on his emergence. Starting point Matt Gibson missed the game due to a left knee injury but isn't expected to be out for long...

...Fresno State beat Portland in Raisintown 75-68 with the Bulldogs going hot and cold with their jumpshooting. It's obviously early but Steve Cleveland's team must show some power inside and not a close to complete reliance on mid and long range jumpers. Kevin Bell scored 21 points in the next game to lead the team to a win over Liberty. Dwight O'Neil, coming off a redshirt year, has played very well in the opening two games...

...Utah State fell to rival Weber State in another contest that won't help the WAC power rating.

Turnover mania dooms Aggies
Jay Hinton
Deseret Morning News
November 11, 2007

OGDEN — In the first two games of the 2007-08 season, the Utah State Aggies are averaging an abnormal 21 turnovers per game.

The Aggies got away with 19 turnovers and beat Southern Utah on Friday night, but Saturday they turned the ball over 23 times and it cost them in the 78-71 loss to Weber State, which snapped a string of six straight losses by the Wildcats to USU.

"We turned it over time and time again," USU coach Stew Morrill said.
Utah State trailed by four points with 33 seconds left, and DeUndrae Spraggins, who coughed up the ball five times, threw the ball away. Jaycee Carroll was then called for an intentional foul, and Brody Van Brocklin hit one of two foul shots to stretch the lead to five.

Though it didn't matter, the Aggies' final possession of the game ended in a turnover...

A preview of New Mexico State men's basketball 2007-2008

Reggie-dom is no longer.

Debonair and suave has been replaced with Marvin Menzies, curiously also a former Louisville assistant like Theus.

So what is Menzies looking at?

Try four returning starters for one, and lots of experience. Plus, an incoming elite freshman recruit.

New Mexico State was 25-9, 11-5 in league, last season, including a stellar 19-1 at home. The only Achilles tendon of sort for Theus' team, as it is with most squads, was a 6-7 road mark. Mind you, .500 on the road is actually envious but it demonstrates that the Aggies of last season were not the powerhouse type of club that could enter hostile territory and usually succeed.

Also looking in the rear view mirror, the Aggies led the WAC in scoring offense at 78 ppg, shooting a lofty 48% as a team, second in the league. Theus' squad shot 39% on three-point attempts, again second overall.

Conversely, New Mexico State was eighth in scoring defense at 72.4 ppg.

As for personnel losses, role-playing guards Elijah Ingram, Shaun Davis, Ted Knauber and forward David Fisher have departed. None are spectacular or irreplaceable losses but still played solid roles in the Aggie 2006-2007 success.

Here's a look at the returning players:

Jonathan Gibson -- 6-1 180 point guard/shooting guard sophomore. Gibson was eased into D-1 last season but, to his credit, notched 22 assists versus 23 turnovers on the season--an adequate ratio for a frosh. The biggest obstacle he faces as a young point is learning to slow down his play and not attempt to force everything. Grasping when to initiate the action and when to let the game come to him is the next step he needs to take in his advancement.

Fred Peete -- shooting guard/wing 6-4 200 senior. Peete suffered an injury late in the season but managed 9.5 ppg., 4.0 rpg., while shooting 40% overall, 37% on 3's. Peete was also lauded for his defensive efforts, earning a spot on the All-WAC defensive team. Call him solid, if unspectacular.

Justin Hawkins -- 6-7 205 small forward senior. The go-to guy on the squad, Hawkins was a first team All-WAC selection after finishing sixth in the league in scoring at 15.6 ppg. He shot 52% from the floor, going to the foul line 185 times. Hawkins also contributed 79 assists and grabbed 6.6 rpg.

Trei Steward -- 6-7 240 power forward senior. He's the only D-1 transfer out of the original group of four (others: Peete, Iti, Hawkins) who hasn't made a mark with the Aggies as yet.

Hatila Passos -- 6-9 230 center senior. Passos is an inside banger, relying more on physical play than his skills set. He averaged 8.7 ppg. in 2006-2007, shooting shot 63% from the floor. His 149 free throw attempts were second to Hawkins. Passos also grabbed 6.1 rpg.

Martin Iti -- 7-0 240 center senior. Known for his defensive presence, he led the Aggies with 40 blocked shots while averaging 6.4 ppg. Iti shot 63% for the season but combined that with 36% from foul line. He actually entered the NBA draft when he was still at North Carolina Charlotte but a dose of reality caused him to withdraw. He remains at a less-than-NBA skill level but he'll find work overseas. He's from Australia.

Chris Cole -- 6-1 190 point guard sophomore. A transfer from Hartford, he led his former team with 78 assists while making 21 starts as a freshman. There is an opening for a pass-first point on the team so Cole could surprise people with his on-court minutes.

Here are the New Mexico State newcomers:

Herb Pope -- power forward 6-9 235 freshman. Although shot during a violent incident that wasn't his responsibility, Pope is well on the road to recovery and should be ready to compete for a starting spot in his freshman season. He was named a fourth team Parade All-American after averaging 19 points, 11 rebounds and two blocked shots a game in 2006-2007 as a Pennsylvania high schooler. Pope is a terrific 'catch' for the Aggies. A scouting service described Pope this way: "...a horse on the inside. Will battle using his length and strength."

DeAngelo Jones -- shooting guard 6-3 180 freshman. Out of Seattle, he averaged 16.2 ppg. this past season. Shooting is his best talent at this point. One scouting service said of Jones: "Fairly athletic wing with decent ball skills." Look for him to possibly redshirt.

Aaron "Gordo" Castillo -- shooting guard/wing 6-4 190 freshman. Coming from crosstown in Las Cruces, Castillo was twice named the Gatorade Player of the Year in New Mexico. He averaged 25 points, seven rebounds and six assists as a senior. He's another redshirt candidate.

Jahmar Young -- shooting guard/wing 6-5 175 freshman. Young was ranked by HOOPSCOOP as the 26th best prep recruit in the nation this past season. He will be the backcourt frosh who sees the most playing time. Per his prep coach Marc Hsu: "He is a high major kid going to a good mid-major program. I really think he could play at the Big East, ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, any of those, schools. He is that level of a kid." Young's a Baltimore native.

JayDee Luster -- point guard 5-9 160 freshman. One listing has Luster as 5-8 and 140 but regardless, he was the player of the year in his San Diego league this season. He averaged 32.8 ppg. A description: "This guy is a good, smart point guard. He understands passing angles."

Paris Carter -- wing 6-4 225 junior. A second team NJCAA Division II All-American, Carter played at Cecil Community College MD, averaging 15.5 ppg., 4.3 rpg. and 4.8 apg. Like Chris Cole, Carter also played his freshman season at Hartford. Here's Theus on Carter: "I was looking for a multi-purpose guy and Paris fills that role very well for us. He has great size at 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds and he is also a very good 3-pointer shooter."

Londale Theus -- small forward 6-5 190 sophomore walk-on. The second cousin of the former head coach, don't expect to see him on the court much but he is sterling in the classroom. We haven't been able to determine if he is related to the Londale Theus who played at Santa Clara in the late 1970s.

Wendell McKines -- power forward 6-4 220 freshman. He is a power player, with a power body but wing forward height. Being an amazingly quick jumper, he gets to the hoop before an opponent can react. His ball skills and shooting range need development but coaches love a guy like this because he wants it more than anyone else on the court and that can be contagious.

Taking what is known at this point, here's our best estimate at a starting lineup:

center - Hatila Passos
power forward - Herb Pope
small forward - Justin Hawkins
shooting guard - Fred Peete
point guard - Chris Cole

New Mexico State will battle Utah State for the top spot in the WAC. The load of talent Theus left behind is atypical for a new coach to inherit as Menzies doesn't immediately face any sort of a rebuilding job.

Psssst, here's our insider tip: it will be an Aggie March in 2008 for the WAC -- aren't we putting our necks on the line?