WAC Friday

Jay Drew is The Man. The Salt Lake City Tribune has obtained emails that deliciously fill in a large portion of the behind-the-scenes dealings involving the WAC and BYU. Fresno State's John Welty must have tremendous body control as his ability to do a 180 in tight space is impressive. Go here and enjoy.

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Travis Mason-Bushman tweets the whereabouts of former Vandal Mac Hopson -- go here.

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Jason Groves blogs about newcomer Remi Barry and a bit on New Mexico State's television game schedule here. The PAC-10 doesn't allow non-qualifiers to enroll so those two schools couldn't formally extend offers to Barry but we don't know the Big East (St. John's) bylaws pertaining to NQ's. Barry will certainly be the best Aggie talent next season but his scoring ability would be quite the boon for Coach Marvin Menzies if the NCAA clears the young man from France for this season.

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Chris Murray has the names of those trying out for the Reno Bighorns and there are a number of former WAC players among them -- go here. For you weekend warriors, put together $150, get to Oakland and have a story to tell your children and grandchildren although posterization is also always a possibility.

Friday's WAC roundup

The interwebs, you know that series of tubes, are loaded today:

1insider at the BarkBoard SaveMart Center basketball message board is a supplier of information today -- GJ Vilarino is down to Fresno State and Illinois (an earlier Spokane Spokesman Review blog entry quoted Vilarino's father as saying his son had one more visit to take if need be and would probably decide in early August) plus former LMU frontcourter Kevin Young -- 10.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game -- is attending a local community college before joining Steve Cleveland's squad.He's 6-foot-7 and quite the leaper.

Here's an article on Young's departure from Loyola Marymount. Here's a series of LMU basketball message board posts on Young's leaving.

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Shawen62 and LJVandal at the Scout Idaho GoVandals.net basketball message board report on the latest accomplishments of Mac Hopson, Kashif Watson and Marvin Jefferson. Go here.

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Big Wen self-reports that his academics and that of Troy Gillenwater are in order, plus more -- so Aggie fans can quit holding their collective breath. A tip o' the hat to Coach Allison at the Scout New Mexico State Aggie Alert basketball message board.

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Jason Groves reports on New Mexico State's trip north here and a significant home-and-home series with a PAC-10 power.

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Saturday's WAC links

Troy Gillenwater's return is receiving all the pub but let's also focus on the game tonight featuring the Aggies and visiting San Jose State. Jason Groves leads us off here.

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Fresno State will be George-less and Steve Cleveland is making a lineup change for tonight's Hawaii game -- this per Daniel Lyght here.

Brian McInnis says here it's make-or-break time for UH.

Dayton Morinaga quotes Paul Campbell here as being embarrassed by the previous UH loss to Fresno In Fresno.

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Nevada has payback on their respective minds -- to be expected -- but is there a more difficult arena to win in anywhere than The Spectrum? Chris Murray has the story here.

Jared Eborn fills readers in on the Logan - Salt Lake City College connection here. Norm Parrish is a very good buddy to have.

Shawn Harrison has more here on the Aggie - Wolf Pack matchup.

Tony Jones says here that the contest is a role reversal.

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Nick Jezierny details what went down between Coach Don Verlin and star player Mac Hopson here.

Utah State romps

The WAC receives television exposure but Idaho is without Mac Hopson (curfew violation) -- why does it seem a cloud creeps into sky and spoils the sunshine more often than not with the WAC?

Brian Green's shooting propels Aggies past Idaho
Jared Eborn
Deseret News
February 4, 2010

Brian Green is — very generously — listed at 6-foot-1 in the Utah State media guide. He's probably closer to 5-11.

It might be for that reason opponents don't pay much attention to him and often leave him alone when the Aggies have the ball and pay a lot more attention to guys like Tai Wesley, Nate Bendall and Jared Quayle.

They might want to consider abandoning that futile defensive strategy — especially after the junior from Davis High put on another shooting clinic in sparking Utah State to a dominating 80-62 win over Idaho Wednesday night.

"We're an unselfish team," Green said. "The way the offense works we can all have a good night."

Wednesday night on ESPN2, it was Green who stepped up...

Go here for the remainder.

and

Aggies win big
Shawn Harrison
Herald Journal
February 4, 2010

Once again it was the bench that came up big for Utah State.

It also didn’t hurt that Idaho went on a long scoring drought in the first half that put the visitors in too deep of a hole to climb out of. The Aggies cruised to their seventh straight win late Wednesday night at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, 80-62, in front of 9,777 fans...

Go here for the remainder.

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Aggies sit alone atop the league
USU wins seventh straight in conference after two early losses.
Tony Jones
Salt Lake Tribune
2/04/2010

At this point, the Utah State men's basketball team is simply on a roll.

The Aggies are making shots at an incredible pace. They are defending almost equally well, and because of this, they haven't lost a basketball game in exactly a month.

USU's latest victim? That would be Idaho, who came into the Spectrum without Mac Hopson, it's best player, and allowed the Aggies to come up with a dominating 80-62 win before a nationally televised ESPN2 audience...

Go here for the remainder.

In this corner...

Actually, let's change cultural references from what the headline implies. Hopson versus Thomas is not a recent Supreme Court case nor an 1863 battle of Civil War generals.

It is a bigtime matchup when Idaho and Boise State go at each other Thursday night in the latest edition of this state rivalry.

Boise State, Idaho floor generals ready to do battle Thursday
The two point guards each lead their teams in different ways.
Nick Jezierny
Idaho Statesman
1/28/09

There is more than one way to lead a basketball team, and if you need proof, look at Anthony Thomas and Mac Hopson.

The junior point guards are the undisputed leaders of their teams - Boise State and Idaho, respectively. Their styles will be on display Thursday night when the Broncos (14-5, 5-2 WAC) play at the Vandals (9-10, 3-3).

"They're different," said New Mexico State coach Marvin Menzies, who played at Boise State and Idaho last week. "They're similar in that they definitely are the floor generals for their teams.

"They have different tendencies - Hopson can be more of an offensive threat and I'd say Anthony is more of a defensive presence and kind of a spark plug for his guys. They have different assets that they bring to their teams."

Hopson has been Mr. Everything for the surprising Vandals, who have won more games this season than they did all of last year...

Go here for the remainder.

Idaho wears down against Washington State

You have to like Mac Hopson's line against his former team, except wanting a few more points which is something hard to produce with WSU's style: 10 points (4-9 shooting), six assists, six rebounds and best of all, zero turnovers.

Second half drought costly in Idaho loss
Courtesy: Idaho Athletic Media Relations
12/21/2008

MOSCOW, Idaho – The University of Idaho men’s basketball team returned some excitement to the oldest continuous rivalry in the West, however a late scoring drought doomed the Vandals in a 55-41 loss to Washington State Sunday.

Idaho (6-6) trailed 39-38 with 10:59 remaining before Washington State’s (8-3) defense clamped down and held the Vandals to just one basket for the remainder of the contest.

The loss was Idaho’s first at home this season...

Go here for the remainder.

The background on Mac Hopson

Here's a great article on now Idaho point Mac Hopson -- sure wish most writing and level of insight could equal this (and yes, we are also aiming that broadside at ourselves). A 10-gallon hat tip to Jo-Jo for this marvel.

Plus, here is yet another 'article' with even more on Hopson's departure from WSU.

The third player on our 'Getting No Love' WAC tour

Here's our third segment on the 'Getting No Love' players in the WAC this season.

Mac Hopson is a 6-2, 196 junior this season at Idaho and a transfer from Washington State who played prep ball in Oregon. We expect him to pan out this season as the top Vandal player, the leader scorer and assist man on the team.

Here's some background on Hopson followed by the why of our opinion.

While in Pullman for his only year, Hopson played 16 minutes a game in 21 contests. He averaged 4.2 points and 2.0 assists overall, shooting 39% from the floor and 45% from 3-point range.

Hopson was a starter for seven of WSU's first eight games and put up these numbers during that time: 7.8 points, 3.6 assists, and 2.9 rebounds in 24.8 minutes a game while shooting 50% from the floor, 64% from the 3-point line and 83% from the foul line. He played the point for Tiny Bennett.

But he played sporadically after those initial eight games. One report indicated it was due to lackluster practice habits, which we have no way of verifying. This time on the proverbial led to his eventual transfer to Idaho, then coached by George Pfeiffer.

Montana, Montana State, Portland, Portland State, and San Diego were the other schools wanting Hopson once he decided to depart from Pullman.

Prior to his time at Washington State, Hopson was at North Idaho College as he wasn't considered a top prospect coming out of high school. He earned first team all-Region 18 honors and first-team honors in the Scenic West Athletic Conference while at NIC, averaging a team-high 13.7 points along with 3.8 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.1 steals per game.

Curiously, Hopson had committed to Idaho after his sole year at North Idaho College but the Pullman/WSU/PAC-10 offer was too strong a lure even though his father starred as a Vandal years before.

The firing of Leonard Perry as Idaho's coach after the 2005-2006 season also contributed to his change of allegiance from Idaho to Washington State. Besides Idaho and WSU, Utah State, Denver and Illinois State also made offers.

Now Hopson is 20 pounds heavier than his earlier playing days which should be beneficial in taking the pounding and pressure he'll face as the go-to guy for the Vandals. He is also theoretically entering what should be his senior season so there's also a solid level of maturity.

This year, Hopson will be teaming up with:

*** 6-4, 190 junior Kashif Watson

*** 6-3, 170 senior Terrence Simmons

*** 6-1, 205 senior Brandon Brown.

Watson is a junior college transfer supposedly more known for his defensive play, Simmons is in the point guard vein but more a reserve and Brown has the rep as a shooter even though his percentages need to be upped dramatically.

Thus Idaho will need points, points and more points in 2008-2009 so the opportunity to put up shots is almost all Hopson's, whether it be in freelance mode or as designed by Coach Don Verlin.

Next year will be different though. Hopson will be joined by:

*** Pacific transfer Steffan Johnson, a 6-1 senior who averaged 14.5 points, 4.9 assists, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 46% from the floor and 41% from three-point land.

*** 5-10, 180 junior Marcus Lawrence will also be eligible in 2009-2010 after sitting out a season due to his transfer from UNLV. He's strictly a point.

So Hopson's numbers will be best -- at least in scoring and passing -- this season. He has the chance to land a spot on the All-WAC Second Team but that may be dependent upon how many wins the Vandals can earn in 2008-2009. But don't let a poor W-L record disparage his accomplishments.