Friday and world of WAC basketball

St. Mary's came into Logan and emerged victorious 67-58 despite 17 points (5-13 shooting) and 15 boards from center Jarred Shaw plus 16 points, eight rebounds and four steals from Kyisean Reed. The Aggies owned the battle of the boards 46-27 but shot a very un-USU-like 32%. Preston Medlin shot 3-11, Tenale Roland 1-9.

Kyle Goon tweeted the game as did Kraig Williams.

Kyle also game reported and did Matt Sonnenberg (who did an exceptional writeup plus analysis), Rhett Wilkinson, Kraig Williams and Shawn Harrison.

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New Mexico State, as expected, handled Southeastern Louisiana 81-56. Tyrone Watson led with 24 points, including a remarkable 10-10 from the foul line.

Jason Groves tweeted the game. Jason also game reports. To complete the trifecta, Jason also blogged after the game. Give that man a vacation.

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Big Sky Conference power Weber State (even minus Damian Lillard) hit San Jose to face the Spartans and the matchup went into overtime with SJSU winning 68-67. James Kinney finished with 21 points for the victors.

Spartan athletics checks in with a game report. Weber State athletics ditto.

Monday's WAC hoops digest

From Coast 2 Coast Hoops: "Utah State will check out 2014 Hackensack (NJ) shooting guard Rashard Figures tomorrow" 

Here's a June 2012 feature on the 6-foot-3 Figures, a 2014 prep prospect.

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Jason Groves catches up with Reggie Theus.

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Thanks to CrimsonPhantom at the Crimson To The Core Cantina MB for locating a solid feature on New Mexico State's Sim Bhuller.

Wednesday's WAC hoops digest

Anthony Esparza writes about New Mexico State's path forward.

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Per Adam Zagoria, it was between DePaul, New Mexico State, Auburn and Iona for big Norvel Pelle and he went with the latter.

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Andy Glockner at SI lists his choice for must-watch non-conference battles and among his picks are:

18. Saint Mary's at Utah State (Nov. 15)

Sooooo tempted to try to get to this game in person. It's an enormous chance for a maturing USU squad to signal its intent in its farewell season in the WAC. Love to see great regional matchups between top mids. Also a matchup that has two of the guys who look the least like lethal basketball killers in Matthew Dellavedova and Preston Medlin.

and

25. San Jose State at New Orleans (Nov. 9)

After years of post-Katrina decline, a two-year dalliance with a drop from Division I athletics and a switch from the Louisiana State system to the University of Louisiana system, the Privateers have decided to stay in D-I. Good for them and good luck helping rebuild the school and reconnecting with the city.

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The Inside RunnersSports folks have posted that 6-foot-8 in-state frontcourter Tavario Miller has an offer from Texas San Antonio.

Utah State's 2012-13 starting five

Let's really go out on the proverbial limb (hopefully minus our handy dandy Stihl) and project the starting lineups for each WAC member.

PTW will forsake the usual warning that this is an exercise for fun, yadda, yadda, yadda.

Starting with Utah State: 

* TeNale Roland PG

Marcel Davis will need at least a half a season to make the adjustment necessary before being able to contribute.

* Preston Medlin SG

Might that be whisperings of WAC MVP PTW is hearing?

* Spencer Butterfield WING

PTW Simply loves this young man's game and approach but Danny Berger (if he doesn't redshirt) and Marvin Jean will certainly have a say.Berger is a better long distance shooter and Jean (like Butterfield) possesses an all-around game. Someone will probably come out of this unhappy but do remember that Butterfield can play the two and Medlin the one.

* Kyisean Reed PF

Can KR finally put it together, a package of enormous physical talents alongside a focused mindset? It's his last college rodeo so...

* Jarred Shaw C

He wasn't an offensive focus at Oklahoma State but he will be this coming season -- if he has upgraded that aspect of his game. It's hard to see Jordan Stone as the starter at this point and Matt Lopez isn't eligible until late December but someone will need to provide points here in addition to defending and rebounding.

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If it's Butterfield at the three, he and Reed are on the smallish side but both have the capabilities to board well. Seeing what stage Shaw is at with his game is key to the upside chances for the Aggies.

Did we nail it or miss the obvious?

Thank heavens for Matt Sonnenberg

All PTW has for you today in the digest is one lone item:

* Matt Sonnenberg emerges from the embargo in Logan to promise more player grades and team previews.

Friday's WAC basketball notebook

The Mountain West Conference in July 2013 -- PTW thinks this is accurate:

* Air Force
* Colorado State
* Fresno State
* Hawaii (football only)
* Nevada
* New Mexico
* San Jose State University
* UNLV
* Utah State
* Wyoming

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Tony Jones writes that USU and SJSU will have the smallest athletic budgets in the Mountain West Conference.

Some factors in this cannot be magic wand changed, simply indicative of location, demographics, other sports franchises in the area (or not) and so on. There are limits to donations but it's impossible to tell when such has been reached.

Plus think about this: UNLV tops the league in $$$ but where has that gotten Rebel football? Ditto for New Mexico.

As for hoops, the Aggies are the poster program in bang-for-buck basketball.

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Josh Gershon has confirmed that 2012 CA prep backcourter Aaric Armstead will hit Hawaii as part of his recruiting journeys.

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From one of Andy Katz' latest posts: "The National Association of Basketball Coaches board of directors met with NCAA president Mark Emmert on Thursday in Indianapolis and, according to at least one source in the room, there is support to close up a few transfer loopholes. The coaches and Emmert discussed making any player who wants to transfer sit out a year, even if he or she has graduated and is seeking a waiver to play immediately at a school that has a graduate program that isn’t available at the current school. The discussion also turned to the waiver that allows a player to play immediately if a relative is ill. That, too, would be closed. The consensus among the coaches is that if anyone transfers, he should sit out a year, even if that means a sixth year in college. The coaches also wanted some sort of universal language on transfer restrictions, maybe even an NCAA rule that forbids transferring within a conference. Conferences and schools create their own policies on restricting transfer"

Somehow the part about coaches sitting out a season when they change jobs failed to make it to the agenda.

It's D-Day

Utah State had made its announcement -- Tony Jones, Kraig Williams and Craig Hislop all cover the official departure.

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Teddy Feinberg zeroes in on New Mexico State's options.

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Chris Murray interviews Joe Crowley who has inside familiarity with SJSU, Nevada and the NCAA.

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Jimmy Watson writes that LA TECH will make its new home formal later today.

Utah State fans spreading their influence

Thanks to Joel, here's an article on The Spectrum-ites sharing their wealth and knowledge.

As someone wise once said, "You can't stop them, you can only hope to contain them."

Looking back on last (Saturday) night

It was a twofold Aggie evening with the New Mexico State version leading off:

Jason Groves serves up his game report as New Mexico State is 'King of the World' in the Southwest. Then Jason provides a blog entry which includes a bit of a Coach Marvin Menzies tweak to UTEP fans regarding Big Wen and prognostication powers. Sam Wasson also checks in plus has quite the number of Tim Barnett-Queen photos of the contest.

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With Brady Jardine out early due to injury, Utah State squeaked by Southern Utah. Kraig Williams, Shawn Harrison and Tony Jones gamed it as did The Sagebrush. Craig Peterson photographed it to the tune of 48 pictures.

Shawn also has an article on Carson Shanks' 2013 verbal to the northern Aggies.

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Dayton Morinaga goes for two here and here about Hawaii falling to Gonzaga. This isn't the first game this season in which Gonzaga owned a bigtime foul line differential -- it was 51-11 versus Eastern Washington.

Jeff Portnoy offers his take on the game.

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Louisiana Tech enjoyed 27 Texas Arlington turnovers and had a lead at the half but TA was too strong inside. Here's another take from LT athletics.

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Ray Hacke reports on SJSU's loss to rival Santa Clara.

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Chris Murray previews Nevada's game today back in Chicago versus Prairie View.

Wednesday's WAC hoops roundup

Fresno State took down Southern Methodist 54-52 behind 25 points from soph backcourter Kevin Olekaibe who hit a game-winning trey with 26 seconds remaining. Come WAC play, he just may force his way on to the All-WAC First Team.

Robert Kuwada offers a game report. Robert has also posted a blog entry.

By the way, Nevada fans will recall the name London Giles. In three games so far this season for the Mustangs, he is averaging 11 points per game and that's what he scored against the Bulldogs.

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Weber State took down USU 73-63 after jumping to a 42-27 halftime lead.

The Sagebrush gets the lead simply based on the cultural reference in its headline. Randy Hollis, Shawn Harrison and Martin Renzhofer were also present and accounted for in Ogden.

Of course, Craig Peterson has 41 game photos so do check those out.

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It's New Mexico State versus New Mexico in The Pit tonight -- Jason Groves has the preview.

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Jeff Portnoy looks at Hawaii's Monday night win over Cal State Northridge.

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Anthony Ray (a Rivals sub is required) reports that 6-foot-10 Arizona prep Lucas O'Brien has made his choice and it's UT San Antonio. Fresno State was in the mix and what effect, if any, Rodney Terry's signing of 6-foot-9 Tanner Giddings had on O'Brien's decision will remain locked forever in a mayonnaise jar on Funk and Wagnall's front porch.

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Per a Diamond Leung tweet, Deuce Johnson has a new home:

"Cal State Fullerton signs JC transfer James Johnson, a former center at Louisiana Tech"

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Here's a photo of Casper Community College point Denzel Douglas signing his Idaho LOI: