WAC

Poll: Who Will Win the WAC Tournament?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:58:04 -0500

WAC Basketball Preview: 2009-10

CHN — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:52:28 -0500

Nevada has perhaps the league's best player in Luke Babbitt, but a lack of depth should help keep the likes of Utah State and NMSU in the midst of the league race. .

Conference Rank: 11th

10 year average: 11th

Conference Page

All-WAC Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Jahmar Young	Nevada	So
G	Mac Hopson	Idaho	Sr
G	Roderick Flemings	Hawaii	Sr
G/F	Jared Quayle	Utah State	Sr
F	Luke Babbitt	Nevada	Fr

Player of the Year - Luke Babbitt Freshman of the Year - Greg Smith (Fresno)
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
CHN All-Americans Luke Babbitt High-Major All-Americans Luke Babbitt (1st Team) Mac Hopson (3rd) Roderick Flemings Armon Johnson Jared Quayle Jahmar Young All-Freshman Greg Smith		Points: Jahmar Young 17.9 Rebounds: Wendell McKines 10.0 Assists: Mac Hopson 5.9 Team Points: New Mexico State 76.3

WAC Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

46	Nevada	WAC	1	NCAA
51	Utah State	WAC	2	NIT
75	New Mexico St	WAC	3	NIT
105	Boise State	WAC	4	CBI/CIT
146	Idaho	WAC	5
169	Fresno State	WAC	6
185	Louisiana Tech	WAC	7
197	San Jose State	WAC	8
255	Hawaii	WAC	9

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the WAC?

College Basketball Preview - 348 Team Ranking - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

Poll: Best Non-BCS Conference in 2009-10?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:05:41 -0500

Poll: Who Will Win the WAC?

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:06:17 -0400

College Football: Week 7 Recap

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 02:02:36 -0400

Normally this space would be occupied by one of the college football weekend’s biggest stories in regards to the happenings on the field. Sadly, tragic news out of Connecticut overshadows a weekend in which the first BCS standings will be unveiled.

A family and campus mourns the death of UConn cornerback Jasper Howard, whose life was taken in a fatal stabbing early Sunday morning following an on-campus dance. Howard, 20, was a native of Miami who led the Big East in punt return average last season and had just hours before posted eleven tackles and a forced fumble in the Huskies’ 38-25 win over Louisville.

According to the Connecticut State Police a fire alarm was pulled at 12:26 AM, and an altercation between two groups happened shortly thereafter. Two people were stabbed, and while one (who remains unidentified) was treated at and later released from Windham Community Memorial Hospital Howard wasn’t as fortunate. He was transferred to St. Francis Hospital in Hartford via Life Star, where he eventually passed (information courtesy of the Hartford Courant).

Howard is survived by his mother and two younger sisters. His girlfriend was also expecting the couple’s first child, news that makes this that much more heartbreaking. Condolences go out to Jasper’s family and the University of Connecticut community.

WAC: Idaho continues their improbable resurgence.

The Vandals haven’t taken part in the postseason since 1999, but there will be an update to that bit of history thanks to their 35-23 win over Hawaii on Saturday. Idaho (6-1, 3-0) got the job done on the ground, rushing for 194 yards and going an excellent 8-for-10 on third downs. Nathan Enderle was efficient, throwing for 226 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions, and the running back tandem of DeMaundray Woolridge and Princeton McCarty will be a handful for teams going forward. But things get tougher in the coming weeks for Idaho. Next up is a hot Nevada team in Reno, followed by home games against Louisiana Tech and Fresno State.

Sun Belt: It looks like one of three teams will win the conference this year.

It certainly isn’t a surprise that the Trojans lead the Sun Belt with a 3-0 record; the surprise lies within the fact that the other two teams undefeated in conference play were projected to be middle of the pack teams in the preseason. UL Monroe has won three straight, most recently beating Arkansas State 16-10 on Tuesday despite losing starting QB Trey Revell to injury. The Red Wolves were quite charitable in the rain, turning the ball over three times and getting whistled for sixteen penalties in the loss, but that’s not the fault of the opportunistic Warhawks.

In-state rival UL Lafayette also remained undefeated in conference play thanks to a 30-22 win at Western Kentucky. The Ragin’ Cajuns put up 434 yards of offense in the win, including a solid performance from QB Chris Masson. There’s always the possibility of FAU making some noise but more than likely one of the aforementioned three will represent the conference in the New Orleans Bowl.

SEC: Take your pick: Alabama or Florida.

Two things are obvious at the halfway point of the season in the SEC: defending champion Florida and Alabama are the two best teams in the league, but they’re going to have to earn their way back to Atlanta. Florida survived a game bunch of Razorbacks in Gainesville, needing a field goal with nine seconds remaining to pull out the 23-20 win. The first half was an ugly one for the Gators, who went into the locker room trailing 10-3 after what head coach Urban Meyer referred to as the worst half they’d played since he arrived on campus. But thanks to Tim Tebow and pass catchers Riley Cooper and Aaron Hernandez Florida was able to survive the upset threat. Alabama had a fight on its hands as well, but the difference maker was sophomore running back Mark Ingram in the 20-6 victory.

Ingram rushed for 246 yards and a touchdown on Saturday, catapulting himself into the Heisman discussion. So who should be the top-ranked team? The coaches and BCS polls have the Gators on top while Alabama leads in the AP. In terms of consistency it may be the Crimson Tide right now, but if that’s to be the case at the end of the season Greg McElroy will need to perform better (10-20, 92 yards 2 INT) against stout defenses.

Pac-10: Nick Foles continues to impress for the Wildcats.

Arizona went into the season not really knowing who the right man for the quarterback job was; Matt Scott got the call early on due to his ability to make plays with his feet. But looking back on this season, people may want to consider what the loss of All-American TE Rob Gronkowski did to the offense. Once his back injury became a season-ender the Wildcats were without playmakers in the passing game (at the time); there was even more of a need for an accurate passer. Enter Michigan State transfer Nick Foles, who has thrown seven touchdown passes to two interceptions since being named starter following Arizona’s loss at Iowa.

He was on from the start in Arizona’s wild 43-38 win over Stanford on Saturday, completing forty of fifty-one passes for 415 yards and three touchdowns (no picks). But even with Foles lighting it up through the air, the key for Arizona challenging for their best finish in the Pac-10 since 1998 will be the running game. There’s plenty of talent in Nic Grigsby and Greg Nwoko but they haven’t been as productive as they were late last season thanks to Grigsby and Keola Antolin. And with a schedule that’s back loaded with their toughest conference challenges, more balance is a necessity.

Mountain West: The stage is set for TCU’s visit to Provo.

Both teams took care of business on Saturday with the Horned Frogs whipping Colorado State while the Cougars won at San Diego State. Now comes the rematch of a game that got out of hand in Fort Worth last season. TCU blitzed BYU to the tune of 32-7, giving teams the blueprint on how to slow down the vaunted BYU offense. Gary Patterson’s defense pressured Max Hall all night long, forcing the quarterback into a pair of interceptions while also forcing a pair of fumbles.

In their four losses over the past two seasons, BYU has turned the ball over an astonishing eighteen times, resulting in a turnover margin of minus-14. You can’t win big games like that. If Hall and company can’t deal with the pressure that DE Jerry Hughes and the rest of the TCU defense can (and will) bring the undefeated Horned Frogs could leave Provo with the win. Expect a hard-nosed, physical football game next weekend.

MAC: Central Michigan looks poised to run away with the MAC West.

Combining the Chippewas’ 34-23 win over Western Michigan with Northern Illinois losing at Toledo 20-19 and you’ve suddenly got a race that lacks a serious challenger to Dan LeFevour and company. WMU lost despite twenty-seven first downs and nearly 500 yards of offense, but the defense was unable to contain the versatile LeFevour. As for Northern Illinois, the Huskies were done in by the fact that the offense still has issues putting points on the board. You’ve got to have balance and it’s become quite apparent that Butch Jones’ team is best equipped to win games in a variety of ways. The schedule also works in Central’s favor, with Toledo and Northern Illinois both having to visit Mount Pleasant. After a one-year hiatus it looks like the Chips could find themselves back in the MAC Championship Game.

Independents: Closer, but still no cigar for the Fighting Irish.

The talk all week was about how much Notre Dame had improved going into their matchup with USC, and they could not only challenge but beat the Trojans. That talked seemed to ring hollow when the score reached 34-14 early in the fourth quarter, but there was a noticeable difference from that point forward. Prior editions of the Irish would have folded the tent, hoping to be spared embarrassment by the superior Trojans, but this group stood up and fought, eventually getting three shots at the end zone to tie the game before falling 34-27. Ultimately Matt Barkley was too much for Notre Dame, but Jimmy Clausen also played well in defeat. So while their hopes of getting into a BCS game may be dashed, there’s at least some tangible evidence that the Fighting Irish can compete with high-level competition.

Conference USA: Could the East Carolina offense be ready to awaken from its season-long slumber?

The Pirates went into their game with Rice not scoring more than 29 points in a game this season, with QB Patrick Pinkney struggling to make plays in the passing game and the running game lacking consistency. But the sight of the Rice Owls may have been the catalyst for improvement, with ECU scoring forty-nine points in their 49-13 win over the winless Owls. Make no mistake about it; ECU will see much tougher competition when they take on the final four games of the season (Virginia Tech, Tulsa, UAB and Southern Miss) but this may be a good start. Just one caveat: they must take better care of the football. Three more turnovers on Saturday make thirteen on the season, but while they do rank fourth in the conference in turnover margin the Pirates can ill afford to put their defense behind the eight ball too often as the stakes get higher.

Big Ten: People continue to doubt Iowa, yet the Hawkeyes keep on winning.

The Hawkeyes didn’t get off to the best start in Madison, falling behind 10-0 halfway through the second quarter. But from there the Iowa defense took over and the offense posted twenty unanswered points to give the Hawkeyes the 20-10 victory. Wisconsin QB Scott Tolzien threw three interceptions and a running game that usually batters opponents accounted for just eighty-seven yards (2.6 yards per rush) on the afternoon. Iowa’s running game didn’t do much either but they had Ricky Stanzi (17-23, 218 yards 1 TD), who was efficient and didn’t throw an interception. If Iowa can take care of the football they’ll find ways to win. Whether or not those wins merit style points isn’t important, and Kirk Ferentz’s team could care less.

Big East: If you want to win the Big East you’d better have a capable backup quarterback.

Interesting stat: seven of the eight teams in the Big East have gone to their backup quarterback at some point this season. On Thursday night Cincinnati backup Zach Collaros had to step to the plate when Tony Pike went down with an injured left wrist. Collaros stepped up in grand fashion, taking a quarterback draw seventy-five yards for a touchdown that gave the Bearcats a 24-10 lead in what eventually would be a 34-17 victory. Pike may be able to play next weekend when Cincinnati plays Louisville for the “Keg of Nails” at home, but if he isn’t at least Brian Kelly knows that he’s got a guy who can step in and make a few plays himself in Collaros.

Also of note is the concussion suffered by West Virginia’s Jarrett Brown in the Mountaineers’ 24-7 win over Marshall. Geno Smith did enough to deliver the win over the Thundering Herd and it remains to be seen if Brown will be ready to go when WVU hosts Connecticut on Saturday. If not, Smith needs to be ready to take over the offense. By the way, the only team yet to replace their starter in a game is Pittsburgh (Bill Stull), who currently leads the conference with a 3-0 mark.

Big 12: Is there anyone in the conference that can knock off Texas?

The Longhorns certainly didn’t look like world beaters in their 16-13 win over Oklahoma, but given what happened to the likely challengers from the Big 12 North all that may sit between Mack Brown’s team and an appearance in the BCS Championship Game are road trips to Missouri and Oklahoma State the next two weeks. And given the drop in offensive production from the Tigers when faced with challengers that can match up athlete for athlete (Nebraska and Oklahoma State the last two weeks) it’s tough to see Gary Pinkel’s team knocking off Colt McCoy and company. But if Texas wants to be a serious threat to win the national title McCoy is going to need some help from the running game. But it’s a good problem to have when you’ve averaging nearly 170 yards per game on the ground and people have questions about your ability to run the football.

ACC: Feeling left out of the chaos, the ACC Coastal decided to complicate things this weekend.

It only took one result to accomplish this: Georgia Tech 28, Virginia Tech 23. Now they both have one conference loss, as does Miami, leaving Virginia (yes, Virginia) alone atop the division with a 2-0 league mark. Things haven’t gotten as bad as the Atlantic Division (Boston College leads that division with a 3-2 mark; 0-3 Florida State is still in contention too) but if Al Groh can continue his seemingly annual rise from the chopping block who knows what the ACC is capable of. Next weekend the Cavaliers host the Yellow Jackets, who they beat on the road 24-17 last year so it’s definitely not out of the realm of possibility. At this point, it’s better to expect chaos yet hope for clarity when watching the ACC. And you won’t be cheated in the entertainment department either.

BCS Standings

1 Florida 6-0
2 Alabama 7-0
3 Texas 6-0
4 Boise State 6-0
5 Cincinnati 6-0
6 Iowa 7-0
7 USC 5-1
8 TCU 6-0
9 LSU 5-1
10 Miami (FL) 5-1
11 Oregon 5-1
12 Georgia Tech 6-1
13 Penn State 6-1
14 Virginia Tech 5-2
15 Oklahoma State 5-1
16 Brigham Young 6-1
17 Houston 5-1
18 Utah 5-1
19 Ohio State 5-2
20 Pittsburgh 6-1
21 Wisconsin 5-2
22 Arizona 4-2
23 West Virginia 5-1
24 South Carolina 5-2
25 Kansas 5-1

College Basketball: Preseason Conference Ranking

CHN — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:43:04 -0400

After finishing 1st in the RPI the last two years, the ACC should fall back slightly thanks to the big-name departures at UNC & Wake Forest. This should allow one of the Big 12, Big Ten, or even SEC a shot at being #1. The Pac-10 is weak enough that a high-major like the A-10, MVC, or MWC could surpass it.

Chime in with your thoughts below if you agree or disagree with CHN's preseason conference ranking.

2009-10 Conference Ranking

*08-09 is last year's conference RPI. Commentary by Shawn Siegel, ranking by CHN.

	Conference	08-09*
1	Big Ten 9 of 11 teams go into season with ncaa hopes, and as many as 7 may reach that goal	2
2	Big 12 ku is the clear title contender. the bottom few teams are weak though and the middle-tier is hit or miss	3
3	ACC no dominant team like last year, but solid as always.	1
4	SEC rise of uk brings league back to prominence after down year..	6
5	Big East lose tons of big name players, and still held down by likes of depual, rutgers, etc	4
6	Pac-10 conceivable the pac-10 only receives 3 tourney bids.	5
7	Atlantic 10 should get at least 2 invites to the ncaa tournament	8
8	MVC with improvement expected from usual leaders creighton & siu, mvc should be solid all-around	9
9	MWC just about every top team loses a top player, but mwc should be one of the more entertaining leagues	7
10	Conference USA though memphis takes step back, rest of league is better than usual.	10
11	WAC after some down years, wac will once again be compeititve league	11
12	Horizon butler has top 10 hopes, but squads like csu and green bay lose key seniors.	12
13	Colonial while still 1 bid league, likes of odu, n'eastern, gmu, and vcu are all quality	14
14	Sun Belt more then just wku, the entire east division is solid	17
15	MAAC siena, niagara, and rider all have postseason hopes	13
16	WCC gonzaga and smc both worse then season ago	15
17	MAC #'s should be better than last year, but west division still a struggle	21
18	Big West led by up-and-coming long beach state. always finish around this #.	18
19	Summit darling ndsu loses a lot, so usual contenders like oru and oakland should be at forefront again	26
20	Big Sky with exception of sacramento st, this is a solid league top to bottom.	24
21	Southland underrated league always good for some non-conference upsets	19
22	Ivy cornell will be the best the ivy has offered in quite some years	29
23	Southern steph curry's departure opens up door for charleston	20
24	America East decimation of binghamton will hurt league #'s	16
25	Atlantic Sun the league's upper half is as solid as it's been for a few years	27
26	Patriot could use a rebound from former top gun bucknell.	22
27	OVC morehead st continues its improbable rise..	23
28	Big South outside of radford, not much to get excited about here..	25
29	NEC nec hasn't had much going for it in recent years	28
30	MEAC as usual, will battle swac for title of country's worst	30
31	SWAC solid jackson st gives swac hope of surpassing meac	31

College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

Tuesday/Wednesday Football Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 03:06:37 -0400

More mid-week football from the Sun Belt with Arkansas State (1-3, 0-1 Sun Belt) hitting the road (8 PM on ESPN2) to visit UL Monroe (3-2, 2-0), who sits tied atop the conference standings with a 2-0 record (Troy) in league play. The Warhawks lead the conference in rushing, total and scoring offense with QB Trey Revell and RB Frank Goodin leading the way. But the Red Wolves are no slouch, having lost their last two games by a combined six points. Troy and Iowa are talented but rather straightforward in what they're going to do. The same can't be said for the Warhawks, who will employ a variety of looks on offense and defense.

"They're very multiple defensively," said Arkansas State head coach Steve Roberts in Monday's Sun Belt Coaches Teleconference. "They come from everywhere, show you a lot of different fronts and a lot of movement." UL Monroe ranks third in the Sun Belt in total defense and second in rushing defense with LB Cordia Watson and DE Aaron Morgan leading the way. Watson leads the team in tackles while Morgan leads the conference and ranks fifth nationally in sacks per game (1.20; 6 sacks on the year).

Arkansas State has the conference's third-best rushing attack and Reggie Arnold is the main cog in the Arkansas State rushing attack. Arnold averages just over seventy yards per game but he isn't the only option as seen in the team average of almost 163 yards per game. QB Corey Leonard can be a threat by land and by air but he hasn't been as productive on the ground as he was a season ago. Look for him to try to make more plays with his feet against the Warharks should the opportunity present itself.

As for a winner it may be worth noting that the Warhawks have scored just ten more points than their opponents this season, and Arkansas State's two road losses came at the hands of Nebraska and Iowa. Look for the Red Wolves to pick up their first win in conference play on the road.

Wednesday: #5 Boise State (5-0, 1-0 WAC) @ Tulsa (4-1, 2-0 C-USA) (8 PM on ESPN)

While this game is going to get a lot of attention due to the the explosive nature of both offenses as much has been accomplised by the Boise State defense through five games. The Broncos rank in the Top 25 nationally in every major defensive category and when you combine that with the fact that the offense ranks 5th in scoring offense the end result is a team that will be heard from when it comes time to decide who gets a BCS at-large berth.

Sophomore QB Kellen Moore has done a good job of distributing the football while continuing to limit mistakes, leading the WAC in pass efficiency while ranking fifth in the conference in total offense. "Their quarterback makes everything work," said Tulsa head coach Todd Graham on Monday. "He operates very well in the pocket and manages the offense very well."

There isn't just one guy who gets the job done offensively for Chris Peterson's team; many players understand their roles and carry out their responsibilities, making this an extremely difficult team to contain. The Golden Hurricane have some good numbers defensively as well, leading Conference USA in both total and scoring defense.

But those stats may need to be taken with a grain of salt; the three FBS teams they've beaten (Tulane, New Mexico and Rice) have the following national rankings in total offense: 94th, 108th and 109th. Their other win this season came against FCS member Sam Houston State, and their lone test (Oklahoma) didn't go too well last month. That will likely put some more pressure on QB G.J. Kinne and the Tulsa offense, which ranks third in Conference USA in total offense and second in scoring offense.

Kinne has played well outside of the loss at Oklahoma, leading Conference USA in pass efficiency while also leading the team in rushing. Coach Graham will mix things up in the spread, making sure that playmakers such as Damaris Johnson and Jamad Williams get the ball in a variety of ways. A good individual matchup to watch may be Johnson going up against All-America candidate CB Kyle Wilson, who will have a clean bill of health after being a bit banged up earlier this season.

The pick here is that while the Golden Hurricane will come out ready to go the Broncos will be too much for them to contain for sixty minutes. Look for Boise State to remain undefeated.

Thursday/Friday Football Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:58:41 -0400

Two of the nation's top 20 offenses get together in Columbia tonight (9 PM on ESPN) for a game that will go a long way in shaping the Big 12 North race. #21 Nebraska (3-1, 0-0 Big 12) visits #24 Missouri (4-0, 0-0) in hopes if getting back to their dominant ways in this series. Gary Pinkel's Tigers have won four of the last six in the series, including the last three meetings in Columbia by an average of 23 points per contest. Things should be a lot closer tonight, and the Huskers may even leave with a victory provided they take full advantage of their scoring opportunities.

That's what cost them in their one defeat of the year, an 16-15 loss at Virginia Tech last month. Nebraska moved the ball throughout due to the production of QB Zac Lee and RB Roy Helu Jr. but could not finish in the red zone. That ultimately cost them when the Hokies finally woke up offensively late. Not falling into that same trap is key tonight because they face an offense that has proven to be nearly as explosive as the 2008 edition even with key personnel losses.

Sophomore QB Blaine Gabbert has made the transition from seldom-used backup to starter in grand fashion, leading the Big 12 in pass efficiency while throwing for over 1,100 yards and eleven touchdowns with no interceptions. And while the skil position players haven't become household names in the fashion of Jeremy Maclin and Chase Coffman they have been productive, especially receivers Danario Alexander and Jared Perry.

Given the nature of both offenses this game will likely come down to which defense can make the key stops. Nebraska has the statistical edge, ranking fourth in the Big 12 in total defense while the Tigers are eighth in that category. Bo Pelini also has one of the nation's best defensive ends in senior Ndamukong Suh, and the Blackshirts will need to live up to the tradition of their name if Nebraska is to beat Missouri on the road.

The pick here: Missouri, due to their recent dominance in the series and they're defense should be able to do enough to slow down Helu Jr. on the ground. Tigers by a touchdown.

Friday: Louisiana Tech (2-2, 1-0 WAC) @ Nevada (1-3, 0-0) 9 PM on ESPN

Two of the expected challengers to Boise State will play on Friday night in Reno with the home team looking to build upon the momentum gained in their 63-28 beating of in-state rival UNLV last week. Nevada has had few problems in regards to offensive production outside of their shutout loss to Notre Dame but turnovers have been a killer in their three losses.

For the season Chris Ault's team is a minus-12 in turnover margin, with Nevada giving the ball away fourteen times (ten lost fumbles). They were even a minus-3 against the Rebels but when you put up 773 yards of offense the turnovers can be accounted for. Mike Ball (184 yards), Colin Kaepernick (173 yards) and Luke Lippincott (170 yards) were outstanding last week in helping the Wolf Pack rush for 559 yards last week, so if starting RB Vai Taua (elbow) can't go tomorrow night then it won't be a huge issue.

But they will receive a stiffer test from the Bulldogs, who had a solid night on the ground last Wednesday against Hawaii in their conference opener. Daniel Porter led the way for Derek Dooley's team on the ground against the Warriors, rushing for 160 of Louisiana Tech's 352 rushing yards, and Nevada will also have to account for WR Phillip Livas. What may do them in on the road however is their rushing defense (allowing 187 ypg), which ranks seventh in the conference.

Going up against a rushing attack that's tied for third nationally, Tech will need to hope that the Wolf Pack are charitable with the football on Friday night. Look for Kaepernick and company to do a better job of ball security.

Nevada Basketball Preview: #46

Joel Welser — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:44:36 -0400

Overall Rank: #46

Conference Rank: #1 Western Athletic Conference

2008-09: 21-13, 11-5

2008-09 postseason: CBI

Coach: David Carter (First year at Nevada, 0-0 overall)

Coach Mark Fox left Nevada for Georgia and new Coach David Carter has taken over the reigns at Nevada. Coach Carter has been an assistant with Nevada for ten years and certainly knows the program and the players. Besides losing a couple recruits, the Wolf Pack should have a smooth transition from one coach to another.

Key Losses: G Lyndale Burleson, F Malik Cooke

Key Newcomers:

Despite the loss of some recruits, Nevada still has some decent players coming into the program. Walk-on transfer Keith Olson is the most likely to make an impact this season. The 6-9 power forward will have to wait until December to play but the former Northern Arizona Lumberjack is a quality big man when he is healthy. Marko Cukic will also get the opportunity to provide some depth up front. Point guard Keith Fuetsch and wing Patrick Nyeko round out the recruiting class. Fellow incoming freshmen Devonte Elliott and Jerry Evans will at least miss the first semester for academic reasons and even if they are eligible after the fall semester will probably redshirt barring an injury to one of the key returning players.

Backcourt:

The newcomers may have to provide some depth, but there are six players returning who are quite experienced. On the perimeter the superstar is point guard Armon Johnson. As a sophomore last season Johnson tallied 15.5 points and 4.3 assists per contest. He is not much of a shooter, but he obviously can find ways to score. At 6-3 he even has good size for a point guard and he uses that size to help out on the glass and get to the basket. Brandon Fields was the team’s sixth man last year, but he has starting experience. Even in limited action he averaged 9.1 points per game. Nevada hopes Ray Kraemer can take over the sixth man duties after seeing limited minutes last season. The senior is a pretty good shooter and could provide a spark off the bench if he can hold off the newcomers for playing time.

Frontcourt:

Dario Hunt started 27 games last year, but it was Joey Shaw who emerged as the bigger scoring threat. Like Fields in the backcourt, Shaw spent the season coming in off the bench, but now he will likely step into a starting role. The 6-6 senior is a decent shooter and will use his size and strength to attack the basket. That size and strength also comes in handy on the glass. Hunt does more of the dirty work around the basket. He is not much of a scorer, but he is a great shot blocker and a decent rebounder. Most importantly, he clears up space for Luke Babbitt.

Who to Watch:

Babbitt was one of the most hyped recruits ever to play for Nevada and he certainly lived up to the hype. As a freshman he led the team with 16.9 points and 7.4 rebounds. He even hit more three-pointers than anybody else on the team and connected on 42.9 percent of those attempts. Defending against a 6-9, 225 pound center who hits three-pointers that consistently is nearly impossible. Of course Babbitt will score in the paint as well and most teams have no choice but to simply foul him or let him have an easy bucket. But when you foul Babbitt it is almost like giving him two points anyway.

Final Projection:

With Babbitt and Johnson this team has two of the best, if not the best, players in the Western Athletic Conference. Fields, Shaw and Hunt are experienced players who are talented enough to make this team about more than just two players. The WAC is getting much more competitive after bottoming out two years ago and Nevada will end up on top of the conference if they can find enough depth to keep their legs fresh in March.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Armon Johnson, Junior, Guard, 15.5 points per game

Brandon Fields, Senior, Guard, 9.1 points per game

Joey Shaw, Senior, Forward, 7.4 points per game

Dario Hunt, Sophomore, Forward, 3.6 points per game

Luke Babbitt, Sophomore, Forward, 16.9 points per game

Next Top 144 Teams
47		48		49		50

College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

Utah State Basketball Preview: #51

Joel Welser — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:39:52 -0400

Overall Rank: #51

Conference Rank: #2 Western Athletic Conference

2008-09: 30-5, 14-2

2008-09 postseason: NCAA

Coach: Stew Morrill (267-91 at Utah State, 485-229 overall)

If we should ever learn anything about Utah State, it is that no matter who they lose, they will be good. The Western Athletic Conference was not that great last year, but Utah State still managed to lose a mere five games on the season. Now with just one starter gone, the expectations are much higher, but there are two things standing in the way of the Aggies and another NCAA title…the absence of Gary Wilkinson and Nevada.

Key Losses: G F Gary Wilkinson, G Stavon Williams

Key Newcomers:

Even with four starters returning Coach Stew Morrill will need some production out of his newcomers, and he will get it. Junior college transfers Nate Bendall and Morgan Grim will provide some immediate help. Bendall, a 6-8 forward, had two great years at Salt Lake Community College and could immediately be the starter under the basket. Brian Green, who teamed up with Bendall at junior college, is a solid shooting guard who should provide quality minutes off the bench. Freshmen Preston Eaton, Preston Medlin, Chandler Smith and Tyrone White will find it more difficult to make an impact right away.

Backcourt:

It was the emergence of Jared Quayle that allowed USU to run, yet again, an extremely efficient offense. Quayle led the team with 3.7 assists, but also hit 1.7 three-pointers per game and tallied 13.1 points. Quayle, now a senior, should be even better with a year of experience in the system. With Tyler Newbold and Pooh Williams on the wings, the Aggies should not be lacking in scorers. Newbold is a consistent long range shooter and could turn into a player who could average 12 or 15 points per game if he used his 6-4 frame to get to the basket more often. Williams does not have any more size than Newbold, but he can finish around the basket.

Frontcourt:

The frontcourt has the daunting task of replacing Wilkinson. Wilkinson was one of the most efficient players to ever play the game and his scoring, rebounding and leadership will be sorely missed. Tai Wesley has the unenviable task of trying to replace some of the scoring and the rebounding, although Wesley did a pretty good job in both of those categories last year too, tallying 12.0 points and 6.0 rebounds. Wesley is even a good passer around the basket and the 6-7 junior should be in for a big year if Bendall or sophomore Modou Niang can turn into consistent players under the basket.

Who to Watch:

Matt Formisano and Brady Jardine are not the most talented players around, but they might have to play a bigger role if the newcomers need some time to adjust to life in the Western Athletic Conference. Formisano can play at the power forward or the center spots and if the team needs him to start, he can do that, but most likely he will have to play quite a few minutes off the bench and give Wesley and Bendall, or even Niang, a rest.

Final Projection:

There is no reason to think Utah State will not be right in the mix for another NCAA Tournament bid. However, the WAC is getting better and it will not be so easy for the Aggies. Two years ago the conference was plain awful. Last year they were nothing special, but all those young teams are growing up and the Aggies will have to do deal with some tough teams this season.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NIT

Projected Starting Five:

Jared Quayle, Senior, Guard, 13.1 points per game

Tyler Newbold, Junior, Guard, 9.0 points per game

Pooh Williams, Junior, Guard, 5.9 points per game

Tai Wesley, Junior, Forward, 12.0 points per game

Nate Bendall, Junior, Forward, DNP last season

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