Louisiana Tech

Daily Conference Poll: Who Will Win the WAC?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 10:24:04 -0500

WAC Basketball Preview: 08-09

CHN — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 20:22:02 -0500

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Conference Rank: 14th

All-WAC Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Armon Johnson	Nevada	So
G	Kyle Gibson	La Tech	Jr
G	Jonathan Gibson	New Mexico St	Jr
F	Luke Babbitt	Nevada	Fr
F	Gary Wilkinson	Utah State	Sr
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
High-Major All-Americans Gary Wilkinson All-Freshman Luke Babbitt		Points: Kyle Gibson 16.5 Rebounds: Chris Oakes 7.2 Assists: Anthony Thomas 4.2 Team Points: Boise State 81.4

WAC Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

59	Nevada	WAC	1	NCAA
77	New Mexico St	WAC	2	NIT
124	Utah State	WAC	3
163	San Jose State	WAC	4
217	Fresno State	WAC	5
225	Louisiana Tech	WAC	6
246	Boise State	WAC	7
266	Hawaii	WAC	8
306	Idaho	WAC	9

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the WAC?

Other WAC Content

Head Coach Interviews

Greg Graham: Boise State

Conference Media Poll

WAC Poll & All-Conference Team

Other

Rise & Fall: The WAC

WAC Preseason Poll & All-Conference Team

Press Release — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:20:36 -0400

WAC MEDIA POLL

DENVER – The 2008-09 Western Athletic Conference men’s basketball media poll has tabbed Nevada as this year’s favorite. Utah State senior forward Gary Wilkinson has been named the preseason Player of the Year. Nevada freshman Luke Babbitt was tabbed this year’s preseason Newcomer of the Year.

Nevada received 255 points and 20 first-place votes. Utah State was picked second with 220 points and four first place votes. New Mexico State garnered 201 points and two first place votes for third place followed by Louisiana Tech with 149 points. Boise State was fifth with three first place votes and 142 points followed by San Jose State with a first place vote and 132 points. Fresno State was seventh with 114 points, followed by Hawai‘i (103) and Idaho (34).

Wilkinson averaged 13.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game last season, helping Utah State to a share of the conference regular season crown last year.

Babbitt, a 2008 graduate of Galena High School in Reno, became the third player in Nevada prep history to be named a McDonald’s All-American.

The All-WAC team included Wilkinson, New Mexico State junior guard Jonathan Gibson, Louisiana Tech junior guard Kyle Gibson, Nevada sophomore forward Armon Johnson, and San Jose State junior center C.J. Webster.

The following is the complete 2008-09 WAC men’s basketball media poll with first-place votes in parentheses (points awarded on a 9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis):

Rank Team Points

1. Nevada (20) 255

2. Utah State (4) 220

3. New Mexico State (2) 201

4. Louisiana Tech 149

5. Boise State (3) 142

6. San Jose State (1) 132

7. Fresno State 114

8. Hawai‘i 103

9. Idaho 34

Preseason All-WAC Team

Jonathan Gibson, Jr., G, New Mexico State

Kyle Gibson, Jr., G, Louisiana Tech

Armon Johnson, So., F, Nevada

C.J. Webster, Jr., C, San Jose State

Gary Wilkinson, Sr., F, Utah State

Preseason Player of the Year: Gary Wilkinson, Sr., F, Utah State

Newcomer of the Year: Luke Babbitt, Fr., F, Nevada

WAC COACHES POLL

The Western Athletic Conference announced its men’s basketball preseason poll and all-WAC teams, as voted on by the nine head coaches in the league. Nevada was selected to win the WAC, while Nevada sophomore Armon Johnson was tabbed the league’s preseason Player of the Year.

Nevada, the 2007-08 WAC regular season co-champion, received seven first place votes and 63 points. Utah State captured second place with 57 points, receiving two first-place votes. New Mexico State took third place with 48 points. With 43 points, San Jose State was voted fourth. Boise State (30) and Louisiana Tech (29) followed closely behind in fifth and sixth place, respectively. Hawai‘i (25) and Fresno State (20) finished seventh and eighth, respectively, while Idaho (9) was ranked ninth.

The coaches also voted on preseason first and second all-WAC teams. Nevada sophomore forward Armon Johnson, the 2007-08 WAC Freshman of the Year, leads the list of first-teamers. San Jose State junior center C.J. Webster and Utah State senior forward Gary Wilkinson, 2007-08 all-Newcomer team honorees, also earned spots on the preseason first team. New Mexico State guard Jonathan Gibson and Louisiana Tech guard Kyle Gibson round out the first team.

Second-team selections include Luke Babbitt (Nevada), Brandon Fields (Nevada), Anthony Thomas (Boise State), Tai Wesley (Utah State) and Jahmar Young (New Mexico State)

Nevada shared the 2007-08 regular season title with Boise State, Utah State, and New Mexico State. The team advanced to the first-ever College Basketball Invitational Tournament last season.

2008-09 Preseason Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll

Rank Teams (1st Place Votes) Points

1. Nevada (7) 63

2. Utah State (2) 57

3. New Mexico State 48

4. San Jose State 43

5. Boise State 30

6. Louisiana Tech 29

7. Hawai‘i 25

. 8. Fresno State 20

9. Idaho 9

Preseason All-WAC Teams

First Team Second Team

Jonathan Gibson, Jr., G, New Mexico St. Luke Babbitt, Fr., F, Nevada

Kyle Gibson, Jr., G, Louisiana Tech Brandon Fields, Jr., G, Nevada

Armon Johnson, So., F, Nevada Anthony Thomas, Jr., F, Boise State

C.J. Webster, Jr., C, San Jose State Tai Wesley, So., F, Utah State

Gary Wilkinson, Sr., F, Utah State Jahmar Young, So., G, New Mexico St.

Player of the Year: Armon Johnson, Nevada

College Football: Louisiana Tech @ #17 Boise State Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:34:02 -0400

If tonight's WAC opener between #17 Boise State (3-0) and Louisiana Tech (2-1) can match the drama of last night's game, viewers will be in for a treat. Middle Tennessee (2-3, 1-2 Sun Belt) knocked off defending Sun Belt co-champion Florida Atlantic (1-4, 0-1) thanks to a touchdown pass from Joe Craddock to Malcolm Beyah as time expired. The successful point-after gave the Blue Raiders a 14-13 win and their first conference victory of the season.

Despite having the football for little more than twenty five minutes, Middle Tennessee found themselves trailing by just six before their game-winning drive thanks to four FAU turnovers. Next up for FAU is a showdown with Troy next Tuesday, while Middle Tennessee will take on Florida International on the 11th.

Louisiana Tech @ #17 Boise State, 8PM EST on ESPN

Can the Broncos crash the BCS party yet again? After winning three non-conference games to start the season, Chris Peterson's squad looks to reclaim the WAC title after losing out to Hawaii in 2007. The star thus far has been redshirt freshman Kellen Moore, who has looked rather comfortable in running the Boise State attack. Moore leads the conference in passing efficiency (179.8 passer rating) and has thrown five touchdown passes to just one interception. Other dangerous weapons include RB Ian Johnson and WR Jeremy Childs.

The Bulldogs counter with Georgia Tech transfer Taylor Bennett under center, but his numbers haven't been up to par in the early going. Bennett has completed just 41% of his passes with two touchdowns and three interceptions, but the Bulldog offense ranks third in the WAC in rushing compensate. WR Phillip Livas currently leads the conference in all-purpose yards so keep an eye on him whenever he touches the football.

Defense will tell the story of this one, as the Broncos hold the advantage in all major statistical categories. If Louisiana Tech can't slow down Moore through the air (Boise State- 1st in pass offense, Louisiana Tech 9th in pass defense) it'll be a long night on the "smurf turf" for Derek Dooley's team. And even if they do have some success against the pass, I like the Broncos to move to 4-0.

- Florida LB Dustin Doe will miss at least two weeks following surgery to repair a double hernia. Doe suffered the injury in the Gators win over Miami back on September 6th and aggravated it this past weekend.

State of '08: Louisiana

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:17:35 -0400

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Duke or Carolina? BC or UMASS? Gonzaga or Washington.. or Washington State? What is the best program in each state? While there's not much competition in Hawaii.. there are great debates to be had in loaded regions like California, North Carolina, and Texas. The State of '08 is a ranking of every program in every state.. based mostly on recent success (the last five years) mixed in with subjective factors such as conference prestige, historical success, and overall program direction.

Up today: Louisiana. For more info, check out the State of '08 introduction.

LOUISIANA

LSU - There's not much to say here, because LSU is by far and away the top program in the state. The Tigers made the Final Four in 2006, though have quickly descended since then.

LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE - The Ragin' Cajuns were one of the best mid-majors from 2000 to 2005, which included 3 NCAA Tournament trips and 2 NITs. In 2007, the program was cited for rule violations, and the past three seasons haven't been up to the former standards. Last year's crew did show some promise though with an 11-7 Sun Belt record.

NORTHWESTERN STATE - Mike McConathy has done a great job in a decade at Northwestern State. In 2001 & 2006, the Demons made the Big Dance, and you might remember their epic 2006 win over Iowa in the First Round. Even last year when the team seemed to struggle, NSU still managed to upset SFA to make the Southland Championship game.

TULANE - The Wave haven't made a dent on the national scene since 2000, when they won 20 games and knocked off 6 Top 100 teams. To put that in perspective, in the last five seasons, Tulane has only beaten 6 Top 100 teams. Last year the Wave did knock off big-name programs like Georgia, Auburn, and LSU, something that most schools in the state couldn't accomplish.

LOUISIANA TECH - Last year's Bulldogs were extremely inexperienced and struggled to a brutal 6-24 record. This year's group should show substantial improvement, and will push for .500 in league play. Last year aside, La Tech has had decent success over the last decade, with scattered Top 150 and Top 100 finishes. The program's 7th NCAA Tourney trip will have to wait a couple more years.

6. NEW ORLEANS - Joe Pasternack did a nice job in his first season, leading UNO to upset road wins over BCS teams like NC State and Colorado, and finishing 8-10 in league play. This was the program's best season since making a surprise run to the Sun Belt finals in 2004.

7. SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA - SELU made its lone NCAA Tournament in 2005. In the past three seasons though, the Lions have merely hovered around .500 in SLC play. They did knock off in-state SLC rivals McNeese & Nicholls State all four times last year.

8. SOUTHERN - Since 2003, Southern has finished .500 or better every season in the SWAC. In 2006, Rob Spivery led the Jags to the NCAA Tournament in his first season at the helm.

9. MCNEESE STATE - In 2001 & 2002, McNeese enjoyed back to back postseason trips, reaching the NIT and then the NCAAs. Once 2004 got underway, there's been little success and not even one season above 200th in the RPI. This year should be similar to last with a middle of the road Southland record expected. The Cowboys did have a nice road upset of Lousiana-Lafayette last season.

10. LOUISIANA-MONROE - The Warhawks (nee Indians) haven't had much success on the basketball court in about 25 years. Outside of a surprising 2002 campaign (98 RPI), ULM hasn't sniffed the postseason in the past decade. Moving to the Sun Belt Conference a couple years ago has yet to reap any major rewards.

11. NICHOLLS STATE - From 2002 to 2005, Nicholls somehow managed to only average 2 D1 wins a year. The past couple years have been better, but nothing to write home about.

12. CENTENARY - In 2005 & 2006, Centenary was easily one of the worst programs in the country. They won a combined 5 D1 combines in that span. Last year was somewhat of an improvement with an RPI of 283, and this year's team might creep up into the 250 range.

13. GRAMBLING STATE - After an embarrassing 2000 campaign in which the Tigers went winless, Grambling has hovered around .500 in SWAC play for most of the decade. Then again, the SWAC is the country's worst conference, so .500 in league play isn't a big accomplishment. Grambling hasn't won a non-conference game against a D1 team since 2005.

Last: Kentucky - Next: Maryland

State of '08: The Introduction (& State list/links)

Turnarounds: 31 Teams to Watch: Part Four

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 19 May 2008 10:49:33 -0400

With the off-season now upon us and the spring signing period well under way, this is a good opportunity to attempt to forecast some of the teams who could make the jump next season. Is there a team out there like this past season’s Drake Bulldogs, who went from ninth place to a dominating run through the Missouri Valley? Or how about Arizona State, a team that went from dead last in the Pac-10 to fifth place and could have the makings of a conference title run this season? With one pick for each conference, here are 31 teams you should keep an eye on next season.

Part Four

SEC: South Carolina

2007-08 Record: 14-18 (5-11)

There hasn’t been a whole lot of optimism around the Gamecock basketball program since a group led by Renaldo Balkman won its second straight Postseason NIT title a couple years back. But into the desk left open by the retired Dave Odom slides Darrin Horn, who led Western Kentucky to four straight twenty-win seasons and a Sweet 16 this past season. Given what we saw from the likes of Courtney Lee and Tyrone Brazelton during the Tournament, maybe Horn can add a little more to the game of Devan Downey and unleash some of the athletic talent in the South Carolina frontcourt. While it would be far-fetched to expect the Gamecocks to win the SEC East, look for them to make a return to postseason play next year.

Southern: College of Charleston

2007-08 Record: 16-17 (9-11)

It’s tough when you’re in the same division as Davidson, but for the Cougars to finish below .500 in conference play last season had to be a disappointment for Bobby Cremins and his staff. Four players, led by Tony White Jr., averaged double figures in scoring and they’ll all be back in 2008-09. Davidson will still be the odds-on favorite to win the Southern Conference, but don’t expect Charleston to simply roll over for the Wildcats. And the scary thing is that they may be even better the following season.

Southland: Nicholls State

2007-08 Record: 10-21 (5-11)

The Colonels are another team that suffered due to its lack of experience last season. But with Adonis Gray being the lone departure, look for Nicholls to repay some of the teams who took advantage of their youth this past season. Head coach J.P. Piper should have a full complement of players at his disposal next season, including three signed recruits and Michael Czepil for an entire season. And given the fact that they’re in the division opposite Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston State, the Colonels can make a run at a division title.

SWAC: Southern

2007-08 Record: 11-19 (9-9)

Head coach Rob Spivery loses two seniors from last season’s team, Geri Guillory and Joe Holliday, but his top three scorers will all be back in Baton Rouge. Chris Davis led the Jaguars in scoring at fifteen per game, and look for Barry Honore and Steffon Wiley to increase their production in order to become better compliments to Davis on the offensive end. The key in the SWAC, like the MEAC, is to not get buried by those “guarantee games” that many of the member schools have to play for the sake of their athletic department’s finances. I think Southern will have enough returning experience to make sure they don’t suffer that kind of letdown next season.

Summit: Centenary

2007-08 Record: 10-21 (4-14)

The Centenary Gents struggled mightily at times last season, and if not for South Dakota State they would have finished last in the conference. They only lose one senior from last season’s squad, and he (Iman Shokouhizadeh) averaged a mere four minutes per game. Three players averaged double figures in scoring, led by Tyrone Hamilton and Nick Stallings. They’ll both be back, and will be focal points as head coach Rob Flaska looks to move Centenary to the top half of the Summit League, if not win the automatic bid itself.

Sun Belt: Denver

2007-08 Record: 11-19 (7-11)

The Pioneers will have quite the task this season as their location doesn’t even remotely fit into the geographical footprint of the rest of the Sun Belt. But second-year head coach Joe Scott should be more familiar with his roster and each player’s strengths and weaknesses. The Pioneers lose four seniors, most notably David Kummer and Adam Tanner, but I think they can improve their standing within the West Division thanks to key losses incurred by other teams within the division. A full off-season in the system that Scott wants to run should also help with the completion of the coaching transition.

West Coast: Portland

2007-08 Record: 9-22 (3-11)

Personally, I thought that the Pilots should have performed better than their 3-11 record within the WCC. But with their only senior loss being Sherrard Watson, I think this could be the year in which Portland get to the middle of the pack in the WCC. Nik Raivio, who led the team in scoring last season, will be back along with fellow guard Taishi Ito and forward Rob Smeulders. Look for head coach Eric Reveno to have a vastly improved team in his third season at the helm.

WAC: Louisiana Tech

2007-08 Record: 6-24 (3-13)

Kerry Rupp heads into his second year in Ruston with a lot of young players returning after getting a taste of the “hard knock life” in 2007-08. Add to this group LSU transfer Magnum Rolle combined with other WAC teams losing some key contributors and you may have a team that can move up to the middle of the conference standings in 2008-09. In regards to competing for the conference title, that may be a little premature at this stage. But the cupboard certainly won’t be bare for the Bulldogs in 2008-09.

Part One: ACC, Big East, Big Ten etc

Part Two: Big 12, CUSA, etc

Part Three: MVC, MWC, Pac-10, etc

Magnum Rolle Transfer to Lousiana Tech

Jeff Borzello — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 12:36:26 -0400

WAC Player of the Week

Press Release — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 03:00:00 -0500

DENVER – Louisiana Tech guard Trey McDowell has been named the Western Athletic Conference men’s basketball player of the week for January 15-21.

McDowell, a senior from Beaumont, Texas (San Jacinto JC), averaged 29.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals in a pair of victories last week. On Wednesday, McDowell scored 33 points in a 73-71 overtime win that snapped New Mexico State’s nation-long 13-game winning streak. The Bulldogs trailed by six in regulation until McDowell hit two three-pointers in the final 20 seconds to force the extra session. He also had six rebounds and six steals in the contest. On Saturday, McDowell again led all scorers with 25 points in a 73-72 road win at Idaho. For the week, he shot 25-of-46 (.543) from the field and 6-of-15 (.400) from three-point range. Coming into the week, McDowell had been averaging 10.5 points per game. It is McDowell’s second career WAC Player of the Week award and second for a Bulldog player this year.

The other nominations were junior forward Matt Nelson, Boise State; senior forward Nick Fazekas, Nevada; junior forward Justin Hawkins, New Mexico State; and junior guard Jaycee Carroll, Utah State.

-WAC-

Unsung All-America Team: 2005-06

CHN — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 03:00:00 -0400

Collegehoops.net, the web's most popular independent college basketball site, announced their 2006 Unsung All-America Team today. Unsung All-Americans are players who consistently evade the eye of the national media despite impressive on-the-court accomplishments. The 2006 Unsung Player of the Year is Louisiana Tech's Paul Millsap, who was also named an Honorable Mention Collegehoops.net All-American.

First Team Unsung All-America

G Jose Juan Barea, Northeastern

G Keydren Clark, Saint Peter's

Steve Burtt, Iona

F Christian Maraker, Pacific

Paul Millsap, Louisiana Tech - POY

Second Team Unsung All-America

G Rodney Stuckey, Eastern Washington

G Charles Lee, Bucknell

F Yemi Nicholson, Denver

F Caleb Green, Oral Roberts

C Patrick O'Bryant, Bradley

Third Team Unsung All-America

G Brion Rush, Grambling

G Anthony Winchester, Western Kentucky

Jared Jordan, Marist

F Vedran Vukusic, Northwestern

C Justin Williams, Wyoming

Honorable Mention

Kenndy Adeleke, Hartford; Andre Collins, Loyola MD; Bryant Dunston, Fordham; Brandon Heath, San Diego State; Ibrahim Jaaber, Penn; Jarrius Jackson, Texas Tech; Shawn James, Northeastern; Nick Lewis, San Diego; Skip Mills, Ball State; Harding Nana, Delaware; Elton Nesbitt, Georgia Southern; Loren Stokes, Hofstra; Ayinde Ubaka, California; Jamar Wilson, Albany; Ricky Woods, SELU

The previous two

Collegehoops.net Unsung Players of the Year were Northern Iowa's Ben Jacobson in 2005, and Vermont's Taylor Coppenrath in 2004.

About Collegehoops.net (CHN). CHN (formerly collegehoopsnet.com) is the web's most popular independent college basketball site, visited by over 100,000 die-hard college basketball fans per week. CHN will announce the remainder of its postseason awards including Coach of the Year, Most Improved Player, and Program of the year tomorrow.

Email shawn@collegehoops.net for more information.