WAC NOTES

NEW MEXICO STATE TO FACE INDIANA IN NCAA TOURNAMENT
With the second WAC Tournament Championship in three years, New Mexico State meets No. 15 Indiana in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Thursday, March 15 in Portland, Ore. The Aggies are a No. 13 seed (26-9, 10-4 WAC) in the South Regional, while the Hoosiers are a No. 4 seed (25-8, 11-7 Big Ten). NM State is making its 19th NCAA Tournament appearance in school history after winning the 2012 WAC Tournament with an 82-57 victory over Louisiana Tech, March 10.

IDAHO, NEVADA AND UTAH STATE INVITED TO POSTSEASON TOURNAMENTS
Three WAC teams, including Idaho, Nevada and Utah State have been invited to participate in postseason tournaments. Nevada will participate in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT). Idaho and Utah State will play in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament.

NEW MEXICO STATE WINS WAC TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP
Tournament MVP Wendell McKines had a double-double with five minutes left in the first half as the Aggies claimed their third WAC Tournament title with a dominating 82-57 win over No. 5 Louisiana Tech. The 25-point win was the largest margin of victory in a championship game in WAC Tournament history. McKines finished with 27 points and 14 rebounds. Trevor Gaskins led the Bulldogs with 24 points.

All-Tournament Team
Trevor Gaskins, Louisiana Tech
Raheem Appleby, Louisiana Tech
Tyrone Watson, New Mexico State
Hernst Laroche, New Mexico State
MVP: Wendell McKines, New Mexico State

WAC POSTSEASON AWARDS ANNOUNCED
The WAC men’s basketball postseason award winners as selected by the league’s eight head coaches.

First Team
Vander Joaquim, Hawai‘i, C, 6-10, Jr., Luanda, Angola (College of Eastern Utah)
Deonte Burton, Nevada, G, 6-1, So., Los Angeles, Calif. (Compton Centenial HS)
Olek Czyz, Nevada, F, 6-7, Sr., Gdynia, Poland (Duke)
Wendell McKines, New Mexico State, F,  6-6, Sr., Oakland, Calif. (Richmond HS)
Preston Medlin, Utah State, G, 6-4, So., Carrollton, Texas (Hebron HS)

Second Team
Kevin Olekaibe, Fresno State, G, 6-2, So., Las Vegas, Nev. (Cimarron-Memorial HS)
Kyle Barone, Idaho, C, 6-10, Jr., Garden Grove, Calif. (Pacifica HS)
Raheem Appleby, Louisiana Tech, G, 6-2, Fr., Jacksonville, Ark. (Jacksonville HS)
Dario Hunt, Nevada, F, 6-8, Sr., Colorado Springs, Colo. (Charis Prep School)
Hernst Laroche, New Mexico State, G, 6-1, Sr., Montreal, Quebec, Canada (Vanier College)

Honorable Mention
Zane Johnson, Hawai‘i, G, 6-6, Sr., Phoenix, Ariz. (Arizona)
Deremy Geiger, Idaho, G, 5-11, Sr., Las Vegas, Nev. (Grayson County College)
Trevor Gaskins, Louisiana Tech, G, 6-2, Sr., Alpharetta, Ga. (Ole Miss)
Malik Story, Nevada, G, 6-5, Jr., Pasadena, Calif. (Indiana)
Hamidu Rahman, New Mexico State, C, 6-11, Sr., Somerset, N.J. (American Christian HS)
Brockeith Pane, Utah State, G, 6-1, Sr., Dallas, Texas (Midland JC)

Player of the Year: Deonte Burton, So., G, Nevada
Freshman of the Year: Raheem Appleby, G, Louisiana Tech
Don Haskins Coach of the Year: David Carter, Nevada

All-Defensive Team
Vander Joaquim, Hawai‘i, C, 6-10, Jr., Luanda, Angola (College of Eastern Utah)
Landon Tatum, Idaho, G, 5-11, Sr., San Antonio, Texas (South Plains College)
Trevor Gaskins, Louisiana Tech, G, 6-2, Sr., Alpharetta, Ga. (Ole Miss)
Jerry Evans Jr, Nevada, G, 6-8, So., Lawndale, Calif. (Leuzinger HS)
Dario Hunt, Nevada, F, 6-8, Sr., Colorado Springs, Colo. (Charis Prep School)

All-Newcomer Team
Djim Bandoumel, Idaho, F, 6-7, Sr., Quebec City, Quebec, Canada (Monroe College)
Raheem Appleby, Louisiana Tech, G, 6-2, Fr., Jacksonville, Ark. (Jacksonville HS)
Daniel Mullings, New Mexico State, G, 6-2, Fr., Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Laurier)
James Kinney, San Jose State, G, 6-2, Jr., Champaign, Ill. (Eastern Utah College, Ohio U.)
Kyisean Reed, Utah State, F, 6-6, Jr., Palmdale, Calif. (Antelope Valley JC)

NEVADA WINS WAC REGULAR SEASON TITLE
Nevada’s 65-61 victory over New Mexico State on March 1 earned the Wolf Pack its fourth outright WAC Championship. The Pack shared the 2004 and 2008 titles giving them six in the last nine seasons. The Pack won outright titles in three consecutive years; 2005, 2006 and 2007. Head coach David Carter has been associated with all six, five as an assistant.
 
NM STATE’S MULLINGS BECOMES 13TH WAC PLAYER TO RECORD TRIPLE-DOUBLE
Daniel Mullings became only the third Aggie in school history and 13th player in WAC history to record a triple-double. Mullings scored 28 points, pulled down 12 rebounds and dished out 10 assists, all career-high marks, in a 115-73 win over Hawai’i, Feb. 23. Mullings is the first player to accomplish the feat since 1990 at NM State and only one of 12 players and the lone freshman to achieve a triple-double this season in the NCAA. He also tied a career high with five steals in the game. Mullings also set career-best marks for field goals made (11) and free throw attempts (9).

FRESNO STATE’S OLEKAIBE BECOMES FIRST WAC PLAYER TO SCORE 43 OR MORE POINTS IN A SINGLE GAME SINCE 2007
Fresno State’s Kevin Olekaibe scored a school-record 43 points to help the Bulldogs to a 78-72 win over Seattle U on Feb. 23. The 43 points off the hand of Olekaibe tied for the third-most by any Division I player this year in a single game and marked the most by anyone in the Western Athletic Conference since Utah State’s Jaycee Carroll scored 44 against New Mexico State back on Feb. 5, 2007.

WAC TEAMS GO COMBINED 5-3 IN ESPN SEARS BRACKETBUSTERS GAMES
For an 10th-straight year, the WAC participated in BracketBusters -- a two-day men’s college basketball event pitting NCAA Tournament hopefuls. WAC teams went a combined 5-3 in those matchups. New Mexico State picked up a featured ESPN Sears BracketBuster televised matchup, defeating Drake 71-55 on ESPNU.

WAC Televised BracketBuster Games
New Mexico State def. Drake, 71-55 (ESPNU)
Iona def. Nevada, 90-84 (ESPN2/ESPN3)

WAC Non-Televised BracketBuster Games
Fresno State def. Cal State Northridge, 62-49
Montana def. Hawai‘i, 94-79
Idaho def. Portland State, 77-68
Louisiana Tech def. Central Arkansas, 84-62
San Jose State def. Sacramento State, 79-67
UC Santa Barbara def. Utah State, 72-64

WAC CONTINUES RISE ON RPI
After starting the season as low as No. 28 on the conference RPI list, the WAC has surged its way to No. 12 this week, according to collegerpi.com. New Mexico State holds the league’s best RPI at No. 59, according to collegerpi.com.

WAC TEAMS/PLAYERS AMONG NATIONAL STATISTICAL LEADERS
As of March 11, teams from the WAC rank in the top-25 in five team statistical categories. Individual players rank in the top-25 in nine individual stat categories. New Mexico State holds the highest team mark as it ranks third nationally in rebound margin at 8.7. Individually, New Mexico State’s Daniel Mullings is tied for first nationally with one triple-double. NMSU’s Wendell McKines ranks fourth nationally with 17 double-doubles. Hawai‘i’s Jeremiah Ostrowski ranks sixth nationally in assists per game at 7.0.

KENNETH SMITH SETS LA TECH’S SINGLE GAME ASSISTS RECORD
Freshman guard Kenneth Smith set the Louisiana Tech school record for assists in a game with 15 as the Bulldogs defeated Central Arkansas 84-42 Saturday afternoon in the Thomas Assembly Center in front of 3,977 fans that was a part of SEARS ESPN BracketBuster program. Smith’s 15th assist came at the 3:05 mark of the second half on a layup by freshman forward Stojan Gjuroski. Former Bulldog Bud Dean had held the assists record since Jan. 17, 1969 when he had 14 at Nicholls State. Smith’s 15 assists marks the most assists by a WAC player since Feb. 25, 2005 when UTEP’s Filiberto Rivera dished out 18 against Louisiana Tech. Smith’s 15 assists marks the second-best single-game assist mark in the NCAA this season.

SJSU’S CARTER NAMED TO ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT FIRST TEAM
Wil Carter, a senior forward on the San Jose State University men’s basketball team, is one of five NCAA Division I players named to the Capital One Academic All-District VIII first team. Voted on by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), the Academic All-District team is the first qualifying stage for Academic All-America honors. A co-captain of the 2011-12 San Jose State team, Carter is in his second year with the Spartans after transferring from Salt Lake Community College. The resident of Pocatello, Idaho ranks fourth in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) in rebounding with an 8.2 per game average. He is third on the San Jose State team in scoring with an 11.3 average.

NMSU’S MCKINES BECOMES WAC’S 12TH MEMBER OF 1,000 PT/1,000 REB. CLUB, NEVADA’S HUNT BECOMES 13TH
New Mexico State’s Wendell McKines became a member of the 1,000-career point and 1,000-career rebound club and led the New Mexico State men’s basketball team to a 78-57 win over CSU Bakersfield on Feb. 1. With his 12th rebound of the game with 7:45 minutes remaining, McKines joined the elite club. He is only the second player in NM State history along with Sam Lacey, second active player in the NCAA (T.J. Robinson, Long Beach State) and 12th player in the WAC history to achieve the feat. Dario Hunt accomplished the feat at this year’s WAC Tournament, becoming the 13th player in WAC history to do so.

WAC All-Time 1,000 point/1,000 rebound List
Keith Van Horn, Utah (1993-97), 2,542 points/1,074 reb.
Nick Fazekas, Nevada (2003-07), 2,464 points/1,254 reb.
Bob Elliot, Arizona (1973-77), 2,131 points/1,083 reb.
Michael Harris, Rice (2001-05), 2,014 points/1,111 reb.
Josh Grant, Utah (1988-93), 2,000 points/1,066 reb.
Kenny Thomas, UNM (1996-99), 1,931 points/1,032 reb.
Micahel Cage, SDSU (1980-84), 1,846 points/1,317 reb.
Reginald Slater, UW (1988-92), 1,809 points/1,197 reb.
Al Fleming, Arizona (1973-76), 1,765 points/1,190 reb.
Paul Millsap, LA Tech (2003-06), 1,708 points/1,172 reb.
Mitch Smith, Utah (1985-89), 1,628 points/1,036 reb.
Wendell McKines, NMSU (2007-), 1,442 points/1,096 reb.
Dario Hunt, Nevada (2008-), 1,075 points/1,008 reb.

SAN JOSE STATE’S CARTER RECORDS FIRST WAC 20-20 GAME SINCE 2006
San Jose State senior forward Wil Carter scored 21 points and pulled down 20 rebounds in a loss at Hawai‘i on Jan. 7. Carter becomes the first WAC player to score at least 20 points and pull down 20 boards since Louisiana Tech’s Paul Millsap did it in 2006. It also marked the first 20-rebound game by a SJSU player since Chris McNealy did it against Utah in December of 1981. It marks only the eighth 20-rebound performance by a Division I player this season.

SAN JOSE STATE AND NEVADA SET SCHOOL RECORDS WITH 16 THREES IN A SINGLE GAME, RANKS AS FOURTH-BEST SINGLE GAME PERFORMANCE IN THE NATION
San Jose State set single-game school records with 16 three-point baskets made and 40 three-point baskets attempted in the December 29 victory over Coppin State at the Elgin Baylor Classic. The previous records in these categories were 14 made 3-pointers in a 2005 game against Louisiana Tech and 32 three-point tries in a 2011 game versus Boise State. Nevada set a single game school record of their own with 16 made thres and 32 attempts to break the old school record of 15 made threes against Cal State Fullerton in 1999. The 16 made threes ranks as the fourth-best single-game performance in the nation this season.

INDIVIDUAL WAC SINGLE-GAME PERFORMANCE RANKS NATIONALLY
Utah State’s Preston Medlin hit eight three-point field goals in a win at Idaho State on Nov. 26. The eight threes is the third-most scored in the nation this season. USU’s Kyisean Reed connected on 11-of-12 shots for a 92.3 field goal percentage against Kent State on Dec. 22. Reed’s performance ranks as the second-best field goal percentage performance in the nation this season. Fresno State’s Jonathan Wills hit a perfect 13-of-13 free throws in a Nov. 22 game against UTSA. Wills’ night ranks him with the fifth-best performance nationally this year.


WAC TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES

Fresno State Bulldogs (13-120, 3-11 WAC)
Fresno State lost in the quarterfinals of the WAC Tournament ... the team dropped a 65-49 decision to second-seeded New Mexico State ... junior Kevin Foster led Fresno State with 14 points and seven rebounds while sophomore guard Kevin Olekaibe added 13 and senior Steven Shepp used his long-range and penetrating ability to chip in 10 ... New Mexico State used its size and athleticism to take a 25-19 lead at halftime and built a 16-point in the second half before closing out its 24th victory of the year ... Fresno State continued to fight and tried to mount another one of its fearless comebacks, but couldn’t overcome an off-shooting afternoon of just 31.4 percent from the floor and the physicality of a strong Aggie squad that pulled down 46 rebounds, including 21 on the offensive glass.

Hawai‘i Rainbow Warriors (16-16, 6-8 WAC)
Hawai‘i went 1-1 at the WAC Tournament ... the team defeated Idaho 72-70 in the quarterfinals before falling 92-81 against New Mexico State ... in the win over Idaho, Hauns Brereton’s baseline jumper with three seconds left proved the game winner as the Rainbow Warriors napped a five-game losing streak ... it was also the ‘Bows first WAC Tournament win since 2005—a span of six straight losses ... UH got huge, step-up performances from Brereton (17 points, 11 rebounds), who recorded his first career double-double, and freshman Shaquille Stokes (17 points) who started in place of Johnson ... in the loss to New Mexico State, Shaquille Stokes tied his career-high with 21 points, while Joaquim tallied 17 points ... in his final appearance with UH, Jeremiah Ostrowski tallied a career-high 13 assists ... he finished the season averaging 7.0 assists per game.

Idaho Vandals (18-13, 9-5 WAC)
Idaho overcame an 11-point first-half deficit in the Western Athletic Conference quarterfinal round against Hawai`i, but an unlucky bounce and a few key plays late led to a 72-70 Vandal loss ... Barone had an inspired effort for the Vandals with 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting, along with three rebounds, two blocks and one assist ... Madison added 15 points, three rebounds and three steals, while senior forward Djim Bandoumel had a career-high 16 rebounds ... as a team, Idaho finished the game shooting 44.2 percent from the floor (23-52) and 37.5 percent from 3-point range (6-16) ... the team added an 18-of-25 (.720) free throw performance. T while the team’s WAC Tournament is over, Idaho’s season is not over ... the Vandals will host UC Santa Barbara in the first round of the CollegeInsider.com tournament.

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (18-16, 6-8 WAC)
Louisiana Tech picked up a pair of upsets and found its way to the WAC title game at the 2012 WAC Tournament in Las Vegas ... LA Tech defeated Utah State 72-70 and Nevada 78-73 before losing in the title game 82-57 to New Mexico State ...  in the win over USU, Trevor Gaskins and Romario Souza both scored a team-high 16 points while Raheem Appleby and Gibson added 13 points apiece ... Gibson and Souza each grabbed a game-best seven rebounds ... Gaskins dished out five assists with freshman Kenneth Smith handing out four assists as well ... Gaskins scored 21 points in the win over Nevada ... Gaskins also scored a team-high 24 points to tie his career high in the loss in the championship game to New Mexico State ... Gaskins, along with Raheem Appleby were named to the all-tournament team.

Nevada Wolf Pack (26-6, 13-1 WAC)
Nevada went 1-1 at the WAC Tournament in Las Vegas ... Nevada defeated San Jose State 54-44 before falling to Louisiaan Tech 78-73 ... in the win over SJSU, Conference player of the year Deonte Burton woke up after taking an elbow to the jaw, scoring 15 of his 16 in the second half, and top-seeded Nevada overcame a horrid first half offensively for a 54-44 win over San Jose State in the WAC quarterfinals ... immediately after getting dropped to the floor by the elbow of San Jose State’s Stephon Smith, Burton responded with eight straight points, and awakened a slumbering Nevada offense that tied a WAC tournament record by scoring just 13 first-half points .. in the loss to LA Tech, Malik Story led Nevada with 21 points, but WAC player of the year Burton was harassed all night and finished with just five points.

New Mexico State Aggies (26-9, 10-4 WAC)
New Mexico State went a perfect 3-0 at the WAC Tournament to claim the 2012 tournament title ... the Aggies defeated Fresno State (65-49), Hawai‘i (92-81) and Louisiana Tech (82-57) to win the title ... in the win over Fresno State, NM State had three players in double-digits with redshirt senior forward Wendell McKines leading the way with 15 points and 13 rebounds ... in the win over UH, The Aggies had five players in double-figures with McKines leading the way with a game-high 22 points and a season-high six assists ... Hernst Laroche contributed 18 points on 3-of-5 shooting from the 3-point line ... in the finale versus LA Tech, McKines guided the Aggies with his 20th double-double of the season with 27 points and 14 rebounds on 12-of-16 shooting ... NM State is now set to face Indiana in the sedond round of the NCAA Tournament.

San Jose Spartans (9-22, 1-13 WAC)
For 30 minutes, San Jose State frustrated WAC champion and tournament top-seed Nevada with its double-teaming zone defense near the basket ... with 12 minutes remaining, the Spartans had a 30-29 lead, but the Wolf Pack eventually woke up offensively for a 54-44 win and a berth in the WAC Tournament semifinal round ... The Spartans’ success offensively centered around forward Wil Carter and center Stephon Smith getting open inside ... after getting into foul trouble within the first seven minutes of the game, Carter scored 16 of his game-high 18 points in the second half ... the The 6-foot-8 forward pumped in five straight baskets on six San Jose State possessions in the first four minutes after intermission. Smith added 7 points and was the only San Jose State player to make more than one field goal in the first 20 minutes of the game.

Utah State Aggies (17-15, 8-6 WAC)
Fourth-seeded Utah State rallied from a 10-point deficit in the last four minutes, but couldn’t get a shot off before the final buzzer, as the defending WAC champions were knocked off by fifth-seeded Louisiana Tech, 72-70, Thursday in the quarterfinals of the WAC Tournament at the Orleans Arena at Las Vegas, Nev. ... sophomore guard Danny Berger led a trio of Aggies in double-digits with a career-high 17 points, followed by senior guard Brockeith Pane with 13 points, including 11 in the second half ... Redshirt-freshman forward Ben Clifford netted a career-best 12 points, while freshman center Jordan Stone joined in on the career-high scoring with nine points off the bench, as the Aggie reserves out-scored their Bulldog counterparts, 38-8.