One of the big boys of the conference, New Mexico, hits Walt McPherson Court Saturday night to take on San Jose State University. The Lobos are coming off a three-point overtime victory at Wyoming in which all three Cowboy guards scored in double figures so keep a watch on how Coach Craig Neal's backcourters perform against their Spartan opposites.
New Mexico sports a pair of bigs in Alex Kirk and Aussie Cameron Bairstow (how did he not end up in Moraga?), 7-foot-0, 245 and 6-foot-11, 240 respectively.
They and 6-foot-4 senior point Kendall Williams are the Lobo talents that beat opponents.
Kirk brings 14.6 and 9.5 scoring and rebounding averages into the game, plus 42 blocked shots. Bairstow is at 20.4 points plus 7.4 rebounds each time out while shooting 56% and 76% respectively. Williams is tops in assists with 71, steals with 25 and is scoring 18.2 points per contest.
Defending in the paint is going to be a major SJSU problem, what with the lack of height and depth so expect the Lobos to zero right in on that element.
Backcourter High Greenwood, another baller from Oz and freshman guard Cullen Neal, the son of the head coach, are more ancillary talents at this point -- helpful but not mainstays.
Greenwood is the top out-on-the-floor defender but also with a 32/9 assist-to-turnover ratio while Neal is scoring 8.4 a night, shooting 43% from three-point range with half of his attempts being from long distance.
New Mexico is holding opponents to 40% overall shooting and has ventured to the foul line 138 more time than opponents but is in a deficit with long distance accuracy: 32% to 35%.
The Lobos thus far have lost on a neutral court to Massachusetts, at home to New Mexico State and on the road at Kansas. Can SJSU enter make that a quartet?
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Another preview of tonight's game
Mark A. Cox previews the San Jose State University - New Mexico matchup.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Colorado State by a deuce
It was a clash of the Rams and the Spartans on Walt McPherson Court tonight with the former departing holding a 66-64 victory. The matchup was close throughout as Coach Larry Eustachy's guys nailed 8-10 free throws near the end to get back into the lead and hold it.
As expected, CSU leading scorer J.J. Avila led the way totaling 21 points (although he shot just 6-20 overall) plus 14 boards, split seven and seven. Daniel Bejarano totaled 15 points, seven rebounds and a team-leading five assists.
On the SJSU ledger, Rashad Muhammad continue to pile up the points, finishing with a season high 28, including 5-6 from long distance. Chris Cunningham enjoyed a 13/5 night, Jaleel Williams 11/6 and freshman point Jalen James earned seven assists but was also whistled for six TOs.
San Jose State University shot an impressive 47% as a team while holding CSU to 40% and the Spartans also won the battle of the boards 29-26. But it was 19 turnovers versus just nine for the Rams.
Next, it's New Mexico coming in on Saturday evening. The Lobos topped Wyoming 72-69 in overtime tonight up in Laramie.
As expected, CSU leading scorer J.J. Avila led the way totaling 21 points (although he shot just 6-20 overall) plus 14 boards, split seven and seven. Daniel Bejarano totaled 15 points, seven rebounds and a team-leading five assists.
On the SJSU ledger, Rashad Muhammad continue to pile up the points, finishing with a season high 28, including 5-6 from long distance. Chris Cunningham enjoyed a 13/5 night, Jaleel Williams 11/6 and freshman point Jalen James earned seven assists but was also whistled for six TOs.
San Jose State University shot an impressive 47% as a team while holding CSU to 40% and the Spartans also won the battle of the boards 29-26. But it was 19 turnovers versus just nine for the Rams.
Next, it's New Mexico coming in on Saturday evening. The Lobos topped Wyoming 72-69 in overtime tonight up in Laramie.
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Colorado State here on Wendesday night
So it's Colorado State and Coach Larry Eustachy (as well as Assistant
Coach Steve Barnes who really, really wanted the position Coach Wojcik
got in late March of last year) coming in Wednesday night. The Rams have
lost a ton of talent due to graduation and 2013-14 has been pegged to
be a rebuilding year
Eustachy's guys are currently 9-6 overall, 0-2 in the Mountain West Conference, a 71-61 loss at home to San Diego State and an 80-72 defeat to host New Mexico. Both are respectable setbacks considering the Aztecs and Lobos are of the top three squads in the league.
On the season, Colorado State has beaten who they were supposed to, except possibly an 80-70 ambush by Denver.
Everywhere Eustachy has coached, his gang have been known for a tough and physical playing style. Therefore, the Rams boast a 39-33.4 advantage in team rebounding plus a 446-315 lead in season free throw attempts.
Here's the who:
* 6-foot-7, 240 Naval Academy transfer J.J. Avila leads in point production at both 18.9 points and 52 assists a game, the latter an unusual feat for a forward
* At 6-foot-4, Daniel Bejarano is tops in rebounding with a 9.4 average and second with 15.1 points an outing
* 6-foot-4 backcourter Jon Octeus is third in scoring with 12.2 points per contest and he is also surprisingly tied for the team lead with 84 free throw tries despite his stationing on the court.
* Another guard, 6-foot-4 Joe DiCiman is the 'designated' three point shooter with a team-leading 50 attempts but a 34% connection rate
* Do watch for backcourter Daniel Cohn who is 14-29 from long distance on the season as well as sporting an extremely attractive 20/5 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Colorado State doesn't possess overwhelming size but they go hard and make contact. Coach Wojcik's frontcourters will be tested on the fouls count.
Unlike in other Spartan games this season, don't look for a number of wide open shot attempts despite SJSU's proclivity for firing away from far away as Eustachy will simply not stand for that.
This is a good test for the youthful Spartans. They won't be overwhelmed by talent but the consistent body contact on the court will be new and challenging.
Eustachy's guys are currently 9-6 overall, 0-2 in the Mountain West Conference, a 71-61 loss at home to San Diego State and an 80-72 defeat to host New Mexico. Both are respectable setbacks considering the Aztecs and Lobos are of the top three squads in the league.
On the season, Colorado State has beaten who they were supposed to, except possibly an 80-70 ambush by Denver.
Everywhere Eustachy has coached, his gang have been known for a tough and physical playing style. Therefore, the Rams boast a 39-33.4 advantage in team rebounding plus a 446-315 lead in season free throw attempts.
Here's the who:
* 6-foot-7, 240 Naval Academy transfer J.J. Avila leads in point production at both 18.9 points and 52 assists a game, the latter an unusual feat for a forward
* At 6-foot-4, Daniel Bejarano is tops in rebounding with a 9.4 average and second with 15.1 points an outing
* 6-foot-4 backcourter Jon Octeus is third in scoring with 12.2 points per contest and he is also surprisingly tied for the team lead with 84 free throw tries despite his stationing on the court.
* Another guard, 6-foot-4 Joe DiCiman is the 'designated' three point shooter with a team-leading 50 attempts but a 34% connection rate
* Do watch for backcourter Daniel Cohn who is 14-29 from long distance on the season as well as sporting an extremely attractive 20/5 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Colorado State doesn't possess overwhelming size but they go hard and make contact. Coach Wojcik's frontcourters will be tested on the fouls count.
Unlike in other Spartan games this season, don't look for a number of wide open shot attempts despite SJSU's proclivity for firing away from far away as Eustachy will simply not stand for that.
This is a good test for the youthful Spartans. They won't be overwhelmed by talent but the consistent body contact on the court will be new and challenging.
ESPN's Glockner on MWC hoops happenings
ESPN's Andy Glockner is interviewed about teams and happenings in Mountain West Conference basketball so far this season:
Monday, January 6, 2014
Not everyone is happen with Shaw's reinstatement
Amy Macavinta offers the details of some disappointment in the timing of Jarred Shaw's reinstatement to the Utah State basketball team.
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Utah State wins 86-67
The return of Jarred Shaw helped Utah State take the 86-67 victory over SJSU but a 20 rebound differential -- 44 to 22 -- is still startling.
The factors: both Chris Cunningham and Jaleel Williams fouled out with neither reaching the 30 minute mark (Cunningham was limited to just 17 60-second turns on the clock). Therefore, freshman Matt Pollard saw 20 minutes of action, shot 2-2 and blocked a pair of shots but registered no rebounds.
Rashad Muhammad paced the Spartans with 20 points (6-9 from three-point range) as the Washington Square guys lofted 35 trey attempts in 57 overall shots, many of them before Utah State engaged defensively.
But worth noting is earning 16 assists on 24 baskets, indicating solid Spartan ball movement.
Coming off the bench, point TeNale Roland had a career night with 20 points (7-7 overall shooting, 5-5 from beyond the stripe and all in the second half). He got a late run by the Aggies started which put the game out of reach.
Note this tweet from USU sports beat reporter Kyle Goon: "I've seen enough from#SJSU to assert that they could be a problematic opponent with a few recruiting additions. Some talented newcomers."
From Herald News USU sports beat reporter Kraig Williams: "SJSU isn't going to be a conference doormat for very long"
Kyle Goon game reports.
Shawn Harrison game reports.
The factors: both Chris Cunningham and Jaleel Williams fouled out with neither reaching the 30 minute mark (Cunningham was limited to just 17 60-second turns on the clock). Therefore, freshman Matt Pollard saw 20 minutes of action, shot 2-2 and blocked a pair of shots but registered no rebounds.
Rashad Muhammad paced the Spartans with 20 points (6-9 from three-point range) as the Washington Square guys lofted 35 trey attempts in 57 overall shots, many of them before Utah State engaged defensively.
But worth noting is earning 16 assists on 24 baskets, indicating solid Spartan ball movement.
Coming off the bench, point TeNale Roland had a career night with 20 points (7-7 overall shooting, 5-5 from beyond the stripe and all in the second half). He got a late run by the Aggies started which put the game out of reach.
Note this tweet from USU sports beat reporter Kyle Goon: "I've seen enough from
From Herald News USU sports beat reporter Kraig Williams: "SJSU isn't going to be a conference doormat for very long"
Kyle Goon game reports.
Shawn Harrison game reports.
Friday, January 3, 2014
Shaw is back
That was fast.
Utah State's starting center, 6-foot-10 Jarred Shaw, pled guilty today to a felony charge, which may be reduced to a misdemeanor and he's supposed to be back in uniform Saturday when the Aggies face San Jose State University.
Kyle Goon reports.
Cioach Stew Morrill's reputation as an abide-by-the-rules-or-else taskmaster certainly takes a hit here, no ifs, ands and buts.
Utah State's starting center, 6-foot-10 Jarred Shaw, pled guilty today to a felony charge, which may be reduced to a misdemeanor and he's supposed to be back in uniform Saturday when the Aggies face San Jose State University.
Kyle Goon reports.
Cioach Stew Morrill's reputation as an abide-by-the-rules-or-else taskmaster certainly takes a hit here, no ifs, ands and buts.
Another peak at the MWC to date
Dave (BSU beat reporter) Southern takes a look at the basketball doings of the members of the Mountain West Conference.
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Holes in the Utah State roster?
Kyle Goon writes that near everyone is restless in Logan over the play of the Utah State Aggies. Deficiencies are reappearing rather than being negated.
Utah State hosts SJSU on Saturday
This isn't your father's Utah State basketball program as there's a hole in the middle with the continued suspension of center Jarred Shaw. This was evident in the fall to Air Force on Wednesday as Coach Stew Morrill's guys were out-rebounded and allowed the Falcons to shoot 51%. Check out this game report.
As well-respected dean of the MWC beat reporters Geoff Grammer tweeted: "Utah State will be middle of MWC pack because Logan is so tough & Butterfield/Medlin are very good, but MWC is different beast than WAC."
It is indeed.
Yes, sharpshooting guard Preston Medlin (47% from long distance, 50/15 assist-to-turnover ratio) is back and tied for the lead with Spencer Butterfield (6.5 rebounds an outing) in scoring at 14.2 points per game. But the former stands 6-foot-4 and the latter 6-foot-3. Both are solid contributors but no Jaycee Carroll, meaning neither can take over a contest. They are best as cogs in a well-oiled and multi-threat offensive machine.
6-foot-7 forward Kyle Davis is contributing 10.1 points plus 8.6 rebounds (and 20 blocked shots) but it's a scramble after that as nobody else is steadily adding to the Aggie attack.
6-foot-7 freshman forward Jalen Moore will be a very good player in time but he's hit-and-miss at the moment.
Neither Ben Clifford at 6-foot-7 nor 6-foot-10 Jordan Stone are going to often outplay their respective opponents in the paint. Clifford can be a sneaky scorer but more if he's getting overlooked because of the focus being elsewhere. Stone is best at defending.
6-foot-6 Danny Berger, who went through that horrendous situation in a practice last year where his heart stopped, has receded a bit in his effect.
At the point Marcel Davis starts and TeNale Roland is his backup but neither is capable of a breakout offensive performance.
Things To Watch For
* The matchup is in The Spectrum and that cannot be ignored. Certainly call that a plus in USU's favor. But if Coach Dave Wojcik's crew are leading towards the end or grab a win, matters could get real ugly. Logan-ites are used not only to winning but being in contention for the top spot and accepting less is not going to happen.
* Can the Spartans bog down the Aggie offensive execution? Or at least enough of the time? There are a lot of years of experience residing on the roster in Logan so this will be fascinating to see what transpires.
* Will SJSU go to more of a dribble-drive penetration game seeing that Utah State is vulnerable in the middle? Such hasn't been the the method-of-operation to date.
As well-respected dean of the MWC beat reporters Geoff Grammer tweeted: "Utah State will be middle of MWC pack because Logan is so tough & Butterfield/Medlin are very good, but MWC is different beast than WAC."
It is indeed.
Yes, sharpshooting guard Preston Medlin (47% from long distance, 50/15 assist-to-turnover ratio) is back and tied for the lead with Spencer Butterfield (6.5 rebounds an outing) in scoring at 14.2 points per game. But the former stands 6-foot-4 and the latter 6-foot-3. Both are solid contributors but no Jaycee Carroll, meaning neither can take over a contest. They are best as cogs in a well-oiled and multi-threat offensive machine.
6-foot-7 forward Kyle Davis is contributing 10.1 points plus 8.6 rebounds (and 20 blocked shots) but it's a scramble after that as nobody else is steadily adding to the Aggie attack.
6-foot-7 freshman forward Jalen Moore will be a very good player in time but he's hit-and-miss at the moment.
Neither Ben Clifford at 6-foot-7 nor 6-foot-10 Jordan Stone are going to often outplay their respective opponents in the paint. Clifford can be a sneaky scorer but more if he's getting overlooked because of the focus being elsewhere. Stone is best at defending.
6-foot-6 Danny Berger, who went through that horrendous situation in a practice last year where his heart stopped, has receded a bit in his effect.
At the point Marcel Davis starts and TeNale Roland is his backup but neither is capable of a breakout offensive performance.
Things To Watch For
* The matchup is in The Spectrum and that cannot be ignored. Certainly call that a plus in USU's favor. But if Coach Dave Wojcik's crew are leading towards the end or grab a win, matters could get real ugly. Logan-ites are used not only to winning but being in contention for the top spot and accepting less is not going to happen.
* Can the Spartans bog down the Aggie offensive execution? Or at least enough of the time? There are a lot of years of experience residing on the roster in Logan so this will be fascinating to see what transpires.
* Will SJSU go to more of a dribble-drive penetration game seeing that Utah State is vulnerable in the middle? Such hasn't been the the method-of-operation to date.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Muhammad with some national press
Via Jeff Borzello/CBS Sports in writing about the MWC this season:
"Freshman of the Year favorite: Rashad Muhammad, San Jose State. If New Mexico’s Cullen Neal continues to play like he has the past two games (21.0 ppg, 4.5 apg), he will make a push – but right now, it’s all about Shabazz Muhammad’s younger brother. Muhammad has scored at least 11 points in all but one game this season, reaching at least 17 points in five of his last six games. On the season, he is averaging 17.3 points while shooting nearly 45 percent from 3-point range."
Nevada 62, SJSU 50
When you are playing a jumpshot-centric, four-out offense, the ball needs to be entering the cylinder at a decent rate in order to emerge victorious. That didn't happen for the Spartans tonight (35% shooting) as visiting Nevada nabbed a 12 point victory, 62-50, via a strong second 20 minutes (37-24).
But it wasn't as if the Wolf Pack were all that zeroed in with their own shooting, as 1-12 from long distance exemplifies.
However, Nevada newcomer in the middle, AJ West, got thisclose to a double-double with 15 points (6-8 shooting) plus nine boards and a pair of rejections. That is double his points per game average coming into this matchup. West was known primarily as a shotblocker coming in -- 10.9 points, 8.9 rebounds and a nations best 5.1 blocks per outing at Monroe Community College as a sophomore -- so this was an unexpected offensive performance.
Star backcourter Deonte Burton led the Reno-ites with 18 points (coming in averaging 22.5) as he and West were the only Nevadans in double figures. The second-leading scorer on the Wolf Pack roster at 15.3 points a contest, Jerry Evans, scored just eight (3-11 shooting).
6-foot-7 Cole Huff rebounded particularly well, finishing with 10 as Coach David Carter's squad won the rebounding battle 37-30, 13 offensively, this despite a lack of depth on the frontline.
Devante Wilson was the main scorer for SJSU, concluding with a very efficient 18 points (4-7 from three-point range) plus five rebounds. The Wolf Pack defended Rashad Muhammad quite well, limiting him to five points on five shots in 33 minutes.
Now, an upset (in more ways than one) Utah State will welcome SJSU on Saturday. Host Air Force took down the Aggies 73-72 tonight as the absence of center Jarred Shaw (on suspension) was evident.
But it wasn't as if the Wolf Pack were all that zeroed in with their own shooting, as 1-12 from long distance exemplifies.
However, Nevada newcomer in the middle, AJ West, got thisclose to a double-double with 15 points (6-8 shooting) plus nine boards and a pair of rejections. That is double his points per game average coming into this matchup. West was known primarily as a shotblocker coming in -- 10.9 points, 8.9 rebounds and a nations best 5.1 blocks per outing at Monroe Community College as a sophomore -- so this was an unexpected offensive performance.
Star backcourter Deonte Burton led the Reno-ites with 18 points (coming in averaging 22.5) as he and West were the only Nevadans in double figures. The second-leading scorer on the Wolf Pack roster at 15.3 points a contest, Jerry Evans, scored just eight (3-11 shooting).
6-foot-7 Cole Huff rebounded particularly well, finishing with 10 as Coach David Carter's squad won the rebounding battle 37-30, 13 offensively, this despite a lack of depth on the frontline.
Devante Wilson was the main scorer for SJSU, concluding with a very efficient 18 points (4-7 from three-point range) plus five rebounds. The Wolf Pack defended Rashad Muhammad quite well, limiting him to five points on five shots in 33 minutes.
Now, an upset (in more ways than one) Utah State will welcome SJSU on Saturday. Host Air Force took down the Aggies 73-72 tonight as the absence of center Jarred Shaw (on suspension) was evident.
SJSU & the Wolf pack, according to Chris Murray
Chris Murray digs into tonight's San Jose State University - Nevada pairing, providing his keys to the game, an X-factor plus a prediction. His sports department mate Dan Hinxman differs with his game prognostication.
A look at the mid-season MWC
The Fresno Bee's Robert Kuwada sizes up each Mountain West Conference team at the moment.
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