Men’s Basketball: 2009-10 Western Athletic Conference Preview

By: Lukas Eggen

Tuesday, November 17, 2009 - 12:41 AM

Utah State

2008-09 record: 30-5 overall, 14-2 WAC
Postseason appearance: NCAA Tournament (first round)
Series vs. Nevada: Utah State leads 27-13
Last meeting: March 14, Utah State 72-62
Meetings this year: Jan. 13, Feb. 6
Player to watch: Tai Wesley, forward
What Utah State is about: The defending WAC champions will begin life without All-American forward Gary Wilkinson this season. However, Utah State does return four of its top five scorers from last season, including forward Tai Wesley. Wesley started 35 games for the Aggies in 2008 and averaged 12.0 points per game, 6.0 rebounds per game and 2.7 assists per game.

Also returning is guard Tyler Newbold. Newbold averaged 9.0 points and 4.2 rebounds per game as a sophomore during the 2008-09 season.
Utah State will be looking for its third-straight WAC regular season title and its second-straight WAC tournament title.

New Mexico State

2008-09 record: 17-15 overall, 9-7 WAC
Postseason appearance: None
Series vs. Nevada: New Mexico State leads 16-12
Last meeting: Feb. 7, NMSU 62-60
Meetings this year: Jan. 4, March 4
Player to watch: Jahmar Young, guard
What New Mexico State is about: The Aggies return all five starters from a year ago and did not lose any players to graduation. That doesn’t bode well for opponents, as the Aggies were the top scoring team in the conference last season, averaging 76.3 points per game.

Guard Jahmar Young will be leading New Mexico State, a year after leading the team in scoring with 17.9 points per game. The Aggies will be difficult to defend, as the team shot 40 percent from three-point land, the 10th-best percentage in the country.

Louisiana Tech

2008-09 record: 15-18 overall, 6-10 WAC
Postseason appearance: None
Series vs. Nevada: Nevada leads 14-3
Last meeting: March 13, Nevada 77-68
Meetings this year: Jan. 2, March 6
Player to watch: Kyle Gibson, guard/forward
What Louisiana Tech is about: The Wolf Pack took two out of three games from Louisiana Tech last season, including a 10-point victory in the WAC Tournament. Louisiana Tech has four seniors to lead the team this season, however, including Kyle Gibson. Moving to the three position from point guard, Gibson averaged 16.1 points per game and led the conference in three-point shooting percentage at 45 percent.

Louisiana Tech will also need forward Magnum Rolle to have a good season for them to compete. Rolle averaged 12.1 points per game last season and was also named to the WAC all-Defensive team. This balance makes Louisiana Tech a dangerous team for the 2009-10 season.

Hawaii

2008-09 record: 13-17 overall, 5-11 WAC
Postseason appearance: None
Series vs. Nevada: Nevada leads 16-9
Last meeting: Feb. 14, Nevada 47-46
Meetings this year: Jan. 30, Feb. 27,
Player to watch: Roderick Flemings, forward
What Hawaii is about: Although the Warriors finished eighth in the conference last season, Hawaii returns four starters, including the team’s top two scorers in forward/guard Roderick Flemings and forward Bill Amis. Flemings averaged 16.6 points per game and added 5.8 rebounds per game as a junior last season.

The Warriors will have a tall lineup this year. The team has nine centers or forwards on the roster. The question is whether or not Hawaii’s guards can step up and keep up with some of the better guards in the conference. Leading the way for the guards will be junior Hiram Thompson, who must improve on his 2.4 assists per game from last season.

Boise State

2008-09 record: 19-13 overall, 9-7 WAC
Postseason appearance: 2009 College Basketball Invitational
Series vs. Nevada: Nevada leads 35-20
Last meeting: March 7, Nevada 69-60
Meetings this year: Jan. 20, Feb. 13
Player to watch: Kurt Cunningham, center
What Boise State is about: Boise State hopes to challenge for the WAC crown after a third-place finish in 2008. The Broncos lost forward Mark Sanchez, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder from last season. Boise State will be looking to center Kurt Cunningham to pick up the slack. The 6-9 center was second on the team in scoring and rebounding last season with 10.2 points per game and 4.1 rebounds per game.

The Broncos will go inside to Cunningham and forward Paul Noonan to set up its offense. Their ability to become a bigger presence inside the paint, dominate the glass and neutralize other team’s big men will go a long way in telling how the Broncos will do.

Idaho

2008-09 record: 17-16 overall, 9-7 WAC
Postseason appearance: 2009 Collegeinsider.com Postseason Tournament
Series vs. Nevada: Nevada leads 32-23
Last meeting: Jan. 31, Nevada 69-65
Meetings this year: Jan. 16, Feb. 10
Player to watch: Mac Hopson, guard
What Idaho is about: The Vandals will be looking to break into the upper echelon of the WAC after a fifth-place finish last season. Senior guard Mac Hopson will carry the Vandals this season. His 16.4 points per game and 5.88 assists per game were both team highs last year.

How successful Idaho will be may depend on senior guard Steffon Johnson, who transferred from Pacific University. Already named the WAC Preseason Newcomer of the Year, Johnson averaged 10.1 points and amassed more than 330 assists in three seasons at Pacific.

The Vandals, however, will need stronger play from their forwards to balance the offense more. If the majority of the scoring is left to the guards, Idaho will be too one-dimensional to make a deep run.

San Jose State

2008-09 record: 13-17 overall, 6-10 WAC
Postseason appearance: None
Series vs. Nevada: San Jose State leads 47-44
Last meeting: March 12, Nevada 78-69
Meetings this year: Jan. 9, Feb. 25
Player to watch: C.J. Webster, forward
What San Jose State is about: After a pair of 13-win seasons, the Spartans return four starters in 2009. Forward C.J. Webster will be looking for a breakout season after averaging 12 points per game and 6.5 rebounds per game. Along with fellow forward Chris Oakes were in the top-10 rebounders for the WAC last season and San Jose State needs Webster to become more of a shot blocker in the paint in addition to scoring.

Junior guard Adrian Oliver hopes to build off of last season, where he led the Spartans in scoring with 17.1 points per game and was a scoring threat from anywhere on the floor. Junior Justin Graham is the fourth starter returning for San Jose State in 2009.

Fresno State

2008-09 record: 13-21 overall, 3-13 WAC
Postseason appearance: None
Series vs. Nevada: Nevada leads 44-35
Last meeting: Feb. 26, Fresno State 68-66.
Meetings this year: Jan. 23, Feb. 17
Player to watch: Paul George, guard
What Fresno State is about: Although the Bulldogs finished 13-21 last season, Fresno State appears ready to make a run at the Western Athletic Conference title. The Bulldogs return three starters, including sophomore Paul George and senior Sylvester Seay, who combined for more than 29 points per game last season.

Fresno State will, however, have to overcome a lack of experience. With only one senior and five freshmen on the roster, the Bulldogs lack the leadership that other schools in the conference have.
Sophomore guard Mychal Ladd should see his role increased from last season, where he averaged 9.5 points per game and 1.4 assists per game coming off the bench.

Lukas Eggen be reached at leggen@nevadasagebrush.com.