The Career of Coach Marvin West

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Sacramento Bee

In a surprising move, Sacramento State has fired head basketball coach Jerome Jenkins. Jenkins had been improving each year during his eight year tenure, however last year he failed to qualify for the Big Sky conference tournament. As of today, no replacement has been named. We were able to sit down with Hornet athletic director Dr. Terry Wanlass.

SacBee "We were surprised to hear that Jenkins was released; can you tell us why you made this move?"

Dr. Wanlass "First, let me say that I have a ton of respect for Coach Jenkins. He was a good representative for Hornet Basketball. However, we did not make the conference tournament last year, and even though Coach Jenkins has improved the program, he has not led this team to a conference championship. The bottom line is that the program had become stagnant, and we felt that needed to go in a different direction."

SacBee "Have you interviewed anybody for the position and are you keeping the current staff?"

Dr. Wanlass "Yes, we have been interviewing for the position and we have a few candidates in mind that we will bring back for more interviews. As far as the current staff, that will be entirely up to the new coach. However, I suspect that he will be bringing in new assistants that match his ideas for the program."

SacBee "Any chance of telling us who the candidates are?"

Dr. Wanlass "Not a chance. It is not fair to the candidates or for us."

SacBee "One last question, how do the players feel about this move? Coach Jenkins was known as a players coach"

Dr. Wanlass "The players loved Coach Jenkins, sure. But these are great kids and I have no doubt that the new coach will recieve their full support. We all think Coach Jenkins is great, and we all wish him the best, we just had to take this program in a new direction."

[wsu_zags]

Nice, I will be following, I was waiting for someone to start a legacy with Hornets!

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Sacramento Bee

Sacramento State names Marvin West their new head coach. Like many of you, we were not familiar with Coach West. However, the Sacramento State Athletics Department released a biography that we would like to share with you.

"Marvin West was born on August 3, 1978 in Chico, CA which is located just a little more than an hours drive north of Sacramento. Coach West played high school basketball at Pleasant Valley High School in Chico. He was solid, but not spectacular player. Marvin was not recruited to play college basketball. Instead, he attended the University of California, Riverside where he earned a B.A. degree in Sociology. In his first year as an undergraduate, he scored a dream job as an assistant basketball coach under head coach John Masi. Coach West proved to be a capable assistant helping Coach Masi recruit Nate Carter and Vili Morton. 'Those were some tough years for us. We were transferring to Division I, then we had Nate transfer to Oklahoma and Vili tore his ACL his senior year.' -Taken from the Riverside Press Enterprise. Coach West continued to work under Masi, however when Masi was released, new head coach David Spencer chose to bring in his own staff and Marvin West was let go. Coach West sat out a couple of years, but has been hired to lead Sacramento State University. Marvin West is very excited to be close to where he grew up and optimistic about leading the Sacramento State Hornets."

Considering his lack of experience, it is difficult to see how he will be better than Jerome Jenkins. Only time will tell if the Hornets have made a good hire.

[blue_apocalypse]

Nice, I will be following, I was waiting for someone to start a legacy with Hornets!

Thanks. I just got the game, came to the boards and started reading all the other legacys on here and felt inspired. And since my Highlanders were already taken..twice, I went with Sac State :)

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SacBee "First and foremost congratulations Coach"

Coach West "Thank you. I'm really excited about this opportunity."

SacBee "I must ask, will you keep the current staff?"

Coach West "I have a lot of respect for those guys, but I feel that it would be best for me to bring in my own staff. I'm really excited about who we have joining the team. I'm bringing in Erik Blount, age 30, from the Yuba College program to my staff. He's great at finding talent. I'm also bringing in veteran coach Ernest Konryn, age 61, from Humbolt State to help me develop the talent of players on the roster. I think we've assembled a great staff."

SacBee "Can you tell us what your goals are for the season?"

Coach West "Sure. I don't want to set goals that I don't think I can realistically reach. So my only goal in this first year is to make the Big Sky conference tournament. If we can make the conference tournament this year, then next year of course we'll be trying to reach the NCAAs."

SacBee "Do you have an spectacular recruits that you're going after?"

Coach West "I'm being modest in my recruiting efforts for now. We have six scholarships to offer, so I'll be hitting the recruiting trail hard. Like UCR, it's a tough recruiting area. We have Cal, Stanford, Pacific, San Jose State, Fresno State, and UC Davis in the area that we will be competing with, but I'm confident that we will land some talented players."

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Sac State releases Schedule

@ Kansas State
vs. Southern Utah
@ San Francisco
@ Pacific
vs. Santa Clara
@ Stanford
@ Oregon (Preseason #13)
@ Marquette (Preseason #9)
@ Northern Colorado
@ Portland State
@ Eastern Washington
vs. Montana State
vs. Montana
vs CSU Bakersfield
vs Northern Arizona
@ Weber State
@ Idaho State
vs. Northern Colorado
vs. Eastern Washington
vs. Portland State
@ Montana
@ Montana State
@ Northern Arizona
vs. Idaho State
@ UC Davis
vs. Weber State

Conference Projections

Coaches Poll
1. Weber State(4)............60
2. Montana(4)..................57
3. Portland State(1)..........52
4. Northern Arizona..........44
5. Idaho State..................37
6. Montana State..............33
7. Northern Colorado........19
8. Eastern Washington......15
9. Sacramento State.......12

Media Poll
1. Montana(14)................218
2. Weber State(8)............200
3. Portland State(2).........183
4. Northern Arizona(2).....155
5. Montana State.............114
6. Idaho State.................111
7. Sacramento State........74
8. Northern Colorado.......56
9. Eastern Washington.....55

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Hornets release Starting Lineups

Starters
PG #14 Roderick Adams 6'1" SR OVR 65
SG #23 Loren Leath 6'2" JR OVR 65
SF #10 Donald Thomas 6'6" JR OVR 56
PF #24 Justin Williams 6'6" SR OVR 61
C #40 Justin Eller 6'7" SO OVR 62

Bench
G #21 Kris Groce 5'10" SR OVR 64
F #15 Wandji Aboubakar 6'7" JR OVR 58
G #0 Yannick Kasongo 6'4" SO OVR 57
F #1 Curtis Harrison 6'8" SR OVR 56
F #25 Jason Davis 6'5" SR OVR 55
G #11 Alonzo Young 6'4" SO OVR 54
F #4 Randy Adams 6'8" JR OVR 49

Redshirt
G #3 Vinnie McGhee 6'0" FR OVR 60

[CincyFan]

I will be following. Good luck on your goal of making the conference tournament

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Sacramento State Hornets 0-0 @ Kansas State Wildcats 0-0

Wildcats Crush Hornets 81-58

Coach West, in his first game, was unable to pull off an upset over Kansas State. The Wildcats came out rusty and Sacramento State took advantage, leading at one point early in the first half. The Hornets kept it close until the 8 minute mark in the first half when Clent Stewart of the Wildcats when on a shooting tear. By halftime the Wildcats were leading by a score of 45-23 and Stewart had 14 points. Justin Eller was Sacramento's leading scorer at the half putting in 8 points and grabbing 6 boards.

The Wildcats went to their bench for most of the second half. Luis Colon, the sophomore center for Kansas State, would finish one rebound shy of a double double off the bench, scoring 14 points on 7-8 shooting. The Hornets played a much better second half but were never able to close the deficit. Loren Leath came out especially hot in the second half. The Hornets bench really struggled in this game. They only scored 4 points on 1-10 shooting from the field. Overall, the Hornets shot 40% from the field while the Wildcats shot 54% from the field.

TOP PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
SG Loren Leath 19pts 5-10 from 3pt
C Justin Eller 13pts 11rebs
PF Justin Williams 10pts 4rebs

Kansas State
SG Clent Stewart 18pts 4ast
C Luis Colon 14pts 9rebs
SF Bill Walker 10pts 5rebs

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "Coach West, this was your first game as the Hornet head coach, what is your assessment of the game?"

Coach West: "Number one, we need more production from the bench. 4 points from those guys just will not cut it. I've only had a few weeks to get these guys accustomed to my playbook and we definately need to implement some new plays. I thought early in the first half we did a good job of sticking to our gameplan. We really kept Michael Beasley in check and we were slowing the pace and running some clock. However once Stewart went on that shooting streak, we got out of our game plan and threw up some quick shots. We fell into a hole we couldn't climb out of. You'll have to excuse me for cutting this short guys, but we really need to prepare for Southern Utah."

Next Week: Sacramento State Hornets 0-1 vs. Southern Utah Thunderbirds 1-0

[Deuce2223]

Nice read so far. I will be following. I orginally started a closed legacy at Sac State but started over and went to the Citadel,but it got deleated so I started over again at my last years team Texas Southern. I am currently at Minnesota in the Life of Coach Dezaron.

Good luck this year. I am from the Pacific Northwest, so I follow Big Sky Basketball living only 15 mins from Eastern Washington. Will be interesting to see how you do. I also just started a closed legacy at N. Colorado but havn't decided if I am going to post it as I am already busy but we will see.

[blue_apocalypse]

Thanks for the feedback everybody. It's good to know people are following. Just wanted to say that I've read the legacies by wsu_zags, duece, Fresh, jjredick, Cincyfan and chestnutz and thought they were all great.

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Sacramento State Hornets 0-1 vs. Southern Utah Thunderbirds 1-0


Sac State open Hornet's Nest with a Win

The Hornets came out and established a lead and never looked back against the Thunderbirds. The Hornet's Nest was nearly at capacity with 1,104 fans in attendance to see Coach West and his home debut. Midway through the first half the Hornets had a 12 point lead thanks to the shooting of Loren Leath who finished the half with 13 points. But the T-Birds, led by Nurudeen Adepoju, would narrow the gap to 5 points heading into halftime. The score leading into the break was 36-31.

In the second half Leath really began to pour it on. He was draining three pointers and despite shooting a respectable 47%, the T-Birds could not keep up. Sac State shot a blistering 56% from the field and were 10-19 from beyond the arc. The final score was 82-69.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
SG Loren Leath 30pts 11-17 FGs
PG Roderick Adams 16pts 7ast
PF Justin Williams 11pts 9rebs 4ast

Southern Utah
SF Nurudeen Adepoju 22pts 6rebs
PF Tate Sorenson 8pts 5rebs 4 ast 3stl
F Geoff Payne 11pts


Postgame Interview

Reporter: "Coach, was your gameplan to go to Leath in this game?"

Coach West: "Actually, no it wasn't. Originally my gameplan was to work the ball in down low. Southern Utah came out in a 3-2 zone and they just kept slacking off of Loren so we kept going to him. Luckily for us, he had a great shooting game."

Reporter: "How good does it feel to have this first win under your belt?"

Coach West: "It feels good; but this is just one game. We need to work on our defense. I'm not happy that Adepoju was able to score that many points on us. We need to recognize the hot shooter and close down on him."

Reporter: "Any thoughts on your upcoming game against the Dons?"

Coach West: "They're 0-2 so far this year but their record is decieving. It would be really nice to get a win on the road."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 1-1 vs. San Francisco Dons 0-2

[wsu_zags]

Very nice bounce back win after that loss to the Wildcats. be careful against the Dons though, they are a sneaky team, with some good outside shooters.

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Sacramento State Hornets @ San Francisco Dons

Dons Destroy the Hornets

The first half has a back and forth affair with each team sharing the lead at several points. In the last 3 minutes, the home crowd willed the Dons into an 8 point lead heading into halftime. Myron Strong of the Dons led his team into the break with 9 points while Loren Leath led all scorers with 17.

In the second half, USF would continue to build upon their lead going up at one point in the game by 30. The Hornets were out hustled on the boards, played porous defense and went ice cold in the second half. They finally got production out of the bench but with the starters playing poorly, especially the front line, it did not matter. The final score was 57-81.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
SG Loren Leath 23pts 3rebs
G Kyle Groce 10pts
PF Justin Williams 7pts 4rebs 5ast

San Francisco
F Jay Watkins 13pts 7rebs
SG Myron Strong 12pts 4ast
C Hyman Taylor 12pts 6rebs 2blks

Postgame Interviews

Reporter: "Did you come into this game overconfident?"

Coach West: "No, I don't think we were overconfident. In fact, I thought that despite being down going into halftime that we were playing pretty well. It all fell apart for us in the second half."

Reporter: "You've been challenging your bench to step up and in this game they appeared to have done so, are you happy with their performance?"

Coach West: "Yeah, I'm happy with the way the bench played. It was our starters who had an off night this time. Except for Loren, none of our starters managed to score in double digits and we were really outhustled down low. I can tell you one thing, we're going to be working hard on rebounding before the game against Pacific."

Reporter: "What did you think about Kenneth Perry scoring that layup with 2 seconds left in a game that USF was obviously going to win?"

Coach West: "You have to remember that he is a freshman. I don't think that Jessie Evans would tell his guys to run up the score. There is no issue there in my book. If we didn't want to get embarrassed then we should have played some defense."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 1-2 @ Pacific Tigers 2-0

[CincyFan]

Wow 57 to 81 thats no good. Next game against undefeated Pacific Tigers which is funny to hear they are undefeated.

Ohh and for the blowout I am kind of glad it was a blow out. Hopefully now that will hit home for the players and keep the starters hungry and play for the whole game and not just a half.

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Sacramento State Hornets 1-2 @ Pacific Tigers 2-0


Pacific defend home court, stay undefeated

The Hornets started the game ice cold from the field, while the Tigers came out on fire and stayed that way. It was an embarassing showing for Sac State, especially on the heels of the USF game. Michael Nunnally led the way for the Tigers in the first half, putting 14 points on the board. For the Hornets, Loren Leath managed to put up 8 points on 3-9 shooting. The Tigers carried a 42-29 lead into halftime.

The second was more of the same although the Hornets did heat up near the end of the game. At one point in the second half, the Tigers led by 26 points, however with 3:09 remaining the Hornets had chopped the lead to 9. The Tigers really showed their killer instinct and went on a run to win the game by 18. The final score was 70-88.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
SG Loren Leath 21pts 5-8 from 3pt
G Yannick Kasongo 10pts
F Wandji Aboubakar 8pts 7rebs

Pacific
C Michael Nunnally 21pts 6rebs 3steals
SF Terrell Smith 17pts 10rebs
PF Anthony Brown 13pts 7rebs

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "Why are you having so much trouble winning on the road?"

Coach West: "That's a good a question. I haven't the slightest idea. We were playing in Stockton, just a short trip from our campus. It was rebounding that hurt us again in this game. If you'll look at the stats you will see that they scored 18 second chance points against us! 18! Guess what the margin of defeat was?? 18 points! This is something that we worked on in practice all weekend before this game and we still got killed on the boards."

Reporter: "What will you do to fix your rebounding woes?"

Coach West: "We just have to keep working on it in practice. These kids have to be willing work for those boards. It's not like these guys had a big height advantage on us, they just played harder. If we don't get it fixed, Santa Clara is gonna tear us a new one...and they do have a height advantage."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 1-3 vs. Santa Clara Broncos

[MannyG20]

I am doing a legacy with Oregon(Coach G returns to Alma Mater) and it appears we are playing alot of the same non-conference teams. San Francisco was tough....they handed me a loss also, and Kansas State had unbelievable defense. When I played against your team Leath was a deadly shooter, and it looks like he is doing the same for you.

Good luck with your schedule and I will be following, I am eager to see how the Oregon game turns out.

[wsu_zags]

Thats a tough loss to the Tigers, and your schedule does not look forgiving at all with four monster games coming up, with this next one against Santa Clara looking like the easiest one, good over that stretch.

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Manny: Yeah, Leath has been great for me. Unfortunately he's the only guy who I can score with. I pretty much have no inside game. You're having a much better time with your non-conference schedule than I am! :)

wsu: This schedule is really destroying my confidence. I had a previous legacy going with UCR that I wasn't posting, and I was able to win the regular season conference title. But with this team I'm just getting killed. Starting to think that I should go back to AA instead of MOP...

[wsu_zags]

your doing fine, even if you have a bad stretch or a bad first year, you can always turn it around.

[Deuce2223]

I will second what WSU says. Things will be fine. However I will admit I did play on All American my 1st 2 years at Texas Southern, it wasn't until year 3 when I went to Boise did I step up to MOP. So I don't think there is any shame in moving down either.

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Sacramento State Hornets 1-3 vs. Santa Clara Broncos 0-2


Hornets play better but still lose

Sac State really struggled in the first half of this game. Leath, who has been having a great season thus far, struggled to find his shot early on. For the first time this year Leath did not lead his team in scoring in the first half. Instead, it was Roderick Adams that put up a modest 6 points for the Hornets. The Broncos were led by their 6'10" center, known for his inside game, who put up 8 points and grabbed 4 rebounds. The Hornets trailed going into halftime by a score of 24-34.

The Hornets woke up offensively in the second half when Leath found his touch and the Hornets managed to tie the game with 4:34 left on the clock. They were riding a wave of momentum and it appeared that Sac State might have a chance of pulling out another home victory. Unfortunately, they could not make their shots down the stretch, missing three easy layups. Santa Clara escaped Sacramento with a 67-59 victory.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
SG Loren Leath 14pts 3ast
PF Justin Williams 11rebs 8pts
G Kris Groce 11pts

Santa Clara
C John Bryant 14pts 8rebs
C Scott Thompson 10pts 7rebs
SG Calvin Johnson 12pts

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "Tough loss out there tonight, but it appeared as though you had your rebounding problems fixed."

Coach West: "Yeah, rebounding wasn't the issue tonight. I was really proud of how these guys attacked the boards. We've been preaching it in practice and it really paid off out there tonight."

Reporter: "I have to ask..do you feel like you're overmatched as a division I head coach?"

Coach West: "Absolutely not. Are you kidding me? We've been playing some tough teams. Yeah, I would like to be winning every single game but that is not a reality for us right now. Our goal remains the same: make the conference tournament. We haven't started conference play yet so we're still on track to accomplish our goal. If anything, this schedule will make us better once we get to our Big Sky games. No more questions."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 1-4 @ Stanford Cardinal 6-1

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Top 10 Media Poll
1. Kansas 4-0
2. North Carolina 5-0
3. Marquette 5-0
4. Memphis 5-0
5. Louisville 2-1
6. Duke 4-1
7. Arkansas 5-0
8. Texas 4-0
9. Wisconsin 4-1
10. Georgetown 2-1

Top 10 Mid Majors
1. Southern Illinois 4-0
2. Nevada 4-0
3. Akron 4-0
4. Butler 6-0
5. George Mason 5-0
6. Utah State 6-1
7. Creighton 2-1
8. VCU 3-2
9. Gonzaga 2-4 (including a loss to UC Riverside!)
10. Bradley 5-1

[vols21]

Don't get discouraged. The teams you've lost to are all very good teams (even Pacific as you know from your tenure at UCR). Just keep improving and get ready for the league play. Those teams should be more on your level - and maybe a chance to get to post season (even if you lose every non-conference game. Recruit a good post man for next year. I also use the low post drills (rebounding, etc.) to not only boost my player ratings but also for personal practice.

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Sacramento State 1-4 @ #18 Stanford Cardinal 6-1

Stanford wins with defense

This was a miserable game to watch for Sacramento State fans. The Hornets were held to 30% shooting from the field, several missed shots from in close and a total of 8 shots blocked. Stanford took an early lead in this one and never looked back. They lead at halftime 36-26.

The Hornets were limited to an embarassing low 19 points in the second half thanks in part to Robin Lopez, the Cardinal center, who finished the game with 6 blocked shots. The final score in this one was 45-75.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
SG Loren Leath 17pts
C Justin Eller 6pts 9rebs
PF Justin Williams 6pts 7rebs

Stanford
SG Anthony Goods 25pts 7rebs
SF Fred Washington 13pts 11rebs 4asts 2stls
C Robin Lopez 6blks 8rebs

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "Your team really struggled offensively, can you tell us why?"

Coach West: "I don't know why. We got some good looks from both outside and from the paint but we could convert. I don't want to take anything away from Stanford..they played great defense..but we should have made those shots. It was just one of those nights I guess."

Reporter: "You have a couple of tough games coming up, how do you end this losing streak?"

Coach West: "We just have to practice hard and play hard. One of these nights things will go our way."

[wsu_zags]

yeah, like vols says, you should do pretty good in Big Sky play, not many good teams in the conference this year, Portland St. is the probably the best team out of the bunch. I bet you finish 2nd unless you can split with the Pilots, then you have a shot at first, and even if you don't win the big sky tourney, you will more than likely make the NIT, as after this tough 4 game (well 2 left) road trip you get to play some teams who are actually below your level of play.

Lets go Hornets!!

[chestnutz6]

Leath is tearing it up, but don't get discouraged because of your record. Everyone who has a career legacy does poorly the first few games, but always comes back to finish at least .500

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Sacramento State Hornets 1-5 @ Oregon Ducks 5-3


Ducks win an ugly game

Neither team played well offensively in this game. The Hornets shot a meager 31% from the field while holding the Ducks to 40% shooting. Despite the lack of offense the Ducks did get strong play out of the power forward position and won the rebounding battle by 11 boards. The Hornets, who have now lost 5 straight, got a strong effort out of Leath, but were unable to keep it close. The final score in this one was Oregon 67-50.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
SG Loren Leath 31pts
PF Justin Williams 7pts 7rebs
C Justin Eller 3pts 5rebs

Oregon
PF Frantz Dorsainvil 20pts 4rebs
PG Tajuan Porter 5pts 6asts 3rebs 2stls
SF Malik Hairston 6pts 7rebs

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "Was this a defensive battle or an offensive struggle?"

Coach West: "It was a little of both. I thought we did a good job of challenging shots but we couldn't convert on the other end. Give credit to those guys, we had trouble finding open looks."

Reporter: "You've lost 5 straight games now and people are starting to question your leadership, do you have anything to say to that?"

Coach West: "By people you mean..you..right? The media? Listen, we've played a tough schedule so far; you have to keep that in mind. Its not an excuse, but you have to remember who we've been playing. I've gotten some calls from other coaches that have voiced their support and we'll be fine once we get to conference play. If anything, this schedule has made us a better team."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 1-6 @ #11 Marquette Golden Eagles 7-1

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Sacramento State Hornets 1-6 @ #11 Marquette Golden Ealges 7-1


Hornets put up fight but still lose

Most people thought that the #11 ranked Golden Ealges would run over the Hornets like a freight train. That would not be the case in this game, as the Hornets made the Golden Eagles earn the victory. This game had all the makings of a blowout early on, with Marquette jumping out to a quick 8-0 lead. The game appeared to get even worse for Sac State when Loren Leath picked up his second foul with 11 minutes remaining in the half. With Leath out Marquette played well and in the first half pushed the lead to 45-31 heading into halftime.

Marquette came out in the second half playing lethargic basketball and the Hornets took advantage. They came storming back, narrowing the lead to 6 points with just under 4 minutes to play. This was as close as the Hornets would get however. They managed to keep it close until the final buzzer but did not have enough left to get any closer. Sacramento state did outscore Marquette in the second half by 4 points to make the final score 62-72.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
SG Loren Leath 17pts
PF Justin Williams 11pts 6rebs
F Wandji Aboubakar 8pts 9rebs

Marquette
SF Dan Fitzgerald 15pts 4rebs 3asts
SG Jerel McNeal 8pts 10asts 3stls
PG Wesley Matthews 12pts 6rebs

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "This game looked like it was going to be another blowout early on. How did you keep spirits up on the sideline? Any special speeches at haftime?"

Coach West: "No special speeches. I just told these guys at halftime that I was tired of being embarrassed. I told them that we needed to come out and play hard in the second half to set the tone for conference play. Leath was really a leader and halftime. He got up and gave a short speech about how we could win the second half. He was right, we came out inspired and outscore them in the 2nd half."

Reporter: "So are you happy with your teams performance?"

Coach West: "I'm not happy that we lost. I am proud of the way these kids responded to adversity. I think the second half of this game has really set the tone for conference play. We have a week off before we have to travel to Northern Colorado and this game gives us confidence heading into that game."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 1-7 (0-0) @ Northern Colorado Bears 3-7 (0-0)

[CincyFan]

either you are in the eye of the storm or the end is over now. Just hope its the end and your teams spirit is still up.

[blue_apocalypse]

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Sacramento State Hornets 1-7 (0-0) @ Northern Colorado Bears 3-7 (0-0)


Hornets win conference opener; snap losing streak

The Hornets and their new head coach can finally breathe a sigh of relief after snapping their 6 game losing streak and opening conference play with a win. This was also the first road win for the Hornets. It was a closely contested first half with lots of lead changes. Both teams were able to get up by 4 points but neither could deliver a knockout blow. The Bears took a 34-30 lead into the break.

The second half was kind once again for Sacramento State who came out on fire. Loren Leath scored 7 unanswered points to open the half for the Hornets. The Bears and the Hornets would take turns leading the game until Sac State went on a 9-0 scoring run late in the game. This was an exciting game to watch and if this what Big Sky conference play is going to be like, we are very excited. The final score was 77-67.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
SG Loren Leath 26pts 6-10 from 3pt
C Justin Eller 10pts 8rebs 2blks
PF Justin Williams 6pts 5asts 3stls

Northern Colorado
SF Jefferson Mason 16pts 6rebs 3stls
PF Jabril Banks 13pts 7rebs
C Kirk Archibeque 13pts 4rebs

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "First off, congratulations on winning your conference opener."

Coach West: "Thank you. I told the team before the game to forget about everything else and to remember that this where our real season begins."

Reporter: "Is it true that you had a special guest speak to the team before leaving for Colorado?"

Coach West: "Yes, that is true. I called up the Sacramento Kings organization and asked if anybody might be willing to give us a pep talk before we left. I didn't really expect anybody to respond, but Mike Bibby agreed to come talk."

Reporter: "Can you tell us what he said?"

Coach West: "I haven't memorized it verbatim but he basically told our guys to keep their heads up and keep playing hard. He emphasized how important conference play was and told them a few stories about his playing days in Arizona."

Reporter: "Is this the first game of a long winning streak?"

Coach West: "I hope so. We'll see..we're traveling up north next week to take on a tough Portland State team and then we're heading to Eastern Washington so it won't be easy."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 2-7 (1-0) @ Portland State Vikings 7-5 (0-1)

[wsu_zags]

nice, now take that win and turn it into a streak! lets go Hornets!

[blue_apocalypse]

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa4/Blue_Apocalypse/header_hornetsports.jpg


Recruiting Update
The Hornets were unable to land any recruits during the in-season recruiting period. However they are targeting two Centers, a SG and a SF for now. All of these recruits are rated two stars.

TOP 10 RECRUITS

1. Dontaye Santos PG... Undecided
2. Erek Sykes SG... Boston College
3. Ted Buckendahl SG... Undecided
4. Odie Pekkola PG... Florida State
5. Janko Dilligard SF... Minnesota
6. Torry Bree PF... UL-Lafayette
7. Jerel Thomas PG... Duke
8. Neal McKowen SG... Wisconsin
9. Lamar Watts PG... Undecided
10. Ashley Defares SF... Florida State

[blue_apocalypse]

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Sacramento State Hornets 2-7 (1-0) @ Portland State Vikings 7-5 (0-1)

Hornets can't steal one on the road

The Vikings were desperate for a conference win and with the home crowd behind them, pulled out a tough victory. Neither team shot well in the first half. Portland State shot 38% while Sac State managed a meager 35%. Despite the terrible shooting, Sacramento State led 31-30 heading into the break. This was surprising considering that the best player for the Hornets, Loren Leath, hadn't managed to score a single point and was 0-7 from the floor. Portland State got their scoring from Paul Hafford who led the team with 10 points at half time.

Leath continued to struggle in the second half, and despite good production from the bench and starting front line, were unable to maintain the lead. The Vikings took control of the game a mere 2 minutes into the second half but were never able to open a huge lead. The final score was Vikings 71-62

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
C Justin Eller 9pts 8rebs
PF Justin Williams 13pts 3rebs
F Curtis Harrison 10pts 6rebs

Portland State
SG Paul Hafford 20pts 4rebs
C Scott Morrison 17pts 7rebs 3blks 2stls
PF Julius Thomas 7pts 10rebs

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "Leath really struggled for the first time this season, what did Portland State do to slow him down?"

Coach West: "I don't think it was anything that they did to be honest with you. Loren just had a bad shooting night. It happens to the best of them. He got the same looks that he always gets, unfortunately, he just wasn't able to convert tonight."

Reporter: "I know you were looking to start a streak with this game..how demoralizing is it lose?"

Coach West: "We wanted to win this game, but Portland State is a tough team and we were playing them on their court. If we can win our next game and finish our road trip 2-1, we'll be happy with that."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 2-8 (1-1) @ Eastern Washington Eagles 5-10 (2-0)

[Deuce2223]

Good luck against the Eagles. They don't have much this year with Stuckey gone to the Pistons. I think you will take them. In fact I might even put up a little side action on it. :)

[blue_apocalypse]

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Sacramento State Hornets 2-8 (1-1) @ Eastern Washington Eagles 5-10 (2-0)

Strong 2nd half propels Hornets to victory

The Eagles were coming into this game confident after defeating Portland State and Northern Arizona and were looking to make Sacramento State another victim of Reese Court. The Hornets had other ideas in mind. Leath came out struggling once again, the second time on this road trip that he did not play well. Justin Williams led the Hornets into the break with 8 points and 3 rebounds. However, the Hornets trailed at the break 36-39.

Leath finally found his shooting touch in the second half and great play out of backup PG Kris Groce propelled the Hornets to an easy victory. Groce was especially important down the stretch, going 7-7 from the line, including converting a 3 point opportunity. In all, 4 Hornets finished the game in double figures. The final score in was: 78-69

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
SG Loren Leath 18pts 2stls
C Justin Eller 14pts 5rebs
G Kris Groce 10pts

Eastern Washington
C Brandon Moore 16pts 5rebs
G Trey Gross 16pts 2stls
SG Marcus Hinton 10pts

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "You are 2-1 so far in conference play with all three of those games on the road, how are you feeling about the conference season?"

Coach West: "I think we're doing a good job so far. We have to keep in mind that there are still a lot of games to be played so we can't get too excited. It will be nice to play back in the Hornets Nest though."

Reporter: "You managed to shoot an excellent 55% from the field in this game, why were you able to get such good looks?"

Coach West: "I thought we did a great job of breaking down their defense with our speedy guards. They were playing primarily man to man and we were just able to beat them off of the dribble today."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 3-8 (2-1) vs. Montana State Bobcats 1-11 (0-1)

[blue_apocalypse]

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa4/Blue_Apocalypse/header_hornetsports.jpg


Top 10 Media Poll
1. Kansas 11-1
2. North Carolina 12-3
3. Memphis 11-2
4. Marquette 11-2
5. Notre Dame 14-0
6. Duke 9-2
7. Arkansas 13-1
8. Michigan State 9-2
9. Providence 13-1
10. Southern Illinois 11-2

Top 10 Mid Majors
1. Southern Illinois 11-2
2. Utah State 13-3
3. George Mason 11-2
4. Akron 10-3
5. VCU 9-4
6. Western Kentucky 9-3
7. Yale 10-1
8. Nevada 8-5
9. Winthrop 8-4
10. Old Dominion 8-7

[blue_apocalypse]

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Sacramento State Hornets 3-8 (2-1) vs. Montana State Bobcats 1-11 (0-1)

Hornets suffer tough loss at home

The Hornets had not played a game in a month and half coming into this conference battle with Montana State. The Bobcats did their best to ensure that it would not be a nice homecoming. The two teams battled closely in the first half but the Bobcats would walk into the locker room with a 38-34 lead.

Despite a good game from Leath, the Bobcats expanded their lead in the second half. There was very little defense being played in a fast break battle which usually favors the Hornets. The difference in this one was layups: the Bobcats made theirs, and the Hornets did not. Bobcats win 82-73.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
SG Loren Leath 29pts
G Kris Groce 15pts
C Justin Eller 12pts 9rebs

Montana State
SG Carlos Taylor 18pts
SF Bobby Howard 15pts 4rebs 4asts
C Divaldo Mbunga 12pts 7rebs 2blks

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "The Hornets nest was expecting a victory tonight, what happened?"

Coach West: "We just couldn't convert on some easy shots. I think that we sort of expecting a victory also. We didn't come out and play hard to earn it..we were fooled by their record."

Reporter: "I hate to bring this up..but there were rumors that you knew of some gambling going on prior to the Eastern Washington game last week..is there any truth to that?"

Coach West: "Absolutely not. I just go out there and coach these kids and hope they play their best every night. Gambling is a part of sports and there will always be people wagering on these games, but I assure you that I know nothing of it."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 3-9 (2-2) vs. Montana Grizzlies 8-5 (2-0)

[blue_apocalypse]

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Sacramento State Hornets 3-9 (2-2) vs. Montana Grizzlies 8-5 (2-0)

Leathal Shooting leads to Hornet Victory

Sacramento State came out hungry for a home victory after dropping their conference home opener to Montana State. They jumped on the Grizzlies early, shooting 59% from the field in the first half. Leath had a great first half, putting 16 points on the board while going 7-10 from the field. The Hornets carried their largest lead of the season into the break: 41-30

The Grizzlies were not about to roll over and came out fighting in the second half. The two teams went blow for blow the entire second half but Montana was never able to get closer than 5 points. This was the margin of victory for the Hornets who won 74-69. Surprisingly, the Hornets won the rebounding battle despite being smaller up front.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
SG Loren Leath 34pts 4rebs
G Kris Groce 11pts
SF Donald Thomas 9pts 6rebs

Montana
PG Matt Martin 20pts 3stls
C Jordan Hasquet 15pts 6rebs 3blks
SG Cameron Rundles 15pts 5asts

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "What did you say to these guys that had them so fired in the first half?"

Coach West: "I don't think they needed me to say anything. We really wanted to get a win here at home last game but we came out lethargic. This time, we played hard and fought for the victory."

Reporter: "How big was it to have won the battle on the glass?"

Coach West: "As you know, we've been working on it all year. We really expected to lose the rebounding battle in this game. But we were playing so hard that we just outhustled them to the loose balls. I was really proud of this team."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 4-9 vs. CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners 3-14

[CincyFan]

TOP 10 RECRUITS


6. Torry Bree PF... UL-Lafayette

that is the most Impressive signing of them all

[blue_apocalypse]

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Sacramento State Hornets 4-9 vs. CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners 3-14

Hornets win second straight

The Roadrunners had really been struggling coming into this game, while Sacramento State had been playing much better basketball. The Hornets got off to a good start, quickly earning an 11 point lead. However the Roadrunners went on an 8-0 run near the end of the half to whiddle the lead down to 37-34.

The second half saw a red hot Loren Leath sinking three pointers. For the game, Leath shot 8-13 from beyond the arc and was the only Hornet in double figures. Except for Leath, the rest of the team was cold from the field going a horrible 6-30 from the floor. This 68-58 victory came from the hot hand of Leath.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
SG Loren Leath 34pts 8-13 from 3pt
PG Roderick Adams 8pts 7asts 4rebs 2stls
G Kris Groce 9pts

CSU Bakersfield
C Cory Brown 19pts 9rebs
G Donavan Bragg 11pts
SF Trent Blakely 7pts 2rebs 2asts

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "Coach, this is your first winning streak of the year, how do you maintain it?"

Coach West: "Simple. We just have to keep playing hard. That's all there is to it. It helps that we are playing some games at home finally. This was a non-conference game, and while it is a necessary win, we are really focused on Northern Arizona later this week."

Reporter: "The Lumberjacks are struggling right now, how confident are you that you can defeat them?"

Coach West" "I'm confident that we can win, however we need to be careful against these guys. They upset Arizona in their first game of the year and they have a good offensive game. We just have to lock down on shooters and get some easy buckets."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 5-9 (3-2) vs. Northern Arizona Lumberjacks 7-9 (1-4)

[Deuce2223]

Very tough loss to the Bobcats. I think it is amazing seems like everyone of us struggles against the teams we should beat so easily. Nice win streak though Montana looks to be the team to beat. Good luck against the Lumberjacks. I have always like Northern Arizona. Wish they were available to play with in a closed legacy.

[wsu_zags]

Yeah, tough loss to Montana st., but you are doing good in Big Sky play, and you should get a decent seed in the Big Sky tourney.

[Vinsane187]

Keep pushing .500 is just around the corner!! This is a great legacy, I'm following!

[blue_apocalypse]

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Sacramento State Hornets 5-9(3-2) vs. Northern Arizona Lumberjacks 7-9 (1-4)

Hornets win 3rd straight

The Hornets played great basketball against the Lumberjacks of Northern Arizona. They shot lights out in the first half going 62% from the field. It wasn't the Loren Leath show this time as all the players got involved on the offensive end. Kris Groce, the reserve guard, led the team with 8 points in the first half and helped make the score 35-21.

In the second half the Hornets continued to build on the lead; extending it to 22 points with just under 8 minutes remaining. At this point in the game Coach West decided to rest his starters and the Lumberjacks began chopping their way back into the game. The Hornets managed to resist their push and finished the game on top 74-64

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
SG Loren Leath 23pts
C Justin Eller 10pts 4rebs
G Kris Groce 12pts

Northern Arizona
PF Kyle Landry 16pts 9rebs 4asts
SF Zarko Comagic 13pts 5rebs
C Ryan McCurdy 11pts 6rebs

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "Coach, do you feel that you took your starters out too early?"

Coach West: "Honestly, yeah I think I probably should have kept them in longer. I was getting a bit worried there towards the end of the game. I thought it was important to rest my starters before our road trip next week. Give the Lumberjacks alot of credit for not giving up."

Reporter: "It really seems like you have turned things around on the season..does your goal of making the conference tournament seem within view?"

Coach West: "Lets not get ahead of ourselves. We have Weber State and Idaho State on the road next week and that is where our focus lies."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 6-9 (4-2) @ Weber State Wildcats 8-10 (0-5)

[blue_apocalypse]

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa4/Blue_Apocalypse/header_hornetsports.jpg


Top 10 Media Poll
1. Kansas 14-2
2. Memphis 15-2
3. North Carolina 15-4
4. Marquette 14-3
5. Michigan State 13-2
6. Duke 12-3
7. Arkansas 16-2
8. Connecticut 13-4
9. Georgetown 12-4
10. Providence 14-3

Top 10 Mid Majors
1. Southern Illinois 13-4
2. George Mason 14-3
3. Yale 12-1
4. Akron 13-3
5. Utah State 15-4
6. Nevada 12-5
7. Western Kentucky 11-5
8. Middle Tennessee 11-4
9. VCU 12-5
10. Austin Peay 12-7

Big Sky Standings
1. Montana 4-1
2. Montana State 4-1
3. Sacramento State 4-2
4. Northern Colorado 4-2
5. Eastern Washington 3-3
6. Portland State 3-3
7. Idaho State 2-3
8. Northern Arizona 1-5
9. Weber State 0-5

Points per game
1. Kyle Hines UNC Greensboro 28.6
2. Tyler Hansbrough UNC 25.8
3. Bo McCalebb UNO 25.3
4. Rob McKiver Houston 23.6
5. Loren Leath Sac State 23.0

[MannyG20]

Nice job bouncing back thus far. Leath is a machine, I am eager to see how your season finishes up.

[blue_apocalypse]

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Sacramento State Hornets 6-9 (4-2) @ Weber State Wildcats 8-10 (0-5)

Wildcats earn first conference victory

The Weber State Wildcats have defeated the Sacramento State Hornets for their first conference victory this season. For the Hornets it is a disappointing road loss when they were hoping to build some momentum. Both teams played well offensively in the first half trading baskets up and down the floor. Leath had 12 points at the end of the half for the Hornets while Jamaine Nance answered back for the Wildcats with 9 first half points. The story of the half was rebounding; Weber State held a 22-10 rebounding edge. At the break the score was 38-36.

Sacramento State shored up their rebounding deficiencies in the second half but could not keep up with the hot shooting Wildcats. 4 of the starters for Weber State finished in double figures. The Hornets were never out of the game but couldn't get defensive stops when they needed them. Final Score: 88-79.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
SG Loren Leath 31pts
C Justin Eller 12pts 7rebs
PF Justin Williams 8pts 10rebs

Weber State
SG Jamaine Nance 22pts
PF Arturas Valeika 10pts 10rebs 4asts 3stls
C Trevor Morris 15pts 7rebs

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "It seemed as though the team might be gathering momentum and this win would have made the Hornets a contender at the top of the Big Sky, how tough was it to lose this game?"

Coach West: "It wasn't tough. We really wanted this game but those guys just played well. They were just making all their shots. That's what is so great about basketball..you just never know what will happen."

Reporter: "Leath has been amazing for you this year coach. Some in the media have even described him as a 'machine'. Would you like to comment on that?"

Coach West: "Yeah, he has been great. Whenever he has an open look I just expect it to go down. The funny thing is, since the papers printed that alot of the guys in the locker room have been calling him that."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 6-10 (4-3) @ Idaho State Bengals 5-12 (2-4)

[blue_apocalypse]

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Sacramento State Hornets 6-10 (4-3) @ Idaho State Bengals 5-12 (2-4)

Hornets win with defense

Neither team brought their offense to this game. The Hornets shot 40% in the first half while holding the Bengals to an embarrassing 26% from the field. Sacramento State went on a scoring run with 9 minutes remaining in the half to take a 6 point lead. They would not be able to extend the lead and the Bengals were unable to cut into it. I would like to say that the teams traded baskets, but in reality, they traded rebounds. Leath led the Hornets with 9 points while the Bengals were lead by Lucas Steijn who had 8 points. At the break the Hornets lead 26-20

Shooting was a little better in the second half but not much. The Bengals finished the game with only 33% of their shots going in. Sacramento State seemed to figure out the 1-3-1 zone in the second half shooting 50% for the half. The final score in this one was 56-47.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
SG Loren Leath 15pts 4stls
PF Justin Williams 10pts 9rebs
PG Roderick Adams 9pts

Idaho State
C Lucas Steijn 12pts 8rebs
PF Chron Tatum 8pts 8rebs
SF Steve Anderson 6pts 4rebs 3stls

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "Solid win on the road coach. How did you get your players to hustle so fast on defense this game?'

Coach West: "In the last game we could stop Weber State when we needed to. I told them on the trip to Idaho that we needed to come out and really step our D. That is exactly what they did. In particular I thought Leath and Thomas did a really good job of getting into the face of their shooters."

Reporter: "You are halfway though conference play. Are you happy with where you are in the standings right now?"

Coach West: "We're not in first place right now..so obviously that is where we want to be. The good news is that 5 of our next 8 games will be at home so hopefully we can string some wins together."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 7-10 (5-3) vs. Northern Colorado Bears 10-10 (7-2)

[wsu_zags]

lookin good, you should be able to make good run at the tourney champ game also, as you should finish in the top 4 spots.

[CincyFan]

your record is very deceiving since you are fighting for first place in your conference but yet you are under .500 for your overall record though. Tough loss to Weber State to give them the first win, but looks like you bounced back the next game. Hopefully they don't forget that loss after that win though.

[blue_apocalypse]

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Sacramento State Hornets 7-10 (5-3) vs. Northern Colorado Bears

Hornets knock off 1st place Bears

The Hornets have swept the Northern Colorado Bears in the regular season. The first half was a tight battle with neither team gaining the upper hand. Taibi was red hot for the Bears, scoring 15 points on 5-5 shooting from 3pt range. Justin Williams answered back for Sac State putting up 10 points and hauling in 6 rebounds. At halftime, the Bears were leading 33-32.

The 2nd half played out much like the first half until with 5:48 left in the second half, Leath drove to the basket and got fouled for a 3-point play. This brought the home crowd, at 92% capacity to their feet which inspired the Hornets on to a 12-0 run. The final score in this one was 71-58.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
PF Justin Williams 16pts 9rebs
C Justin Eller 15pts 7rebs
SG Loren Leath 16pts 3asts 2stls

Northern Colorado
SG Sean Taibi 22pts 4rebs
C Kirk Archibeque 10pts 3rebs
F Taylor Montgomery 9pts 4rebs

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "How big was the home support in your victory?"

Coach West: "The fans were great. They really energized our team. I love that we get a nearly full capacity crowd every single game. You can't say enough about how great these fans are here in Sacramento."

Reporter: "We can't help but notice that Justin Williams is playing well of late. Any particular reason for his success?"

Coach West: "He's just a hard working kid. One thing I'd like to point out is that he is putting up these numbers at the power forward position which is not his natural position. He's a 6'6" small forward that is putting up numbers like a natural power forward. I've been really happy with his play."

Reporter: "Will you be able to earn a top seed in the Big Sky tournament?"

Coach West: "I can't see that far into the future. We still have a lot of games to play. I will tell you that I am really happy with my teams play right now."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 8-10 (6-3) vs. Eastern Washington Eagles 7-16 (4-6)

[blue_apocalypse]

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa4/Blue_Apocalypse/header_hornetsports.jpg

Top 10 Media Poll
1. North Carolina 18-4
2. Kansas 17-3
3. Duke 16-3
4. Memphis 18-3
5. Marquette 16-4
6. Providence 18-3
7. Arkansas 18-3
8. Tennessee 15-5
9. Michigan State 15-4
10. George Mason 18-3

Top 10 Mid Majors
1. George Mason 18-3
2. Yale 14-2
3. Southern Illinois 16-5
4. Western Kentucky 14-6
5. Akron 15-5
6. Utah State 16-6
7. VCU 15-6
8. Middle Tennessee 13-6
9. Nevada 14-7
10. Eastern Kentucky 13-5

Points Per Game
1. Kyle Hines UNC Greensboro 27.7
2. Tyler Hansbrough UNC 26.0
3. Bo McCaleb UNO 23.8
4. Rob McKiver Houston 23.4
5. Charron Fisher Niagara 22.8
6. Loren Leath Sac State 22.6

Big Sky Conference
1. Northern Colorado 7-3
2. Montana State 6-3
3. Sacramento State 6-3
4. Portland State 5-3
5. Montana 5-4
6. Idaho State 4-5
7. Eastern Washington 4-6
8. Northern Arizona 3-6
9. Weber State 1-8

[wsu_zags]

I am torn in your next game, I want you to win, but you are playing my Eagles... who to root for....

[blue_apocalypse]

I am torn in your next game, I want you to win, but you are playing my Eagles... who to root for....

You should root for the Eagles..they're gonna need all the support they can get inside the Hornet's Nest! :dance:

[blue_apocalypse]

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Sacramento State Hornets 8-10 (6-3) vs. Eastern Washington Eagles 7-16 (4-6)

Hornets lose close one

The Hornets opened the game playing great defense. They jumped out to an early 8 point lead. They were unable to keep up the defensive pressure for the entire half. Still, the Eagles finished the half shooting only 37%. Brandon Moore led the Eagles into the locker room with 8pts while Loren Leath answered back for the Hornets with 9 points of his own. The score at the end of the first half was 30-24.

Eastern Washington went on an offensive explosion in the 2nd half scoring 44 points in the half. Marcus Hinton led the charge and scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half. Despite the offensive production of the Eagles, the Hornets held the lead for most of the half, not giving it up until there was 4:52 remaining. The Eagles would go up by 5 but the Hornets answered back. We now transcribe the radio broadcast..

"The Hornets bring the ball back upcourt. They are down by 5 and need to score quickly here. Adams passes it to Williams. Williams back out out to Thomas. Thomas back to Adams..to Leath..for 3...KNOCKS IT DOWN!! Hornets now down by a bucket with 47 seconds left. The Eagles are taking their time bringing it upcourt. They pass it around the perimeter. Now inside to Moore..he's been good today. Doesn't have a shot..kicks it out to DeLeon. DeLeon to Loofburrow..shot clock running down..he puts it up..OFF THE RIM. The board grabbed by the Hornets. 14 seconds left. Pass to Adams who brings it down the court quickly. Passes to Leath..looking for a shot..doesn't have it. Goes inside to Eller. Eller not open..4 seconds left..kicks it out..Adams for three....NO GOOD..OFF THE RIM. The Eagles escape the Hornet's nest with the victory."

Final Score: 68-66

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
SG Loren Leath 22pts
F Curtis Harrison 10pts
PF Justin Williams 8pts 4rebs

Eastern Washington
SG Marcus Hinton 18pts 2asts
C Brandon Moore 15pts 3rebs
SF Kellen Williams 9pts 4rebs 2stls 2asts

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "Can you walk us through those final 14 seconds coach. Was the plan to go to Adams?"

Coach West: "No. The plan was to go to Leath but they were all over him. He did the right thing and went to Eller inside, but he was well covered. He saw Adams open so he passed it to him. Unfortunately, Adams struggles from that range. Still, he nearly made it."

Reporter: "This was your first buzzer beater game..how do you think this will effect your teams confidence?"

Coach West: "It was a tough loss but we need to get our heads back in it cause a very good Portland State team is coming in here the day after tomorrow."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 8-11 (6-4) vs. Portland State Vikings 12-8 (5-4)

[Deuce2223]

I am torn in your next game, I want you to win, but you are playing my Eagles... who to root for....


Man you are loyal. I root for my friends 1st and my team 2nd. You got to give Blue some love. Can't believe you. It was because of you he lost.

True story. I work as a youth pastor. One of our former students is Jordan Gross the starting offensive tackle for the Carolina Panthers. His rookie year they played the Patriots in the Super Bowl. Everyone was asking me who are you rooting for, because I grew up a Pats fan ever since they drafted Bledsoe from WSU. I told them I was going for Jordan and the Panthers but either way I would be happy. Well moral of the story. Pats won, Jordan did not :( But on the postive side I won $400 beause I had the final score on my super bowl square.:dance:

[Deuce2223]

Tough came. Lets just hope the Montana St and N. Colorado will start losing.

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Sacramento State Horents 8-11 (6-4) vs. Portland State Vikings 12-8 (5-4)

Vikings defeat Hornets again

The Hornets, obviously still recovering from their previous loss, came up short against the Portland State Vikings. The teams played an evenly matched first half though the Vikings were slightly ahead in the rebounding department thanks to their center Scott Morrison who put up 9 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in the first half. The Hornets leading scorer at the break was Loren Leath who had 9. The Vikings led 35-31 at halftime.

The Horents kept it close in the second half, but were never able to close the gap. The Vikings answered every basket the Hornets put up and were able to extend their lead. The Hornets just seemed uninspired on the court tonight and couldn't find the will to cut into the lead. The final score was 72-62

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
SG Loren Leath 21pts 4rebs
PF Justin Williams 8pts 7rebs 3asts
G Kris Groce 6pts 5asts

Portland State
C Scott Morrison 17pts 12rebs
SG Paul Hafford 23pts
SF Andre Murray 8pts 5rebs

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "The team looked uninspired tonight Coach. Was there any hangover from that last game?"

Coach West: "I don't know what it was, but you are right, we played with a real lack of emotion out there. We really wanted this game with our trip to play a couple good teams in Montana next week."

Reporter: "Montana is playing great basketball lately. What are your plans to take them down on the road?"

Coach West: "I'm not going to reveal my gameplan. We know it is an important game and I expect my team to play hard in that one."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 8-12 (6-5) @ Montana Grizzlies 12-8 (6-4)

[blue_apocalypse]

Man you are loyal. I root for my friends 1st and my team 2nd. You got to give Blue some love. Can't believe you. It was because of you he lost.

True story. I work as a youth pastor. One of our former students is Jordan Gross the starting offensive tackle for the Carolina Panthers. His rookie year they played the Patriots in the Super Bowl. Everyone was asking me who are you rooting for, because I grew up a Pats fan ever since they drafted Bledsoe from WSU. I told them I was going for Jordan and the Panthers but either way I would be happy. Well moral of the story. Pats won, Jordan did not :( But on the postive side I won $400 beause I had the final score on my super bowl square.:dance:

That's awesome to be able to root for somebody you know in the super bowl. I'm just waiting for my Niners to get back to the super bowl.. :(

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Sacramento State Hornets 8-12 (6-5) @ Montana Grizzlies 12-8 (6-4)

Hornets lose 3rd straight conference game

The Hornets do not look like the same team they were two weeks ago. Montana came into this game eager to avenge their loss in Sacramento. The Grizzlies outplayed the Hornets from the start and shot 64% in the first half. The Hornets were simply unable to keep up and the Grizzlies carried a 40-27 lead into halftime.

The Hornets shot well in the 2nd half but could not step up their defense. While the Grizzlies did cool off, they still shot 55% for the game. The Grizzlies also distributed the ball well and 5 players finished in double figures for scoring. Leath, normally the dominant player for the Hornets struggled in this one resulting in a blowout. The final score was 80-66.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
C Justin Eller 15pts 9rebs
PG Roderick Adams 13pts
SG Loren Leath 10pts 3asts

Montana
PF Andrew Strait 14pts 10rebs
C Jordan Hasquet 11pts 9rebs 5asts
SF Derek Selvig 12pts 4rebs 2stls

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "Coach, this losing streak has really come at the wrong time of the year. Just a couple of weeks ago people were starting to predict that you might win the regular season conference title. What has happened?"

Coach West: "Well, we had a tough loss to Eastern Washington. We ran into an excellent Portland State team, and tonight we played a Montana team that is playing great basketball lately. We really need to steal a game from Montana State but they are going to be fired up to play us at home. They have already defeated us at the Hornet's Nest so we want some revenge."

Reporter: "Are you confident that you will still make the conference tournament?"

Coach West: "I'm not even thinking about that right now. Right now I'm focused on putting a gameplan together for Montana State."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 8-13 (6-6) @ Montana State Bobcats 7-15 (6-5)

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Sacramento State Hornets 8-13 (6-6) @ Montana State Bobcats 7-15 (6-5)

Hornets end losing streak with blowout win

The Hornets looked like they were playing inspired basketball for the first time since the Eastern Washington loss. Leath and the Hornets opened up red hot, shooting 63% from the field. Their defense was not good however allowing the Bobcats to stay close. The Hornets led 44-37 at halftime.

In the second half the defense stiffened for the Hornets and they stayed hot on the offensive end. Justin Eller had his best game of the year and was a force down on the low block. The Hornets shot 56% for the game and kept the rebounding even. The final score in this one: 87-68.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
C Justin Eller 24pts 5rebs
SG Loren Leath 27pts
PF Justin Williams 15pts 5rebs

Montana State
C Divaldo Mbunga 13pts 9rebs
SG Phil Frieson 15pts 3asts 2stls
SF Bobby Howard 12pts 6rebs

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "Coach, you won big tonight in an important game. What changed the way the team was playing?"

Coach West: "We just got tired of losing. The players had a meeting before the game and they inspired each other to play well. Eller, Williams and Adams all responded well. Adams had 8 big assists in this game."

Reporter: "What are your thoughts on the remaining 4 games?"

Coach West: "Every single game is important. We have 3 more conference games which we need to win. And we also have a road game against UC Davis for the Causeway Cup. Nothing will be easy from here on, so we just need to go out there and get it done."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 9-13 (7-6) @ Northern Arizona Lumberjacks 11-12 (5-7)

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Top 10 Media
1. North Carolina 22-4
2. Kansas 21-3
3. Memphis 22-3
4. Duke 19-4
5. Marquette 19-5
6. Tennessee 19-5
7. Providence 21-4
8. Arizona 17-7
9. Michigan State 17-5
10. Connecticut 17-8

Top 10 Mid Majors
1. George Mason 20-5
2. Southern Illinois 19-6
3. Western Kentucky 17-6
4. Yale 17-3
5. Akron 18-6
6. Utah State 19-6
7. UC Santa Barbara 18-6
8. Butler 17-9
9. Nevada 17-8
10. Eastern Kentucky 15-7

Big Sky Conference
1. Portland State 8-4
2. Montana 8-4
3. Northern Colorado 8-4
4. Sacramento State 7-6
5. Eastern Washington 7-7
6. Montana State 6-6
7. Northern Arizona 5-8
8. Idaho State 4-8
9. Weber State 3-9

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A look at the Conferences:

ACC
Locks: North Carolina, Duke
On the Bubble: Clemson, Florida State, NC State

SEC
Locks: Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, Kentucky, Vanderbilt
On the Bubble: LSU

Big East
Locks: Providence, Marquette, Syracuse, Georgetown, UConn, Louisville, Seton Hall
On the Bubble: Villanova, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh

Big 10
Locks: Michigan State, Illinois
On the Bubble: Penn State, Michigan, Ohio State,

Pac-10
Locks: Arizona, Washington State, Oregon, Washington, USC
On the Bubble: Stanford, UCLA

Big 12
Locks: Kansas, Texas A&M
On the Bubble: Texas, Missouri

Mid Majors
Locks: Memphis, Temple, George Mason, Xavier, Yale, Western Kentucky
On the Bubble: Akron, Louisiana-Monroe, NC A&T, Fordham

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Sacramento State Hornets 9-13 (7-6) @ Northern Arizona Lumberjacks 11-12 (5-7)

Hornets lose badly

Northern Arizona was desperately seeking a victory in this game to move themselves up in the conference tournament seeding. The Hornets, confident after their blowout victory over Montana State came out flat offensively. At halftime the Hornets were shooting a terrible 20% from the floor and managed only 17 points in the half. Kyle Landry nearly had a double double at halftime, 11 points and 7 rebounds, for the Lumberjacks who carried a 36-17 lead into halftime.

In the second half the Hornets found their touch but could not stop the Lumberjacks who put up 54 points in the half. It was the worst defensive half of the season for the Hornets on the heels of their worst offensive half of the season. The final score in this one was 90-57.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
PG Roderick Adams 16pts 3stls
SG Loren Leath 9pts
PF Wandji Aboubakar 7pts 7rebs

Northern Arizona
PF Kyle Landry 17pts 8rebs
G Nathan Geiser 15pts
F Keith Olson 12pts 9rebs

Postgame Interview

Coach West refuses to speak to the media after the devastating loss. He has issued this statement:

"We picked the worst time of the year to play our worst game. We had our worst offensive followed by our worst defensive half and we got killed on the boards. It is inexcusable for a team to play like that in such an important game against an opponent we know we can compete against."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 9-14 (7-7) vs. Idaho State Bengals 8-18 (5-10)

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Sacramento State Hornets 9-14 (7-7) vs. Idaho State Bengals 8-18 (5-10)

Hornets bounce back from tough loss

Last week Coach West was infuriated by his teams performance. This week, they were able to pull out an ugly victory. Neither team brought their offense to this game. Tatum led the Bengals into halftime with 6 points while Adams answered back for the Hornets with 6 points of his own. The Hornets held a slight 32-26 lead at halftime.

In the second half, Idaho state managed to tie the game but would never take the lead. The Hornets were able answer the Bengals run with a run of their own to win the game. In a rare event this season, the Hornets won the rebounding battle, albeit by a slim margin. The final score in this game was 60-51

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
C Justin Eller 13pts 6rebs
PF Justin Williams 10pts 4rebs
PG Roderick Adams 7pts 5asts

Idaho State
PF Chron Tatum 14pts 11rebs
C Lucas Steijn 12pts 3rebs
F Steve Anderson 7pts 3rebs

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "You had a tough loss last week but you were able to rebound in this game for the win, does that give you confidence to close out the season?"

Coach West: "We're always confident. We've just had a roller coaster season. It's been very frustrating and we just can't get any consistency."

Reporter: "Are you speaking specifically of Leath? We can't help but notice that his numbers have really tapered off."

Coach West: "No, I'm not calling anybody out. We just have to find some consistency across the board. Leath has been in a shooting slump no doubt about it but I'm certainly not blaming him for our losses. We win as a team and we lose as a team..if one guy is struggling then other guys have to step up and we haven't done that."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 10-14 @ UC Davis Aggies 9-15 for the Causeway Cup

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Sacramento State Hornets 10-14 @ UC Davis Aggies 9-15

Aggies defeat rival Hornets

The Aggies emerged on top of the Hornets in what is essentially a cross town rivalry game. The Hornets once again could not find their offense. They played well defensively in the first half though, keeping themselves in the game. At halftime the Hornets led 26-25.

They would not be able to keep up the defensive pressure in the second half and the Aggies began to pull away. Justin Eller, who had been playing well of late, struggled inside making only 3-11 shots. As a team, the Hornets managed to shoot only 32%. The Aggies win the Causeway Cup by a score of 62-50.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
SG Loren Leath 11pts 5rebs
C Justin Eller 9pts 9rebs
PG Roderick Adams 10pts

UC Davis
SF Shane Hanson 19pts 5rebs
C Michael Boone 14pts 3blks
SG Vince Oliver 14pts 4rebs 4stls

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "The team struggled offensively from the field again. What can be done to fix your offensive woes before conference tournament play?"

Coach West: "We just have to start knocking down our shots. Its not like we are taking bad shots. We are just missing tons of good looks and even more frustratingly..we are missing layups. Hopefully they'll start to go down for us."

Reporter: "We know you wanted to beat UC Davis..can you tell us what the rivalry is like?"

Coach West: "Well, they haven't been in Division I for long so its not like an ancient rivalry or anything. But it is really fun. The crowd was really into the game the entire time."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 10-15 (8-7) vs. Weber State Wildcats 12-16 (4-11)

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Sacramento State Hornets 10-15 (8-7) vs. Weber State Wildcats 12-16 (4-11)

Hornet's win the for the seniors

It was an emotional night at the Hornet's Nest as Roderick Adams, Kris Groce, Justin Williams, Jason Davis and Curtis Harrison played their final game there. This was also an important game for seeding in the Big Sky tournament. Thanks to Loren Leath, the seniors walked off the court victoriously. It was a close game throughout with a quick pace, especially in the first half. At halftime it was all tied up 38-38.

In the second half the Hornets defense managed to hold the Wildcats to a couple of key stops late in the game. This allowed the Hornets to build a slight lead which proved to be the difference in the final score. The Hornets lost the rebounding battle, and did not shoot as well as the Wildcats, however they were able to force 15 Wildcat turnovers. The final score in this game was 73-68.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
SG Loren Leath 31pts 4rebs
C Justin Eller 11pts 10rebs
PG Roderick Adams 12pts 4asts

Weber State
PF Tyler Billings 17pts 12rebs
C Arturas Valeika 12pts 6rebs
C Trevor Morris 8pts 6rebs

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "Coach, this game has secured you a 3 seed in the Big Sky Tournament..are you happy with your standings?"

Coach West: "Our goal was to make the tournament, which we have done. We are happy with a 3 seed and we look forward to playing a tough Montana State team."

Reporter: "Speaking of Montana State, you have split the season series with them. The tournament is going to be played up in Montana on the Grizzlies home court..are you worried that this gives the Bobcats a bit of homecourt advantage?"

Coach West: "Oh it certainly does. But we can't worry about that. If we wanted to have the tournament played in Sacramento then we should have won more games. We're just going to have to beat them in their own state."

Up Next: #3 Sacramento State Hornets vs. #6 Montana State Bobcats Big Sky Tournament first round

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Final Big Sky Standings:

1. Montana 11-5
2. Portland State 10-6
3. Sacramento State 9-7
4. Eastern Washington 9-7
5. Northern Colorado 8-8
6. Montana State 8-8
7. Northern Arizona 7-9
8. Idaho State 6-10
9. Weber State 4-12

Teams in red did not qualify for Conference Tournament

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#3 Sacramento State Hornets vs. #6 Montana State Bobcats

Hornets can't advance in Big Sky Tournament

The crowd in this game, which was played in Missoula, Montana, was rooting heavily for the Montana State Bobcats. The Hornets started off flat and could never overcome the poor start. The Bobcats took a 35-26 lead into halftime.

The Hornets played a better offensive second half but were not able to cut into the Bobcats lead. The Bobcats were lead by Mbunga who put a double double on the scoreboard. Eller answered with a double double for the Hornets, but it was not enough. The final score in this game was 78-66. The Bobcats will face the Portland State Vikins in the quarterfinals.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
C Justin Eller 12pts 12rebs
SG Loren Leath 13pts 3stls
PF Justin Williams 12pts 4rebs

Montana State
C Divaldo Mbunga 21pts 13rebs
SG Carlos Taylor 20pts
C Jeff Edwards 8pts 8rebs 4stls

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "Coach, it must be disappointing to have lost in the semifinals of the conference tournament..can you tell us what the mood of the team is?"

Coach West: "We're obviously disappointed. We thought we had a pretty good chance against Montana State. The last time we played them we had a really good game. Our goal at the beginning of the year was to get this team back into the conference tournament. We've accomplished that. We can't bee too disappointed."

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Semifinals

#3 Sacramento State 66
#6 Montana State 78

#4 Eastern Washington 88
#5 Northern Colorado 78

Quarterfinals

#1 Montana 95
#4 E. Washington 66

#2 Portland State 73
#6 Montana State 71

Finals

#1 Montana 65
#2 Portland State 81 Big Sky Champions

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Play In Game

Alabama State 57
Delaware State 51

East Regional Bracket First Round

#1 Arizona 73
#16 Alabama State 63

#8 Western Kentucky 78
#9 Oregon 89***UPSET

#5 Louisville 74
#12 Davidson 78***UPSET

#4 Stanford 82
#13 Gonzaga 80

#6 George Mason 73
#11 Fordham 60

#3 Kentucky 78
#14 Creighton 75

#7 UAB 83
#10 Missouri 65

#2 Marquette 88
#15 UNC-Asheville 85

West Regional Bracket First Round

#1 North Carolina 111
#16 Lamar 56

#8 Alabama 83
#9 Seton Hall 73

#5 Vanderbilt 93
#12 New Orleans 65

#4 Michigan State 73
#13 UW Milwaukee 47

#6 LSU 73
#11 Princeton 53

#3 Syracuse 74
#14 TCU 66

#7 Temple 81
#10 Akron 88***UPSET

#2 Duke 98
#15 Kennesaw State 53

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South Regional Bracket First Round

#1 Memphis 69
#16 Holy Cross 61

#8 Duquesne 54
#9 Clemson 87***UPSET

#5 UCLA 67
#12 Austin Peay 59

#4 Illinois 70
#13 Drexel 64

#6 Xavier 59
#11 Butler 51

#3 Georgetown 51
#14 Portland State 70***UPSET Big Sky Representative

#7 Washington State 54
#10 Michigan 85

#2 Providence 85
#15 Loyola(MD) 59

Midwest Regional Bracket First Round

#1 Tennessee 64
#16 S. Utah 42

#8 USC 78
#9 Washington 90***UPSET

#5 Arkansas 97
#12 New Mexico St. 64

#4 Texas A&M 80
#13 CS Northridge 68

#6 Ohio State 63
#11 Wisconsin 72***UPSET

#3 Connecticut 97
#14 Vermont 65

#7 Yale 72
#10 St. Joseph's 86***UPSET

#2 Kansas 103
#15 Robert Morris 66

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East Regional Bracket Second Round

#1 Arizona 51
#9 Oregon 60***UPSET

#12 Davidson 77
#4 Stanford 87

#6 George Mason 64
#3 Kentucky 74

#7 UAB 66
#2 Marquette 83

West Regional Bracket Second Round

#1 North Carolina 77
#8 Alabama 79***UPSET

#5 Vanderbilt 83***UPSET
#4 Michigan State 78

#6 LSU 71
#3 Syracuse 90

#10 Akron 73
#2 Duke 77

South Regional Bracket Second Round

#1 Memphis 79
#9 Clemson 67

#5 UCLA 76***UPSET
#4 Illinois 70

#6 Xavier 102
#14 Portland State 58 Big Sky Representative

#10 Michigan 35 (wow! 35pts!)
#2 Providence 71

Midwest Regional Bracket Second Round

#1 Tennessee 73
#9 Washington 76***UPSET

#5 Arkansas 74***UPSET
#4 Texas A&M 70

#11 Wisconsin 72
#3 Connecticut 77

#10 Saint Joseph's 55
#2 Kansas 81

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East Regional Sweet 16

#9 Oregon 62
#4 Stanford 78

#3 Kentucky 78
#2 Marquette 58

West Regional Sweet 16

#8 Alabama 65
#5 Vanderbilt 61

#3 Syracuse 53
#2 Duke 69

South Regional Sweet 16

#1 Memphis 82
#5 UCLA 71

#6 Xavier 76
#2 Providence 66

Midwest Regional Sweet 16

#9 Washington 68
#5 Arkansas 79

#3 Connecticut 59
#2 Kansas 74

East Regional Final

#4 Stanford 56
#3 Kentucky 83

West Regional Final

#8 Alabama 74
#2 Duke 65

South Regional Final

#1 Memphis 77
#6 Xavier 67

Midwest Regional Final

#6 Arkansas 66
#2 Kansas 82

Final Four

#3 Kentucky 71
#8 Alabama 69

#1 Memphis 86
#2 Kansas 81

Championship Game

Kentucky 63
Memphis 54

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Player of the Year
- Tyler Hansbrough North Carolina

Mid-Major Player of the Year
- Kyle Hines UNC Greensboro

Coach of the Year
- Billy Gillispie Kentucky

Defensive Player of the Year
- Paul Harris Syracuse

Big Man of the Year
- Tyler Hansbrough North Carolina

Freshman of the Year
- Michael Beasley Kansas State

First Team All-Americans
-PG Sean Singletary Virginia
-SG Bo McCaleb New Orleans
-SF Paul Harris Syracuse
-PF Tyler Hansbrough North Carolina
-C Luke Harangody Notre Dame

Second Team All-Americans
-PG Drew Neitzel Michigan State
-SG Chris Lofton Tennessee
-SF CJ Anderson Xavier
-PF Kyle Hines UNC Greensboro
-C Roy Hibbert Georgetown

Freshman All-Americans
-PG Corey Fisher Villanova
-SG Jarryd Bayless Arizona
-SF Davon Jefferson USC
-PF Michael Beasley Kansas State
-C Kevin Love UCLA

Big Sky Champions
-Regular Season: Montana
-Conference Tournament: Portland State

Big Sky Coach of the Year
-Ken Bode Portland State

Big Sky Player of the Year
-Loren Leath Sacramento State

Big Sky Freshman of the Year
-Derek Selvig Montana

First Team All Big Sky
-PG Kellen McCoy Weber State
-SG Loren Leath Sacramento State
-SF Kellen Williams Eastern Washington
-PF Kyle Landry Northern Arizona
-C Scott Morrison Portland State

Second Team All Big Sky
-PG Matt Martin Montana
-SG Paul Hafford Portland State
-SF Logan Kinghorn Idaho State
-PF Jordan Hasquet Montana
-C Kirk Archibeque Northern Colorado

Freshman All Big Sky
-PG Monice Garrett Northern Colorado
-SG Trey Gross Eastern Washington
-SF Derek Selvig Montana
-PF Petar Milasinovic Eastern Washington
-C Jeff Edwards Montana State

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Players leaving Sacramento State

PG Roderick Adams.....Graduated
SF Justin Williams........Graduated
PG Kris Groce.............Graduated
PF Curtis Harrison.......Graduated
SF Jason Davis...........Graduated
PG Alonzo Young........Transfered to MD-Eastern Shore

Coaching Changes

Jay John fired from Oregon State....Replaced by Chris Lowery(S. Illinois)
Steve Fisher retires from San Diego State...Replaced by Bob Williams(UC Santa Barabara)
Southern Illinois hires....Scott Sutton(Oral Roberts)
Oral Roberts hires....Rexson Detrick(Alabama assistant)
UC Santa Barbara hires....Jermery Weisse(Oklahoma State assistant)
Buzz Peterson retires from Coastal Carolina....Replaced by Gadi Edwards(Nevada assist)

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Incoming Recruits to the Hornets

-Dugan Hill *** C 6'10" 246lbs Tracy, CA Ovr: #300 Pos: #30
Hill comes to the Hornets out of Tracy, CA where he attended Tracy High School. He was highly coveted because of his size and skill. He is skilled from inside and the low block. He is an above average defender for his position but he is only an average rebounder. He gives the Hornets a true center and will probably be inserted into the starting lineup immediately.

-Jaime Olson ** C 7'0" 240lbs Fullerton, CA Ovr: #468 Pos: #44
Olson graduated from Fullerton Union High School but was not heavily recruited by CSU Fullerton or any other Southern California school. Only two schools showed interest: Sacramento State and Portland State. Olson decided to stay in state. Olson is a solid all around player with no outstanding strengths but no outstanding weaknesses either. Like Hill, he will give the Hornets more size on the front line.

-Calvin Ager ** C 7'2" 271lbs Bellflower, CA Ovr: #745 Pos: #80
Ager attended Mayfair High School in Bellflower, CA. He possess great size, but his skills need work. He will probably redshirt his freshman year to develop his skills. Once he does play though, he gives Coach West very good depth up front. The Hornets could play a very large front-line.

-Jerald Jegdic ** SF 6'7" 194lbs Portland, OR Ovr: #785 Pos: #149
Jegdic comes to Sacramento State from Portland, OR where he attended Jefferson High School. Jegdic is an average shooter and an average defender. His freshman year he will probably be coming off of the bench.

-Bruce Redick ** PG 6'0" 162lbs San Jose, CA Ovr: #610 Pos: #171
Redick attended Abraham Lincoln High School in San Jose, CA. He is an average shooter and an average defender. He is slow for his position and will need to work on improving his speed and quickness. He will not start his freshman year and might get redshirted.

-Bryan Heinen ** SG 6'3" 188lbs Gresham, OR Ovr: #696 Pos: #162
Heinen attended Sam Barlow High School in Gresham, OR. He was not a highly coveted senior. He is a below average shooter and an average defender. He will need to improve before he gets playing time if he even makes the team.

-Ransom Kohn ** SG 6'3" 188lbs Chandler, AZ Ovr: #655 Pos: #148
Kohn is a product of Basha High School in Chandler, AZ. Interestingly, his high school had the same school colors as Sacramento State. Kohn is an average shooter and an average defender. Like Heinen, it remains to be seen if he will make the team.

[jjredick4]

u got some nice players coming in, and 3 of them are 6'10 and up, that should really help down low...and i find it funny, Memphis barely beats Holy Cross in the first round & then they end up goin' to the championship game

[GateGamer]

I haven't posted in the thread yet, but I have been following all along. I hated losing in the first round of the Conference Tourney. I'm sure the same for you. Awesome recruits as jj stated before. Those big men will help you down low. Can't wait for Season 2 to start for Coach Marvin West and his Hornets!

[Deuce2223]

Well I think you have figured it out by now but very good job landing the 3 bigmen.

Not sure if I would've used up all those scholarships on the 2* guys though That is going to tie up alot of your roster with guys not very good. I think I would consider cutting the worst ones and free up those scholorships for the future.

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Sacramento State has released their 2008-2009 schedule:

Team

@ BYU
vs. Pacific
vs. UC Davis
@ Fresno State
@ Long Beach State
Big Tree Tournament vs. Alabama State
Big Tree Tournament vs. Santa Clara/Longwood
@ San Jose State
@ Colorado State
@ Washington State
@ Stanford (Preseason #10)
vs. Eastern Washington
@ Idaho State
@ Northern Colorado
vs. Weber State
vs. Portland State
@ Montana State
vs. Montana
@ Montana
@ Northern Arizona
@ Eastern Washington
vs. Northern Colorado
vs. Idaho State
@ Portland State
@ Weber State
vs. Northern Arizona
vs. Montana State

Coach West's comments on the Schedule:

"It's another tough schedule this year. That is the way we like it. We are coming into the year confident with the addition of Hill at center and Big Sky player of the year Leath returning for his senior year. We scheduled 3 other schools in the CSU system this year so those should be fun. We also have Pacific playing us at home this year..and of course..UC Davis has to come to our house this time. We are honored to be invited to the Big Tree Tournament and hopefully we can walk out of there with 2 wins. Then we have those two Pac-10 teams to toughen us up before conference play begins. It should be a challenging and fun year."

We were also able to sit down with Coach West who has pinned these goals for the year:

1. Finish with a winning record
2. Finish in top 2 of conference
3. Win Big Sky Tournament

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The Hornets have released their roster for the 2008-2009 season.

Starters

PG Vinnie McGhee RS-FR (61ovr)
-McGhee redshirted his freshman year to ease his way into the program. He now takes over the point guard position. He is not a great shooter but he is lightning quick, makes his layups, and is the best free throw shooter on the team. He should give the Hornets some production from the PG position.

Last year: N/A

SG Loren Leath SR (67ovr) **Team Captain
-Leath led the team and the Big Sky Conference in scoring last year. He also named first team All-Conference and was the Big Sky Player of the year. He returns this year with his deadly three point shooting and looks to lead the Hornets once again.

Last year: 20.7ppg 2.1rpg 1.2apg 1.0spg 0.2bpg

SF Donald Thomas SR (57ovr)
-Donald Thomas was quiet contributor for the Hornets last year. While never the offensive focus of the Hornets he managed to put up some solid numbers. Thomas struggles on defense at times which the Hornets hope he will fixed this season.

Last year: 4.6ppg 3.2rpg 1.5apg 0.6spg 0.4bpg

PF Justin Eller JR (64ovr)
-Justin Eller moves over to his natural power forward position this year. He spent all of last year playing as an undersized center. Despite playing out of position, Eller managed to put solid numbers on the board. We are excited to see what Eller can do at power forward.

Last year: 9.2ppg 7.1rpg 1.1apg 0.6spg 0.3bpg

C Dugan Hill FR (73ovr)
-Hill has been inserted into the starting lineup as a true freshman. He is a good overall player with solid rebounding and inside shooting skills. His size should help the Hornets on the glass. He is predicted to be one of the best players in the Big Sky Conference this year despite being a true freshman.

Last year: N/A

Bench

C Jaime Olson FR (65ovr)
-Olson will be coming off the bench this year to provide depth up front. When either Hill or Eller needs a rest we can expect to Olson. His size should give the Hornets an advantage up front against conference opponents.

Last year: N/A

F Wandji Aboubakar SR (60ovr)
-Aboubakar will spend his senior year in the reserve role once again. His tendancy to pick up fouls prevents him from being a starter but he should see some minutes if the other bigmen get into foul trouble.

Last year: 3.6ppg 4.1rpg 1.0apg 0.5spg 0.1bpg

G Yannick Kasongo JR (58ovr)
-Kasongo will be coming off the bench this year. He is not much of a shooter but he is quick, can make layups, and is a decent defender. He is the only upperclassman guard coming off the bench and should see a fair amount of playing time.

Last year: 2.0ppg 0.5rpg 0.7apg 0.0spg 0.0bpg

F Jerald Jegdic FR (56ovr)
-Jegdic will playing mainly when Donald Thomas needs a breather. He is a quicker player and a better defender than Thomas, but is not as gifted offensively.

Last year: N/A

G Bruce Redick FR (54ovr)
-Redick will not see much playing time this year. He is an ok ballhandler and defender but doesn't posess much of an offensive game. The Hornets were in desperate need of players after having so many players leave in the offseason.

Last year: N/A

G Bryan Heinen FR (53ovr)
-Heinen is in the exact same situation as Redick. He is a body to fill the position for now. He will see very limted playing time.

Last year: N/A

F Ime Gadson SO-Walkon (52ovr)
-Gadson made the team this year a walk on but will not see much time on the court.

Last year: N/A

Redshirts

C Calvin Ager FR (56ovr)
-With the sudden depth at the center position, Ager finds himself redshirting this year. He needs to improve his offensive game before next season but already shows signs of being a promising rebounder.

G Ransom Kohn FR (52ovr)
-Kohn will be redshirting the year. Out of the 3 guards, he seems to have the most potential so he may be the only to survive cuts next season..depending on the state of the roster.


Deuce: Yeah, I wish I hadn't used up all those scholarships..I just wasn't thinking when I was handing them out. I should have cut them but I saved the game after the cut-off date for roster changes and couldn't go back.

GateGamer: Thanks man, I've been following yours too though I don't think I have posted on the thread. And yeah..it was a frustrating season..especially that loss to Montana State..who I killed the previous time I played them.

jjredick: I thought it was interesting that Portland State not only defeated Georgetown..but killed them

[GateGamer]

Hill is my leading scorer for your team this year. He'll dominate down low with his huge frame. Go Sac St!

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Preseason top 25
1. Connecticut
2. Memphis
3. North Carolina
4. Duke
5. Providence
6. Syracuse
7. Arizona
8. Louisville
9. Michigan State
10. Stanford
11. Texas
12. Tennessee
13. Alabama
14. Washington
15. UCLA
16. LSU
17. Villanova
18. USC
19. Kansas
20. Kentucky
21. Illinois
22. Wisconsin
23. Georgetown
24. Indiana
25. Gonzaga

Pre-season First Team All-Americans
-PG DJ Augustin JR Texas
-SG Wayne Ellington JR North Carolina
-SF Paul Harris JR Syracuse
-PF Darrell Arthur JR Kansas
-C Kevin Love SO UCLA

Pre-season Second Team All-Americans
-PG Sherron Collins JR Kansas
-SG Chase Budinger JR Arizona
-SF Tyler Smith JR Tennessee
-PF Jeff Adrien SR Connecticut
-C Randall Hanke SR Providence


Big Sky Pre-Season Media Rankings
1. Northern Arizona
2. Portland State
3. Montana
4. Idaho State
5. Weber State
6. Eastern Washington
7. Sacramento State
8. Montana State
9. Northern Colorado

Big Sky Preseason Awards

Best Overall Player
-Josh Wilson Northern Arizona

Best Freshman
-Dugan Hill Sacramento State

Best Shooter
-Loren Leath Sacramento State

Best Playmaker
-Jermaine Calvin Northern Arizona

Best Pro Prospect
-Jordan Hasquet Montana

Best Defender
-Dugan Hill Sacramento State

[jjredick4]

jjredick: I thought it was interesting that Portland State not only defeated Georgetown..but killed them

i thought that was funny

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Sacramento State Hornets @ BYU Cougars

Hornets lose season opener in Provo

The Hornets have high expectations and lofty goals this year, neither of which was evident in this game. Offensively, the Sacramento State played well but could not stop the onslaught of BYU. Hill, the highly touted freshman center, got into foul trouble very early in the game and sat out most of the first half. Leath responded to the challenge and put 14 points in the first half. Despite Leath's performance, the Cougars led 44-37 at halftime.

Hill would miss the majority of the 2nd half also. He picked up his 3rd foul with less than a minute played after the break. Leath looked to carry the team but injured his knee and had to sit out for the rest of the game. The Cougars capitalized on the situation and with the Hornets missing their two best players, coasted to an easy victory. Final score 89-72

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
SG Loren Leath 20pts 3stls
C Jaime Olsen 12pts 8rebs 3asts
PG Vinnie McGhee 11pts 6asts

BYU
SF Jonathan Tavernari 17pts 4rebs
C James Anderson 15pts 9rebs
SG Lee ****ard 12pts 4stls 4rebs <---lol..damn censoring blocks out his name

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "First thing I have to ask is what is the status of Leath?"

Coach West: "He sprained his knee and sat out the entire second half. It is not a serious injury and he shouldn't miss any significant time. His status for the Pacific game is day-to-day. We'll just have to see how that knee is feeling that day."

Reporter: "Hill got into foul trouble and sat out most of the game while is backup and fellow freshman Olsen had a solid game..is there a controversy brewing here?"

Coach West: "Absolutely not. We have a lot of confidence in Hill and there is a lot of pressure on him this year. People are expecting great things out of him. I think he just tried to do too much. He'll bounce back."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 0-1 vs. Pacific Tigers 0-1

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Sacramento State Hornets 0-1 vs. Pacific Tigers 0-1

Hornets lose home opener

The Hornets were in control of this one throughout most of the game. The Tigers went on a run at the end to defeat the Hornets. It was a back and forth battle in the first half with neither team managing to open up a large lead. It ended with the Hornets leading 29-25.

It game down to the Tigers making shots down the stretch while the Hornets were missing theirs. Hill managed to stay out of foul trouble in this one but Leath showed some ill effects remaining from his injury as he struggled to find his touch. The Tigers took the lead with about 6 minutes remaining in the game and never looked back. They won this one 67-63

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
C Dugan Hill 16pts 6rebs
SG Loren Leath 12pts
C Jaime Olsen 9pts 7rebs

Pacific
SF Terrell Smith 17pts
PF Anthony Brown 10pts 4stls
PG Steffan Johnson 12pts 8asts

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "You came into this season with high expecations, is it time to start lowering them?"

Coach West: "Are you kidding? You have to be kidding me. We lost to a good team in Provo without our two best players. Then we played a tough team at home, a team that will finish near the top of their conference, and we were in control throughout most of the game. Believe me, we are better this season than last year."

Reporter: "Hill seems to have overcome his freshman jitters..will you comment on his performance?"

Coach West: "He had a good game for us. It wasn't perfect..he could have been more active on the glass. But he really did a good job on the court. Leath told him in the huddle 'I'm missing my shots..you've got pick up your scoring' and that is exactly what he did. By the way, Leath has been a great leader for us this year."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 0-2 vs. UC Davis Aggies 1-1 for the Causeway Cup

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Sacramento State Hornets 0-2 vs. UC Davis Aggies 1-1

Hornets win Causeway Cup

The Hornets had a chance to avenge their late season loss to their rival Aggies and capitalized on it. The Hornets took an early lead and maintained it througout the game. Sacramento State really attacked the basket and got the UC Davis bigmen into foul trouble. The Hornets took a 34-30 lead into halftime.

The second half saw more foul trouble for the Aggies as the Hornets continued to drive to the basket and work the ball down low. UC Davis point guard Lowenthal was simply not fast enough on defense to keep up with the slashing Vinnie McGhee. Also, freshman Hill recorded his first double double and Coach West has earned his victory against the rival Aggies. The final score: 74-63

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
C Dugan Hill 10pts 10rebs
PG Vinnie McGhee 16pts 6asts
SF Donald Thomas 7pts 8rebs 5asts

UC Davis
SF Joe Harden 23pts 6rebs
PF Jesse Lopez-Low 12pts 10rebs
PG Todd Lowenthal 6pts 11asts ...but could not guard McGhee

Postgame Interview

This week we thought we would interview the players:

Reporter: "Vinnie, this was the first game you played against the Aggies. Being from Sacramento, how important was this win to you?"

Vinnie McGhee "I really wanted to beat the Aggies. UC Davis always gets the glory around here. They have the Med-Center..they are the University of California..so whenever we can beat them and knock them down a peg, it feels good. Last year I couldn't play in the game and that loss really got me fired for this year."

Reporter: "Hill, you are a true freshman and also from Northern California, what did the win mean to you?"

Dugan Hill "It was a big win. It was our first win of the year and our first win at home. The fact that it was against UC Davis just makes it better. We have to remember to not get too excited about it though. There is a long season ahead of us and to accomplish our goals, we need to keep winning like this."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 1-2 @ Fresno State Bulldogs 4-0

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Sacramento State Hornets 1-2 @ Fresno State Bulldogs 4-0

Hornets hand Bulldogs first loss

The Hornets came into this game fired up after their victory over the Aggies. They were eager to knock off a fellow member of the Cal-State system. This game was an up and down battle. The Hornets ferociously attacked the baskets and once again got their oppenents into foul trouble. The Bulldogs shot well in the first half however, going 52% from the field, and walked into the locker rooms with a 38-35 lead.

The Hornets just would not go away in this one. Early in the second half the Bulldogs managed to extend their lead to 8 points but the tenacious Hornets came back. With 2:16 left in the game the Hornets took the lead. The Bulldogs managed to tie the game several times but the Hornets just would not miss shots down the stretch. Booker Grizzard, the freshman Fresno State center, had a chance to tie the game with the final shot but it got too much rim and rolled off giving the Hornets the win. The final score in this close game was 77-75.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
SG Loren Leath 19pts
C Dugan Hill 12pts 8rebs
PG Vinnie McGhee 14pts 4asts

Fresno State
C Booker Grizzard 19pts 13rebs 4asts 3blks
SG Dwight O'Neil 14pts
PG Rodolfo Evertson 10pts 8asts

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "You got to the foul line a lot in this game. Was your gameplan to attack the basket?"

Coach West: "Yes it was. McGhee is very quick and he can take guys off the dribble. We also wanted to make sure that we work the ball down low and get Hill some shots. Leath of course is a deadly outside shooter, so we get that two man game going with Hill and Leath it is tough for our oppenents to defend. I'd like to make quick mention of Jaime Olsen who is giving us very solid minutes off the bench."

Reporter: "The Bulldogs came into this game undefeated and except for their previous overtime game, had been steam rolling teams. Were you a little worried that that might happen to you?"

Coach West: "They are a good basketball team. But I never expect us to get steamrolled. Come on..what kind of question is that? That's a really stupid question. I'm done with this interview."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 2-2 @ Long Beach State 49ers 2-2

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Sacramento State Hornets 2-2 @ Long Beach State 49ers 2-2

49ers emerge victorious in low scoring game

Both teams forget to bring their offense into The Pyramid. The 49ers shot much better than the Hornets going 44% from the field while the Hornets managed to shoot only 34%. The 49ers really worked the shot clock, rarely taking a shot with more than 10 seconds left. It was a very close first half with more lead changes than I could count. But the 49ers led at halftime by a bucket; 30-28.

The Hornets really struggled to put points on the board in the second half, managing to score only 23 points in the half. Only one player for Sacramento State managed to score double figures. The 49ers were able to extend their lead with their ball control offense. The final score in this snoozer was 58-51.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
C Dugan Hill 11pts 3rebs
SG Loren Leath 9pts
PF Justin Eller 6pts 6rebs

Long Beach State
SG Donovan Morris 16pts 6rebs
C Brian Freeman 15pts 7rebs
PF Barry Phelps 6pts 8rebs 4asts

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "What happened to the offense coach?"

Coach West: "We played their kind of basketball. They wanted to slow the game down and we fell into that trap. We thought we could attack them in the low post with Hill but he struggled to find his shot. Then when we tried to work it outside to Leath and McGhee they struggled with theirs. It was just a bad offensive performance..but give credit to Long Beach..they did a great job of slowing the pace."

Reporter: "You will be playing in your first non-conference tournament next week, what do you know about the Alabama State team that you will be playing?"

Coach West: "I know that their mascot is the Hornet, so we're not too happy with that. Seriously though, they will be a challenge. They have solid guard play and they have a 7 footer down low. But we really want to do well and hopefully win the Big Tree Tournament."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 2-3 vs. Alabama State Hornets 2-1 in the Big Tree Tournament

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Top 10 Media Poll
1. Connecticut 4-1
2. Memphis 3-0
3. Duke 4-0
4. Providence 5-0
5. Syracuse 3-0
6. Michigan State 4-0
7. Tennessee 4-0
8. Texas 3-0
9. Alabama 4-0
10. Washington 5-0

Top 10 Mid-Majors
1. Gonzaga 5-1
2. Middle Tennessee 4-0
3. Southern Illinois 3-1
4. Western Michigan 3-1
5. Creighton 4-0
6. Siena 2-1
7. VCU 5-1
8. UW Green Bay 3-0
9. South Alabama 1-0
10. Valparaiso 3-2
16. Pacific 2-2 <--lost to them
19. Fresno State 4-2 <--beat them

[Deuce2223]

Blue
What system are you on? Have you noticed if the patch took effect in this legacy or not. Word out there is that it doesn't and that you have to start over if you want it too. . Just wondering what you have noticed.

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Blue
What system are you on? Have you noticed if the patch took effect in this legacy or not. Word out there is that it doesn't and that you have to start over if you want it too. . Just wondering what you have noticed.

I'm playing on the 360 but I haven't downloaded the patch yet. I just found a set of sliders that I like so I'm a little apprehensive to download the patch and work on sliders again. But I'm hoping that it will apply to the current legacy especially in regards to teams becoming overloaded with 90+ ovr players. I'd like to download the patch after this season and work on adjusting sliders during the ABL next season.

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Sacramento State Hornets 2-3 vs. Alabama State Hornets 2-1

I gave in and downloaded the patch. I'm liking the gameplay so I am glad that I did. Anyway, I thought I should mention that I play 15 minute halves and I am using KeyserSoze's post-patch MOP sliders from operationsports. I will be tweaking the sliders a bit to match my style of play.

Sacramento State loses tournament opener

Sac State played well coming out of the gates and actually lead most of the game. Sacramento State was fortunate to have a 22-8 rebounding advantage in the first half. They were lead by Justin Eller who finished the 1st half with 8 points and 7 rebounds. Reserve forward Rashad Provitt put up 6 points of his own for Alabama State. Sacramento State lead this one at halftime 38-33.

Sac State continued to lead for a majority of the second half but Alabama State went on a tear with about 6 and a half minutes remaining. They also made a more focused effort to box out the Sacramento State players and narrowed the rebounding gap. Alabama State just could not miss and Sac State could not keep up with the scoring. Alabama State won this game 80-74.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
SG Loren Leath 24pts 6rebs
PF Justin Eller 10pts 10rebs
C Dugan Hill 10pts 9rebs

Alabama State
C Chief Killingstallions 15pts 7rebs
SF Jamar Sanders 14pts
G Andrew Hayles 11pts

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "It looked like you were pretty much in control of this game. What happened down the stretch to cost you the game?"

Coach West: "Their center Killingstallions was great down the stretch. You have to remember that a majority of his points came in the second half because we had him in foul trouble for a good part of the first half. We just couldn't stop him from scoring no matter who we put on him."

Reporter: "You now wait for the loser of the Santa Clara/Longwood game. What is your assessment of these two teams?"

Coach West: "We played Santa Clara last year and they are a good team. I think that we match up with them much better this year than last though. I honestly don't know that much about Longwood except that they have been struggling early on this season. Either way, we want to win the consolation game."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 2-4 vs. Longwood Lancers 0-5

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Sacramento State Hornets 2-4 vs. Longwood Lancers 0-5

Consolation game goes to the Hornets

The Hornets were able to hold on for the victory in this low scoring game. Hill played hard down low to finish with a double double. Both the Hornets and the Lancers struggled out of the gate. The Hornets shot only 29% in the first half. Loren Leath really struggled to find his offense going 0-10 for the half. Despite the terrible shooting it was all tied up at halftime 26-26.

Leath found his offense in the second half and Hill continued to play physical down low to push the Hornets into the lead. In one stretch of the game, Leath made 3 consecutive three-point shots when the Lancers inexplicably decided to switch to a 2-3 zone. This left Leath open on the wing to drain his shots. Overall, Leath finished 4-7 from behind the 3 point line, scoring all 14 of his points in the second half. Final score: 62-55

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
C Dugan Hill 12pts 12rebs
SG Loren Leath 14pts 6asts 3stls
C Jaime Olson 10pts 4rebs

Longwood
SG Ryan Bogan 23pts 4rebs
PG Durann Neil 11pts 5asts
G Kevin Swecker 9pts

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "The Lancers played well, what gave you the edge to win this game?"

Coach West: "A couple things. The first is that we won in the rebounding category which is always a big thing for me. Hill grabbed a bunch and so did Eller. The second was that Leath just got on fire in the second half. His scoring really pushed us over the edge in this close game."

Reporter: "What was the experience like, playing in your first regular season tournament?"

Coach West: "It was great. We were playing on Montana State's home court which is one that we are not unfamiliar with. I thought the fans would be mostly against us, but it was completely the opposite. I think these Montana State and Montana fans were rooting for us because we were representing the Big Sky conference. We got some really great support from the fans here. Hopefully we will get invited to another tournament next year."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 3-4 @ San Jose State Spartans 3-3

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Sacramento State Hornets 3-4 @ San Jose State Spartans 3-3

Hornets no match for Spartans in San Jose

Great defense propelled the Spartans to victory in this game. The Spartans looked they were in for a fight in the first half. The Hornets played well to start the game and managed to keep it close thanks to the 10 points Leath put on the board. However the story of the first half was Tim Pierce who had an amazing 19 points in the first half.

Pierce's shooting caught on to the rest of the Spartans in the second half. Not only were they shooting well, but their defense was great. They stole the ball 11 times which resulted in opportunities at the offensive end. The Spartans put up 51 points in the second half. The final score in this blowout was 86-65.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
SG Loren Leath 18pts
C Jaime Olson 14pts
C Dugan Hill 7pts 8rebs

San Jose State
SF Tim Pierce 27pts
SG Dashawn Wright 14pts
F Chris Oakes 11rebs

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "They had bloated offensive numbers in the second half. Was it a lack of defense coach?"

Coach West: "It wasn't all defense. Certainly we could have played better defense, but it was really ball control that killed us. We kept giving them the ball which led to points at the other end."

Reporter: "Pierce had 19 points in the first half, what did you do to slow him down in the second half?"

Coach West: "We just played him tighter. He was making a lot of outside shots. We didn't shut him down in the second half, but we slowed him down. Unfortunately, it didn't matter because the rest of their team shot well."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 3-5 @ Colorado State Rams 5-2

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Sacramento State Hornets 3-5 @ Colorado State Rams 5-2

Foul trouble leads to another Hornet loss

The Hornets got into foul trouble badly in this game. Hill, Eller, and McGhee sat out most of the game. With a lack of depth on the bench, the Hornets struggled to find offense. Leath tried to carry the team on his back but the Rams played him tightly and he could not get open looks. Colorado State led at halftime 35-26.

The second half was more of the same. The Hornets finished with 21 team fouls, most of which were comitted by Hill, Eller, and McGhee. To make matters worse, the bench went 8-23 (35%) from the field. Meanwhile the Rams were shooting nearly 60%. All the numbers add up to a Hornet blowout defeat 89-56

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
SG Loren Leath 13pts
C Dugan Hill 11pts
C Jaime Olson 6pts 4rebs

Colorado State
PF Andre McFarland 21pts
PG Marcus Walker 10pts 6asts 3stls
SG Jesse Woodard 12pts

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "This looked like it was going to be a promising season. But you have lost big in the last two games, can you get this turned around?"

Coach West: "Of course we can. We had better get it turned around. Our biggest weakness was on display tonight and that is our lack of depth. We had a lot of guys graduate last season, so we are playing with an extremely inexperienced group."

Reporter: "Washington State is waiting for you just a couple of days from now. With no real time for practice, how do you get things fixed?"

Coach West: "We have to stay out of foul trouble and protect the ball. It is simply fundamental basketball. We can compete with the Cougars and any other team for that matter if we can get our fundamentals down."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 3-6 @ Washington State Cougars 5-4

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Top 10 Media Poll
1. Duke 7-0
2. Stanford 9-0
3. Texas 9-0
4. Michigan State 9-0
5. Washington 9-0
6. Memphis 6-1
7. Connecticut 6-2
8. Providence 8-1
9. North Carolina 7-2
10. Tennessee 7-1

Top 10 Mid-Majors
1. Gonzaga 7-3
2. Middle Tennessee 7-1
3. Siena 6-2
4. Miami(OH) 6-2
5. George Mason 5-2
6. Creighton 6-1
7. VCU 8-2
8. UC Santa Barbara 7-2
9. Old Dominion 6-1
10. New Mexico State 6-2

[Vinsane187]

Rough start to the season, but keep it up, you'll find a groove.

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The Sacramento State Hornets were unable to sign any recruits during the inseason signing period. However, we do have information that they have offered scholarships to the following players:

Pedro Kemp SF 6'5" *** Ovr: #136 Pos: #26
-Kemp is currently the target of 3 schools; Sac State, San Jose State, and Saint Mary's. Sac State and Saint Mary's have both offered scholarships and he seems more interested in Saint Mary's at this point. However there is still a lot of recruiting ahead.

Bil Thibodeaux SG 6'4" *** Ovr: #339 Pos: #103
-Sac State, San Diego State and Pepperdine are all interested in this SG out of Glendale, CA. So far, Sacramento State is the only one to offer a scholarship.

Brody Morrison PG 6'0" *** Ovr: #365 Pos: #109
-Sac State, CSU Fullerton and Pepperdine have all expressed interest in Morrison. Of those two, CSUF and CSUS have both offered scholarships. Morrison is more interested in CSUF at this point, but Coach West hopes to close that gap.

We also have a breakdown of where the top 10 recruits in the nation are going:
1. Isiah Kragel PG...................Undecided
2. Damian Spencer SG............North Carolina
3. Brett Hester PG...................Duke
4. Arthur Badu C.....................Undecided
5. Howard Bojang PG..............Duke
6. Fab Rafiq PG.......................Providence
7. Virgil Cotton SG..................Georgia
8. Armond Stanley PG.............Oklahoma State
9. Stephen Boyette PG............North Carolina
10. Stacey Myers SG................Undecided

[Deuce2223]

Good luck with recruiting. As soon as another team offers a scholly I seem to never be able to land them. I think I forgot how hard recruiting is when you don't have all the points available to ya like you do when you are at the bigger schools. I am having zero luck in season at Northern Colorado. Still have high hopes for the end though.

Just so you know I just got done playing my home opener against Sac State and you guys won. Thought that might make you happy. I will get my revenge though. I won't be able to post the game until Sat though.

[Deuce2223]

Looks like even with the Patch that the top players in the nation are still all PG. In mine 8 out of 10 were PG.

[blue_apocalypse]

Rough start to the season, but keep it up, you'll find a groove.

Yeah, this season is shaping up to be another roller coaster. I just can't seem to find any consistency. Hopefully I can get that turned around when conference play starts. I really want to finish in the top two of my conference this season.

Looks like even with the Patch that the top players in the nation are still all PG. In mine 8 out of 10 were PG.

I was already into the season when the patch was applied so this recruiting class had already been generated pre-patch. I'm hoping that next season there will be more variety at the top.

Just so you know I just got done playing my home opener against Sac State and you guys won. Thought that might make you happy. I will get my revenge though. I won't be able to post the game until Sat though.

When I played N. Colorado, Archibeque was always a force down low. Sac State doesn't really have any bigmen so I had trouble defending him. I look forward to reading your post. I'm interested to see how Leath played against you.

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Sacramento State Hornets 3-6 @ Washington State Cougars 5-4

Hornets shock the Cougars

The Hornets have pulled off a surprising upset, winning big on the road against a Pac-10 opponent. The first half was all Sacramento State who shot 56% in the first half while holding the Cougars to 29% shooting. The defense really pressured Washington State on the perimeter and challenged shots. Hill played well, scoring 9 points and grabbing 4 rebounds before halftime. Freshman guard Akindele lead the Cougars with 7 points but Sacramento State led at the half 38-21.

The Hornets maintained their lead in the second half. At one point the Hornets had extended their lead to 22 points. Coach West decided that he would take his starters out of the game and his bench some minutes. When he did that, the Cougars were able to slightly narrow the gap but never really threatened. This is a huge win for this young Hornet team. Final score: 69-53.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
C Dugan Hill 19pts 5rebs
PG Vinnie McGhee 11pts 4asts
SG Loren Leath 8pts

Washington State
SF Daven Harmeling 15pts 5rebs 4stls
PG Gus Akindele 10pts 4asts
SG Russell Byfield 8pts 8asts 4rebs

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "Coach, nobody thought you would win this game. How did you do it?"

Coach West: "We played great offensively. I'd like to say we played great defense, and don't get me wrong our defense was good, but they were missing a lot of shots that they would normally hit. It is the biggest game I have won in my career that is for sure and a nice boost for the program. It feels good to knock off a Pac-10 team."

Reporter: "Speaking of Pac-10 teams, you have Stanford ahead of you and they are currently ranked #1 in the nation. Any chance of an upset?"

Coach West: "I don't know how the game will play out. I hope we have another game like this one but Stanford the best team in the country right now. To say it will be a challenge is an understatement but if we can play like we did today then we will give ourselves a chance to win. It is something we are capable of."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 4-6 @ #1 Stanford Cardinal 11-0

[GateGamer]

You blew them out! Hopefully you can blow out Stanford as well!

[CincyFan]

yeah I don't care what their record was that was still a very Big win.

Seriously Stanford #1 that is just horrible. I guess you been listening to Deuce and how about the West will rise up once again.

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Sacramento State Hornets 4-6 @ #1 Stanford Cardinal 11-0

Hornets no match for nation's top team

The Stanford Cardinal absolutely crushed the Sacramento State Hornets. This game was never close. The Hornets could not slow down their highpowered offense in the first half as Stanford shot 59%, led by Brook Lopez who had 14 points in the half. The Hornets tried to stay close, but the only one playing well offesively was Leath who managed to post 11 points on the board. The score at the end of the first half was 52-23.

The second half saw more of the same as the Cardinal continued to drain shot after shot while denying the Hornets good looks. The Cardinal finished the game shooting 36-61 from the field and 13-21(62%) from behind the arc. The Cardinal also dominated the boards grabbing 35 rebounds while the Hornets only managed to secure 18 boards. The final score in this one is painful to write..107-56.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
SG Loren Leath 21pts
C Dugan Hill 12pts 7rebs
PG Vinnie McGhee 6pts 8asts

Stanford
G Phil Schmidt 17pts
G Lucas Schafer 16pts
PF Brook Lopez 14pts 4blks

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "Coach, what do you tell your team after a loss like this?"

Coach West: "We go back and watch the game film. Not only to see where we went wrong, but where they went right. We have to look at this game as a learning opportunity. It was a very tough and frustrating loss..we really wanted to upset the #1 team in the country, but we didn't and conference play is looming ahead of us. We need to focus on that."

Reporter: "Will the team be ready for conference play?"

Coach West: "They better be. We have a week to prepare for Eastern Washington who handed us a key loss last year. That buzzer beater loss at home really killed our momentum in the key part of our schedule and we were never able to rebound from it. I know that the guys who were here last year are really looking forward to getting back on the court with the Eagles."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 4-7 (0-0) vs. Eastern Washington Eagles 2-8 (0-0)

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Sacramento State Hornets 4-7 (0-0) vs. Eastern Washington Eagles 2-8 (0-0)

Hornets coast to a win to open conference play

The Hornets had 4 starters score in double figures to defeat the Eastern Washington Eagles. They were unstoppable on the offensive end in the first half, shooting 62% from the field. Vinnie McGhee led the charge with 11 points. The Eagles countered with Andy Genao who put up 11 points of his own, but the rest of the Ealges struggled. Sacramento State headed for the locker room with a 49-30 lead.

The Hornets continued to play well in the second half, pushing the lead to 22 points. With just under 8 minutes remaining in the game, Coach West pulled his starters. The Eagles would cut into the lead against the Sacramento State bench, but never really threatened. Sac State finished the game shooting 56% from the field and winning the rebounding battle 31-23. The final score was 73-58.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
SG Loren Leath 17pts 3stls
C Dugan Hill 12pts 8rebs
SF Donald Thomas 10pts 6rebs

Eastern Washington
SF Andy Genao 22pts
PG Benny Valentine 9pts 4asts
PF Matt Brunell 8pts 8rebs

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "How sweet was it to get revenge on the Eagles after handing you a tough home loss last season?"

Coach West: "It feels good to beat this team, especially the way we did. The most important thing though is that we have won our first conference game."

Reporter: "The team really played as a unit tonight and the ball distribution was excellent. Was this a lesson you learned from the Stanford game?"

Coach West: "Not really. We always try to distribute the ball and get open looks. It just happened that everyone was making shots in this game. Usually we only have 1 or maybe 2 guys that are playing well offensively, tonight everyone contributed. Hopefully we can get more performances like that."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 5-7 (1-0) @ Idaho State Bengals 6-5 (2-1)

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Sacramento State Hornets 5-7 (1-0) @ Idaho State Bengals 6-5 (2-1)

Another strong offensive performance for Sac State

Sacramento State is off to a good start in conference play after defeating the Idaho Bengals. The Hornets never trailed in the game but didn't blow away the Bengals either. The Hornets shot 57% in the first half and Leath was a sniper from 3 point range finishing the half with 11 points on 3-3 of shooting from three point range. Freshman guard Aki Louh led the Bengals into halftime with 5 points. Hornets led at the break 36-29.

The Bengals pulled within 4 early in the second half but that would be as close as they got. Every shot they made the Hornets seemed to answer. The Bengals played a feisty game and fought hard throughout but just couldn't climb the hill. The Hornets were really able to take advantage of the 1-3-1 matchup zone the Bengals were playing by moving the ball around to get open looks. Hill was really a force on the defensive glass in this game pulling down 16 rebounds. The final score in the game was 72-64.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
SG Loren Leath 23pts 5rebs
C Dugan Hill 12pts 16rebs 4blks
PG Vinnie McGhee 10pts 5asts 3rebs 2stls

Idaho State
SG Matt Stucki 21pts
C Lucas Steijn 7pts 8rebs
PG Akbar Abdul-Ahad 9pts 5asts

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "The team really seems to be playing well together right now. What do you attribute to this teams chemistry?"

Coach West: "McGhee is doing a good job of running the point and distributing the ball and Leath is a leader on the court. We are getting really solid guard play right now which is leading to easy baskets for Hill on the inside."

Reporter: "You started off well last year in conference play and then kind of fell apart. What makes this year different?"

Coach West: "Well, obviously the team is different this year. Last year we were just running up and down the court like crazy trying to get transition buckets. This year we can play half court offense so hopefully we won't be so exhausted down the stretch."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 6-7 (2-0) @ Northern Colorado Bears 5-10 (3-1)

[Deuce2223]

yeah I don't care what their record was that was still a very Big win.

Seriously Stanford #1 that is just horrible. I guess you been listening to Deuce and how about the West will rise up once again.


If you preach it people will listen. Soon you too will fall under my spell. Coach Ryan on the West Coast. I can see it now.

[jjredick4]

i'm not going west coast :) lol...i actually might after a few years at WMU, but my goal is an east coast team(not gonna say which one, but it may be kinda obvious lol)

[Deuce2223]

i'm not going west coast :) lol...i actually might after a few years at WMU, but my goal is an east coast team(not gonna say which one, but it may be kinda obvious lol)


JJ Watch my my finger, you will come to the West Coast. You will like it there because it is the best place to play. You will not stay East Coast Bias and you will forget your desire to coach the Duke Blue Devils. :D

[jjredick4]

JJ Watch my my finger, you will come to the West Coast. You will like it there because it is the best place to play. You will not stay East Coast Bias and you will forget your desire to coach the Duke Blue Devils. :D

lol maybe on my way to Duke i'll stop at the west coast and i may just like to so much i'll never leave :lol:

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Sacramento State Hornets 6-7 (2-0) @ Northern Colorado Bears 5-10 (3-1)

Hornets win a close one in Greeley

This was an intense game throughout. The Hornets and the Bears traded the lead for most of the first half but Sacramento was able to put a run together late in the half to take the lead heading into halftime. They were lead by Leath who is skilled at exploiting the 2-3 zone with his shooting. Leath finished the half with 9 points. Reserve guard Devon Beitzel answered Leath's scoring output with his own 11 points. Hill really struggled in the first half going 0-6 from the floor. The score at halftime was 33-29.

The Hornets held off the Bears in the second half. The Bears really made a charge towards the end of the game, getting the score within 1 point. Hill answered and scored 2 huge baskets down the stretch to prevent the Bears from taking the lead. The Hornets got a big stop with 29 seconds left in the game when Jabril Banks took an ill-advised 3 with a hand in his face. The Bears started fouling but the Hornets hit their free throws and found a way to win. It was a tough loss for the Bears, who had 5 players in double figures in scoring. The final score in this game was 72-69.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
SG Loren Leath 27pts
PG Vinnie McGhee 13pts 5asts 4rebs and clutch free throws
C Dugan Hill 8pts 7rebs 2blks

Northern Colorado
SG Monice Garrett 12pts 6asts
C Jabril Banks 11pts 4rebs
G Devon Beitzel 11pts

Postgame Interview

We sit down with the Sacramento State players this week:

Reporter: "McGhee, you are a redshirt freshman but you were really able to hit some clutch free throws down the stretch. What was going through your mind?"

Vinnie McGhee: "I was really just concentrating on hitting those free throws. I just thought to myself 'it's just a regular free throw', took a deep breath and let it go."

Reporter: "Leath, you're known for killing 2-3 zones. Why do you think teams continue to throw them at you?"

Loren Leath: "I wouldn't say I'm known for killing zones. When my shot is there, I can play against the zone pretty well. When it's not falling though a zone can be really tough. I think teams play the 2-3 in the hope that I'll be having a bad shooting night cause then it gets tough to work the ball in down low."

Reporter: "This question is for anyone..who is the unsung hero on this team?"

Loren Leath: "I'd like to answer this one. I think without a doubt Kasongo is an unsung hero. His name doesn't get mentioned in the press much but he always gives us very solid minutes off the bench. He's a PG but he is 6'4" so he can easily slide over and play the two-guard also. He's been very solid for us this year."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 7-7 (3-0) vs. Weber State Wildcats 6-8 (3-0)

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Top 10 Media Poll
1. Texas 12-0
2. Duke 12-2
3. Memphis 9-1
4. Connecticut 12-3
5. Michigan State 13-1
6. Washington 15-1
7. Providence 14-2
8. Tennessee 15-2
9. Syracuse 13-3
10. LSU 13-1

Top 10 Mid-Majors
1. Gonzaga 12-4
2. Boston University 13-3
3. Siena 11-4
4. Arkansas-Little Rock 14-4
5. Miami(OH) 10-4
6. Western Michigan 9-5
7. Nevada 9-5
8. VCU 12-5
9. Utah State 9-4
10. Towson 11-4

Big Sky Conference Standings
1. Sacramento State 3-0
2. Portland State 3-0
3. Weber State 3-0
4. Idaho State 3-2
5. Northern Colorado 3-2
6. Montana State 2-2
7. Northern Arizona 1-4
8. Montana 0-5
9. Eastern Washington 0-3

Big Sky Statistical Leaders
PPG-Individual
1. Divaldo Mbunga SR C Montana State 19.3
2. Loren Leath SR SG Sacramento State 17.1
3. Brandon Moore JR C Eastern Washington 13.2
4. Cameron Rundlse JR PG Montana 12.8
5. Lucas Steijn SR C Idaho State 12.1

RPG-Individual
1. Andrius Clemons FR PF Northern Arizona 8.8
2. Londrick Goff FR C Weber State 8.4
3. Jeff Edwards SO C Montana State 8.3
4. Jordan Hasquet SR PF Montana 7.9
5. Dugan Hill FR C Sacramento State 7.4

APG-Individual
1. Jermaine Calvin SR PG Northern Arizona 5.4
2. Vinnie McGhee FR PG Sacramento State 4.8
3. Robert Palacios SR PG Northern Colorado 4.7
4. Josh Wilson SR PG Northern Arizona 4.6
5. Akbar Abdul-Ahad SR PG Idaho State 4.3

[jjredick4]

good job at gettin' back to .500..keep it up

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Sacramento State Hornets 7-7 (3-0) vs. Weber State Wildcats 6-8 (3-0)

Hornets lose first conference game

The Hornets and the Wildcats both came into this game undefeated in conference play, however the Wildcats would emerge victorious. It was a tight first half and both teams were playing well. It looked this would be a great game. Dugan Hill led the Hornets with 9 points and 5 rebounds and Nance led the charge for the Wildcats with 8 points. The Hornets held a slight lead at the half 33-32.

Early in the second half the entire game changed when Vinnie McGhee went down grabbing his ankle. Sacramento State completely lost their focus after the injury and Weber State took advantage going on a huge run midway through the half. The game ended with a blowout loss for the Hornets. The word on McGhee is that he strained his achilles tendon and will be out for at least 3-4 weeks. The final score was 78-59

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
C Dugan Hill 13pts 10rebs 3asts 2blks
SG Loren Leath 14pts
G Yannick Kasongo 8pts 4asts

Weber State
SG Jermaine Nance 24pts
PF Darin Mahoney 8pts 12rebs 3asts
SF Davin Davis 12pts

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "What is the extent of the injury to McGhee and if he is going to miss time, how will this affect the team?"

Coach West: "He will be out for about 3-4 weeks. Obviously it hurts to lose him at this point in the season. He has been really solid for us and was emerging as a real leader. Kasongo will be taking his place in the starting lineup. Kasongo has been having a good season off of the bench so we are confident with him taking over the PG position."

Reporter: "Kasongo will not have much time to practice with the first team, with Portland State coming here in two days, do you think the team's chemistry will be drastically affected?"

Coach West" "No, I don't think so. Kasongo is a junior and he knows how to carry himself on the court. We all remember how good Portland State is, so we have to bring our best effort, no matter who is out there."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 7-8 (3-1) vs. Portland State Vikings 7-8 (4-0)

Pre-game Analysis

The Hornets will be playing another undefeated conference this week when Portland State rolls into town. They really struggled against this team last year, and without McGhee in the lineup and the lack of depth at the guard position, the prognosis for this game does not look good. The Vikings will be playing a 1-1-3 zone so Leath should get some decent looks. Prediction: Portland State

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Sacramento State Hornets 7-8 (3-1) vs. Portland State Vikings 7-8 (4-0)

Hornets walk all over the Vikings

The Hornets flew out of the gates in this game and never looked back. It was as if the Hornets wanted to send a message to the rest of the Big Sky that despite the injury to McGhee they are still going to be a challenge. Hill played especially well in the first half, nearly earning a double double in the first half, scoring 11 points and grabbing 9 rebounds. Rebounding was a big story in the first half which the Hornets leading the battle 26-15. Portland State was lead by Mickey Polis who managed to put 6 points on the board. The Hornets had a huge lead at halftime 47-27.

Sacramento State played their reserves for most of the second half, and the reserves, especially Olson and Aboubakar played well. Despite playing with their bench for most of the half, the Vikings were unable to cut into the Hornet lead. 5 Sacramento State players finished in double figures as they won 75-57.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
C Jaime Olson 13pts 9rebs
F Wandji Aboubakar 10pts 5rebs
PG Yannick Kasongo 13pts 3asts 2stls 2blks 2rebs

Portland State
SG Andre Murray 13pts
SF Mickey Polis 10pts
PG Jeremiah Dominguez 8pts 7asts

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "Coach, were you trying to send a message to the rest of the conference with this game?"

Coach West: "No. We just wanted to come out and play well and give ourselves a win. Luckily for us we were having a really good shooting night. In the first half it seemed like we couldn't miss. In the second half I just told the guys to slow it down and use up the shot clock. We certainly weren't trying to run up the score if that is what you are implying."

Reporter: "I wasn't implying anything Coach. Just commenting about your performance in the first half."

Coach West: "It's not a problem. I just wanted to make it clear that we don't do things that way here. We play to win games, not to embarass anybody. That is why we went to the bench for most of the 2nd half."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 8-8 (4-1) @ Montana State Bobcats 2-15 (2-4)

Pre-game Analysis

Sacramento State is travelling back up to Bozeman, Montana to play in Worthington Arena again, where they competed earlier this year in the Big Tree tournament. The Hornets will be looking for revenge for their loss last year in the openening round of the Big Sky tournament. The Bobcats are simply looking to win some games. They have only 2 wins all year. Their record is decieving however, and these are two evenly matched teams on paper. The Bobcats will be sitting in a 2-3 defensive scheme which the Hornets love to exploit with Loren Leath shooting from the outside. Prediction: Sacramento State

[whitemamba™]

Great legacy! 4-1 in conference is pretty good, and you're at .500 which is good too.

With the whole West Coast/East Coast rivalry going on, I'm going to have to say East Coast. I'm in my 2nd season at Nicholls State right now, but my dream job would be WVU (I live in West Virginia).

[Deuce2223]

Sorry for your loss Coach, it always hurts to lose a valued player. But very nice win over Portland St.

Looking foward to seeing a huge game out of Leath.

[blue_apocalypse]

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Sacramento State Hornets 8-8 (4-1) @ Montana State Bobcats 2-15 (2-4)

Hornets nearly comeback after terrible first half

The first half was like a nightmare for Sacramento State. They just could not get shots to fall. As a team the Hornets shot 31% from the field. Leath and Kasongo were struggling and Hill was unable to get good looks at the basket. The Bobcats offense was not exceptional, but effective, in the first half. The Bobcats were up big at the end of the half 36-22.

The Hornets played much better in the second half. They slowly chipped away at the lead until with just over 3 minutes left, they had knocked the lead to 5. The Bobcats answered back late in the game to push the lead back to 9 which would the their margin of victory. Leath carried the team on his back in the second half, scoring 22 points in the half. Despite his effort, the Bobcats won 69-60.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
SG Loren Leath 32pts
C Dugan Hill 12pts 8rebs
PG Yannick Kasongo 8pts 4rebs 4asts

Montana State
SF Bobby Howard 16pts 4rebs
SG Phil Frieson 14pts
PG James Hennessey 13pts 4asts

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "Did you tell Leath at halftime to take over this game? I ask because he had a great second half?"

Coach West: "No, I didn't tell him to take over the game. We were really struggling offensively in the first half, Leath included. I just told the team to work the ball around and take open looks. Leath had a great second half because he was the only player that could make his shots."

Reporter: "This was Kasongo's second game in the starting lineup, what is your assessment of his performance to this point?"

Coach West: "He's been playing well. Couldn't hit his shots in this game but he was able to get to the basket."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 8-9 (4-2) vs. Montana Grizzlies 12-8 (2-5)

Pre-game Analysis

Montana had a great start to their season but they have been really struggling as of late. As far as the Hornets go, it is difficult to tell which team will show up. They can be a dominating offensive team or a terrible offensive team and rarely anything in between. Give the Hornets the edge playing at home against a struggling Montana team. Prediction: Sacramento State

[whitemamba™]

Ah man, tough loss, but at least you fought back.

Montana, 12-8 overall, but 2-5 in conference? Hmm..

[blue_apocalypse]

Great legacy! 4-1 in conference is pretty good, and you're at .500 which is good too.

With the whole West Coast/East Coast rivalry going on, I'm going to have to say East Coast. I'm in my 2nd season at Nicholls State right now, but my dream job would be WVU (I live in West Virginia).


Thanks for following. I haven't chimed in on the West-East rivalry yet but I've lived in California my entire life so West coast it is! I'm hoping to coach a Pac-10 team at some point in this legacy. Although I wouldn't mind an ACC team either for the intense competition.

[whitemamba™]

Thanks for following. I haven't chimed in on the West-East rivalry yet but I've lived in California my entire life so West coast it is! I'm hoping to coach a Pac-10 team at some point in this legacy. Although I wouldn't mind an ACC team either for the intense competition.

Yeah that's another reason I would love to go to WVU. The Big East is so competitive too.

[blue_apocalypse]

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Sacramento State Hornets 8-9 (4-2) vs. Montana Grizzlies 12-8 (2-5)

Hornets cruise to victory over Montana

This game was eerily similar to the Portland State game from last week. The Hornets thrashed the Grizzlies in the first half. They shot 62% from the field and attacked the rim with Hill. He led the team with 13 points in the half. The Grizzlies just couldn't get shots to fall in the first half. They were led by Selvig who scored 8. Sacramento State was up by a large halftime margin 43-25.

Montana found their shot late in the game. With about 2 minutes left they started draining 3 pointers. The Hornets maintained their lead for most of the half but the Grizzlies started cutting into it once they found their shot. It was much too late in the game to change the outcome however. The story of the game was Dugan Hill who dominated the Grizzlies in the paint. The final score was 74-64.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
C Dugan Hill 27pts 6rebs
SG Loren Leath 10pts
C Jaime Olson 10pts

Montana
SF Derek Selvig 13pts 3rebs 4asts 2stls
SG Harrison Nance 11pts 7asts
PF Jordan Hasquet 12pts 5asts

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "Your team only took 2 3-point shots in the entire game, which is rare for this team..was there a reason for this?"

Coach West: "Yeah, I thought we took too many threes in the last game. Really, we only have one guy who can hit them and nobody else should really be taking them. I told the guys to work the ball down low in this game and Hill really responded. He was 12/15 from the field in the game."

Reporter: "I assume you'll use the same strategy when you play the same team next week?"

Coach West: "I'm sure that Coach Tinkle will have his players working on defending the paint after this game so we will see. If we can repeat the success of this game up in Montana that would be great."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 9-9 (5-2) @ Montana Grizzlies 12-9 (2-6)

Pre-game Analysis

Not much to say since the two teams are playing back to back games against each other. We should probably expect another big game out of Hill and another Hornet victory. Prediction: Sacramento State for the second time in less than a week.

[CincyFan]

You play Montana back-to-back games? I had that happen at once once with Princeton. Back to back games are always fun to play. Good luck.

[Deuce2223]

Wow I am shocked by Leath's # of late. He was the man early on, but looks like Hill is taking over that role.

[blue_apocalypse]

You play Montana back-to-back games? I had that happen at once once with Princeton. Back to back games are always fun to play. Good luck.

Yeah back to back. Its an odd schedule. We traveled to Montana State, then back to Sacramento to play the Grizzlies, then back to Montana for the second game against the Grizzlies.

Wow I am shocked by Leath's # of late. He was the man early on, but looks like Hill is taking over that role.

Leath is still a great player for me but he is so inconsistent. Now that I have Hill and a quick point guard I don't have to rely on Leath to do all the scoring. He did almost lead the team back in that Montana State game though.

[blue_apocalypse]

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Sacramento State Hornets 9-9 (5-2) @ Montana Grizzlies 12-9 (2-6)

Grizzlies put up great fight but Hornets prevail

This game can only be described as a prize fight in which the two teams matched each other blow for blow. The Hornets were solid inside again with Hill having another good game. It was Leath that was really lighting it up though and he finished the first half with 13 points. Hasquet led the Grizzlies with 9 points. Although the Hornets were playing well, the Grizzlies were playing better and were confident as they took a lead into the locker room. The halftime score was 33-25.

The Hornets had a great second half though, scoring 48 points in the half. Despite the offensive explosion, the Grizzlies managed to hang in with Hornets shot for shot in the final 4 minutes of the game. With 39 seconds left the Hornets got the ball with game tied up at 71. They ran the shot clock down to 2 seconds when Hill scored a basket from the paint to give the Hornets a 2 point lead. With 4 seconds left the Grizzlies were forced to throw up a desperation from half-court that could have won the game. Instead, it clanked off the rim and the Hornets escaped with a victory. Final Score: 73-71

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
SG Loren Leath 29pts 4asts
C Dugan Hill 19pts 9rebs
PG Justin Eller 11pts 6rebs

Montana
PF Jordan Hasquet 24pts 6rebs 4asts
SG Harrison Nance 15pts
C Brian Qvale 4pts 10rebs

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "What was the gameplan for this game following Hill's dominance in the last game?"

Coach West: "I knew that they were going to play better against Hill this time but I still wanted to get him the ball when we could. Leath really exploded out there and kept us in the game in the first half."

Reporter: "Who did you want taking that final shot with 4 seconds left in the game?"

Coach West: "The play was designed to go to Leath but he couldn't get an open shot. So he did the right thing and passed the ball over to Thomas who immediately saw Hill open in the paint. He got him the ball and Hill hit the shot. He showed really good composure out there for a true freshman."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 10-9 (6-2) @ Northern Arizona Lumberjacks 7-11 (3-4)

Pre-game Analysis

The Lumberjacks are coming into this game with 2 straight blowout wins at hom and despite their mediocre record are a better team on paper. The Hornets are coming in with back to back wins over Montana and are looking for another victory on the road. This game should be a shootout as both teams like to run up and down the court and the Hornets will have to lock down on shooters. Prediction: Northern Arizona

[blue_apocalypse]

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Sacramento State Hornets 10-9 (6-2) @ Northern Arizona Lumberjacks 7-11 (3-4)

Lumberjacks crush third straight opponent at home

The Lumberjacks played great offensively and the Hornets simply could not keep up with their scoring. The Hornets played well in the first half, led by Kasongo who scored most of his 12 points driving to the basket. The Lumberjacks were led by Comagic who had 8 first half points. But the Lumberjacks were shooting a blistering 60% from the field and the Hornets could not match those numbers. The score at halftime was 41-32.

The Hornets managed to keep the game close for most of the second half but with about 5 minutes remaining it appeared that the ball was greased because the Hornets could not hold onto it. The Lumberjacks took advantage of the Sacramento State turnovers and extended their lead. The final score in this game was: 79-61.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
PG Yannick Kasongo 17pts 5rebs
C Dugan Hill 13pts 6rebs
SG Loren Leath 13pts

Northern Arizona
PG Josh Wilson 24pts
G Gabor Wohner 13pts
SF Zarko Comagic 12pts 6rebs

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "Why was nobody able to find any offensive rhythm, Coach?"

Coach West: "I really think it was because of the travel schedule. We've been doing a lot of travelling and for this game we had to travel from Montana to Northern Arizona. That is quite a distance for games seperated by only 1 day. Give them credit though, their defense was good."

Reporter: "Speaking of defense..what happened to yours?"

Coach West: "I'd really like to know. We weren't locking down on their shooters which is something that we needed to do. They just kept hitting shots. They were 7-15 from behind the arc which is just not acceptable."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 10-10 (6-3) @ Eastern Washington Eagles 3-16 (1-8)

Pre-game Analysis

The Hornets are looking to bounce back on the road against the Eagles. The Eagles have not played well this year and their only previous win was against the struggling Montana Grizzlies. The Hornets have already defeated the Eagles this year in blow out fashion. Prediction: Sacramento State

[jjredick4]

ouch, that hurts, hopefully u can bounce back

[blue_apocalypse]

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Top 10 Media Poll
1. Duke 17-2
2. Memphis 13-2
3. Texas 16-1
4. Syracuse 17-4
5. LSU 17-2
6. Providence 19-3
7. Villanova 18-4
8. USC 18-3
9. North Carolina 16-4
10. Michigan State 17-3

Top 10 Mid-Majors
1. Gonzaga 17-5
2. Towson 16-5
3. Middle Tennessee 13-6
4. Siena 15-6
5. Western Michigan 14-6
6. Boston University 15-6
7. UW-Green Bay 16-4
8. Nevada 13-6
9. Northeastern 14-7
10. Old Dominion 15-7

Big Sky Conference Standings
1. Weber State 8-1
2. Sacramento State 6-3
3. Montana State 6-4
4. Portland State 5-4
5. Northern Colorado 5-4
6. Northern Arizona 4-4
7. Idaho State 4-5
8. Montana 2-8
9. Eastern Washington 1-8

Big Sky Statistical Leaders
PPG
1. Divaldo Mbunga Montana State 19.0
2. Loren Leath Sacramento State 17.4
3. Brandon Moore Eastern Washington 13.0
4. Dugan Hill Sacramento State 12.4
5. Lucas Steijn Idaho State 12.3

RPG
1. Matt Brunell Eastern Washington 8.6
2. Andrius Clemons Northern Arizona 8.2
3. Londrick Goff Weber State 8.1
4. Dugan Hill Sacramento State 7.6
5. Jordan Hasquet Montana 7.5

APG
1. Jermaine Calvin Northern Arizona 5.2
2. Vinnie McGhee Sacramento State 4.7
2. Robert Palacios Northern Colorado 4.7
4. Josh Wilson Northern Arizona 4.6
5. James Hennessey Montana State 4.4

[blue_apocalypse]

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Sacramento State Hornets 10-10 (6-3) @ Eastern Washington Eagles 3-16 (1-8)

Teamwork the story as the Hornets take down the Eagles

All 5 of the Sacramento State starters scored in double figures in this game. The Eagles just could not shut anybody down. The Hornets never trailed as they got off to a quick start. Hill led the way with 10 first half points and as a team the Hornets were shooting 60%. Bills, the only player for the Eagles that played well in the beginning led all in scoring at the end of the first half with 11 points. The score at halftime was 42-29.

The Hornets did not build upon their lead in the second half but did not let the Eagles close the gap either. The Eagles defense stiffened up in the 2nd half and slowed the Hornets down some but they could not advantage. The final score in the game was 76-62.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
C Dugan Hill 17pts 5rebs
PG Yannick Kasongo 17pts 6asts
SG Loren Leath 11pts 5rebs 6asts

Eastern Washington
SG Tron Bills 16pts
SF Andy Genao 10pts
G Adris DeLeon 9pts

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "This was your second win against E. Washington this year. Why were you able to beat them so convincingly both times?"

Coach West: "They are having a down year. They were on a 2 game winning streak coming into this game and I reminded my guys before the game that they are still dangerous no matter what their record indicates."

Reporter: "You have 6 games left on the year and 4 of them are at home. Do you think you can pull off a regular season conference title?"

Coach West: "Yes, it is a possiblity. We are going to have to play well to do it though. As long as we take care of business in our next 3 games that game against Weber State will be huge. It will be on their court though and we have already lost to them on our court. We want to finish in the top 2 of the conference for sure so that we can skip the first round of the conference tournament."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 11-10 (7-3) vs. Northern Colorado Bears 8-14 (6-5)

Pre-game Analysis

The Hornets barely escaped a road game in Northern Colorado earlier in the year. This game will be at home though and the Hornets are 3-1 against conference opponents at home this year. Northern Colorado will be running a 2-3 zone against the Hornets so the outcome of this game will hinge on Leath's ability to hit the outside shot. If he can hit his shots, the Hornets win. If not, it will be much more difficult. Prediction: Sacramento State

[blue_apocalypse]

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Sacramento State Hornets 11-10 (7-3) vs. Northern Colorado Bears 8-14 (6-5)

Leath's huge 2nd half vaults Hornets to victory

Leath, the 2-3 zone killer, got into foul trouble just 2 minutes into the second half. He would sit out the rest of the first half. This left the scoring up to Hill, Kasongo and McGhee who was playing in first game back from straining his achilles. McGhee was not in the starting lineup in this game however. But the scoring did not come from Hill or McGhee in the first half, it came from Kasongo who managed to put 8 points on the board. He was matched by Garrett who put up 8 points of his own for Northern Colorado. The score at halftime was 32-30.

In the second half, Leath looked like a man posessed. He scored an incredible 26 points in the half on 10-12 shooting and was 6-9 from 3 point range. Northern Colorado just could not keep up with Leath's assault on their defense. To make matters worse for the Bears, their own offense struggled in the second half and could not match Leath's scoring (Leath's 26 points were more than the entire Bears offense in the second half who managed to put up only 24 points). The final score was a blowout: 74-54.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
SG Loren Leath 26pts
C Dugan Hill 11pts 7rebs
PG Yannick Kasongo 10pts 7asts

Northern Colorado
SG Monice Garrett 15pts
C Jabril Banks 13pts 7rebs
F Justin Wesolowski 7pts 7rebs

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "We noticed that McGhee was not in the starting lineup in this game. Was there any reason for that?"

Coach West: "Yeah, his confidence was really terrible. He just didn't seem confident putting weight on his ankle so we thought we would bring him in from the bench and let him build up his confidence. Next game he will be starting. Kasongo has done a great job for us, but he is a scorer and we need a scorer coming off of the bench."

Reporter: "Leath outscored the entire Bear offense in the second half. What sparked his onslaught?"

Coach West: "He is a competitive guy and when he was angry with himself for picking up those early fouls. I could tell that he was burning up waiting to get back onto the court. When he did get back out there, he just exploded"

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 12-10 (8-3) vs. Idaho State Bengals 10-11 (5-7)

The Hornets are on a two game winning streak coming into this game, destroying Eastern Washington and Northern Colorado. The Bengals have been struggling but dismantled Eastern Washington in their previous game. The Bengals have an explosive offensive and are better on paper than the Hornets. However the Hornets have already beaten the Bengals in Pocatello. The Bengals will play a 1-3-1 matchup zone which the Hornets will need to find a way to exploit it. Look for Hill to bounce back and have a good game. Prediction: Sacramento State

[vols21]

nice to see you get back above .500 and still 2nd in the league (maybe Weber State will lose one soon),

Time to call Deuce and the gang for a roadtrip to Idaho State - we've all had some good times in that gym!!

[Deuce2223]

nice to see you get back above .500 and still 2nd in the league (maybe Weber State will lose one soon),

Time to call Deuce and the gang for a roadtrip to Idaho State - we've all had some good times in that gym!!


I am so in for the road trip. I am sick of all this stupid snow up here in WA.

[jjredick4]

^^ i hate snow too.....but snow + wind + cold = no school....like today:)

[Deuce2223]

Nice win over the Eagles. I caught most of it but have to admit I left early. The Eagles suck this year and your guys were dominating. That was some tight d you were playing. I was very impressed with Kasonga play looks like you can take your time with McGhee

[Deuce2223]

^^ i hate snow too.....but snow + wind + cold = no school....like today:)

Yeah we got snow days up here in Spokane yesterday and today too, so I left work early and canceled youth group tonight, so looks like another night of playing some hoops :):dance:

[jjredick4]

^^ i'm hopin we won't have school tomorrow, tonight with the windchill it's supposed to get to 35 to 40 below zero & probably still snowin

[blue_apocalypse]

^^ i'm hopin we won't have school tomorrow, tonight with the windchill it's supposed to get to 35 to 40 below zero & probably still snowin

Holy @#$! That's freakin cold. And I thought it was going to be a cold here in SoCal at 36 degrees tonight.

[blue_apocalypse]

Time to call Deuce and the gang for a roadtrip to Idaho State - we've all had some good times in that gym!!

I am so in for the road trip. I am sick of all this stupid snow up here in WA.

Hope this doesn't ruin the road trip but you guys are gonna have to travel to the Hornet's Nest for this game! If getting to watch Leath doesn't sell you on the idea of coming to Sacramento...VIPs get free beer..

[jjredick4]

a week ago in the mornin', goin to school it was -13 and with wild chill it was -25ish, we still had school it warmed up a little though...whats funny, yesterday it was 49 degrees out and it even rained a little, then today this happens lol

[blue_apocalypse]

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Sacramento State Hornets 12-10 (8-3) vs. Idaho State Bengals 10-11 (5-7)

Hornets win with VIPs in the crowd

Several famous coaches were in the crowd to witness the Hornet's thrashing of the Bengals. Coach West brought in these coaches into the locker room before the game to give the team a pre-game pep talk. It seemed to work as the Hornets were on fire in the first half. Dugan Hill scored all of his 14 points in the first half as he just dominated inside. The Bengals were led by Tatum who managed to put 6 points on the board. The Hornets led 46-30 at halftime.

The Hornets slowed the ball down in the second half and sat on their lead, never allowing the Bengals to close the gap. Leath, who struggled in the first half came alive along with McGhee who both had solid second halfs. The Bengals were killed by their 3pt shooting, going 2-20 from beyond the arc. The final score in this game was 74-59.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
C Dugan Hill 14pts 7rebs
SG Loren Leath 14pts
PG Vinnie MicGhee 14pts 5asts 2stls

Idaho State
PF Chron Tatum 14pts 9rebs
PG Akbar Abdul-Ahad 11pts 3stls
SF RJ Ziri 8pts 7rebs

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "How big was it for you to have your colleagues in attendance?"

Coach West: "It was great. They came and talked to the guys before the game. I mean, we are talking about some great coaches with a lot of experience. It really was an honor to host those guys here in Sacramento."

Reporter: "You have 4 games left and everyone of them seems to be important. Are you worried about the tough schedule to end the season?"

Coach West: "No, of course we aren't worried. We just have to play Hornet basketball and we will be fine."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 13-10 (9-3) @ Portland State Vikings 9-14 (6-6)

Pre-game Analysis

The Hornets are riding a 3 game winning streak coming into this game. Portland on the other hand has been up and down. Sacramento defeated the Vikings decisively in their first meeting this season so I can't help but believe the Hornets will walk away with this one. Prediction: Sacramento State

[blue_apocalypse]

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Sacramento State Hornets 13-10 (9-3) @ Portland State Vikings 9-14 (6-6)

Hornets struggle to contain Viking offense

The Vikings set a blistering offensive pace in the first half but the Hornets were able to keep up early on. Polis had a spectacular first half, scoring 22 points, and sparking the Vikings to 48 first half points with 64% shooting. The Hornets numbers were not as spectacular, they were led by Leath who had 11 points. But the Hornets trailed by only 5 points at halftime. 48-43.

The Vikings cooled off in the second half, but as the Hornets focused to contain Polis Murray took the scoring initiative. The Hornets were simply unable to get the game any closer than 4 points. Leath had a big second half for Sacramento State, putting up 20 of his 31 points. It was not enough however as the Hornets lose 83-79.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
SG Loren Leath 31pts
PG Vinnie McGhee 16pts 6rebs 6asts 5stls
C Dugan Hill 14pts 5rebs

Portland State
SF Mickey Polis 27pts 5rebs
SG Andre Murray 24pts 4rebs 3stls
PF Mensah Sampson 12pts 10rebs

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "Every game is critical at this point in the season..how important was this one?"

Coach West: "This loss definately makes it tougher for us. We are fighting each of our next 3 opponents for the regular season title. Had we won this game, we would have had a much easier road ahead. But as it stands now, we just have to win out and we win the conference."

Reporter: "Vinnie McGhee has played well since coming back from the injury. Is there any controversy there, with Kasongo playing well also?"

Coach West: "No there is no controversy. We are still giving Kasongo good minutes and he is a very important contributor off of the bench. Kasongo just wants what is best for the team and he knows he is our main scorer off of the bench."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 13-11 (9-4) @ Weber State Wildcats 12-12 (9-4)

Pre-game Analysis

This is a big game for both teams as they are currently 1-2 in the Big Sky. A victory for either team puts them in the drivers seat for the regular season title and the #1 seed in the conference tournament. Weber State will be playing a 2-3 defense which the Hornets have been solid against this year. As usual against this type of defense, the outcome of the game will depend on how Leath plays against the zone. Weber State has already defeated Sacramento State on their home court so we look for the Wildcats to win again. Prediction Weber State

[Deuce2223]

It was very nice to get away from all this snow. Thank you for the trashing of the Benguls. Even though they never really have been a rival of the Broncos even when they all played in the Big Sky its still nice to see them fail. :)

Hey just thought I would give you some heads up Sac State dominated in my legacy this year. 15-1 Big Sky and 22-6 overall. But got screwed in their conference final against N. Arizona and missed the dance. So they are NIT bound.

[blue_apocalypse]

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Sacramento State Hornets 13-11 (9-4) @ Weber State Wildcats 12-12 (9-4)

Hornets win battle for 1st place

This game was a low scoring, physical battle between two teams that were desperate for the victory. In the end, it was the Hornet defense that saved the day as they walked off the Wildcat court with the win. Leath had a good first half for the Hornets against the Wildcat zone scoring 14 points. The Wildcats answered back with Goff who put 7 points on the board, but the Hornets had a huge lead at halftime and the Wildcats struggled to put points on the board. The halftime score was 36-22.

The Wildcats were able to close the gap somewhat in the second half but never really threatened the Hornets. Sacramento State blocked an amazing 12 shots in this game with the 7'0" reserve center Olson leading the way with 5 blocked shots. Hill, the starting center managed 3 blocks of his own. Their dominance on the inside forced the Wildcats into taking outside shots which they only hit at 39% for the game. The Hornets win this important game 66-57.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
SG Loren Leath 26pts
G Yannick Kasongo 12pts 3rebs 3asts
C Dugan Hill 9pts 9rebs 3blks

Weber State
C Londrick Goff 14pts 5rebs
PG Kellen McCoy 14pts 6asts
G Josh Cottle 11pts

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "Can you give us some insight about the play of your centers tonight?"

Coach West "This was the game I imagined when I signed those guys. They had 8 blocks in between them, but how about Olson? His 5 blocks came in 12 minutes of playing time. That is just amazing."

Reporter: "Leath has proven once again that the 2-3 zone is not an effective defense against the Hornets. Why do teams continue to throw it at you?"

Coach West: "It has been working for them. Heck, it worked for them the first time we played them. You can't fault those guys for running what they are comfortable with. It is our job to find a weakness in whatever D they want to run."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 14-11 (10-4) vs. Northern Arizona Lumberjacks 12-12 (8-5)

Pre-game Analysis

The Lumberjacks come into this game on a tear, posting wins in 7 of their last 8 games. They have emerged as a serious contender for the regular season title and have already defeated the Hornets once this year. A Hornet loss puts their fate in the hands of the Lumberjacks who would win a tiebreaker by virture of head-to-head wins. This is a vital game for both teams. The Lumberjacks are a very good team on paper and should win this one. Prediction: Northern Arizona

[blue_apocalypse]

It was very nice to get away from all this snow. Thank you for the trashing of the Benguls. Even though they never really have been a rival of the Broncos even when they all played in the Big Sky its still nice to see them fail. :)

Hey just thought I would give you some heads up Sac State dominated in my legacy this year. 15-1 Big Sky and 22-6 overall. But got screwed in their conference final against N. Arizona and missed the dance. So they are NIT bound.

Nice, good to hear about Sac State doing well. At this point, I can only dream of a 22-6 season. I'm hoping that this year though, if I fail to reach the NCAA that I can at least make the NIT

[vols21]

great game, we had a lot of fun. Nice treat getting to talk to the players beforehand.
Good luck the rest of the way and in post season

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Sacramento State Hornets 14-11 (10-4) vs. Northern Arizona Lumberjacks 12-12 (8-5)

McGhee leads Hornets to an important win

It wasn't long ago that McGhee was forced to watch these conference games in street clothes. Now, back from his injury, he is playing great and was the key man in the Hornet win. It was a close game throughout and the Hornets were holding onto a slight lead at halftime. It was a point guard battle as McGhee led the Hornets with 12 points while Wilson scored 10 points for the Lumberjacks. Sac State led by a bucket at halftime 36-34.

The Lumberjacks kept it close in the second half and even took the lead twice. In fact, with 6:17 remaining in the game the Lumberjacks were up by 5. But the Hornets came storming back and could not find anyone who could slow down McGhee. Vinnie was attacking the basket ferociously and managed to shoot 13 shots from the foul line (of which he hit 10). The Hornets got back up and the Lumberjacks started fouling, but the Hornets hit their free throws. The final score is deceiving as the game was much closer than the score 75-68.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
PG Vinnie McGhee 25pts 5rebs 8asts
SG Loren Leath 18pts
C Dugan Hill 8pts 11rebs

Northern Arizona
PG Josh Wilson 17pts 7asts
PF Andrius Clemons 16pts 4rebs 3asts
SF Zarko Comagic 15pts 7rebs

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "It seems to get tougher every week. The Montana State Bobcats, your next opponent, won tonight and they will take over 2nd place before you play them next week. Also, this game is for the conference title. Can you get one more win?"

Coach West: "Yes, of course we can. We are going through the Big Sky gauntlet right now. Last game was against the #2 team in the conference, then this game was against the #2 and now we will be playing against the new #2 team in the conference. This is just the way we want it. By the time the tournament rolls around, we will have plenty of experience in big games."

Reporter: "That game is the day after tomorrow, what will you say to the team to get them ready for the game?"

Coach West: "I don't think I'll have to say anything. That next game is the last game of the regular season and if we lose we can kiss the conference title goodbye. I think if anything I will have to calm these kids down."

Up Next: Sacramento State Hornets 15-11 (11-4) vs. Montana State Bobcats 10-16 (10-5)

Pre-game Analysis

This should be a great game. Montana State has already defeated the Hornets this year so if they win this game, they walk away as the Big Sky regular season champions. However, the Hornets will be doing their best to win their first ever regular season title. The Bobcats have won 8 of 9 games coming into this one including a close one to the Hornets. But that was a close game and the Hornets will coming into this game with more confidence and playing on their home court. Prediction Sacramento State

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Sacramento State Hornets 15-11 (11-4) vs. Montana State Bobcats 10-16 (10-5)

Hornets win Big Sky regular season title by virtue of missed buzzer beater

Both teams knew what was at stake in this game and they treated the fans at the Hornet's Nest to a great one. The Hornets jumped all over the Bobcats early on and it appeared early on as if the Hornets would earn an easy victory. They built up a 12 point first half lead but let it slip away as the half drew to a close. Sacramento State shot 66% in the first half and Leath led all in scoring with 14 points. Montana State was able to close the gap to 8 points before the half thanks to Hennessey who led the Bobcats with 9 points. The score was 42-34.

The Bobcats came out of the locker room with a chip on their shoulder and just 3 minutes into the half erased the 8 point deficit and tied the game. Each team then took turns in the lead, with nobody ever leading by more than 2 posessions. The Hornets were down by 1 point with 28 seconds left. They passed the ball around the perimeter running clock before the final shot. McGhee tried to take Hennessey to the basket but it wasn't there so he kicked it out to Leath at the three point line. Leath was open and with 7 seconds left took the shot...and...BURIED IT!! The Hornets led by 2 points when the Bobcats inbounded the ball and frantically got it upcourt to Mbunga who took a shot at the buzzer that clanked off the rim. The final score was 69-67.

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
SG Loren Leath 28pts
PG Vinnie McGhee 14pts 6asts
SF Donald Thomas 8pts

Montana State
C Divaldo Mbunga 17pts
SF Bobby Howard 15pts 5rebs
SG Phil Frieson 13pts

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "Congratulations Coach West on leading this team to its first regular season title!"

Coach West: "Thank you. It is a very nice accomplishment. We want to win the tournament though so we can't celebrate too much over this. Our goal is the NCAA tournament."

Reporter: "What was going through your mind when Leath took that 3 pointer?"

Coach West: "It was an open look so I was just thinking 'its in'. I knew he could hit that shot with nobody in his face. Credit McGhee for getting him the ball with an open look."

Reporter: "What about when Mbunga took that shot at the buzzer?"

Coach West: "Honestly I thought we were heading into overtime. Mbunga is the leading scorer in the conference this year and despite having Hill in his face, I thought he would make it. Luckily for us, he did not and we are the #1 seed and therefore the host of the conference tournament."

Up Next: Big Sky Tournament opponent TBD

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Sac Bee

It is conference tournament time in college basketball and the Hornets will be hosting the Big Sky Tournament at the Hornet's Nest. But before we get into this exciting event, lets do a little Braketology.

ACC
Locks: Duke, North Carolina
On the Bubble: Boston College, Maryland, Miami, Georgia Tech

Pac-10
Locks: Arizona, Washington, Stanford, USC

Big 10
Locks: Michigan State, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin
On the Bubble: Michigan, Ohio State, Purdue

Big 12
Locks: Texas, Baylor, Oklahoma
On the Bubble: Texas A&M, Kansas

SEC
Locks: LSU, Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, Georgia
On the Bubble: South Carolina

Big East
Locks: Providence, Syracuse, UConn, Louisville, Villanova, Notre Dame, Seton Hall
On the Bubble: Georgetown, Pittsburgh, Marquette

Mid-Majors
Locks: Memphis, Gonzaga, San Diego State, Utah, UAB
On the Bubble: Southern Mississippi, Duquesne, Rhode Island, Saint Joseph's, Western Michigan, Loyola (MD), San Diego, Nevada, Oakland

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Big Sky Tournament First Round

#4 Portland State 71
#5 Weber State 102

Weber State will advance to play #1 Sacramento State

#3 Montana State 66
#6 Northern Colorado 49

Montana State will advance to play #2 Northern Arizona

[jjredick4]

goodluck against weber state

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#1 Sacramento State Hornets vs. #5 Weber State Wildcats

Wildcats upset Hornets on their home floor

The Hornets were confident heading into this game. They were the #1 seed in the Big Sky Conference, they were playing on their home court and they had already beating Weber State in a big game. None of that mattered to the Wildcats. Both teams played at a ferocious pace early on. Weber State was playing physical..too physical because they gave the Hornets 21 attempts from the foul line in the first half. Sacramento State shot only 39% but led at the break anyway. 45-40.

Weber State maintained their hot streak in the second half while the Hornets really struggled to find their shot. Leath scored a lot of points but finished the game 3-16 from 3 point range. The Wildcats played a 2-3 zone but with Leath struggling and Hill in foul trouble for most of the game the Hornets could not find a way to score. The final score in this disappointing game was 82-73

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
SG Loren Leath 31pts 4stls
PG Vinnie McGhee 10pts 4asts
SF Donald Thomas 8pts 8rebs

Weber State
SG Juan Pablo Silveira 25pts
G Jamaine Nance 17pts
PF Davin Davis 11pts 6rebs

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "Coach, this must be a disappointing loss for you. How heartbreaking was it to lose this game?"

Coach West: "This one was extremely hard for us. Leath gave it his all but just could not get his shot to fall. He put up a heck of an effort though in his final game on this court. After the first half and a lot of their guys in foul trouble we thought we could get the victory. This one hurts."

Reporter: "Are you hoping for an NIT bid?"

Coach West: "Of course we are hoping for one. It remains to be seen if we will be invited."

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Big Sky Tournament

Semifinals

#1 Sacramento State 73
#5 Weber State 82

#2 Northern Arizona 61
#3 Montana State 78


Finals

#3 Montana State 76
#5 Weber State 84 - Conference Champions

[vols21]

tough loss!!! NIT bound??

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The NCAA Tournament Brackets have been released

East------------------West-------------------South--------------------Midwest

1. Stanford------------Memphis---------------Providence--------------Duke
2. Texas---------------Syracuse--------------Michigan State----------Villanova
3. Arizona-------------Gonzaga---------------Indiana------------------Illinois
4. UConn--------------LSU---------------------Tennessee--------------USC
5. San Diego State---Notre Dame-----------UAB----------------------Washington
6. Georgetown--------Louisville---------------Alabama----------------Utah
7. Oklahoma----------Wisconsin--------------Michigan-----------------Kentucky
8. Saint Joseph's------Baylor-----------------North Carolina----------Southern Miss
9. Seton Hall----------Rhode Island----------Georgia------------------NC State
10. Pittsburgh----------Duquesne--------------Texas A&M--------------Miami
11. Ohio State---------Florida-----------------Boston College----------Loyola (MD)
12. Colgate------------Arizona State---------Creighton----------------W. Michigan
13. Oral Roberts------Eastern Illinois--------Utah State---------------VCU
14. Cent Arkansas----Vermont---------------Gardner-Webb----------Pacific
15. Jackson State-----Hampton---------------Arkansas State---------Loyola (IL)
16. UNC-Greensboro--Brown-----------------Mount St. Mary's--------Weber State


The Sacramento State Hornets have been invited to the NIT. They will meet a tough Georgia Tech team that many people around the country thought should have been an at-large selection into the NCAA tournament.

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Sacramento State Hornets 16-12 vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 19-13

Yellowjackets send the Hornets home with easy win

The Hornets could not get open looks with the stifling defense being played by Georgia Tech. The 1-2-1-1 press the Yellowjackets were using was too much for the Hornets who turned the ball over several times on careless passes. The first half was all Georgia Tech who came out shooting well. The score at the break was 46-25.

The Hornets played much better defense in the second half but still struggled to find their shot. Leath struggled especially, scoring only 4 points on 1-7 shooting from the field. Georgia Tech shot the ball well making exactly 50% of their shots. The Hornets meanwhile managed to shoot just 35% as a team. The Yellowjacks won this one in a blowout 72-45

KEY PERFORMERS
Sacramento State
PF Justin Eller 11pts 5rebs
G Yannick Kasongo 9pts
C Dugan Hill 5pts

Georgia Tech
SG Lewis Clinch 21pts 6asts
C Alade Aminu 10pts
SF Tarrance Jennings 9pts 5rebs

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "Coach, now that the season is over what are your thoughts on the season?"

Coach West: "It was a great year for us. We accomplished most of the goals I set out at the beginning of the year. We finished with a winning record, we won the regular season title..the first in Sacramento State history..we didn't win the conference tournament though. Still, we were invited to the NIT which was a huge honor for us. Even though we lost to the Yellowjackets we are glad we came here to play them. If you would have told me when I took the job that my second year in I would be playing Georgia Tech in the NIT I would have laughed in your face. Yet here we were..It was a great season."

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First Round upsets and notable games

#8 Saint Joseph's 73
#9 Seton Hall 100

#8 North Carolina 118
#9 Georgia 83

#7 Michigan 64
#10 Texas A&M 81

#1 Duke 90
#16 Weber State 48

#8 Southern Miss 75
#9 NC State 86

#5 Washington 85
#12 Western Michigan 65

#7 Kentucky 76
#10 Miami 85

Second Round Upsets and notable games

#4 UConn 94
#5 San Diego State 63

#1 Providence 93
#8 North Carolina 70

#3 Indiana 71
#6 Alabama 77

Sweet 16 Results

East Region

#1 Stanford 75
#4 UConn 83

#2 Texas 55
#3 Arizona 72

West Region

#1 Memphis 61
#4 LSU 64

#2 Syracuse 77
#3 Gonzaga 85

South Region

#1 Providence 74
#4 Tennessee 91

#2 Michigan State 73
#6 Alabama 65

Midwest Region

#1 Duke 74
#4 USC 85 Every #1 seed loses in the sweet 16!!

#2 Villanova 60
#3 Illinois 91

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Elite 8

East Regional Final

#3 Arizona 80
#4 UConn 75

West Regional Final

#3 Gonzaga 66
#4 LSU 73

South Regional Final

#2 Michigan State 106
#4 Tennessee 84

Midwest Regional Final

#3 Illinois 74
#4 USC 83

Final Four

Arizona 79
LSU 88

Michigan State 70
USC 83

Championship Game

This should have been the BCS National Championship game in football!

LSU 71 LSU wins the National Championship
USC 62

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Player of the year
-Kevin Love UCLA SO

Mid-Major Player of the Year
-Josh Heytvelt Gonzaga SR

Coach of the Year
-John Brady LSU

Defensive Player of the Year
-Paul Harris Syracuse JR

Big Man of the Year
-Kevin Love UCLA SO

Freshman of the Year
-Gus Akindele Washington State

First Team All-Americans
-PG Eugene Harvey Seton Hall JR
-SG Chris Douglas-Roberts Memphis SR
-SF Paul Harris Syracuse JR
-PF Michael Beasley Kansas State SO
-C Kevin Love UCLA SO

Second Team All-Americans
-PG Abdulai Jalloh James Madison SR
-SG Stefon Jackson UTEP SR
-SF Alex Ruoff West Virginia SR
-PF Brook Lopez Stanford JR
-C Randall Hanke Providence SR

Freshman All-Americans
-PG Gus Akindele Washington State
-SG Ted Buckendahl Wisconsin
-SF Max Hannan Minnesota
-PF Rylan Kanter Purdue
-C Davon Dickerson Boston College

Big Sky Coach of the Year
-Wayne Tinkle Montana (Coach West got ripped off!!)

Big Sky Player of the Year
-Divaldo Mbunga Montana State SR

Big Sky Freshman of the Year
-Dugan Hill Sacramento State

First Team All Big Sky
-PG Josh Wilson Northern Arizona SR
-SG Loren Leath Sacramento State SR
-SF Jefferson Mason Northern Colorado JR
-PF Jordan Hasquet Montana SR
-C Divaldo Mbunga Montana State SR

Second Team All Big Sky
-PG Akbar Abdul-Ahad Idaho State SR
-SG Harrison Nance Montana FR
-SF RJ Ziri Idaho State FR
-PF Andrius Clemons Northern Arizona FR
-C Brandon Moore Eastern Washington JR

Freshman All Big Sky
-PG Vinnie McGhee Sacramento State
-SG Harrison Nance Montana
-SF RJ Ziri Idaho State
-PF Andrius Clemons Northern Arizona
-C Dugan Hill Sacramento State

[blue_apocalypse]

Sacramento Bee

Sacramento State Hornet head basketball coach Marvin West has announced today that he will be leaving the Hornets.

"I recieved some three job offers that I was considering. Before I accepted them, I spoke with Dr. Terry Wanlass, the athletic director here at Sacramento State. I told him that I didn't want to leave, but I had to do what is best for my family. I asked if they could match the other offers that I recieved from San Jose State, Hawaii and Pepperdine. Unfortunately, they felt like they could not offer me a similar amount. I also spoke to my players who reassured me that I should do what is best for my family. So I have resigned my position at Sacramento State and I will be taking a new job at San Jose State. They are not a long drive from here so I will not have to relocate my family. I am sad to leave the Hornets but I am very excited to be part of the Spartans. Thank you very much."

And with that, the Hornets have lost a basketball coach that led them to their first regular season title in school history.

[Deuce2223]

Very nice. taking over the Spartans. I must say I won't be able to root for you as much though now that you will be playing Boise State twice a year.

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Other coaching changes:

Arizona: Lute Olsen retires......Stew Morrill (Utah State) takes over
South Carolina: Dave Odom retires.......Mark Fox (Nevada) takes over
Virginia Tech: Seth Greenberg fired.......Fran McCaffery (Siena) takes over
Ole Miss: Andy Kennedy fired........Steve Hawkins (Western Michigan) takes over
Nebraska: Doc Sadler fired.......Bob Thomason (Pacific) takes over
Iowa: Todd Lickliter fired....Ron Hunter (IUPUI) takes over
Wake Forest: Dino Gaudio fired.......Randy Bennett (Saint Mary's) takes over
Air Force: Bobby Braswell (CSU Northridge) takes the job
Utah State: Billy Kennedy (Murray State) takes the job
Hawaii: Cliff Warren (Jacksonville) takes the job
Sacramento State: Rodrigo Dowling (Memphis Assistant) takes over

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The top 10 recruiting classes in the nation are:

1. North Carolina
2. Duke
3. Marquette
4. Florida State
5. Texas Tech
6. Clemson
7. Michigan State
8. Washington State
9. Xavier
10. Georgia

The ACC is looking good with 4 of the top 10 recruiting classes in the nation.

The top recruiting classes in the WAC are:

1. Nevada
2. Louisiana Tech
3. Idaho
4. Utah State
5. San Jose State
6. Boise State
7. Fresno State
8. New Mexico State
9. Hawaii

The previous coach had already signed 2 players during the early signing period so I had only one scholarship to offer when I took over and I gave it to a 4 star JC transfer that the previous coach had already offered it to.

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First team preseason All-Americans
-PG Derrick Rose Memphis
-SG Jon Scheyer Duke
-SF Tyler Smith Tennessee
-PF Duke Crews Tennessee
-C Luke Harangody Notre Dame

Second team preseason All-Americans
-PG Edgar Sosa Louisville
-SG Jerry Smith Louisville
-SF Kyle Singler Duke
-PF Darrell Arthur Kansas
-C Kevin Love UCLA

Preseason Media top 10
1. Duke
2. Louisville
3. Tennessee
4. USC
5. Syracuse
6. Arizona
7. Texas
8. Memphis
9. Florida
10. Michigan State

Western Athletic Conference Projected Standings
1. Nevada
2. Louisiana Tech
3. Fresno State
4. New Mexico State
5. Utah State
6. Boise State
7. Idaho
8. Hawaii
9. San Jose State

WAC breakdown

Best Overall Player
-Anil Murphy Nevada SO

Best Freshman
-Donta Lennon Louisiana Tech

Best Shooter
-Mac Peterson San Jose State SR

Best Playmaker
-Anil Murphy Nevada SO

Best Pro Prospect
-Jamel White Louisiana Tech SR

Best Defender
-Magnum Rolle Louisiana Tech SR

[Deuce2223]

Looking good so far. Can't wait to be able to see what Boise does.

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Coach West has released the 09-10 San Jose State Spartan Roster:

Starters

PG B.B. Hatten 6'0" SO (67ovr)
-Hatten was a starter in freshman year for the Spartans. He will be trying to improve upon his stats which were very mediocre. He is an average shooter for his position but is an above average defender. He is fast for his position but lacks a good first step.

Last year: 6.3ppg 1.6rpg 4.6apg 1.3spg 0.3bpg

SG Mac Peterson 6'3" SR (70ovr)
-Peterson is a good shooter and Coach West will be relying on his senior leadership to put points on the board in crunch time. While his offensive game is good he is not a good defender and is slow for his position.

Last year: 8.0ppg 1.2rpg 1.0apg 0.8spg 0.1bpg

SF Ferdinand Jenkins 6'7" SO-Walk on (69ovr)
-Jenkings has earned his way onto the team as a walk-on this year. He is fast and strong but is very average in other categories. He will be used primarily as a spot up shooter and a defender.

PF Damian Egeric 6'8" FR-Walk on (67ovr)
-Egeric will be the second walk on player to start for the Spartans this year. He is a good inside scorer and a good defender. He is also a solid rebounder.

C C.J. Webster 6'8" SR (67ovr)
-Webster is entering his senior year and the Spartans will need him to give them an inside scoring presence. He is not a great rebounder but the Spartans will need him in the starting lineup primarily for his scoring.

Bench

PF Stephon Wilkerson 6'7" JR (67ovr)
SF Terry Booker 6'5" FR-Walk on (67ovr)
PF Clint Amberry 6'11" JR (63ovr)
SG Darion Goins 6'4" SR (64ovr)
PG Martell Goode 6'0" SO (63ovr)
SG Justin Graham 6'4" JR (62ovr)
SF Kevin McDowell 6'8" JR (60ovr)

Coach West's comments:

"I'm not altogether happy with the roster the previous coach has assembled. It is nothing against these kids, they are good players. But we have no depth at the center position and a lot of Walk-ons have made the team this year. It is going to be a very interesting season to say the least."

[Deuce2223]

Well atleast you will have some schollys to hand out this year. I am telling you I think you should've cut Graham and McDowell. They are not going to see P.T. with better Walkons ahead of them and you could use their scholarships a year earlier rather then let them waste away on the bench. When I take over a new team I always cut bait. Any new coach would have players leave the program, so why not the crappy ones :)

[blue_apocalypse]

Well atleast you will have some schollys to hand out this year. I am telling you I think you should've cut Graham and McDowell. They are not going to see P.T. with better Walkons ahead of them and you could use their scholarships a year earlier rather then let them waste away on the bench. When I take over a new team I always cut bait. Any new coach would have players leave the program, so why not the crappy ones :)

You have a good point there. I hadn't thought about it but there is no sense in wasting those scholarships when I have better walkons. Therefore...

San Jose Mercury News

Word out of the Spartan camp today is that Justin Graham and Kevin McDowell, both juniors, have been released from the team. Our sources tell us that Coach West was unimpressed with their play during Midnight Madness and was also not happy with their work ethic during the first week of practice. With this move, Coach West has freed up two scholarships that he can use to bring in his own players.

[Deuce2223]

Smart move. I like it. If I havn't said it already I am really looking forward to the season and still wish you would've went to C. or E. Michigan. You could've had fun beating up on CincyMiami OH) and JJRed(West Michigan) in the MAC.

For some reason I have always liked Eastern Michigan. I use to play with them in College Football. For some reason EMU reminded me of the football movie the Program. Don't know why it did??

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The Spartans have released their 09-10 Season Schedule

@ Georgia
vs. South Alabama
@ Grambling
@ Florida Atlantic
vs. Murray State
@ Baylor
vs. Grambling
vs. Oakland
vs. Troy
vs. Texas State
vs. Utah State
@ Boise State
@ Fresno State
@ Louisiana Tech
vs. Idaho
vs. Hawaii
@ Nevada
@ Utah State
vs. Fresno State
vs. Boise State
vs. Louisiana Tech
@ New Mexico State
@ Idaho
@ Hawaii
vs. Nevada
vs. New Mexico State

Coach West's comments on the schedule:

"Our non-conference schedule is not too bad. We should definately be able to win some of those games. Of course, the WAC is a good conference and Nevada appears to be the class of the conference right now. Fresno State and Louisiana Tech should be tough also. The media says that we are the worst team in the conference but I think we'll surprise some people this year. Our goals for this year are to finish in the top 3 of the conference and to win the conference tournament. They are lofty goals with 3 walk on players on the rosters but I think we are more talented than people give us credit for."

[blue_apocalypse]

Smart move. I like it. If I havn't said it already I am really looking forward to the season and still wish you would've went to C. or E. Michigan. You could've had fun beating up on CincyMiami OH) and JJRed(West Michigan) in the MAC.


Actually that's why I didn't go there. I figured there were already two legacies with teams in the MAC so we didn't need a third. I was really torn between SJ State, Hawaii and Pepperdine. I wish Fresno State would have offered cause I play with them in NCAA Football. lol..I may never leave California in my legacy. If I ever get a job offer from Cal I'm going to take it.

Besides..this way I get to beat up on Boise State twice a year ;)

[Deuce2223]

Actually that's why I didn't go there. I figured there were already two legacies with teams in the MAC so we didn't need a third. I was really torn between SJ State, Hawaii and Pepperdine. I wish Fresno State would have offered cause I play with them in NCAA Football. lol..I may never leave California in my legacy. If I ever get a job offer from Cal I'm going to take it.

Besides..this way I get to beat up on Boise State twice a year ;) That is too funny:rotfl: SJSU was one of the worst teams in my legacy. But La Tech was the worse. then Hawaii. Nevada, Utah St,NMSU,and Fresno are all pretty good. I was surprised to see Idaho actually took 2nd in my legacy last year.

Cal opened up at the end of my legacy with Coach Dezaron. I couldn't go there because I had only been with UNC for a year, but after the patch and the roster download it didn't matter.

You just wait I could very well be back in the WAC very soon. Coach Akpan could very well be the man to head to Boise if it opens up after year 2 for me again.

[Deuce2223]

Your non-conference looks pretty weak on paper. Georgia and Baylor should be tough, but then again with your lineup all games could be tough until you get your guys in there.
So is there anyone on the Spartans roster that reminds you of Leath.??

[blue_apocalypse]

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San Jose State Spartans 0-0 @ Georgia Bulldogs

Spartans fall just short of upset in Athens

San Jose State made the Bulldogs earn their victory of the season. The game started off with both teams playing well. Webster was forced to sit out most of the first half for the Spartans after getting into early foul trouble. His replacement Amberry played very well though and led the Spartans at halftime with 12 points. The Bulldogs were shooting 5/9 from 3 point range in the first half and were led into the break by Jeremy Price who scored 9 points. The score at halftime was 48-40.

The Spartans came back in the second half and had narrowed the gap to 2 points with 2 minutes remaining. Then they experienced an epic meltdown. On a posession that could have tied the game, the ball was stolen from Mac Peterson. The Bulldogs ran down the court and buried a three. Then on the ensuing Spartan posession Hatten lost control of the ball while trying to drive to the basket and the Bulldogs capitalized on that with a basket to extend their lead to 7. The Spartans tried to use intentional fouls to get themselves back into the game but it did not work. In fact, the Bulldogs were able to extend their lead by 2 points. The final score in this game does not reflect how close it actually was. 86-77

KEY PERFORMERS
San Jose State
F Clint Amberry 19pts 5rebs
SF Ferdinand Jenkins 12pts
SG Mac Peterson 12pts

Georgia
PF Jeremy Price 16pts 8rebs
SG Virgil Cotton 16pts 6rebs
SF Jeremy Jacob 11pts

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "This was your first game experience with this team. How did they perform?"

Coach West: "Considering that we were on the road against an SEC team and nearly walked away with a win..I would say that they did quite well. We should have had that game though. We let them off the hook."

Reporter: "Loren Leath played very well for you during your time at Sacramento State. Are there any players on your current roster that remind you of him?"

Coach West: "Not really. Leath was an amazing 3 point shooter. Peterson is a good 3 point shooter but he will miss some open shots. Also, Leath was quicker off the dribble than Peterson. The thing I like about Peterson though is he has a better mid-range game than Leath did. I also think Webster, when he keeps out of foul trouble, will be a very solid player for us."

Up Next: San Jose State Spartans 0-1 vs. South Alabama Jaguars 0-0

Pre-game Analysis

The Jaguars will be playing their first game of the season in San Jose against the Spartans. Both teams are even on paper so expect a good game. The Jaguars are a good shooting and rebounding team so expect a shootout. The Spartans are coming into this game looking for a win after nearly upsetting the Georgia Bulldogs on the road. We expect the Spartans to win. Prediction: San Jose State

[blue_apocalypse]

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San Jose State Spartans 0-1 vs. South Alabama Jaguars 0-0

Spartans earn first victory under Coach West

This game was an offensive explosion for both teams. Both teams started off hot and both teams managed to score more than 40 points in the first half. Hatten led the Spartans with 12 points, most of them coming from drives to the basket. West led the Jaguars into the break with 12 points of his own. The Spartans were up 51-43 at halftime.

Neither team cooled down in the second half as both offenses continued to put up excellent numbers. All 5 Spartan starters scored in double figures and the Spartans played excellent defense, forcing 19 Jaguar turnovers. Those turnovers really spelled doom for the Jaguars who couldn't over come their mistakes. The Spartans won their first game under Coach West in a 96-86 shootout.

KEY PERFORMERS
San Jose State
PG B.B. Hatten 21pts 7asts
C C.J. Webster 19pts 5rebs
SG Mac Peterson 17pts

South Alabama
C Sherman West 21pts 6rebs
SG Dalen Halsch 15pts
PF Charles Tabet 8pts 10rebs

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "Congratulations on your first win with the new team."

Coach West: "Thank you. It was important for us to get this win at home. I have to say though, I was really disappointed by the fan turnout. Only about 25% of those seats were full. That is something that I hope to change."

Reporter: "The fans who were in attendance really saw a fun game. Why was this such a high scoring game?"

Coach West: "Both teams were hitting shots. Luckily we were able to force turnovers which gave us the edge..but both teams shot over 50% tonight. I was really happy with our teamwork. Everyone got involved in this game."

Up Next: San Jose State Spartans 1-1 @ Grambling State Tigers 1-2

Pre-game Analysis

The Tigers are coming into this game after a surprising upset of the TCU Horned Frogs. They are hoping to pull off another upset at home against the Spartans. The Spartans are coming into this game on the heels of a shootout with South Alabama so they could be out of gas for this game. I think the Spartans will be too much for the Tigers though. Prediction: San Jose State

[blue_apocalypse]

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San Jose State Spartans 1-1 @ Grambling State Tigers 1-2

Spartans win a grind-it-out game on the road

It was apparent early on that this was going to be a difficult game for the Spartans to maintain their focus and energy. Grambling used up every last second of the shot clock before they took a shot. Atkinson led the Tigers in the first half with 9 points while Webster led the Spartans with 6 points. The score at halftime was 30-28.

The Spartans picked up the pace a bit offensively in the second half and looked to attack in transition to force the Tigers into playing a more uptempo game. The strategy seemed to work as the Spartans outscored the Tigers by 12 points in the half. The Tigers had difficulty stopping the two man game being played by Webster and Peterson for the Spartans. The final score in this game was 65-55.

KEY PERFORMERS
San Jose State
SG Mac Peterson 17pts 4asts 3rebs
C C.J. Webster 15pts 8rebs 4asts 2blks
PG B.B. Hatten 10pts

Grambling State
SG Andrew Prestley 14pts 4rebs
PF Kirk Atkinson 11pts 7rebs
PG Charles Harper 8pts 8asts 4rebs

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "How difficult is it to play a grind it out game like this one after coming off of a shootout?"

Coach West: "Its not easy that is for sure. It can be a little frustrating actually. That was their gameplan and they did a heck of job executing it. We came out in the second half with more energy though. I am glad to play a game like this. It lets me know that we can win in difficult situations."

Reporter: "You will be playing Grambling again at home in a few weeks. Do you expect the same type of game then?"

Coach West: "Yes. I think we can expect a similar game. But we will be more prepared for it next time."

Up Next: San Jose State Spartans 2-1 @ Florida Atlantic Owls 3-0

Pre-game Analysis

The Spartans are heading into this game on a two game winning streak but the Owls are riding a 3 game streak including huge victories over their last two opponents. They hope to add the Spartans to the list of the teams they have crushed early in the season. The Owls are the better team on paper so expect them to earn a victory at home. Prediction: Florida Atlantic

[vols21]

Good luck with the new team and after ur advice of staying at UCR> :lol:
Am I the only coach who stayed?


Good start to the season too by the way!!

[blue_apocalypse]

Good luck with the new team and after ur advice of staying at UCR>
Am I the only coach who stayed?


Good start to the season too by the way!!

If it makes you feel better..I'm starting to regret the move. At Sac State I had solid PG play..I was solid inside with tall centers. I was planning to move Hill to PF and bring Olson into the starting lineup at C. Then I was going to have McGhee at PG and Kasongo play his senior year at SG. SF was up in the air..but the lineup was looking really good.

But at San Jose..I'm starting 2 walk-ons! This team is definately less talented and less athletic than the Hornets and yet they are playing better teams in the conference. Once conference play starts I have a feeling it might be a very long difficult season.

I'm glad you stayed at UCR! You've brought excitement to the SRC!
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa4/Blue_Apocalypse/studentreccenterwest.gif

[vols21]

you'll turn san Jose around. starting 2 walk-ons can be tough (unless they play like Jim-George!). couple good recruits over the next 2 years and you'll be in the driver's seat there,

[blue_apocalypse]

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San Jose State Spartans 2-1 @ Florida Atlantic Owls 3-0

Owls defeat Spartans to remain undefeated

The Owls simply outplayed the Spartans in the second half to win their 4th straight. San Jose State had a good first half led by the sophomore walkon Jenkins with 9 points. FAU countered with Royster who had 7 points and the Owls as a team were shooting 54%. Despite the good shooting by the Owls, the Spartans led 32-30 at halftime.

In the second half the Owls kept up the shooting while the Spartans started to struggle. San Jose State was outscored in the 2nd half 41-25. Webster really struggled from inside, going 2-9 in the game. The final score in this game was 71-57.

KEY PERFORMERS
San Jose State
SF Ferdinand Jenkins 17pts
PG B.B. Hatten 10pts 4asts 3stls
SF Mac Peterson 10pts

Florida Atlantic
PG Avery Holley 17pts 4asts
PF Brett Royster 14pts 9rebs
SF Xavier Perkins 16pts 5rebs 4asts

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "The Owls really outplayed you in the second half..why did the team come out so flat?"

Coach West: "There are no excuses for our play in the second half. We didn't hustle and that is the bottom line. We didn't play good defense and we didn't go after rebounds. As you know, I'm big on hustle plays..and we just got out outhustled."

Reporter: "Do you think you could have won this game, even with a terrible shooting night?"

Coach West: "Yes, I think so. We only shot 32% for the game and that is terrible, but we were still close until halfway through the second half. If we could have gotten some offensive rebounds, some steals, and challenged some shots then there is no reason why we couldn't have survived a bad shooting night."

Up Next: San Jose State Spartans 2-2 vs. Murray State Racers 0-5

Pre-game Analysis

The Spartans are coming off of a terrible offensive game on the road so they will be looking for revenge against the winless Racers. Their record is somewhat decieving however because all of their losses have been in close games. They are pretty evenly matched with the Spartans. However, this game will be in San Jose and I don't expect the Spartans will struggle on offense in this game. Prediction: San Jose State

[blue_apocalypse]

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San Jose State Spartans 2-2 vs. Murray State Racers 0-5

Racers earn first win in San Jose

For the second straight game the Spartans could not play defense in the second half. The first half was a close one with neither team shooting well. The Spartans managed to shoot just 35% as a team. Webster led the way for the Spartans in the first half with 9 points and 7 rebounds which helped give the Spartans a 1 point lead heading into halftime. 30-29.

The second half was a repeat of the Florida Atlantic game. The Spartans defense leaked like a sieve as the Racers poured points right through it. The San Jose State offense nearly managed to keep up with the scoring until with 3 minutes left they turned over the ball on two consecutive possessions pushing the lead to 8 points. Webster had a great game for the Spartans finishing with a double double and a dominating performance on the boards. Despite his effort the Racers managed to hold onto the lead in the final 3 minutes winning 77-68.

KEY PERFORMERS
San Jose State
C C.J. Webster 16pts 14rebs
PG B.B. Hatten 20pts 5asts
SF Mac Peterson 11pts

Murray State
SG Isaac Miles 15pts
SF Danero Thomas 12pts 4asts
PF C.C. Walters 9pts 12rebs 3stls 2blks

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "For the second straight game your defense has struggled in the second half..what can you do to turn this around?"

Coach West: "I think there are a couple reasons for this. The first is stamina which is something we need to work on. We are going to have this team running sprints and suicides to increase their endurance. Secondly, it is just a matter of heart and commiting to playing defense even when you are tired. Defense is much more tiring and much less rewarding than offense but it is equally important. We really need to have the desire to play D even when we are tired."

Reporter: "The early signing period is coming up next week..should we be anticipating any announcements?"

Coach West: "I'm not going to give any information about who we are recruiting just yet. Let's wait until after the week is over..but there is a small possibility that we could get a kid to sign this week."

Up Next: San Jose State Spartans 2-3 @ Baylor Bears 4-4

Pre-game Analysis

The Baylor Bears are an excellent shooting team and if the Spartans don't get their defensive woes fixed, this one could be a blowout for the Bears. But Baylor has shown that they can be upset with losses to Nicholls State and to Oakland. The Spartans will be trying to add their name to that list but I believe the Bears will be ready for revenge after their loss to Oakland. Prediction: Baylor

[vols21]

ur having the same defensive woes that I am

[blue_apocalypse]

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http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa4/Blue_Apocalypse/sanjosestate.gif @ http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa4/Blue_Apocalypse/baylor.gif

San Jose State Spartans 2-3 @ Baylor Bears 4-4

Bears defeat Spartans in a Texas shootout

The Bears thought they were going to have an easy victory coming into this game but the Spartans made sure that they had to earn it. The Spartans actually struggled from the field initially going down a quick 6-0. They would never overcome the deficit and would never lead but prevented the Bears from putting them away in the first half. Jenkins shot the ball well from 3pt land and led the Spartans with 12 points. The Bears answered with Ellis who put up 10 points of his own. The Bears led at halftime 42-35.

The Bears were able to expand in the second half but the Spartans kept it close for most of the half. Baylor was able to control the boards outrebounding San Jose State by 10 rebounds. The final score was 90-79

KEY PERFORMERS
San Jose State
SG Mac Peterson 19pts
PG B.B. Hatten 14pts 9asts
SF Ferdinand Jenkins 18pts

Baylor
SG Lacedaris Dunn 22pts 7rebs
PG Tweety Carter 14pts 10asts 4stls
SF Fred Ellis 18pts 6rebs 3asts

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "It doesn't seem like you have solved your defensive problems. Are your methods working?"

Coach West: "You're right, we haven't solved our defensive issues and we gave up way too many points. But we were able to score though..and one thing you have to remember is that this one of the better shooting teams in the nation. So all in all, I can't be too unhappy with our play. That being said..we should have won."

Reporter: "You are on a 3 game losing streak but your next 5 games will be at home. How eager are you to return to San Jose?"

Coach West: "It will be nice to get back to the Bay Area and host some teams. We have Grambling coming in and we've already beaten them so that should give us some confidence. Hopefully we can play well for our fans and students."

Up Next: San Jose State Spartans 2-4 vs. Grambling State Tigers 1-5

Pre-game Analysis

The Spartans have already defeated the Tigers on the road so there is no reason to believe that they can't defeat them at home. This one is easy. Prediction: San Jose State

[blue_apocalypse]

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Top 10 Media Poll
1. Tennessee 9-0
2. Louisville 7-0
3. Duke 7-1
4. Florida 9-0
5. Ohio State 9-0
6. USC 7-1
7. Arizona 6-1
8. Gonzaga 10-0
9. Georgetown 8-1
10. Maryland 8-1

Top 10 Mid-Majors
1. Gonzaga 10-0
2. Nevada 7-0 <----WAC
3. Creighton 6-1
4. Boston University 8-3
5. Western Carolina 6-1
6. Middle Tennessee 6-3
7. Cornell 6-0
8. VCU 7-2
9. UC Santa Barbara 4-1
10. Southern Illinois 6-2
14. Utah State 7-1 <-------WAC
16. New Mexico State 4-2 <--------WAC

Sacramento State is currently 1-6 under their new head coach.

[blue_apocalypse]

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San Jose Mercury News

Coach Marvin West of the Spartans was unable to get any recruits to commit during the early signing period. Word is that the #16 ranked center in the nation was 98% sure that he would commit to the Spartans but he backed out at the last minute and will wait until the season is over. We have learned that the Spartans have offered the following players scholarships:

PG Scott Agbai 5'10" ****
-Agbai is a small player but he his the 73rd overall ranked player in the recruiting class. He is the Mr. Basketball from Utah and so far no other team has offered him a scholarship. He would really like to be a Ute but if they do not offer him a scholarship then the Spartans have a good shot to land him.

C Alan Carson 6'10" ***
-Carson is the #16 bigman coming out of high school this year. He nearly signed with the Spartans during the early signing period. Coach West is looking for a true center to replace Webster who is in his senior year. Carson would be able to play immediately for the Spartans.

SG Junior Schultz 6'3" ***
-Schultz would be a nice replacement for Mac Peterson who is in his final season at San Jose State. Schultz is the #17 ranked SG in the country and so far the Spartans are the only school to have offered him a scholarship. His interest in the Spartans is not as high as the other two players that Coach West has offered scholarships to..but if nobody else offers he may be heading to the Bay Area.

Many of the top recruits in the country have committed and here is where they are going:

1. Emanuel Farley PG ..............Duke
2. Lyle Allison SG.....................Kansas
3. Deno Legge PG....................Stanford
4. Dommanic Larmond SG........Florida State
5. Sonny Soto PG.....................Duke
6. Ollie Clarke PF.....................Undecided
7. Romain Jensen PG................Undecided
8. Freddie Bilas SF....................Texas
9. P.J. Valsin SG.......................Memphis
10. Tony Rost PG.......................Memphis

[blue_apocalypse]

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San Jose State Spartans 2-4 vs. Grambling State Tigers 1-5

San Jose State defeats Grambling again

The Spartans looked good in the first half and built a lead that the Grambling Tigers were never able to overcome. Webster led the Spartan charge with 10 points while Nixon answered for Grambling with 9. However the Spartans worked with machine like effenciency and carried a 33-22 lead into halftime.

The Tigers played better in the second half but could not catch up to the Spartans. The Spartans knew what to expect from the Tigers coming into this game and it was obvious. The walkon sophomore Jenkins had another solid game leading the Spartans in scoring and shooting 50% from 3pt range. The final score was 66-53

KEY PERFORMERS
San Jose State
SF Ferdinand Jenkins 18pts 5/10 from 3pt range
C C.J. Webster 14pts 8rebs
PG B.B. Hatten 9pts 5rebs 5asts

Grambling State
SF Terrance Nixon 18pts 3rebs
PF Kirk Atkinson 10pts 6rebs
SG Andrew Prestley 7pts 3rebs

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "You said after the last game against Grambling that you would be prepared for them this time..were you?"

Coach West: "Yeah, I think we knew what to expect. We learned a lot from the last game and we used that knowledge to win this game. I was happy with our defense in this game also..that's something we've been struggling with."

Reporter: "Did you expect this kind of play out of Jenkins?"

Coach West: "No..not at all. He's a walkon that is outperforming all of our scholarship players. The funny thing is he's not the best 3pt shooter on the team in practice but during the game he hits more shots than Peterson. We would really be struggling without Jenkins."

Up Next: San Jose State Spartans 3-4 vs. Oakland Grizzlies 5-4

Pre-game Analysis

The Oakland Grizzlies have been very inconsistent this year. They have a big win over Baylor but they also have a big loss to Florida Atlantic..both teams the Spartans have played. The Spartans meanwhile have struggled on defense. Their weakness on defense may not be a huge factor in this game because the Grizzlies run a slow paced offense and are not good 3 point shooters. If the Oakland team that upset Baylor shows up..expect Oakland to win. Otherwise look for the Spartans to prevail. Prediction: San Jose State

[blue_apocalypse]

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http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa4/Blue_Apocalypse/sanjosestate.gif vs. http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa4/Blue_Apocalypse/oakland.gif

San Jose State Spartans 3-4 vs. Oakland Grizzlies 5-4

Grizzlies nearly pull off 2nd half comeback but fall just short

This game was tale of two halves. The first half was dominated by the Spartans. They played solid defense and shot the ball well. Webster was especially strong inside in the first half where he gave the Spartans 12 points. Oakland countered with Alford who put 9 on the board. The Spartans led at the end of the half 35-24.

The second half was a completely different story. Oakland switched to a 1-2-2 zone and implemented a full court press. The Spartans really struggled with these defensive changes. The Grizzlies were able to get some turnovers from the press as the Spartan ball handlers had trouble getting the ball past the Grizzly defenders. Meanwhile the 1-2-2 zone took Webster out of the game and he scored only 2 points in the entire second half. The Grizzlies slowly narrowed the gap. But with the game all tied up and :50 left on the clock Jenkins hit a wide open 3 point shot to give the Spartans the lead. The Grizzlies inbounded and worked their way through the Spartan 1-2-1-1 zone press. Tim Williams got the ball and put up a 3 point shot with Peterson in his face and it....was an AIRBALL! Jenkins collected the ball and since the clock was at 32 seconds were forced to use their intentional fouls. But the Spartans made their foul shots and walked off their homecourt with a 64-59 victory in a close game.

KEY PERFORMERS
San Jose State
SF Ferdinand Jenkins 23pts 5rebs 3stls 5/9 from 3pt range and clutch free throws!
C C.J. Webster 14pts 4rebs
PG B.B. Hatten 12pts 9asts

Oakland
C Keith Benson 14pts 5rebs
F Kourtney Alford 12pts
SG Tim Williams 8pts 3rebs 3stls

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "What a great performance by a walkon! Were you happy with that 3 point shot that he took?"

Coach West: "Yeah..they threw a 1-2-2 zone at us in the second half which we struggled with. But it was giving Jenkins open looks from the 3pt line so I told him during the previous timeout that if he gets an open look to take it."

Reporter: "It really looks your team is not set up to counter the full court press..how do you prevent teams from killing you with the press?"

Coach West: "Our guards are going to have to work on ball-handling. They just struggled at points in this game to get the ball past their guards. Hopefully we can get that fixed so other teams don't exploit that weakness."

Up Next: San Jose State Spartans 4-4 vs. Troy Trojans 3-2

Pre-game Analysis

San Jose State will be carrying a 2 game winning streak into this game and hope to extend it to 3 games. The Trojans are the slightly better team on paper and should have a big advantage on the glass..but the Spartans are dangerous on their home court. This should be a very good game but expect the rebounding advantage to give the Trojans the edge. Prediction: Troy

[Deuce2223]

Congrats on the win streak. I will hope you dominate non-conference play and even cheer loader when you up against anyone but the Broncos. Looking forward to seeing the games.

[CincyFan]

Deuce you should be happy since most of the mid major teams in the mid-major polls are on the West Coast.

Blue can you tell us again why you left again?

Really shocked you are having this much trouble early on with a bigger school

[blue_apocalypse]

Deuce you should be happy since most of the mid major teams in the mid-major polls are on the West Coast.

Blue can you tell us again why you left again?

Really shocked you are having this much trouble early on with a bigger school

I left because I wanted to move to a larger conference. I would have preferred Fresno State in the WAC since I use them in NCAA Football but they didn't offer. Besides, I figured with Leath graduating that it was time to move on before I got really attached to the players.

The school is in a bigger conference but the team is not as good. My guards are slower and I have no size inside. My best player is walk-on..its a tough year so far. I'm just hoping I can land a couple of good recruits to get this team turned around.

[desmin123]

Hope u can stretch the win streak to 3 games!!

[CincyFan]

My best player is walk-on..its a tough year so far.

Quick don't let vols see you. I remember my first year at Miami-Ohio I had a walk on shooting guard who was dead on from deep. He is still on my team as a junior (Rose) but is red shirting this year so I can have him 2 more years with King and the rest of the freshman. Right now Rose has the current NCAA record for 3pt % in a career and some other long distance stuff. We all know about vols Jim-George so maybe he can be as good as the other walk-ons we had.

[blue_apocalypse]

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http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa4/Blue_Apocalypse/sanjosestate.gif vs. http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa4/Blue_Apocalypse/troy.gif

San Jose State Spartans 4-4 vs. Troy Trojans 3-2

Huge game from Jenkins ignites Spartans to victory

Jenkins put the team on his back in this game and willed them to victory at home over the Troy Trojans. Both teams were playing well in the first half. The Spartans shot 52% and the Trojans shot 58%. Jenkins and Weaver led their respective teams with 14 points a piece. At moments in the half it looked as if the Trojans were the superior team but San Jose State managed to keep the score close with 3 point shooting. Troy led at the half 37-33.

The second half was all San Jose State. The Spartan defense held the Trojans to just 19 second half points while scoring 43 points. Many people suspected the Trojans would have a rebounding advantage in this game, not only because the Trojans are more skilled rebounders but also because they had a huge size advantage in the paint, but this advantage never materialized. In fact, Damian Egeric responded to the challenge and grabbed 15 rebounds for the Spartans. Troy had no answers for Jenkins who scored 20 points in the second half. The end result was a 76-56 win for the Spartans.

KEY PERFORMERS
San Jose State
SF Ferdinand Jenkins 34pts 12/15 shooting and 6/9 from 3pt range
PF Damian Egeric 15rebs
SF Mac Peterson 15pts

Troy
SG Sammie Weaver 21pts
SF Zakee Owens 10pts
C Pedro Vignale 10rebs

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "That second half was just an offensive and defensive clinic..have those sprints finally been paying off?"

Coach West: "We didn't run out of gas in the second half that is for sure. That is the kind of half that I've been waiting all year for. Now if we can just carry that over into the next game I'll be a very happy coach."

Reporter: "Can you give us any insight as to what you said at halftime?"

Coach West: "First..I told them that we needed to lockdown on Weaver. He was killing us in the first half. We had some turnovers in the first half so I told the team to make crisp passes and watch for defenders in the passing lanes. These kids really responded in the second half this time."

Up Next: San Jose State Spartans 5-4 vs. Texas State Bobcats 1-8

Pre-game Analysis

The Spartans have been playing well lately and the Bobcats are coming into this game really struggling. Texas State does have pretty good shooters but they do not take good looks and they are not effective on defense. The Spartans should be able to win this game on their own court. Prediction: San Jose State

[desmin123]

nice win and prediction coach lets make this a 4 game winning streak

[blue_apocalypse]

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa4/Blue_Apocalypse/22921.jpg


Top 10 Media Poll
1. Tennessee 12-0
2. Louisville 10-0
3. Duke 10-1
4. Florida 12-0
5. Arizona 9-1
6. Ohio State 9-0
7. USC 10-1
8. Gonzaga 12-0
9. Georgetown 10-1
10. Maryland 10-1

Top 10 Mid-Majors
1. Gonzaga 12-0
2. Nevada 10-0 <-----WAC
3. Creighton 8-1
4. Western Carolina 8-1
5. UL Lafayette 11-2
6. Boston University 10-3
7. Towson 7-3
8. VCU 8-2
9. George Mason 8-3
10. Middle Tennessee 8-4
15. Utah State 8-2 <-----WAC
17. New Mexico State 5-3 <-------WAC

WAC Statistical Leaders
PPG
1. Winsome Henderson Utah State ........18.7
2. Herb Pope New Mexico State ............17.4
3. Ferdinand Jenkins San Jose State ........17.0
4. Bryan Harvey Fresno State ..............16.0
5. Adhar Mayen Hawaii.........................15.7

RPG
1. Damian Egeric San Jose State .............8.0
2. Herb Pope Nex Mexico state .............7.5
3. Herbert Zimmerman Fresno State......7.1
4. Adhar Mayen Hawaii.........................6.7
5. CJ Webster San Jose State .................6.7

APG
1. B.B. Hatten San Jose State .................5.9
2. Mac Hopson Idaho ..........................4.9
3. Rodolfo Evertsen Fresno State .........4.8
4. Carlton Shannon Nevada .................4.3
5. Anil Murphy Nevada ........................4.1

NCAA Statistical Leaders
PPG
1. Luke Harangody Notre Dame ...........31.4
2. Jonathan Rodriguez Campbell...........30.3
3. James Florence Mercer ....................27.4
4. Nick Aldridge Western Carolina ........27.2
5. DeAndre Jordan Texas A&M .............25.0

RPG
1. Mychael Broom Detroit ....................10.8
2. Vernon Goodridge La Salle ...............10.3
3. Gavin Juan Barea Florida A&M ..........9.9
4. Jonathan Cox Drake ........................9.2
5. Pedro Vignale Troy ..........................9.1

APG
1. Ben Hansbrough Mississippi State .....8.8
2. Ronald Moore Siena ........................8.3
3. Ramar Smith Tennessee ..................8.1
4. Gerald Robinson Tennessee State .....7.3
5. Eric Bell Stephen F Austin .................7.2

[blue_apocalypse]

maybe he can be as good as the other walk-ons we had.

I'll be very happy if Jenkins can join the pantheon of great walk-ons. The weird thing is that he is not my best rated 3 point shooter but for some reason I have more success with him.

nice win and prediction coach lets make this a 4 game winning streak

I hope so! I really want to have a 4 game win streak heading into the conference opener against Utah State. They are a good team in the WAC so I want my players to be very confident before that game

[blue_apocalypse]

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http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa4/Blue_Apocalypse/sanjosestate.gif vs. http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa4/Blue_Apocalypse/texasstate.gif

San Jose State Spartans 5-4 vs. Texas State Bobcats 1-8

Spartans defeat Bobcats in a physical battle

This was an extremely physical games that saw both teams in foul trouble throughout the game but especially in the second half. Webster and Egeric both got into early foul trouble for the Spartans and they were forced to go to a small lineup at several points in the game. The small lineup gave the Bobcats a 16-9 rebounding advantage going into the half. Texas State had their own problems as their bigmen racked up the fouls. The score at the end of the first half was 40-39.

Both teams went cold offensively in the second half but the Spartans were able to continue to find their way to the charity stripe. The Spartans shot 30 free throws in the game and were able to hit 22 of them. The Bobcats took some terrible shots going 6/26 from 3 point range. The final score in this battle of attrition was 67-62.

KEY PERFORMERS
San Jose State
SG Mac Peterson 15pts
SF Ferdinand Jenkins 12pts 4rebs
F Clint Amberry 8pts 5rebs

Texas State
C Jonathan Sloan 11pts 14rebs
F John Rybak 12pts
SG Renato Hardaway 10pts 4asts

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "That is your 4th straight win, do you feel like your team is confident heading into the conference opener against Utah State?"

Coach West: "Yes, I think we are ready for conference play to begin. We realize that it is going to be tough..there are a lot of good teams in the WAC this year but we think we can compete."

Reporter: "This is the first time in your young career that you have a winning record heading into conference play. How does that compare to the last two years?"

Coach West: "Our non-conference schedule was much easier than the non-conf schedules at Sac State. We don't really know how good we are yet. We nearly defeated Georgia and Baylor but we struggled against Murray State and Florida Atlantic. I think we have finally found some consistency so Utah State will be a real measuring stick for us."

Up Next: San Jose State Spartans 6-4 (0-0) vs. Utah State Aggies 8-2 (0-0)

Pre-game Analysis

WAC conference play is finally upon us and the Spartans face a tough test in their first game. The Utah State Aggies have won 8 of their last 10 games and those two losses were against teams ranked in the top 25. They have good shooters but they do struggle a little bit on defense. They play a 2-3 zone so it will be important for Spartan shooters (Jenkins and Peterson) to rise to the occasion and hit shots. It should be a battle but expect the Aggies to come out on top. Prediction: Utah State

[Deuce2223]

How did Boise State do in non-conference. Any big wins or big loses??

Also could you post who is the best overall player,shooter,Freshman,defensive,Pro in the WAC so I can keep a eye out for them in your writeups?? Also How did in season recruitng go. Maybe you posted how you did and I just forgot but was wondering how the rest of the WAC did.

[vols21]

Quick don't let vols see you. I remember my first year at Miami-Ohio I had a walk on shooting guard who was dead on from deep. He is still on my team as a junior (Rose) but is red shirting this year so I can have him 2 more years with King and the rest of the freshman. Right now Rose has the current NCAA record for 3pt % in a career and some other long distance stuff. We all know about vols Jim-George so maybe he can be as good as the other walk-ons we had.

too late. ;)
Maybe down the road when we create our "hall of fame" of best legacy players we can add a room for our best walk-on talent.

[blue_apocalypse]

WAC breakdown

Best Overall Player
-Anil Murphy Nevada SO

Best Freshman
-Donta Lennon Louisiana Tech

Best Shooter
-Mac Peterson San Jose State SR

Best Playmaker
-Anil Murphy Nevada SO

Best Pro Prospect
-Jamel White Louisiana Tech SR

Best Defender
-Magnum Rolle Louisiana Tech SR

Current WAC Overall Standings
1. Nevada 12-0
-Key Wins: Michigan State, LSU, St. Johns
-Bad Losses: None

2. Utah State 8-3
-Key Wins: BYU
-Bad Losses: St. Mary's

3. New Mexico State 7-3
-Key Wins: UNC Greensboro, Iowa
-Bad Losses: San Francisco

4. Idaho 9-5
-Key Wins: None
-Bad Losses: Eastern Washington, Tennessee State, Savannah State

5. San Jose State 6-4-Key Wins: None
-Bad Losses: Murray State

6. Fresno State 5-5
-Key Wins: Arizona State
-Bad Losses: CSU Bakersfield

7. Boise State 5-5
-Key Wins: None
-Bad Losses: UC Davis

8. Hawaii 5-7
-Key Wins: Oregon, S. Illinois
-Bad Losses: None..all losses were to good teams

9. Louisiana Tech 5-8
-Key Wins: Oklahoma,
-Bad Losses: Akron, Air Force

WAC Early Recruit Signings

Nevada
PF Patricio Payne **** #66ovr #11pos <--love the name
SF Dodie Parker *** #292ovr #71pos

Utah State
C Mick Myles ** #473ovr #40pos

New Mexico State
C Raymond Acasio ** #568ovr #65pos
PG D'or Esterkamp ** #772ovr #197pos

Idaho
NONE

San Jose State
NONE

Fresno State
SF Reynold Helms ***JC Transfer

Boise State
PF Kerry Slater *** #174ovr #36pos
PF Darryl Linebaugh *** #334ovr #58pos
C Antric Markham ***JC Transfer

Hawaii
SF Gerry Taylor *** #409ovr #99pos Mr. Basketball from Hawaii

Louisiana Tech
SG Tabby Fazekas ** #466ovr #88pos
PF Dane Tchuisi ** #730ovr #151pos

[blue_apocalypse]

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San Jose State Spartans 6-4 (0-0) vs. Utah State Aggies 8-2 (0-0)

Aggies crush Spartans to open conference play

This was not the way Coach West invisioned his first conference game. The Aggies and Spartans battled it out in the first half and this game looked like it would be a good one. The Spartans got a great effort from Jenkins who had 11 points in the first half. Henderson from Utah State put up 7 points to lead his team. The real advantage for the Aggies though was their superior shooting; they shot 60% in the half. The Aggies had the lead at halftime 36-31.

The Aggies continued their hot streak into the second half and the Spartans simply could not keep up. To make matters worse, San Jose State started missing open looks at the basket. The rout was on and this game was over in the blink of eye. The final score was 77-58.

KEY PERFORMERS
San Jose State
SF Ferdinand Jenkins 25pts
PG B.B. Hatten 11pts 8asts 4rebs
SF Mac Peterson 11pts 3rebs

Utah State
SF Winsome Henderson 18pts 5asts
C Moduo Niang 9pts 7rebs
SG Hope Cruz 11pts

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "Tough start to the conference season.."

Coach West: "Yes it is. This is not how we wanted to open up conference play. They were in a 2-3 zone and we couldn't get any scoring inside. They had a huge size advantage on us and whenever any of our bigmen tried a shot we were getting blocked. We were forced to take outside shots and only Jenkins was hitting them."

Reporter: "It doesn't get any easier after this. Your next 3 games will be on the road..realistically what do you expect your conference record to be this year?"

Coach West: "I'm not going to make a prediction. We have 3 tough road games ahead of us so we just need to focus on those games."

Up Next: San Jose State Spartans 6-5 (0-1) @ Boise State Broncos 5-7 (0-2)

Pre-game Analysis

The Spartans will be heading into "the house that Coach Dezaron built" to take on the Broncos. The Broncos are not having a good year but they are an excellent rebounding team and look better heading into this game than the Spartans. San Jose State just took a knockout punch from the Aggies and are still reeling from that. Expect Boise to win at home. Prediction: Boise State

[blue_apocalypse]

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San Jose State Spartans 6-5 (0-1) @ Boise State Broncos 5-7 (0-2)

Spartans fall just short of first conference win

This was a great game between two evenly matched teams. The first half was a back and forth exchange between the teams. Thomas and Santee led the Broncos in the first half with great shooting while San Jose State countered with the duo of Peterson and Jenkins. Jenkins and Santee led their respective teams with 10 points. Boise State had the last possesion of the half though and they used it to go into halftime with a 34-32 lead.

The second half saw both teams take the lead several times. But with 1:43 left Santee knocked down a huge 3 pointer for the Broncos to give them a 5 point lead. San Jose State went down the court and missed a layup. Boise State got the rebound but they missed the shot on their ensuing possesion. The Spartans got the ball back and with :56 seconds left in the game Jenkins had a wide open look at a 3 pointer that would get the Spartans to within a basket, but he could not hit the shot. The Broncos got the rebound and ran time off the clock. When they did take the shot it was missed but they were able to grab the offensive board and the Spartans were forced to foul. Unfortunately the Broncos made their free throws down the stretch and walked away with a 75-65 win.

KEY PERFORMERS
San Jose State
SF Ferdinand Jenkins 19pts
SG Mac Peterson 16pts
PF Damian Egeric 8pts 6rebs 4asts

Boise State
PG Anthony Thomas 21pts 7asts
SF Carlos Santee 20pts
PF Ike Okoye 10rebs

Postgame Interview

Coach West: "I'm not going to take any questions today. I'm extremely frustrated. If we don't start playing better this is going to be a very long season. We've had a terrible start to conference play and we need to turn this around. The bottom line in this game was rebounding..they had an 11 rebound advantage. We need to win our next game..if we lose it will be very difficult to climb out of an 0-3 hole."

Up Next: San Jose State Spartans 6-6 (0-2) @ Fresno State Bulldogs 7-6 (2-1)

Pre-game Analysis

The Bulldogs are clearly a better team this year and they will be playing on their home court. The Spartans have been really struggling and will need to play much better on defense against the Bulldogs who have some very good outside shooters. Prediction: Fresno State

[Deuce2223]

Wow. Great game for Thomas. Sorry for you lost.:dance: I told you other then against the Broncos I would be cheering loud and hard for you to win. especailly against the WAC.

Thanks for the info. Looks the Neveda is going to be tough. At least the Broncos have some decent talent coming in.

[blue_apocalypse]

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San Jose State Spartans 6-6 (0-2) @ Fresno State Bulldogs 7-6 (2-1)

Spartans defeat Bulldogs for first conference win

The Spartans were desperately seeking their first win in conference play and they were able to get it against the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs really struggled in the first half, going only 36% from the field. Because of their terrible shooting the Spartans were able to open up a 10 point lead going into the break. The score was 34-24.

The Bulldogs fixed their offensive woes in the second half and came charging back into the game. Zimmerman led the charge for the Bulldogs with 10 of his 14 points coming in the second half. Timely shooting by Jenkins and Hatten held the Bulldogs off at the end and the Spartans escaped with a close victory. Fresno State had a chance to tie the game with :43 seconds left but missed a 3 point shot. The Spartans win 66-62.

KEY PERFORMERS
San Jose State
SG Mac Peterson 16pts
SF Ferdinand Jenkins 15pts 4rebs
PG B.B. Hatten 13pts 5asts

Fresno State
PF Herbert Zimmerman 14pts 6rebs
PG Rodolfo Evertsen 13pts
SG Bryan Harvey 11pts 6rebs 3stls

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "Finally a conference win. How does it feel to have one under your belt?"

Coach West: "We really needed this one..so it feels good. But it is only one win and we are still 1-2 in conference play. We really need to take care of business in the next couple of games to get this season back on track."

Reporter: "You seemed really frustrated with the team last week. Has that frustration subsided?"

Coach West: "Frustration always disappears when you win. As long as we keep winning I promise you that I will not be frustrated."

Up Next: San Jose State Spartans 7-6 (1-2) @ Louisiana Tech Bulldogs 8-10 (2-2)

Pre-game Analysis

The Spartans would like to steal another win on the road but Louisiana Tech is a much better team than their record. The Bulldogs have excellent rebounding bigmen and also have good shooters. This will be the first 2-3 matchup zone that the Spartans have faced this year so it will be interesting to see how they adapt to this defense. The team that wins the points in the paint stat will win the game. Prediction: Louisiana Tech

[blue_apocalypse]

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Top 10 Media Poll
1. Duke 15-1
2. Louisville 15-1
3. Tennessee 15-1
4. Florida 16-0
5. Gonzaga 16-0
6. USC 15-1
7. Memphis 15-2
8. NC State 13-1
9. Washington 15-1
10. UConn 12-2
18. Nevada 15-0 <-----WAC

Top 10 Mid-Majors
1. Gonzaga 16-0
2. Nevada 15-0 <-----WAC
3. Creighton 12-2
4. UL Lafayette 16-2
5. Middle Tennessee 14-4
6. Western Carolina 13-2
7. Boston University 13-4
8. Utah State 12-3 <------WAC
9. VCU 11-4
10. Towson 10-5
22. New Mexico State 8-6 <------WAC

WAC Conference Standings
1. Nevada 3-0
2. Utah State 3-0
3. Hawaii 2-1
4. Fresno State 2-2
5. Lousiana Tech 2-2
6. New Mexico State 1-2
7. San Jose State 1-2
8. Boise State 1-3
9. Idaho 0-3

[Deuce2223]

Very nice win over Fresno Looks like a win over Nevada will be huge for you.

[vols21]

good to see you get a conference win finally!!! Hope it is the start of a good streak for you

[blue_apocalypse]

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San Jose State Spartans 7-6 (1-2) @ Louisiana Tech Bulldogs 8-10 (2-2)

Spartans struggle to score against the Bulldogs

It may have been the 2-3 matchup zone that the Bulldogs were playing or it may have just been a bad shooting but no matter the cause the outcome was a Spartan defeat. The teams played a close first half and San Jose State actually held an 8 point lead at one point in the first half. But Louisiana Tech came back to take the lead before halftime. The Spartans were shooting 38% for the half. The score was 33-30.

The Spartans really struggled to get the ball through the hoop in the second half with the Bulldog defense breathing down their necks. Peterson really struggled in the game going 2/10 from the field. As a team the Spartans managed to shoot just 38%. Louisiana Tech sealed the game with a late run to put this one away 73-54.

KEY PERFORMERS
San Jose State
SF Ferdinand Jenkins 21pts 4rebs
PG B.B. Hatten 15pts
C C.J. Webster 4pts 3rebs

Louisiana Tech
PG Derek Wilkerson 13pts 6asts
PF D.J. Wright 12pts 5rebs
SF Olu Ashaolu 10pts 6rebs

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "Were the offensive struggles a result of their defense or a bad shooting night?"

Coach West: "A little of both actually. I don't want to take anything away from those kids..they played great defense against us. But we also had some open looks that we should have hit."

Reporter: "You are not getting much production down low recently..is that part of the gameplan or is it just the way the games are playing out?"

Coach West: "I'd like to get the ball down low to Webster but he is a little undersized and it seems like everytime he takes a shot it is getting sent into the stands by the defender. Hopefully we can get him more involved in the gameplan."

Up Next: San Jose State Spartans 7-7 (1-3) vs. Idaho Vandals 10-9 (1-4)

Pre-game Analysis

Both teams have been really struggling in conference play so far this year. It looks like they are pretty evenly matched so expect a close game. San Jose is returning to the Event Center for this one and they will be looking for revenge. Prediction: San Jose State

[blue_apocalypse]

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http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa4/Blue_Apocalypse/sanjosestate.gif vs. http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa4/Blue_Apocalypse/Idaho.gif

San Jose State Spartans 7-7 (1-3) vs. Idaho Vandals 10-9 (1-4)

Spartans handle Vandals on home court

San Jose State had a good offensive first half in this game. It was a balanced attack but Hatten led the Spartans at halftime with 9 points. As a team the Spartans were shooting 65% and outrebounding the Vandals. The Vandals were able to keep it close though thanks to Anderson who led his team with 7 points. The score at halftime was 39-32.

The Spartans maintained that lead for the rest of the game. The Vandals had a bad shooting night and just could not close that gap. They started taking bad shots and ended up going 8/24 from 3 point range. Meanwhile the Spartans maximized their possesions and ran a very efficient offense. The Vandals had a very difficult stopping Hatten who spent the night slashing through their man to man defense. However the Spartans couldn't maintain their 65% shooting from the first half but did finish the game with a very good field goal percentage at 58%. Because of that, they were never able to really put the Vandals away. The final score in this game was 65-56.

KEY PERFORMERS
San Jose State
PG B.B. Hatten 19pts 7asts 4rebs
C C.J. Webster 14pts 4rebs
SF Ferdinand Jenkins 12pts

Idaho
SF Ike Modica 9pts
PF Steve Anderson 8pts 5rebs 4asts
F Russel Wagner 9pts

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "Last week you were asked about the performance of your front line and they appear to have responded in this game. Why this game?"

Coach West: "I think there were a couple reasons. The first is that this is the first conference opponent that didn't have a huge size advantage. And the second is because I think they really took it personally that I was even that question. Webster in particular said he wanted to give you guys something to write about."

Reporter: "No players on the Vandal team scored in double figures..do you credit your defense for that?"

Coach West: "We really hustled out there today. And when they did miss shots we made sure to grab the rebounds. I think they were just having a bad shooting night but we did get those defensive boards and that was huge."

Up Next: San Jose State Spartans 8-7 (2-3) vs. Hawaii Warriors 10-8 (5-1)

Pre-game Analysis

Coach West is facing a WAC opponent that offered him a position the previous offseason. They will be looking to make him pay for choosing San Jose State over Hawaii. Nobody could have predicted that at this point in the season Hawaii would have a 5-1 conference record. For the most part, their wins against conference opponents haven't even been close. The Spartans on the other hand have struggled in conference play but they are trying to get things turned around before having to travel to Reno. Prediction: San Jose State

[Blackluck]

I'll put 10 bucks on the spartans

[Deuce2223]

Good luck against Hawaii. Congrats on beating the Vandals. Love seeing them lose. Thats some tough D. :) Looks like Hatten is in a grove.

[blue_apocalypse]

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http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa4/Blue_Apocalypse/sanjosestate.gif vs. http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa4/Blue_Apocalypse/hawaii.gif

San Jose State Spartans 8-7 (2-3) vs. Hawaii Warriors 10-8 (5-1)

Spartans turn ball over 17 times in loss

The Hawaii Warriors press defense was too much for the Spartans to handle. The Warriors were able to force a devastating 17 turnovers. Early on in this game it looked like San Jose State might walk away with an easy victory. They jumped out to a 6-0 lead early and had a 12-4 lead before Hawaii implemented their 1-2-1-1 press. This was not the first time the Spartans have faced this press, but it was certainly their worst performance against it. The Spartans committed 10 of their 17 turnovers in the first half. Hawaii used these 10 extra possessions to take a 46-33 lead.

The Spartans continued to struggle with ball control in the second half. They did shoot well when they got the ball across the half court line but it wasn't enough to overcome the turnovers. To make matters worse, Hawaii also won the rebounding battle 31-23. This was a very ugly game and Coach West could be seen on the sideline obviously very angry. The final score in this Spartan loss was 74-60

KEY PERFORMERS
San Jose State
PG B.B. Hatten 16pts 4asts but.....7 turnovers
C C.J. Webster 13pts 6rebs
SF Ferdinand Jenkins 11pts

Hawaii
SF Raynardo Cuffe 16pts 6rebs
PG Kareem Nitolo 13pts
G Cardell Severovas 12pts

Post-game Interview

Coach West: "I'm not in a very good mood..let me warn you of that right off the bat. That was pathetic. We looked like a damn intramural team out there. There is no excuse for 17 turnovers. None. We've played against a 1-2-1-1 zone press before! It's nothing new..we've seen it before and we've never had trouble like that!"

Reporter: "Coach, you have the game against Nevada looming on the horizon..how do you plan on attacking an undefeated team?"

Coach West: "Number one..don't turnover the ball. We have to work on that first. Any other gameplan can come after get the ****ing fundamentals down"

Up Next: San Jose State Spartans 8-8 (2-4) @ #8 Nevada Wolfpack 19-0 (7-0)

Pre-game Analysis

The undefeated Wolfpack are looking to tear apart the Spartans in Reno. The Wolfpack are loaded with good shooters and they take good shots. Nevada also plays excellent defense and the Spartans may struggle to get good looks. The Spartans will not be a challenge on their home court. Prediction: Nevada

[Deuce2223]

Upset Upset Upset. We want to see it... If you need some one to come give the team a pep talk let me know I will get Coach Dezaron on the phone for you.

[blue_apocalypse]

Upset Upset Upset. We want to see it... If you need some one to come give the team a pep talk let me know I will get Coach Dezaron on the phone for you.

This team needs all the help it can get..I felt like throwing my controller out of the window after that loss to Hawaii. I'm seriously kicking myself for not staying at Sac State for another year or two. Not to be a defeatist (and Coach West would never admit to this) but I think I'm going to end up with a losing conference record. My only hope is that I can land some good recruits so I can be more competitive next season. It's kinda sad that less than halfway through the conference season I'm looking forward to next season. :D

[Deuce2223]

Stay tough. I am sure you will pull it off. Really Nevada,Utah St and occasionally Fresno are tough. Hawaii,La Tech,Idaho and even Boise should give you some wins most of the time. Being in California I would try and stick to 3* and 4* guys instate. You should be able to build a solid program with those guys. If you stay and have a few winning seasons you might be able to steal the occasional 5* away from the likes of Cal,Stanford,USC,UCLA ect but it will be hard.

[vols21]

it's ok Coach West. Keep your chin up and bring in some recruits next year. in a couple years, these teams are going to pay for their transgressions. We want to see some SPARTAN POWER!!!

[blue_apocalypse]

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San Jose State Spartans 8-8 (2-4) @ #8 Nevada Wolfpack 19-0 (7-0)

Nevada survives a great effort from the Spartans

The Spartans really looked excited for this game. Most people around the country thought that this would be a blowout but the Spartans made the Wolfpack fight for the victory. In the end though the talent of the Wolfpack was too much. Jenkins had a good first half for the Spartans, scoring 10 pts and was 2/2 from 3 point range. Hanson led the Wolfpack with 9 points. The Wolfpack led a surprisingly close game at halftime 31-26.

The Spartans ran a very efficient offense in the second half and brought up their shooting percentage to 52%. Unfortunately for the Spartans, the Nevada answered with a balanced inside-outside attack and answered San Jose State shot for shot. Jenkins led the way for the Spartans with his 7/9 shooting and 4/5 shooting from 3 point range. The Wolfpack exposed the real weakness of the Spartan team which is their rebounding. San Jose State managed to only grab 16 boards while letting the Wolfpack haul in 28 of them. The final score was 72-63

KEY PERFORMERS
San Jose State
SF Ferdinand Jenkins 18pts 4/5 from beyond the arc
PG B.B. Hatten 17pts 6asts
SG Mac Peterson 10pts

Nevada
SF Tyrone Hanson 21pts 5rebs
PF Dayshawn Wysocki 12pts 10rebs
SG Karron Clement 15pts

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "You kept it close in this one but you were never able to climb into the lead. What do you say to your team after a game like this?"

Coach West: "I told them that we held our own against one of the top teams in the country on their own court. If we can compete with them..we can compete with anybody and we can start winning some conference games. We've had a tough year so far but we just showed that we can still turn this around."

Reporter: "The conference season is nearly half over..what are thoughts on the WAC this year?"

Coach West: "Obviously Nevada is the class of the conference. They are still undefeated. Hawaii is shocking everybody with their play and Utah State is a very good team. The WAC has the 9th highest RPI in the nation so you know that there are some good teams. We just need to start winning some games."

Up Next: San Jose State Spartans 8-9 (2-5) @ Utah State Aggies 14-6 (5-3)

Pre-game Analysis

The Aggies have already beaten the Spartans in San Jose. Nothing about the last couple of weeks should change the outcome and San Jose State is coming off a tough loss to Nevada. It's true, they almost beat a very good team but there may be a bit of an emotional letdown after that game. Prediction: Utah State

[Deuce2223]

Tough loss Coach. If you can play like that against the Aggies I see a victory. Maybe Blackluck will put some money on the line for you.

[blue_apocalypse]

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http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa4/Blue_Apocalypse/sanjosestate.gif @ http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa4/Blue_Apocalypse/utahstate.gif

San Jose State Spartans 8-9 (2-5) @ Utah State 14-6 (5-3)

Aggies hand Spartans their third straight loss

The Spartans really struggled in this game after playing a super efficient game in their loss to Nevada. It was a close first half with neither team playing well offensively. The Spartans really struggled to get the ball through the hoop shooting a miserable 29%. The Aggies did not fare much better in the second half but it was still good enough to hold a 31-29 lead.

The Aggies found their offense in the second half while the Spartans continued to struggle. The Aggies got very little contribution from their center and power forward but the rest of the team was able to make up for their struggles. The Spartans star Jenkins really struggled with his shot going just 4/14 on the night. Hatten struggled also going 4/12 from the floor but he did go 9/12 from the charity stripe. The final score in this game was 74-61.

KEY PERFORMERS
San Jose State
PG B.B. Hatten 17pts
SF Ferdinand Jenkins 16pts
SG Mac Peterson 12pts

Utah State
PG Desmon Bradford 16pts 7asts
SF Winsome Henderson 16pts
SG Hope Cruz 15pts 8rebs

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "After pushing Nevada to the brink why did your team struggle so badly in this game?"

Coach West: "Let's not forget that Utah State is also a very good team. But to answer your question, I think we may have been so focused on that Nevada game that it was difficult to refocus on the Aggies in such a short period of time."

Reporter: "Do you feel like your job may be in jeopardy if you don't turn this around?"

Coach West: "No, I don't think so. I hope they give me some time to do some recruiting and some more coaching on the current roster. I guarantee that no matter how bad it gets this year that we will turn this around next year."

Up Next: San Jose State Spartans 8-10 (2-6) vs. Fresno State Bulldogs 9-10 (4-5)

Pre-game Analysis

The Spartans have already defeated the Bulldogs this year in Fresno but the Spartans are on a 3 game losing streak and do not look confident heading into this game. Fresno State is not looking good coming into this one either losing 3 of their last 4 games. This is a tough matchup to predict seeing as how both teams are struggling. In this battle of Cal State's look for the team that controls the boards to win the game. Prediction: Fresno State

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San Jose State Spartans 8-10 (2-6) vs. Fresno State Bulldogs 9-10 (4-5)

Battle of Point Guards results in Spartan victory

The Spartans have snapped the losing streak! This game was a battle of point guards as each looked to find shots for teamates. Both point guards started the game strong and both led their team in scoring at the end of the first half. Hatten had 9 points for the Spartans and Evertson had 8 points for the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs shot an amazing 69% in the first half. Despite the amazing hot streak Fresno State was on, they only held a small 37-32 at the break.

Luckily for the Spartans they did not stay that hot in the second half and the Spartans began to close the gap. With 1:44 left in the game the Spartans took the lead on a Jenkins 3 point shot. Leading by 3, the Spartans stole the subsequent inbounds pass which was layed into the basket by Damian Egeric who was fouled on his way up. Egeric made the free throw and all of a sudden the Spartans led by six. They were able to stop the Bulldogs on their next possesion and started running time off the clock. The Spartans ended up with an 11 point victory but it all started with that huge 3 pointer by Jenkins. The final score was 77-68.

KEY PERFORMERS
San Jose State
PG B.B. Hatten 18pts 11asts
SG Mac Peterson 19pts
SF Ferdinand Jenkins 18pts 4rebs

Fresno State
C Booker Grizzard 12pts 6rebs
SG Bryan Harvey 10pts
PG Rodolfo Evertson 10pts 9asts

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "You were losing at halftime and really struggling on the defense end. What changes did you make at the half to slow them down?"

Coach West: "We tightened up on their shooters. Other than that we didn't make any changes except late in the game we implemented our 1-2-1-1 zone press and we got a huge turnover from that late in the game."

Reporter: "Speaking of late in the game..did you want Jenkins to take that 3? And some have questioned whether Egeric was really fouled on the layup..what are your thoughts?"

Coach West: "Jenkins had a wide open look at that shot so I was ok with it. As far as the foul call goes..he was definately hacked on the way up. It was good call..I was sitting right in front of the play as it unfolded. I don't know who's been saying it wasn't a foul but they are wrong."

Up Next: San Jose State Spartans 9-10 (3-6) vs. Boise State Broncos 8-12 (3-7)

Pre-game Analysis

In their first matchup Boise State dominated the glass and Thomas slashed through the Spartan defense. Hatten and Jenkins really struggled in their first meeting. I expect the Spartans to close down on Thomas in this game and look to get Jenkins and Hatten going early. If the bigmen can keep rebounding even and Hatten and Jenkins can find their shot, the Spartans should come away with the victory. Prediction: San Jose State

[blue_apocalypse]

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San Jose State Spartans 9-10 (3-6) vs. Boise State Broncos 8-12 (3-7)

Broncos dash Spartan hopes of a win streak

The Spartans were feeling good after snapping their losing streak and were looking to start a winning streak against the Broncos. The Broncos would have none of that. It was a close game throughout and at several points in the game it looked like San Jose State might be able to pull out a win. But each time the Spartans made a charge the Broncos would answer. The Spartans were led by Jenkins who played well in the first half scoring 13 points. The Broncos answered with Riggs who put up 12. The Broncos led at the half 33-28.

In the second half Jenkins seemed to be the only Spartan who knew where the rim was. Everybody else needed a roadmap to find it, especially Peterson who went 3-12 from the field (ouch!). The Spartans tried to get some points down low in this game but Webster made only 1/7 of his shots. So it was all the shoulders of Jenkins who nearly carried his team to a victory but fell just short. The final score was 61-54

KEY PERFORMERS
San Jose State
SF Ferdinand Jenkins 27pts
PF Damian Egeric 12rebs
PG B.B. Hatten 8pts 6asts

Boise State
SG Tyler Riggs 20pts 4asts
PF Bryant Laws 10pts 7rebs
SF Len Finn 9pts 3rebs

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "You won the rebounding battle which is always one of your keys to winning the game..so how did you manage to lose this one?"

Coach West: "Yes, we did a good job on the boards but unfortunately that was negated by 8 turnovers. We also really struggled on offense again. We need to find some more consitency on offense."

Up Next: San Jose State Spartans 9-11 (3-7) vs. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs 13-12 (7-4)

Pre-game Analysis

The Bulldogs are coming into this game on a 3 game winning streak and have won 6 of their last 8 games with one of those losses being a 2 point loss to Nevada. They are really playing well right now. The Spartans are just trying to find some consistency on the offensive side of the ball. The Bulldogs scored easily on the Spartan defense in the 2nd half of their first matchup so the Spartans will need to really tighten up their defense to have a chance. Prediction: Louisiana Tech

[vols21]

that's ok - you made deuce happy in this game. now make the rest of us happy and beat LaTech. I hate them from when they were the lady techsters power against our lady vols. if not for Reggie White I mighta got whipped in that game pulling for the home team. so c'mon get fired up and win one for Coach Dean

[blue_apocalypse]

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San Jose State Spartans 9-11 (3-7) vs. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs 13-12 (7-4)

San Jose State take down a heavily favored Louisiana Tech squad

The Bulldogs were huge favorites coming into this game. As the expression goes "this is why they play the games". The teams looked very evenly matched in the first half. The lead changed hands several times as each team went on a run. San Jose State started out the game with a 5-0 which was immediatly answered by a 6-0 run from the Bulldogs. The Spartans offense was much more consistent in this game and they shot a very good 63% in the first half. B.B. Hatten led the charge for San Jose State with 15 first half points which were matched point for point by Wright of the Bulldogs. The score at halftime was 35-30.

The Spartans played very solid defense in the second half, holding Louisiana Tech to just 25 points. The Spartans also recorded 5 blocks and 6 steals. Perhaps even more importantly, they won the rebounding battle 27-17. The Spartan offense slowed a bit in the second half but their defense more than made up for it. The final score was 65-55.

KEY PERFORMERS
San Jose State
PG B.B. Hatten 19pts 7asts
SF Ferdinand Jenkins 16pts 4rebs
SG Mac Peterson 14pts

Louisiana Tech
PF D.J. Wright 19pts 4rebs
C Magnum Rolle 9pts 5rebs
SG Jamel White 9pts

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "Not many people thought you would win this game. Congratulations coach..word has it that a guy with the nickname of 'blackluck' won a lot of money on this game"

Coach West: "I don't know anything about gambling but I am glad we won this game. We really needed it. Louisiana Tech has a good team this year and last time we played them they really took it to us. So it was good to get a little bit of revenge."

Reporter: "How big has Hatten been recently for your team?"

Coach West: "He's been a very important player for us. He is scoring points and distributing the ball really well. He's usually getting tons of assists. We need that from him..he likes to penetrate the lane and either kick it out to the open shooter or get it to the bigman after the help arrives. He's been doing a good job lately."

Up Next: San Jose State Spartans 10-11 (4-7) @ New Mexico State Aggies 12-10 (4-6)

Pre-game Analysis

Both teams have been very unpredictable this year. The Aggies do have some solid shooters but struggle at times on the boards. The Spartans have the same problems. The key for the Spartans will be to stop the Aggies bigmen in the post and to stop dribble penetration. The Aggies are shooting 40.2% from short range so the Spartans will have to defend the paint well. This is a tough one to predict but the Spartans are coming off a big win. Prediction: San Jose State

[Deuce2223]

Sorry for your loss against the Broncos LOL.....No really I am :) Well okay maybe I am not but hey I do pull for you every other game so that has to mean something. Glad to see you pull of the win over LA Tech. I am really pulling for you to pull out a win streak the rest of the year out. Lets go and get this done.

[blue_apocalypse]

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http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa4/Blue_Apocalypse/sanjosestate.gif @ http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa4/Blue_Apocalypse/newmexicostate.gif

San Jose State Spartans 10-11 (4-7) @ New Mexico State Aggies 12-10 (4-6)

Webster huge as Spartans defeat Aggies

The Spartans finally got the performance from Webster that they have been waiting all season for. After trading baskets with the Aggies in the first two minutes the Spartans took the lead which they would never give back. Webster was a force down low scoring 14 points in the first half and grabbing 7 rebounds. The Aggies just didn't seem to have an answer for him in the first half. Young had a good first half for the Aggies scoring 10 points. The score at halftime was 38-30.

The Aggies closed down on Webster in the second half but it didn't matter because the Spartans found points elsewhere. 4 of the 5 starters finished the game in double figures. Webster went 10/12 from the field for the game. San Jose State also blocked 3 shots and forced 5 Aggie turnovers. The turnovers seemed to come at critical moments for the Spartans. The final score was 69-56.

KEY PERFORMERS
San Jose State
C C.J. Webster 21pts 12rebs
PG B.B. Hatten 15pts 6rebs
SG Mac Peterson 15pts

New Mexico State
SG Jahmar Young 18pts
PF Herb Pope 10pts 8rebs
SF Dave Sterley 9pts

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "Strong performance by Webster tonight. Are you hoping that this is his breakout performance?"

Coach West: "Yeah, he's been struggling this year. The problem is that he should really be playing at the power forward position with his size. New Mexico State did not have a lot of size so Webster was able to get his shots off. I have to say though that I thought Hatten did a great job of getting him the ball when he was open. It was an all around good performance by our team."

Reporter: "I can't help but notice that in the last two games your defense has looked much better. Why has it improved so much?"

Coach West: "We've really put an emphasis on defense in practices lately. We couldn't stop people from scoring, especially in the second half so we've been working a lot on defense and stamina and I think we are starting to see that pay off."

Up Next: San Jose State Spartans 11-11 (5-7) @ Idaho Vandals 11-13 (2-8)

Pre-game Analysis

The Spartans narrowly defeated the Vandals on their court earlier this season. Hatten had a great game and the Spartans dominated the boards. They will need much of the same performance in Idaho. The Spartans have played well in their last couple of games but they have a week off before this game. Meanwhile the Vandals will have their hands full when they travel to face Nevada and New Mexico State. Look for a well rested Spartan team to play well, although this break is coming just as they were starting to play better. Predicition: San Jose State

[blue_apocalypse]

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Top 10 Media Poll
1. Duke 23-2
2. Louisville 23-3
3. Gonzaga 26-0
4. Arizona 19-5
5. USC 22-4
6. Nevada 23-0 <----WAC
7. Tennessee 20-5
8. Washington 22-3
9. Georgia Tech 18-5
10. Mississippi State 21-5

A lot of west coast teams featured in the top 10!

Top 10 Mid-Majors
1. Gonzaga 26-0
2. Nevada 23-0 <----WAC
3. Western Carolina 22-3
4. Creighton 19-5
5. Middle Tennessee 20-7
6. UL Lafayette 23-5
7. Illinois-Chicago 19-6
8. Utah State 17-7 <----WAC
9. Boston University 21-7
10. College of Charleston 19-6
19. Louisiana Tech 13-13 <----WAC

WAC Conference Standings
1. Nevada 11-0
2. Utah State 8-4
3. Hawaii 8-5
4. Louisiana Tech 7-5
5. San Jose State 5-7
6. Boise State 5-8
7. New Mexico State 4-7
8. Fresno State 4-9
9. Idaho 2-9

WAC Statistical Leaders
PPG
1. Herb Pope New Mexico State ...........17.1
2. Ferdinand Jenkins San Jose State ........17.0
3. Brayden Bell Utah State ..................16.0
4. Winsome Henderson Utah State .......15.8
5. Bryan Harvey Fresno State ..............14.6

RPG
1. Herb Pope New Mexico State ...........7.9
2. Damian Egeric San Jose State .............7.6
3. Dayshawn Wysocki Nevada .............7.0
4. Adhar Mayen Hawaii .......................6.5
5. Winsome Henderson Utah State .......15.8

APG
1. B.B. Hatten San Jose State .................5.8
2. Rodolfo Evertson Fresno State .........5.0
3. Mac Hopson Idaho ..........................5.0
4. Desmon Bradford Utah State ...........4.5
5. Bobbye Ingerson Hawaii ..................4.4

NCAA Statistical Leaders
PPG
1. Jonathan Rodriguez Campbell...........31.5
2. Nick Aldridge Western Carolina ........29.3
3. James Florence Mercer ....................26.1
4. Luke Harangody Notre Dame ...........25.2
5. Terrance Calvin Arkansas-Pine Bluff..23.7

RPG
1. Brian Anderson Utah Valley State......9.7
2. Jonathan Rodriguez Campbell ..........9.1
3. Kalu Spears Drexel .........................8.8
4. Pedro Vignale Troy .........................8.7
5. Devin Sweetney Saint Francis ..........8.7

APG
1. Ronald Moore Siena ........................9.1
2. Ben Hansbrough Mississippi State .....8.7
3. Eric Bell Stephen F Austin ................7.0
4. Ishmael Smith Wake Forest .............7.0
5. Ramar Smith Tennessee ..................7.0

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San Jose State Spartans 11-11 (5-7) @ Idaho Vandals 11-13 (2-8)

Vandals crushed at home as Spartans extend win streak

San Jose State won their third straight game in impressive fashion as they blew out the struggling Vandals. Idaho State never held the lead in this game as the Spartans came out with the pedal to the floor and never let up. Once again the Spartans played exceptional defense. Peterson led San Jose State in the first half with 9 points. Phillip Thomas, a reserve forward for the Vandals, had a very good first half in limited minutes scoring 11 points. The Spartans led at the half 34-26.

The freshman Modica really struggled for the Vandals. He went 3/16 for the game. His inexperience was evident as he continued to hoist up shots even when it was obvious that he didn't have his shooting touch. As a team the Vandals were held to 37% shooting. The Spartans had a balanced attack and got 18 points from the bench which rarely makes an impact for San Jose State. The final score was 73-46.

KEY PERFORMERS
San Jose State
SF Ferdinand Jenkins 17pts
SG Mac Peterson 15pts
C C.J. Webster 11pts 8rebs

Idaho
PF Steve Anderson 16pts 4rebs
F Phillip Thomas 15pts
PG Mac Hopson 5asts

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "Another exceptional game from your defense coach."

Coach West: "Thank you. We are winning these games on the defensive side of the ball. Of course we have to score points on the offensive end but we are really challenging shooters, grabbing the rebounds, and getting down the floor for good looks. Our sudden defensive prowess is the reason for our streak."

Reporter: "Coach, you have won 4 of your last 5 games but Hawaii and Nevada are still standing in the way in the schedule. Do you think you'll be able to continue your streak?"

Coach West: "I don't know if we will or not but we will try. We look forward to playing those teams you mentioned. Hawaii beat us up the first time we played them and we would really like some revenge. And don't forget that we played Nevada really tight on their home court. I can't wait till we play them in our building. I hope they are still undefeated when they make that trip to San Jose."

Up Next: San Jose State Spartans 12-11 (6-7) @ Hawaii Warriors 14-12 (9-5)

Pre-game Analysis

The Spartans have been very well as of late and are on a 3 game win streak coming into this one. Hawaii has not been playing well coming into this game. They got off to a very good start in conference play but have slowed since then. The last time they played Hawaii won easily in San Jose but that was some time ago and since then these teams have been on two opposite courses. That being said, Hawaii should win this game in their building. Prediction: Hawaii

[Deuce2223]

Okay I need to know who is making these predictions because I want to thump them in the head, because I am tired of not seeing the Spartans being the team picking up the win.

Very nice win over the Vandals, Only thing better then a Vandal loss is a Spartans or Broncos win. Starting to think a Utah St and Nevada loss is getting on par with a Vandals loss. I bet that crowd was crazy. Don't even think of wearing your teams colors when you visit Idaho. Chances are 10 students will try and jump you or at the min they will cuss you out the entire night. Always a fun expierence. They have to be by far the worst fans I have ever seen. The sooner they realize their school sucks or atleast their sports program sucks the better. 2 days ago the A.D. called out the head coach because of their losing record. Well lets see did he ever stop to think that maybe hiring the assistant coach to the coach you just fired wasn't the wisest of moves. Also bringing in 9 JC transfers might not have been the best of all decisions either.

Anyways good luck. Hope you make a nice run here and hopefully you can at least pull some nice recruits for next year.

[blue_apocalypse]

They have to be by far the worst fans I have ever seen. The sooner they realize their school sucks or atleast their sports program sucks the better. 2 days ago the A.D. called out the head coach because of their losing record. Well lets see did he ever stop to think that maybe hiring the assistant coach to the coach you just fired wasn't the wisest of moves. Also bringing in 9 JC transfers might not have been the best of all decisions either.

First of all....:rotfl:

Also, Vandal fans sound a lot like Raider fans. I don't really know too much about Idaho except I used to watch them play at UCR when they were in the Big West but since they used to be in the same conference I don't care for them much either. Same for Utah State.

For the predictions I sim the game and use whatever the simulation says to make the prediction. It's just like the media to rely on computer simulations than to have any actual knowledge of the game.

[blue_apocalypse]

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San Jose State Spartans 12-11 (6-7) @ Hawaii Warriors 14-12 (9-5)

Hawaii needs overtime to defeat the San Jose State

Just like the last game the Spartans really found it difficult to hold onto the basketball. The first half looked like we might see a repeat of the last game and that Hawaii might easily cruise to a victory. Peterson led the Spartans with 8 points and Nitolo had a very good half with 13 points. The score at halftime was 33-28.

Both teams went ice cold in the second half. The score was stuck at 42-40 for the longest time until the Spartans finally managed to tie it up. It was an exciting end to regulation as it looked like Hawaii might pull out the win. The Spartans fell behind by 6 when Peterson hit a big 3 to get them close. The Spartans got a stop and on the next posession Egeric was fouled. He went to the line but only made 1 of his freethrows. The Spartans desperately needed a stop and Peterson was able to get a steal. The Spartans were down by 2 points with :24 seconds left in the game. They held for the last shot. Finally they got the ball down to Webster and with 0.1 seconds left on the clock he was FOULED! Webster went to the charity stripe with all the pressure on his shoulders and nailed both free throws to send the game into overtime. The score at the end of regulation was 53-53.

But in overtime the Warriors overcame their offensive difficulties and pulled away from the Spartans with some big 3 point shooting. The Spartans simply could not match those 3 pointers. The final score was 73-69.

KEY PERFORMERS
San Jose State
C C.J. Webster 12pts 10rebs 2 clutch free throws
SG Mac Peterson 18pts 5rebs
PG B.B. Hatten 17pts

Hawaii
PG Kareem Nitolo 17pts 6asts 4rebs 3stls
C Paul Campbell 13pts 11rebs 4stls
SF Raynardo Cuffe 14pts 5rebs

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "Coach your offense had been much better coming into this game. Why were so cold offensively in this game?"

Coach West: "I thought we had decent energy in the first half..our offense wasn't great but it was ok. Hawaii is a tough place to play and it just seemed like we came out flat in the second half and in overtime."

Reporter: "This game was eerily similar to the first game. They were really able to force some turnovers which is something we thought you had fixed."

Coach West: "They have the best 1-2-1-1 zone press that I have ever faced. It is really tough to get it through their press. Still, we had been working on it and I thought we had overcome our issues also, but apparently not. If we had just committed a few less turnovers we would have won that game."

Up Next: San Jose State Spartans 12-12 (6-8) vs. #7 Nevada Wolfpack 25-1 (13-1)

Pre-game Analysis

The #7 Wolfpack are coming to San Jose looking to get back on the winning track after suffering a surprising defeat at the hands of Fresno State. The Spartans will also look to get back into the win column after their overtime to the Hawaii warriors. The Spartans really played well against the Wolfpack in Reno so they can play with this team. We are picking an upset. Prediction: San Jose State

[Deuce2223]

I like it :) UPSET UPSET UPSET.. I am flying down Coach Dezaron for support. He has nothing better after taking his early retirement.

[blue_apocalypse]

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San Jose State Spartans 12-12 (6-8) vs. #7 Nevada Wolfpack 25-1 (13-1)

Spartans fall just short again

The crowd for this game was small but passionate and legendary Coach Dezaron came to San Jose to cheer on Spartans against the hated Wolfpack of Nevada. It was clear early on that the Spartans were going to be in the game until the end. Jenkins was cold early in the half but began to heat up towards the end of the half nailing 2 straight 3 point shots. He led the Spartans with 10 points at the half. The Wolfpack had an answer in Anil Murphy who led all in scoring with 11 points. The Spartans trailed 38-33 at the break.

The Wolfpack came out of the locker room on fire and went on a 10-0 run. Coach West called a timeout realizing that this game might be slipping away. The Spartans came out of the huddle and went on a 14-4 run of their own to bring themselves back into the game. They were never able to caputure the lead though and Murphy had a very good half for the Wolfpack. He went 9/11 in the game and 2/3 from beyond the arc. Jenkins did not have the game he was looking for the Spartans. He was 6/16 from the floor and 3/10 from 3 point range. The final score was 70-60.

KEY PERFORMERS
San Jose State
SF Ferdinand Jenkins 15pts 4rebs
SG Mac Peterson 13pts
PG B.B. Hatten 8pts 7asts 4rebs

Nevada
PG Anil Murphy 24pts
C Javale McGee 13pts 9rebs
G Armon Johnson 10pts

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "Coach, sorry about the loss tonight."

Coach West: "Once again we played the Wolfpack well but fell just short. Unfortunately this means that we will finish conference play with a losing record. We need to finish up the season with a win against New Mexico State before we head into the conference tournament. We will be facing either Utah State or Louisiana Tech in the first round of the conference tourney depending on whether or not we win this last game."

Reporter: "Which team would you rather face?"

Coach West: "It doesn't matter who face. If we are going to win the conference tournament then we have to play the best no matter what. So it doesn't matter what the matchup is..we just have to go out there and win."

Up Next: San Jose State Spartans 12-13 (6-9) vs. New Mexico State Aggies 12-15 (4-11) SENIOR NIGHT FOR THE SPARTANS!

Pre-game Analysis

Senior night and the final regular season game for the Spartans will be against the New Mexico State Aggies. San Jose State is fighting to improve its position in the conference tournament. The Aggies will be playing in the #8 vs #9 game no matter the outcome of this game. A win and the Spartans will be either a 5 or 6 seed in the conference tournament while a loss will make them a 7 seed and right now that would match them up with Hawaii, a team they have not played well against this year. The Aggies are on a 5 game losing streak coming into this game and they have already lost to the Spartans on their home court. However we can't help but smell upset here after the Spartan loss to Nevada. Prediction: New Mexico State

[vols21]

might be a tough year win/loss wise. But this has been one of the more enjoyable legacy reads. I like the realism of this more than the mega wins and multi-title legacies.
Good luck in the tourney

[blue_apocalypse]

might be a tough year win/loss wise. But this has been one of the more enjoyable legacy reads. I like the realism of this more than the mega wins and multi-title legacies.
Good luck in the tourney

Thanks vols. I just finished playing the Aggies and I finished the season at .500!! Losing record in conference but .500 overall so I'm happy with that and ready for the conference tournament

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http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa4/Blue_Apocalypse/sanjosestate.gif vs. http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa4/Blue_Apocalypse/newmexicostate.gif

San Jose State Spartans 12-13 (6-9) @ New Mexico State Aggies 12-15 (4-11)

Spartans send seniors out with a win on an emotional night

It was a tough year for the Spartans this year which made this victory against the Aggies all the more emotional for Mac Peterson, C.J. Webster and Darion Goins. But on senior night it was a sophomore that willed the team to victory. Hatten was slashing his way through the Aggies defense scoring 18 points in the first half. For the Aggies Sterley responded with 14 first half points and was 2/2 from beyond the arc. The Spartans were shooting 65% but despite starting the game trailed 37-35 at the half.

The Aggies scored the first 4 points of the second half and it looked like they might start to pull away from the Spartans. But Hatten would have none of that as he scored the next 6 consecutive points for San Jose State. The Aggies were down by 3 with :24 seconds left and had a chance to tie up the game. But they missed the 3 and were forced to intentional foul. But Webster made clutch free throws to seal the deal. The Spartans win on senior night 65-60.

KEY PERFORMERS
San Jose State
PG B.B. Hatten 27pts
SG Mac Peterson 14pts 5rebs
C C.J. Webster 8pts 10rebs

New Mexico State
SF Dave Sterley 19pts 4rebs
PF Herb Pope 13pts 12rebs
SG Jahmar Young 12pts

Postgame Interview with the Spartan Seniors

Reporter: "Let's start with Webster. You've played your final game at the Event Center. What will you take from your basketball experience?"

C.J. Webster: "I really enjoyed my time here at San Jose State. I came to this team a couple of years ago as a JC transfer from Austin, Texas and I have a great time in the Bay Area. I think playing basketball has prepared me for the rest of my life. I'm going to return to Texas with a new perspective on what it is to overcome difficulties."

Reporter: "Peterson..it's been a tough year under Coach West. Was there ever a time where you wondered if the AD made the wrong move?"

Mac Peterson "I have a lot of respect for our Coach Nessman. But Coach West has done a very good job this year. The Media picked us to finish last in the conference and we didn't do that. I think overall this year has been an improvement. Who knows..maybe we'll win the conference tournament. But even if we don't, it has been a better year than people expected."

Reporter: "Goins, you haven't played too much this year. Is it frustrating to sit on the bench your senior year?"

Darion Goins: "Not at all. Coach West sat down with me before the season ever started and he said I wasn't going to start this season. He told me up front and that if I wanted to leave the team he would understand but hoped that I would stick around and contribute. I really appreciated the honesty and I'm glad to contribute whenever coach asks me to."

Up Next: WAC Conference Tournament #5 San Jose State Spartans vs. #4 Utah State Aggies

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Final WAC Conference Standings
1. Nevada 14-2
2. Hawaii 11-5
3. Louisiana Tech 10-6
4. Utah State 9-7
5. San Jose State 7-9
6. Fresno State 7-9
7. Boise State 6-10
8. Idaho 4-12
9. New Mexico State 4-12

WAC Statistical Leaders
PPG
1. Herb Pope New Mexico State ..............17.7
2. Ferdinand Jenkins San Jose State .......16.3
3. Brayden Bell Utah State .....................15.8
4. Javale McGee Nevada ........................15.0
5. Winsome Henderson Utah State ..........14.7

RPG
1. Herb Pope New Mexico State ...............8.7
2. Damian Egeric San Jose State .............7.6
3. Dayshawn Wysocki Nevada .................6.8
4. Adhar Mayen Hawaii ...........................6.6
5. Herbert Zimmerman Fresno State ........6.3

APG
1. B.B. Hatten San Jose State ..................5.5
2. Mac Hopson Idaho ...............................5.1
3. Desmon Bradford Utah State ...............4.5
4. Bobbye Ingerson Hawaii .....................4.5
5. Rodolfo Evertsen Fresno State .............4.4

[Deuce2223]

Wow not a single player from Boise in the Top 5 in any Stats and a 6-10 Record that hurts. It hurts bad. :(

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With March Madness coming up soon and conference tournments beginning lets took a look at the teams likely to be dancing and teams that are on the bubble:

ACC
-Locks: Duke, Maryland, Georgia Tech, Miami, NC State
-On the Bubble: Clemson

Pac-10
-Locks: USC, Washington, Arizona
-On the Bubble: Oregon, Cal

Big East
-Locks: Louisville, Villanova, UConn, Cincinnati, Syracuse, DePaul
-On the Bubble: Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Seton Hall

Big 10
-Locks: Michigan State, Wisconsin, Illinois
-On the Bubble: Ohio State, Michigan

SEC
-Locks: Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi State, Florida
-On the Bubble: Vanderbilt, Alabama

Big-12
-Locks: Kansas State, Iowa State, Texas
-On the Bubble: Texas Tech, Texas A&M

Mid Majors
-Locks: Gonzaga, Nevada, Memphis, Rhode Island, East Carolina
-On the Bubble: Charlotte, Mercer, UL Lafayette, La Salle, Western Carolina, Middle Tennessee, Illinois-Chicago, Southern Mississippi, Tulsa, Creighton, Western Kentucky

[Deuce2223]

Wow. Looks like the Big East is dominating.

[blue_apocalypse]

Wow. Looks like the Big East is dominating.

Yeah..they always get a bunch of teams in but the last two champions have come from the SEC (Kentucky and LSU). Interestingly, LSU doesn't even look like they will make the tournament this year.

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http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa4/Blue_Apocalypse/sanjosestate.gif vs. http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa4/Blue_Apocalypse/utahstate.gif

#5 San Jose State Spartans vs. Utah State Aggies

Spartans shock the Aggies; win big

The Spartans had their best game of the season at the right time. Utah State easily defeated the Spartans twice this season but they got their revenge the WAC tournament. Peterson was strong in the first half with 15 points for the Spartans. The Aggies answered with Henderson who scored 8 points. We should point out that the Aggies best player Brayden Bell was playing in this game with a pulled hamstring. The Spartans jumped all over the Aggies to start the game and had a huge lead at halftime. They lead 46-28.

The Aggies looked stunned to start the second half and could not regain their composure as the Spartans continued to drain shots. The New Mexico crowd really got behind San Jose State as they laid the lumber onto the Aggies. 4 of the 5 Spartan starters finished the game in double figures. The final score in this shocker was 84-59.

KEY PERFORMERS
San Jose State
SG Mac Peterson 20pts 8/9 shooting and 4/5 from 3pt
SF Ferdinand Jenkins 18pts
C C.J. Webster 15pts 6rebs 4asts

Utah State
SG Hope Cruz 13pts 5rebs
PF Tai Wesley 10pts
C Brayden Bell 8pts 5rebs in a heroic effort with a pulled hamstring

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "How did it feel to finally get a win over this Aggies and in such a dramatic fashion?"

Coach West: "It feels great to get a win in the conference tournament. And it is even more special because it came against the Aggies. We know first hand how good this team is. They beat us down pretty badly twice this year..but this time it was our turn to play well. My hat is off for Bell. He really gave those guys a heck of an effort despite being injured."

Reporter: "You have Nevada up next. Will we see another great Spartan performance?"

Coach West: "I sure hope so. It is going to take a near perfect game to beat those guys. We have played two close games against them so we know we can beat them, it's just a matter of actually beating them. They are an amazing team so we really hope we can pull off an upset."

Up Next: #5 San Jose State Spartans vs. #1 Nevada Wolfpack

[vols21]

go go Spartans!! Remember the 300. Time to get that win over the Wolfpack!!!

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http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa4/Blue_Apocalypse/sanjosestate.gif vs. http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa4/Blue_Apocalypse/nevada.gif

#5 San Jose State Spartans vs. #1 Nevada Wolfpack

Spartans once again fall just short of defeating Nevada

The Wolfpack are 3-0 against the Spartans this year but none of those wins have come easily. The Spartans were down huge at the beginning of the half. Nevada opened up the game on a 22-6 run. But the Spartans did not have the look of a defeated team as they bounced back from a huge deficit. Peterson led the way for the Spartans with 9 points in the first half. The Wolfpack were led by McGee with 6 points. The Spartans were able to make it close by halftime with a score of 33-28.

The Wolfpack were not able to put together an extended scoring run in the second half and the Spartans battled tooth and nail to keep it close. But when it came to crunch time McGee blocked two huge shots for the Wolfpack and Jenkins missed a wide open 3 pointer for the Spartans as their dreams of making it to the final game of the conference tournament were snuffed out. The final score was 67-57

KEY PERFORMERS
San Jose State
SG Mac Peterson 15pts
PG B.B. Hatten 14pts 7asts
C C.J. Webster 12pts 7rebs

Nevada
PG Anil Murphy 15pts 13asts
SG Karron Clement 14pts
C Javale McGee 10pts 4rebs 3blks

Postgame Interview

Reporter: "Well you fell short of the tournament final but it was a valiant effort."

Coach West: "Thank you. I am very proud of this team. We had a really tough start to conference play but we really rebounded there at the end. This team has a ton of heart. Really proud of these guys. Also I just want to wish Nevada luck in their next game and in the NCAA tournament. They will be representing the WAC so I will be rooting for them."

WAC Conference Final:

Nevada 64
Louisiana Tech 70

So the WAC will get two bids in the NCAA this year

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NCAA Tournament Breakdown by Conference:

Big East....9
ACC.........5
Big 12......5
Big 10......5
SEC.........5
Pac 10.....4
A-10.........3
WAC........2
Southern..2
Sun Belt...2
C-USA......2

NCAA Tournament Results

Round 1 Upsets and Teams of Interest

#7 East Carolina 51
#10 Texas A&M 53

#6 Rhode Island 87
#11 Louisiana Tech 83

#8 Texas 65
#9 Texas Tech 89

#7 DePaul 59
#10 Seton Hall 94

#8 Pittsburgh 64
#9 La Salle 82

#4 Illinois 73
#13 VCU 76

#6 Syracuse 71
#11 Michigan 82

#3 Nevada 102
#14 Bradley 60

#7 Kansas State 81
#10 Mercer 89

Round 2 Upsets and Teams of Interest

#1 Duke 73
#8 Oregon 88

#4 Wisconsin 69
#5 Florida 70

#3 Villanova 48
#6 Miami 54

#2 Washington 80
#7 NC State 82

#1 USC 78
#8 Notre Dame 86

#2 Gonzaga 72
#10 Texas A&M 92

#3 Maryland 69
#6 Iowa State 87

#3 Nevada 63
#11 Michigan 61

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Sweet 16 Results

East Regional Bracket

#5 Florida 81
#8 Oregon 84

#6 Miami 89
#7 NC State 80

West Regional Bracket

#4 Kentucky 77
#8 Notre Dame 105

#3 Memphis 99
#10 Texas A&M 70

South Regional Bracket

#1 Louisville 85
#4 Mississippi State 99

#2 Tennessee 62
#6 Iowa State 90

Midwest Regional Bracket

#1 Arizona 92
#5 UConn 99 <---No #1 seeds will make it to the Elite Eight

#2 Michigan State 90
#3 Nevada 61

Regional Final Results

East Regional Final

#6 Miami 55
#8 Oregon 83

West Regional Final

#3 Memphis 79
#8 Notre Dame 86

South Regional Final

#4 Mississippi State 79 <---#4 seed is the highest to make the final four
#6 Iowa State 74

Midwest Regional Final

#2 Michigan State 78
#5 UConn 80

Final Four

Oregon 72
Notre Dame 79

Mississippi State 93
UConn 75

NCAA Championship Game

Mississippi State 79
Notre Dame 99

Notre Dame wins the NCAA Championship as a #8 seed!

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Player of the Year
-Luke Harangody Notre Dame SR

Mid Major Player of the Year
-Jonathan Rodriguez Campbell SR

Coach of the Year
-Rick Pitino Louisville

Defensive Player of the Year
-Taj Gibson USC SR

Big Man of the Year
-Luke Harangody Notre Dame SR

Freshman of the Year
-Arthur Badu Air Force

First team All-Americans
-PG Eugene Harvey Seton Hall SR
-SG Jerome Dyson UConn SR
-SF Bill Walker Kansas State JR
-PF Gani Lawal Georgia Tech JR
-C Luke Harangody Notre Dame SR

Second team All-Americans
-PG Tweety Carter Baylor SR
-SG Dar Tucker DePaul JR
-SF Jonathan Rodriguez Campbell SR
-PF Nick Aldridge Western Carolina SR
-C DeAndre Jordan Texas A&M JR

Freshman All-Americans
-PG Chauncey Welch Virginia
-SG Damian Spencer North Carolina
-SF Jeremy Shavies Delaware
-PF Al Daniels Missouri
-C Arthur Badu Air Force

WAC Coach of the Year
-Wayne Tinkle Nevada

WAC Player of the Year
-Herb Pope New Mexico State JR

WAC Freshman of the Year
-Damian Egeric San Jose State

First Team All-WAC
-PG Anil Murphy Nevada SO
-SG Bobbye Ingerson Hawaii SO
-SF Winsome Henderson Utah State SO
-PF Herb Pople New Mexico State JR
-C Javale McGee Nevada SR

Second Team All-WAC
-PG B.B. Hatten San Jose State SO
-SG Bryan Harvey Fresno State SR
-SF Ferdinand Jenkins San Jose State SO
-PF Herbert Zimmerman Fresno State SO
-C Brayden Bell Utah State SR

Freshman All-WAC
-PG Desmon Bradford Utah State
-SG Donta Lennon Louisiana Tech
-SF Dave Sterley New Mexico State
-PF Damian Egeric San Jose State
-C Trevour Lopez Idaho