Call it the Battle in Bozeman.
Granted, such a reference doesn't have the cachet of say, The Thrilla in Manilla, but it's conference prestige on the line. Plus, the Bobcats want to defend their homecourt from an out-of-league trespasser.
Montana State is currently 13-12 overall, 7-6 in conference play and, maybe most importantly, 8-3 in home games.
Here's MSU Coach Brad Huse on the match.
Common Opponents This Season
11/14/09 at Nevada 61-75 L
11/25/09 at San Francisco W 70-66
12/4/09 Northern Colorado W 87-63
2/23/09 at Boise State 56-58 L
The Bobcat Starting Lineup
Four starters return from last season
6-foot-9 Branden Johnson: Owning 10.2 ppg. and 5.5 rpg. stats respectively, the anomaly is that he is the top three-point shot taker on the team (36%) as 124 of his 196 shot attempts have come from beyond the stripe -- he was the top student-athlete on the squad last season
6-foot-7 Bobby Howard: The leading scorer at 14.1 ppg. and second on the team in rebounding with 5.4 a contest, he shoots 52% from the floor, 33% from long range but just 56% at the foul line
6-foot-5 Erik Rush: A graduate of Milpitas High, Rush is at 11.3 and 4.3 respectively, 44% overall in shooting, 35% from three-point land
6-foot-3 Will Bynum: He is the co-leader in assists, tops in steals and averaging 8.4 ppg. but his shooting is the weakest among the starters -- 38% on the season and 22% on one three-point attempt per game -- he was the team co-defensive MVP last season
6-foot-1 Marquis Navarre: He is tied for first in assists but also has sharp shooting numbers -- 11.3 ppg. on 49% shooting and a very good 44% on his trey attempts
Every starter averages 30+ minutes per game of playing time
The Cavalry
6-foot-6 Danny Piepoli: 47% shooting , 42% on his threes (82 of his 119 shots have been trey attempts) and 83% at the foul line
6-foot-4 Austin Brown: His shooting numbers aren't strong at 37%, 29% and 48% respectively but he is tied for the team lead in blocked shots with 19
6-10 Cody Anderson: With the body of a bruiser, he remarkably has attempted a three-pointer a game
5-11 Bryan Louff: The backup at the point, he is shooting 28% on the season but 5-10 from three-point range
The Montana State Roster, by position
Will Bynum G 6-3 180 Sr.
Colt Idol G 6-3 200 Fr.
Marquis Navarre G 5-11 165 Sr.
Bryan Louff G 5-11 175 So.
Erik Rush G 6-5 210 Jr
Austin Brown F 6-4 205 So.
Jeff Budinich F 6-9 225 Fr.
Steven Davis F 6-7 225 Fr.
Cameron Henderson F 6-7 235 Sr.
Bobby Howard F 6-7 225 Jr.
Branden Johnson F 6-9 230
Danny Piepoli F 6-6 200 Jr.
Cody Anderson C 6-10 270 So.
Michel Swita C 7-0 Jr.
What To Expect
- Montana State averages 20 three-point attempts per game to 15 for SJSU -- what will these totals be on Saturday night?
- The Bobcats have committed 52 less turnovers than its collective opponents, as have the Spartans
- Averaging 68.3 points per game, Montana trails by six points or so behind San Jose State's average
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Yet another Adrian Oliver feature
It seems the basketball world is finally discovering Adrian Oliver:
Q&A with San Jose State star Adrian OliverGo here for the remainder.
Diamond Leung
ESPN
February 17, 2010
San Jose State is home to Adrian Oliver, the nation’s sixth-leading scorer who garnered the U.S. Basketball Writers Association’s national player of the week honor last month.
That Oliver would reach those heights seemed unlikely as of two seasons ago when he abruptly transferred from Washington. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound junior guard showed signs of stardom last year, but was bothered by foot and knee injuries.
This year, Oliver has burned defenses for 22.5 points per game to lead the WAC in scoring and has the Spartans (12-12) in position to record their first winning season since 1994.
DL: Last month you scored a career-high 39 points against Louisiana Tech. What does being in the zone feel like?
AO: It’s really hard to explain. It’s something you start feeling. The rim gets really big, and no one on the court can really guard you. You try to make the most of it. It’s kind of special.
I don’t like how it shows at our gym; it shows players points. People know you’re one point away (from 40). I’d much rather have the win...
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
A feature on Adrian Oliver
What Spartans ask, get from Oliver: moreGo here for the remainder.
Vittorio Tafur
San Francisco Chronicle
February 17, 2010
Adrian Oliver dribbles as the shot clock winds down Saturday night, one defender on him and one lurking nearby. He looks for options, but there aren't any - it's hard to imagine any of his San Jose State teammates got a mention in Utah State's scouting report.
He beats his man, elevates quickly over the other defender and puts up a soft shot that rims out, just as the collision of bodies inside sends him sprawling hard to the floor. He lingers for a minute, picks himself up and heads to the free-throw line.
It is a love pat considering what Oliver's getting on the other end of the court. San Jose State is so small that the 6-foot-4 guard has to defend 6-7 power forward Tai Wesley, whose main offensive move is slamming his shoulder into Oliver.
"I have never minded the rough stuff," Oliver said. "It's fun to me to get pushed and then push back..."
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Aggies win 81-65
With the precision of a Swiss clock and boasting uber competitiveness and basketball fundamentals, the Utah State basketball squad is very hard to deviate from its game plan as drawn up by Coach Stew Morrill. Sometimes, it takes a while for all to click especially when new parts have been installed but the timing usually flourishes as the season rolls on.
That certainly was the case tonight when the Aggies came to San Jose State and ultimately departed with an 81-65 victory.
Employing more screens than the total that cover the windows of Pentagon, USU batters and bruises individual defenders into pulp. Plus, offensive forays to the hoop are met with mixed martial arts resistance.
On the night, despite the taking turns guarding by deluxe defenders Pooh Williams and Tyler Newbold, plus also at times some zone, Adrian Oliver managed 28 points.
Looking like an average Joe but taller, Nate Bendall proved to be a thorn in the side of the Spartans all night with 18 points (8-13 shooting) in 28 minutes of play. In fact, every Aggie shot well, going 14-26 and then 15-21 as a team in the two halves respectively, finishing at a remarkable 61.7% on the night.
The Spartans led 9-7 at the initial timeout. But Utah State forged ahead 20-15, then 27-16 and 31-22 with 3:54 remaining in the initial 20 minutes.
At the half, Utah State was on top 36-29. Faced with SJSU's four guard and a center quintet, the Aggies didn't take a shot outside the paint until Quayle put one up from just around 16 feet around the 15 minute mark.
A teardrop from Oliver cut the point differential to 39-33 early in the second half but USU went ahead 45-35 at the 15:56 mark.
With 12;28 showing, a Wesley layup made it 53-37. The Spartans fought back to close the gap to 72-61 with 3:20 remaining but smart ball by the Aggies carried the remainder of the half.
One aspect that elevates the efficiency of the Aggie offense is the passing ability of Tai Wesley at the four spot. With most centers and powers forwards, the ball enters a black hole upon reception, never to be passed from. Wesley totaled five assists tonight. Plus, Tyler Newbold -- the Aggie off-guard -- was credited with a team-leading six assists and nary a turnover.
That certainly was the case tonight when the Aggies came to San Jose State and ultimately departed with an 81-65 victory.
Employing more screens than the total that cover the windows of Pentagon, USU batters and bruises individual defenders into pulp. Plus, offensive forays to the hoop are met with mixed martial arts resistance.
On the night, despite the taking turns guarding by deluxe defenders Pooh Williams and Tyler Newbold, plus also at times some zone, Adrian Oliver managed 28 points.
Looking like an average Joe but taller, Nate Bendall proved to be a thorn in the side of the Spartans all night with 18 points (8-13 shooting) in 28 minutes of play. In fact, every Aggie shot well, going 14-26 and then 15-21 as a team in the two halves respectively, finishing at a remarkable 61.7% on the night.
The Spartans led 9-7 at the initial timeout. But Utah State forged ahead 20-15, then 27-16 and 31-22 with 3:54 remaining in the initial 20 minutes.
At the half, Utah State was on top 36-29. Faced with SJSU's four guard and a center quintet, the Aggies didn't take a shot outside the paint until Quayle put one up from just around 16 feet around the 15 minute mark.
A teardrop from Oliver cut the point differential to 39-33 early in the second half but USU went ahead 45-35 at the 15:56 mark.
With 12;28 showing, a Wesley layup made it 53-37. The Spartans fought back to close the gap to 72-61 with 3:20 remaining but smart ball by the Aggies carried the remainder of the half.
One aspect that elevates the efficiency of the Aggie offense is the passing ability of Tai Wesley at the four spot. With most centers and powers forwards, the ball enters a black hole upon reception, never to be passed from. Wesley totaled five assists tonight. Plus, Tyler Newbold -- the Aggie off-guard -- was credited with a team-leading six assists and nary a turnover.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Utah State here on Saturday night
The Utah State basketball Aggies aren't exactly a force that sends shivers down the spines of PAC-10, Big East, Big 10, ACC and Southeastern Conference basketball fans.That's their ignorance.
Of course and for good W-L reasons, none of the respective head coaches at those schools will come to Logan for a game or even agree to a home-and-home series. They know better and luckily -- for them -- they don't have to make such a deal. It's Maslow's self-preservation need in orange spherical form.
Western Athletic Conference fans are the ones in the know about Aggie power. Always tough -- mentally and physically -- and displaying fundamental skills, Coach Stew Morrill's squads possess solid basketball talent but also demonstrate the synergy of the sum being greater than the individual parts.
Especially this season when probably none of the Aggies will earn first-team All-WAC honors.
For example, take the recent game where Nevada traveled to Logan for a rematch after a late loss at home. The Wolf Pack were led by Luke Babbitt's 20 points (plus nine boards) and 19 from Armon Johnson, shot 44% overall and also swatted away nine Aggie shot attempts.
In contrast, Utah State shot 39.7%.
So how did Coach Morrill's team win 76-65?
Try just four USU turnovers.
Add in that Nevada shot but eight free throws.
Additionally, Utah State won the battle of the boards 43-33, with 21 of those rebounds coming at the offensive end.
All this illustrates that the Aggies 'get over' opposing teams in multiple manners, thereby enhancing the odds of nabbing victories. They might not wow anyone but they'll whip you.
They will be at Walt McPherson Court on Saturday evening, arriving on a nine-game WAC win streak.
Here is what happened the last time (January 30) SJSU and USU met:
"Utah State started out the game hot and enjoyed a 10-point first half lead at one point. It would have been easy to panic at that point but San Jose State instead fought back and closed the gap. A Mac Peterson trey made it 29-all, it was again a tie at 34 apiece and then 36-up after a successful Justin Graham dribble-drive. Eventually, the Spartans trailed by three at the buzzer after a Graham three--pointer was waved off.
But the Aggies cranked it up again coming out in the second 20 minutes and SJSU couldn't respond, resulting in a 77-58 victory for USU. This even though C.J. Webster forced Utah State 'big' Tai Wesley into his third foul and a trip to the bench early in the second half.
At the 15-minute mark, San Jose State was again down by 10 -- the Spartans having gone through an 0-5 shooting stretch while the Aggies went 4-5.
The lead went to 11, then 12 and then 13 with 11 minutes to go. At the nine-minute mark, the deficit was 16 and no longer closeable. The Spartans shot 21% in the second half, scoring just 22 points.
Adrian Oliver paced SJSU with 19 points (5-16 shooting) and Peterson contributed 11 (3-12 shooting) -- the same total he had at the conclusion of the first half.
We wrote this about Nate Bendall in our game preview: "He's the replacement for Gary Wilkinson, smaller and certainly not as dominant at 7.9 ppg. and 3.7 rpg. -- he does shoot well from both the floor and foul line but needs setting up." Bendall led Utah State with 20 points (9-14), a goodly percentage on putbacks after offensive rebounds.
Brady Jardine totaled 17 (8-11 shooting) -- a season and career high for him. Pooh Williams added 14. Here is how we described him in the preview: "Always a worthy defender, he really helps the Aggies when his shot is on."
Williams played the best defense this season on Oliver and also hit a trio of treys (3-6 from long range) -- yet he is inexplicably 18-36 at the foul line this season.
For the game, San Jose State shot 36%, 7-23 on treys and 13-15 from the foul line. Utah State shot 55%, went 9-18 on three-pointers and 4-5 at the charity stripe. The Aggies had a small lead in overall rebounding at 32-27. With turnovers, USU committed eight to seven for SJSU.
After the first 20 minutes, Peterson led San Jose State with the aforementioned 11 points while Oliver was just behind with 10. SJSU shot 13-24 overall, 5-11 from three-point range. Utah State went 15-31, 5-10 from long distance. The Aggies nabbed 16 boards, half on the offensive end to 11 for the Spartans. But the first five minutes of the second period un-did San Jose State."
USU's WAC schedule/results
1/02/10 @ New Mexico State L, 55-52
1/04/10 @ Louisiana Tech L, 82-60
1/11/10 vs Hawai'i W, 98-54
1/13/10 @ Nevada W, 79-72 (OT)
1/16/10 vs. Boise State W, 81-59
1/21/10 @ Fresno State W, 69-43
1/23/10 @ Idaho W, 60-48
1/30/10 vs. San Jose State W, 77-58
2/03/10 vs. Idaho W, 80-62
2/06/10 vs. Nevada W, 76-65
Utah State's Starting Five
6-foot-9 Nate Bendall - He's the replacement for Gary Wilkinson, smaller and certainly not as dominant but he plays smart.
6-foot-7 Tai Wesley - Call him the enforcer on the court, he's also the best Aggie inside shooter and rebounder at 12.1 ppg and 6.7 rpg. -- plus, he has taken the most foul shots on the USU roster due to his aggressiveness
6-foot- 3 Pooh Williams - Always a worthy defender, he really helps the Aggies when his shot is on -- a 42% shooter from long range yet just 55% from the foul line
6-foot-4 Tyler Newbold - Not necessarily a creator, he's more a long distance shooter as two thirds of his shots are trey attempts and he's in just the teens in foul line shots -- he is also good on the boards at six a game
6-foot-1 Jared Quayle - the second leader scorer for the Aggies at 11.3 ppg, he shoots the most on the team and is at 42% overall, plus 43% from long range (half of his shots are three-pointers) -- what is surprising is that he's taken just 13 foul shots in 10 games
The Cavalry
6-foot-8 Brady Jardine - the most athletic of the Aggies -- possessing a 43-inch vertical -- he's enjoying a strong second half streak in WAC play, thereby giving Morrill another frontcourter in the rotation
6-10 Modou Niang - he is from Senegal but attended high school in Japan -- playing very little since Jardine upped his production
6-foot-8 Matt Formisano - one of Bendall's fill-ins, he has placed less since WAC play commenced
6-foot-1 Brian Green - He's more 5-foot-11 but a vocalizer/leader on the court and someone who will bury the open trey -- Green is shooting 67% (20-30) on three-pointers in WAC action
The improvement of Jardine and Green has solidified the Aggie rotation and lessned the need for others to play too many minutes.
The Aggie Roster, by position
Preston Eaton 5-10/170 Guard FR
Brian Green 6-1/195 Guard JR
Preston Medlin 6-4/165 Guard FR
Jaxon Myaer 5-9/165 Guard SO
Tyler Newbold 6-4/210 Guard JR
Jared Quayle 6-1/180 Guard SR
Pooh Williams 6-3/200 Guard/Forward JR
Nate Bendall 6-9/245 Forward JR
Matt Formisano 6-8/240 Forward JR
Morgan Grim 6-8/220 Forward JR
Brady Jardine 6-7/220 Forward SO
Tai Wesley 6-7/240 Forward JR
Tyrone White 6-6/175 Forward FR
Modou Niang 6-10/220 Center SO
What To Expect
- The Spartans will emerge bruised at the very least post-game due to the number of screens Utah State runs defenders through
- It's near impossible to get the Aggies out of the offensive rhythm and speed they wish to play at so it's paramount to contest as many shots as possible, minimizing open looks
- Morrill's squad is shooting 50% in WAC action while holding opponents to 41%, plus 44% to 31% from three-point range while managing a +58 in overall rebounding numbers -- the Spartans need to make those numbers much closer
- USU doesn't force a lot of turnovers -- the numbers are even in league play -- so such shouldn't be much of a factor on Saturday
- Pooh Williams will more than likely be named the top defender in the WAC and he'll make Adrian Oliver work for shots/points -- who else will step up as point producers on Saturday for San Jose State?
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
A Derek Brown update
We missed this earlier:Chino Champion
January 22, 2010
Chino Hills High guard Derek Brown scored 22 points, including the game-winning 3-pointer with 58 seconds left, as the Huskies rallied from two nine-point deficits and escaped with a 53-51 win over Los Alamitos Monday afternoon at the
“I Have A Dream” showcase at Los Osos High School in Rancho Cucamonga. Eighteen teams participated in the day-long event.
Brown, headed to San Jose State University in the fall, finished with five 3-pointers in the win. Chino Hills, the No. 2 ranked team in CIF-Southern Section Division 1A, improved to 17-2 overall.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
New Mexico State wins 94-82
Let's take the OK Corral out of Tombstone and place it in the wild west of Las Cruces. The Earps (host New Mexico State this time) versus the Clanton Gang (San Jose State), lots of firepower on both sides.
When the gun smoke cleared, it was the Aggies winning 94-82.
Robert Owens led the Spartans with a career-high 29 points, shooting 10-15 overall (7-12 on threes). He was 'en fuego' until the last minutes when he missed his final three trey attempts. Adrian Oliver contributed 22 while Chris Oakes earned a double-double of 14 points and 10 boards.
Jahmar Young topped New Mexico State with 25 points and Jonathan Gibson was right behind with 20. In his first game of the season, Troy Gillenwater provided a double-double of 19 points and 11 boards -- all in just 21 minutes of action.
The Aggies led by 12 soon after the second 20 minutes began but a pair of three-pointers by Owens made it 56-52 at the 14:55 mark. A little later on, Owens' trey and foul shot (he was fouled) cut the deficit to three at 61-58.
The pattern was the Aggies extending the lead and San Jose State drawing back close but SJSU could never tie or go ahead.
A Mac Peterson three with 7:55 remaining put the score at 76-71.
With around five minutes left, San Jose State sagged a bit and the Aggies expanded the point differential to 10 at 83-73 before closing out matters.
At the half, it was 49-42 in favor of New Mexico State. A Gillenwater and1 three-point play put the score at 20-12 Aggies but an Oakes dunk brought SJSU to within a pair of points at 34-32. The effect of NMSU's three-quarter court press was negligible.
As a team, San Jose State shot 43% overall, 11-23 on trey attempts and 9-14 from the foul line. The Aggies were sharper though with 52% overall shooting, 10-21 from long distance and 18-24 at the charity stripe. The 21 three-point shots were a far cry from the 38 New Mexico State attempted in the earlier game between these two teams in San Jose.
By the way, Idaho traveled to Boise tonight and slammed the Broncos 79-55. This despite Mac Hopson scoring just 11 points and Steffon Johnson six. The Vandals led 43-19 at the half.
Host Utah State led 39-35 over Nevada after the initial 20 minutes and just won 76-65.
When the gun smoke cleared, it was the Aggies winning 94-82.
Robert Owens led the Spartans with a career-high 29 points, shooting 10-15 overall (7-12 on threes). He was 'en fuego' until the last minutes when he missed his final three trey attempts. Adrian Oliver contributed 22 while Chris Oakes earned a double-double of 14 points and 10 boards.
Jahmar Young topped New Mexico State with 25 points and Jonathan Gibson was right behind with 20. In his first game of the season, Troy Gillenwater provided a double-double of 19 points and 11 boards -- all in just 21 minutes of action.
The Aggies led by 12 soon after the second 20 minutes began but a pair of three-pointers by Owens made it 56-52 at the 14:55 mark. A little later on, Owens' trey and foul shot (he was fouled) cut the deficit to three at 61-58.
The pattern was the Aggies extending the lead and San Jose State drawing back close but SJSU could never tie or go ahead.
A Mac Peterson three with 7:55 remaining put the score at 76-71.
With around five minutes left, San Jose State sagged a bit and the Aggies expanded the point differential to 10 at 83-73 before closing out matters.
At the half, it was 49-42 in favor of New Mexico State. A Gillenwater and1 three-point play put the score at 20-12 Aggies but an Oakes dunk brought SJSU to within a pair of points at 34-32. The effect of NMSU's three-quarter court press was negligible.
As a team, San Jose State shot 43% overall, 11-23 on trey attempts and 9-14 from the foul line. The Aggies were sharper though with 52% overall shooting, 10-21 from long distance and 18-24 at the charity stripe. The 21 three-point shots were a far cry from the 38 New Mexico State attempted in the earlier game between these two teams in San Jose.
By the way, Idaho traveled to Boise tonight and slammed the Broncos 79-55. This despite Mac Hopson scoring just 11 points and Steffon Johnson six. The Vandals led 43-19 at the half.
Host Utah State led 39-35 over Nevada after the initial 20 minutes and just won 76-65.
Friday, February 5, 2010
It's at New Mexico State on Saturday night
No one -- well, at least those not certifiably consumed by fan-dom -- understands that New Mexico State lives on its offensive firepower. When in the midst of a free-flowing streak, it's quite the sight to behold -- unless you are a defender or an opposing coach. Louisiana Tech found that out the hard way the other night in a 91-77 loss -- in Ruston at that -- to the Aggies. The 91 markers were 20 above what LT usually allows.
But there are obviously other aspects to basketball -- defending, rebounding and possession efficiency among quite the number -- that aren't as enjoyable as participatory actions as shooting the rock. When New Mexico State loses, it usually because of faltering on the backboards (the Aggies are last in the WAC in rebounding margin) or allowing an opponent to find the bottom of the net a bit too often or carelessness with the rock.
But here's a portion of an article about the Aggies of late:
Recent roll has seen Aggies win 10 of 12
Teddy Feinberg, Las Cruces Sun-News Sports Editor
2/05/2010
You wouldn't expect to hear it from a team ranked last in the Western Athletic Conference in points allowed per game.
But the New Mexico State Aggie men's basketball team believes one of the main reasons it has won 10 of its last 12 games, including six of its first eight WAC contests, is because of its defense.
"Just having a defensive mindset," junior forward Wendell McKines said. "Having our buckets come off the defensive end. Overall we're playing harder, playing together."
Head coach Marvin Menzies said that despite surrendering 78.7 points per game, the Aggies have improved on the defensive end of the floor as the season has gone along. And part of their offensive success — the team is averaging 77.7 points per contest, third best in the conference — is because of their defensive efforts.
"I think our defensive stats are a little misleading," Menzies said. "It's easy to lie with statistics. You can say, well, we're last in the conference in points given up. But we're also turning people over a lot more, we're making people play uncomfortable in terms of the type of pressure we're applying. They're scoring, but we're scoring more right now. Last time I checked, that's how the game gets measured."
During the Aggies recent run of success — which has spanned more than a month — the team has turned the ball over less and held its own in the rebounding department.
After experiencing double-digit turnover numbers in 17 of their first 18 games of the season — including 31 against New Mexico and 20 against UCLA early in the year — the Aggies have committed nine, six and eight turnovers in their past three contests.
"Guys are used to playing with each other and are more in sync with each other," Menzies said. "Your early-season woes, they're always going to exist. It's a matter of whether you can weather the storm. Cutting the turnovers down, as far as the overall emphasis of taking care of the ball, making 100 percent passes, not gambling, we identified them as a problem early, addressed it and, as a a result, the players are reaping the benefits of taking care of the pill..."
Here's an excerpt of our game report from the 93-84 Spartan home win on January 23:
Mac Peterson led the scoring for San Jose State with 25 points on 6-8 three-point shooting, plus seven made free throws. His point total was a career high. Adrian Oliver was close by with 22. Jahmar Young led the southern Aggies with 34 points, also a career high. Jonathan Gibson contributed 19 but it took 20 shots for him to reach that total.
All Dickens references aside, it was the tale of two halves.
New Mexico State came out warm and evolved into hot as getting good and unattended looks at the basket produced a 41-32 halftime lead. The Aggies led 23-21 with 7:25 remaining and went on 16-point scoring run to widen the gap to 39-21. But the Spartans closed strong to reduce it to nine, with a late Peterson trey and an Oliver and-1 three-point play playing big factors.
What worked particularly well for Coach Marvin Menzies' squad in the initial 20 minutes was dribble-drive penetration by forward Wendell McKines, who would draw the attention of multiple defenders and then kick the ball out primarily to an open Young or Gibson. But for whatever reason or reasons, that element of the Aggie arsenal disappeared in the second half. It also appeared that New Mexico State didn't look much inside until 6 or so minutes remained in the first half.
As the game tightened in the second 20 minutes and with the Spartans pulling ahead, the Aggies seemingly ran their offensive sets less and less, relying more on individual efforts and quick shots.
But that took a while. Robert Owens gave San Jose State its first second half lead at 57-56 with a top-of-the-key trey at the 12:30 mark. A Gibson three-pointer then put New Mexico State back ahead. But SJSU retook the lead 61-60 on an Oliver three-pointer from the left corner.
With 6:53 left, Young scored an and-1 three-point play to bring the Aggies to within one at 68-67. Young later got another basket on a layup but the Spartans barraged the Aggies during that time period with a Justin Graham layup, a Peterson trey, a Chris Oakes dunk off a pass from Peterson and yet another Peterson three-pointer. The latter score made it 78-69 in favor of San Jose State with 4:40 on the clock.
Oakes was intentionally fouled by Hamidu Rahman at the 1:59 mark and made both free throws to set the score at 84-73.
After that, it was a Spartan parade to the foul line sandwiched around three Young treys.
Overall, SJSU shot 56.4% from the floor and went 12-20 from long distance. New Mexico State took 16 more shots but made three less and ended up at 39.4% for the game. 38 of the Aggies 71 shot attempts were three-pointers.
San Jose State was credited with 23 assists.
The excellent Spartan shooting, especially in the second half, was the result of very solid spacing and crisp passing in the frontcourt.
NMSU did win the turnover battle, 15 to 6. The Aggies utilized a three-quarter court press for most of the game, gaining some turnovers but the outcome more a whittling away of the time on the Spartan shooting clock.
Remarkably, San Jose State scored 61 second half points (to 43 for New Mexico State), close to doubling its total of the first 20 minutes.
The NMSU WAC Schedule to date
Jan 02 Utah State 55 - 52 (W)
Jan 04 Nevada 67 - 77 (L)
Jan 09 @ Boise State 88 - 85 (W)
Jan 11 @ Idaho 75 - 72 (W)
Jan 16 Fresno State 86 - 77 (W)
Jan 21 @ Hawaii 71-69 (W)
Jan 23 @ San Jose State 84 - 93 (L)
Jan 30 @ Louisiana Tech 91 - 77 (W)
The Aggie Starting Quintet
6-foot-11 Hamidu Rahman - he is blossoming, having scored 22 points (10-15 shooting) and grabbed 12 boards (seven offensive) versus Magnum Rolle on January 30
6-foot-6 Wendell McKines - expect a double-double, with maybe a trey in the mix
6-foot-5 Jahmar Young - he possesses a shooting range best described as long, longer and longest and he can create his own shot plus shoot over most defenders
6-foot-1 Jonathan Gibson - Gibson didn't shoot well the last time against SJSU -- will that repeat or not?
6-foot-1 Hernst LaRoche - we see him as the best point in the WAC at delivering the ball with the fewest blips
The Cavalry
6-foot-8 Troy Gillenwater - this will be his first game of the season so how much does he play and what does he produce? Gillenwater certainly provides an upgrade of the frontcourt talent coming off the bench -- he averaged 12 ppg. and 5 rpg. as a frosh
6-foot-5 Gordo Castillo - he is a three-point marksman, period -- best in the role of catch-and-shoot -- he scored 17 points against LA TECH, going 5-6 from three-point range
6-foot-5 Tyrone Watson - he brings energy, hustle and muscle to the floor
6-foot-5 Kelly Merker - a walk-on whose role is to work hard and commit zero mistakes while giving one of the starters a breather
7-foot-0 Abdoulaye N'doye - he is making progress as a freshman
The Aggie roster, by position
Tray Britt G 6-3 195 Sr.
Gordo Castillo G 6-5 197 Jr.
Makhtar Diop G 6-6 183 So. (Senegal)
Jonathan Gibson G 6-1 171 Sr.
Hernst Laroche G 6-1 170 So. (Canada)
Jahmar Young G 6-5 180 Jr.
Troy Gillenwater 6-8 234 So.
Robert Lumpkins F 6-7 191 Jr.
Wendell McKines F 6-6 224 Jr.
Kelly Merker F 6-4 190 Sr.
Bandja Sy F 6-8 210 Fr. (France)
Tyrone Watson F 6-5 225 Fr. (Canada)
B.J. West F 6-11 220 Fr.
Abdoulaye N'doye C 7-0 215 Fr. (Senegal)
Hamidu Rahman C 6-11 245 So.
What To Watch For
- Gillenwater absolutely 'ups' the Aggie talent level -- that's indisputable -- but who loses minutes due to his availability and will that be a smooth transition or a wrinkly onee?
- It's hard to imagine that the Spartans will enjoy a +17 shooting percentage over the Aggies again, plus it's a road game, so how does San Jose State 'make up' for being at a lesser advantage?
- We offer this guarantee or your money back: the Aggies will not hoist 38 three-point attempts (53.5% of their shots) -- at least not while Coach Marvin Menzies is alive and on the bench
But there are obviously other aspects to basketball -- defending, rebounding and possession efficiency among quite the number -- that aren't as enjoyable as participatory actions as shooting the rock. When New Mexico State loses, it usually because of faltering on the backboards (the Aggies are last in the WAC in rebounding margin) or allowing an opponent to find the bottom of the net a bit too often or carelessness with the rock.
But here's a portion of an article about the Aggies of late:
Recent roll has seen Aggies win 10 of 12
Teddy Feinberg, Las Cruces Sun-News Sports Editor
2/05/2010
You wouldn't expect to hear it from a team ranked last in the Western Athletic Conference in points allowed per game.
But the New Mexico State Aggie men's basketball team believes one of the main reasons it has won 10 of its last 12 games, including six of its first eight WAC contests, is because of its defense.
"Just having a defensive mindset," junior forward Wendell McKines said. "Having our buckets come off the defensive end. Overall we're playing harder, playing together."
Head coach Marvin Menzies said that despite surrendering 78.7 points per game, the Aggies have improved on the defensive end of the floor as the season has gone along. And part of their offensive success — the team is averaging 77.7 points per contest, third best in the conference — is because of their defensive efforts.
"I think our defensive stats are a little misleading," Menzies said. "It's easy to lie with statistics. You can say, well, we're last in the conference in points given up. But we're also turning people over a lot more, we're making people play uncomfortable in terms of the type of pressure we're applying. They're scoring, but we're scoring more right now. Last time I checked, that's how the game gets measured."
During the Aggies recent run of success — which has spanned more than a month — the team has turned the ball over less and held its own in the rebounding department.
After experiencing double-digit turnover numbers in 17 of their first 18 games of the season — including 31 against New Mexico and 20 against UCLA early in the year — the Aggies have committed nine, six and eight turnovers in their past three contests.
"Guys are used to playing with each other and are more in sync with each other," Menzies said. "Your early-season woes, they're always going to exist. It's a matter of whether you can weather the storm. Cutting the turnovers down, as far as the overall emphasis of taking care of the ball, making 100 percent passes, not gambling, we identified them as a problem early, addressed it and, as a a result, the players are reaping the benefits of taking care of the pill..."
Here's an excerpt of our game report from the 93-84 Spartan home win on January 23:
Mac Peterson led the scoring for San Jose State with 25 points on 6-8 three-point shooting, plus seven made free throws. His point total was a career high. Adrian Oliver was close by with 22. Jahmar Young led the southern Aggies with 34 points, also a career high. Jonathan Gibson contributed 19 but it took 20 shots for him to reach that total.
All Dickens references aside, it was the tale of two halves.
New Mexico State came out warm and evolved into hot as getting good and unattended looks at the basket produced a 41-32 halftime lead. The Aggies led 23-21 with 7:25 remaining and went on 16-point scoring run to widen the gap to 39-21. But the Spartans closed strong to reduce it to nine, with a late Peterson trey and an Oliver and-1 three-point play playing big factors.
What worked particularly well for Coach Marvin Menzies' squad in the initial 20 minutes was dribble-drive penetration by forward Wendell McKines, who would draw the attention of multiple defenders and then kick the ball out primarily to an open Young or Gibson. But for whatever reason or reasons, that element of the Aggie arsenal disappeared in the second half. It also appeared that New Mexico State didn't look much inside until 6 or so minutes remained in the first half.
As the game tightened in the second 20 minutes and with the Spartans pulling ahead, the Aggies seemingly ran their offensive sets less and less, relying more on individual efforts and quick shots.
But that took a while. Robert Owens gave San Jose State its first second half lead at 57-56 with a top-of-the-key trey at the 12:30 mark. A Gibson three-pointer then put New Mexico State back ahead. But SJSU retook the lead 61-60 on an Oliver three-pointer from the left corner.
With 6:53 left, Young scored an and-1 three-point play to bring the Aggies to within one at 68-67. Young later got another basket on a layup but the Spartans barraged the Aggies during that time period with a Justin Graham layup, a Peterson trey, a Chris Oakes dunk off a pass from Peterson and yet another Peterson three-pointer. The latter score made it 78-69 in favor of San Jose State with 4:40 on the clock.
Oakes was intentionally fouled by Hamidu Rahman at the 1:59 mark and made both free throws to set the score at 84-73.
After that, it was a Spartan parade to the foul line sandwiched around three Young treys.
Overall, SJSU shot 56.4% from the floor and went 12-20 from long distance. New Mexico State took 16 more shots but made three less and ended up at 39.4% for the game. 38 of the Aggies 71 shot attempts were three-pointers.
San Jose State was credited with 23 assists.
The excellent Spartan shooting, especially in the second half, was the result of very solid spacing and crisp passing in the frontcourt.
NMSU did win the turnover battle, 15 to 6. The Aggies utilized a three-quarter court press for most of the game, gaining some turnovers but the outcome more a whittling away of the time on the Spartan shooting clock.
Remarkably, San Jose State scored 61 second half points (to 43 for New Mexico State), close to doubling its total of the first 20 minutes.
The NMSU WAC Schedule to date
Jan 02 Utah State 55 - 52 (W)
Jan 04 Nevada 67 - 77 (L)
Jan 09 @ Boise State 88 - 85 (W)
Jan 11 @ Idaho 75 - 72 (W)
Jan 16 Fresno State 86 - 77 (W)
Jan 21 @ Hawaii 71-69 (W)
Jan 23 @ San Jose State 84 - 93 (L)
Jan 30 @ Louisiana Tech 91 - 77 (W)
The Aggie Starting Quintet
6-foot-11 Hamidu Rahman - he is blossoming, having scored 22 points (10-15 shooting) and grabbed 12 boards (seven offensive) versus Magnum Rolle on January 30
6-foot-6 Wendell McKines - expect a double-double, with maybe a trey in the mix
6-foot-5 Jahmar Young - he possesses a shooting range best described as long, longer and longest and he can create his own shot plus shoot over most defenders
6-foot-1 Jonathan Gibson - Gibson didn't shoot well the last time against SJSU -- will that repeat or not?
6-foot-1 Hernst LaRoche - we see him as the best point in the WAC at delivering the ball with the fewest blips
The Cavalry
6-foot-8 Troy Gillenwater - this will be his first game of the season so how much does he play and what does he produce? Gillenwater certainly provides an upgrade of the frontcourt talent coming off the bench -- he averaged 12 ppg. and 5 rpg. as a frosh
6-foot-5 Gordo Castillo - he is a three-point marksman, period -- best in the role of catch-and-shoot -- he scored 17 points against LA TECH, going 5-6 from three-point range
6-foot-5 Tyrone Watson - he brings energy, hustle and muscle to the floor
6-foot-5 Kelly Merker - a walk-on whose role is to work hard and commit zero mistakes while giving one of the starters a breather
7-foot-0 Abdoulaye N'doye - he is making progress as a freshman
The Aggie roster, by position
Tray Britt G 6-3 195 Sr.
Gordo Castillo G 6-5 197 Jr.
Makhtar Diop G 6-6 183 So. (Senegal)
Jonathan Gibson G 6-1 171 Sr.
Hernst Laroche G 6-1 170 So. (Canada)
Jahmar Young G 6-5 180 Jr.
Troy Gillenwater 6-8 234 So.
Robert Lumpkins F 6-7 191 Jr.
Wendell McKines F 6-6 224 Jr.
Kelly Merker F 6-4 190 Sr.
Bandja Sy F 6-8 210 Fr. (France)
Tyrone Watson F 6-5 225 Fr. (Canada)
B.J. West F 6-11 220 Fr.
Abdoulaye N'doye C 7-0 215 Fr. (Senegal)
Hamidu Rahman C 6-11 245 So.
What To Watch For
- Gillenwater absolutely 'ups' the Aggie talent level -- that's indisputable -- but who loses minutes due to his availability and will that be a smooth transition or a wrinkly onee?
- It's hard to imagine that the Spartans will enjoy a +17 shooting percentage over the Aggies again, plus it's a road game, so how does San Jose State 'make up' for being at a lesser advantage?
- We offer this guarantee or your money back: the Aggies will not hoist 38 three-point attempts (53.5% of their shots) -- at least not while Coach Marvin Menzies is alive and on the bench
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Louisiana Tech wins 71-64
The San Jose State basketball squad has never listened to Hank Williams Sr., at least not Williams' "Jumbalaya" song. The one with the line "...son of a gun, we’ll have big fun on the bayou..."
That's apparent because after falling behind 15-0 to open the game, the Spartans fought back, getting within three points. But Tech wouldn't relinquish the lead and the Bulldogs won 71-64.
Adrian Oliver led the Spartans with 20 points (8-17, 6-6 from the charity stripe), with Justin Graham contributing 15. Magnum Rolle topped Tech with 21 points (8-14 from the floor, 5-5 at the foul line) and Kyle Gibson wasn't far behind with 18.
SJSU cut LT's lead to 50-47 with a 10-0 run around the nine-minute mark of the second half. But the Bulldogs stood fast as Jamel Guyton buried a trey and then one of two free throws and Gibson added a deuce to make it 56-47 with 7:10 remaining.
Later on, a Graham steal and layup made it 60-54 but again Louisiana Tech maintained. Graham also made a pair of free throws to reduce the difference to four at 62-58 but that's the closest San Jose State could pull within late in the game.
After 20 minutes, it was 34-26 in favor of the Bulldogs.
One first half play must be noted: on Louisiana Tech's last possession, forward David Jackson was between the half court line and the top of the circle when he turned and threw the ball towards the basket with one second on the shot clock. It went in, adding three points to the Tech lead.
Actually, make that two instances because Guyton was credited with three points on a banked trey in the initial 20 minutes -- call it a home bounce or roll, not to be confused with a Magnum one.
For the Spartans, at least the jambalaya, crawfish pie and filé gumbo must have tasted good.
As for final team numbers, San Jose State out-rebounded LT 32-30. SJSU shot 42% overall, made 11-12 free throws and went 3-14 from long distance. LT shot 46%, connected on 14-19 free throws and 3-12 from three-point range. The Spartans had 16 turnovers to 14 for the Bulldogs.
That's apparent because after falling behind 15-0 to open the game, the Spartans fought back, getting within three points. But Tech wouldn't relinquish the lead and the Bulldogs won 71-64.
Adrian Oliver led the Spartans with 20 points (8-17, 6-6 from the charity stripe), with Justin Graham contributing 15. Magnum Rolle topped Tech with 21 points (8-14 from the floor, 5-5 at the foul line) and Kyle Gibson wasn't far behind with 18.
SJSU cut LT's lead to 50-47 with a 10-0 run around the nine-minute mark of the second half. But the Bulldogs stood fast as Jamel Guyton buried a trey and then one of two free throws and Gibson added a deuce to make it 56-47 with 7:10 remaining.
Later on, a Graham steal and layup made it 60-54 but again Louisiana Tech maintained. Graham also made a pair of free throws to reduce the difference to four at 62-58 but that's the closest San Jose State could pull within late in the game.
After 20 minutes, it was 34-26 in favor of the Bulldogs.
One first half play must be noted: on Louisiana Tech's last possession, forward David Jackson was between the half court line and the top of the circle when he turned and threw the ball towards the basket with one second on the shot clock. It went in, adding three points to the Tech lead.
Actually, make that two instances because Guyton was credited with three points on a banked trey in the initial 20 minutes -- call it a home bounce or roll, not to be confused with a Magnum one.
For the Spartans, at least the jambalaya, crawfish pie and filé gumbo must have tasted good.
As for final team numbers, San Jose State out-rebounded LT 32-30. SJSU shot 42% overall, made 11-12 free throws and went 3-14 from long distance. LT shot 46%, connected on 14-19 free throws and 3-12 from three-point range. The Spartans had 16 turnovers to 14 for the Bulldogs.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
San Jose State at Louisiana Tech Thursday night
Okay, it's rematch time.Louisiana Tech came to Walt McPherson Court on January 21 riding high, with momentum flowing as the top team in the WAC.
They got spanked.
Here's what we wrote post-game:
"Basketball games generally have ebbs and flows with team taking turns at making splashes. Tonight it was all flowing for San Jose State versus too many ebbs for visiting Louisiana Tech and the Spartans won 87-76.
Adrian Oliver's 39 points (12-19 shooting, 12-12 at the foul line, 3-5 from long distance) paved the way. Chris Oakes added 16.
Bulldog Kyle Gibson totaled 22 points, 20 of those in the second half. Olu Ashaolu just missed a double-double with 19 points and eight boards.
SJSU shot 55% from the floor, 7-15 on treys and 24-28 from the foul line. In contrast, LT shot 45% but had just 12 free throws, making eight. Coach Kerry Rupp's squad went 10-22 from downtown with Gibson leading the way at 4-8.
Foul trouble plagued Gibson -- who collected #5 late in the game after getting #4 with 14:58 on the clock -- and also Magnum Rolle, allowing the pair to be on the court for just 24 and 28 minutes respectively.
The Bulldogs had more offensive than defensive boards at 14 to 11, attributable to SJSU's sharp shooting and the strengths of Rolle and Ashaolu.
The Spartans led 41-31 at the half and also out-scored Tech 46-45 in the second 20 minutes.
Entering the game, Louisiana Tech was scoring 79 points per game and allowing just 67 versus WAC opponents -- so they almost matched their usual point production but were +20 points defensively.
SJSU entered the match producing 72 points per conference game while giving up 79, a plus of 15 points offensively and allowing three less than usual on defense.
The Bulldogs also entered the game allowing opponents to shoot just 42% overall yet the Spartans manage to connect on the aforementioned 55%.
There was a stretch in the first 20 minutes between the 6 minute and the 4:25 marks where it was all Oliver. He stole a pass on the press and scored via a driving layup. Another steal produced two AO foul shots and a second steal did the same. Finally, Oliver nailed a three-pointer.
What was readily apparent was how critical Gibson is to the Bulldog offense. When Gibson was sitting due to foul trouble in the first half, Louisiana Tech's offense looked dysfunctional. There was no one on the court to dribble-drive and break down defenses.
C.J. Webster missed the game for SJSU with an eye injury."
So it was fine shooting for the Spartans and Kyle Gibson's foul trouble that particularly paved the way -- in an abbreviated analysis that would humble the length of any tweet from Twitter.
In Louisiana Tech's last game, at home versus New Mexico State, the Bulldogs allowed 91 points. Here is our brief summary, followed by a writeup from the LT athletics site:
New Mexico State handled Louisiana Tech 91-77 in Ruston. That should definitely make some noise. 91 points? Wow!
It was 48-43 Aggies at the half. Hamidu Rahman led with a double-double of 22 points (10-15 shooting) and 12 rebounds, Jamar Young tossed in 19 and Gordo Castillo scored 17 points in 19 minutes, based on his 5-6 three-point shooting. Magnum Rolle's 27/15 double-double went for naught while Kyle Gibson added 22 points but was a cold 3-12 from long distance. Jamel Guyton shot 1-10 including going scoreless on five trey attempts.
and
January 30, 2010
RUSTON, La. - For the first time in 12 games, Louisiana Tech lost at home as they fell to a hot-shooting New Mexico State 91-77 on Saturday at the Thomas Assembly Center.
The Bulldogs fell to 18-4 overall and 6-2 in the Western Athletic Conference while the Aggies improved to 13-8 overall and 6-2 in the WAC. They joined Utah State to make it a three-way tie for first place in the conference.
"We were in first place and when a team comes in, they are going to fight to knock us out," Tech head coach Kerry Rupp said. "We didn't play with the hunger and the fire that we had recently. We've just got to get back to work."
Prior to the game, NMSU had shot 43.9 percent from the field, the Aggies shot 37-of-69 for 53.6 percent on Saturday. Tech was 30-for-75 for 40 percent.
Senior Magnum Rolle led all scorers with 27 points and 15 rebounds for his 10th double-double of the season. Rolle played 40 minutes for the second-straight game. Senior Kyle Gibson had 23 points and junior DeAndre Brown scored 16.
"We got off to a bad start and we can't do that against a good team," Rupp said. "They disrupted us with some pressure and the next time we face them we have to handle that better."
The Bulldogs fell behind 16-5 as they were just 2-of-11 from the field over the first seven minutes of play. Tech shot 18-for-28 for the remainder of the half and cut the deficit to two, but couldn't take a lead. The Aggies shot 51.3 percent (20-for-39) in the first half and went in to halftime with a 48-43 lead.
New Mexico State sank eight of their first nine shots taken in the second half and led 67-54 six minutes in. They continued their torrid shooting and led by as much as 19 mid-way through before winning by 14.
"We didn't get back on defense and gave up way too many easy baskets," Rupp said. "We took some bad shots and they came back and got something easy."
Jahmar Young scored 19 points and Hamidu Rahman had 22 as four Aggies scored in double-figures. NMSU outscored the Tech bench 24-0.
WAC Schedule To Date
01/02/10 vs. Nevada W, 77-71
01/04/10 vs. Utah State W, 82-60
01/09/10 at Idaho W, 77-71
01/11/10 at Boise State W, 79-64
01/14/10 vs. Fresno State W, 81-73
1/21/10 at San Jose State L, 87-76
1/23/10 at Hawai'i W, 65-60
1/30/10 vs. New Mexico State L, 91-77
The Bulldog Starting Five
It's the starting five that have to do the job for Louisiana Tech.
6-foot-10 Magnum Rolle - His scoring and rebounding numbers have gotten better this season both overall and since league play began.
6-foot-7 Olu Ashaolu - Ashaolu is a bull down in the paint and can put up 20 points and grab 10 boards on his better nights
6-foot-5 Kyle Gibson - The centerpiece of the team, Tech goes as Gibson goes. He can create plus shoot inside and outside
6-foot-3 Jamel Guyton - Generally a long range shooter, he benefits from the defensive attention especially focused on Gibson and somewhat on Rolle
5-foot-11 DeAndre Brown - His play and numbers have also improved since non-conference action
The Cavalry
6-foot-8 David Jackson - Jackson does a little bit of everything, is comfortable with his role and pops up every so often with double figure scoring. He averages 20 minutes of playing time but sat out -- not in uniform -- the loss to New Mexico State due to some unspecified infraction
6-foot-0 Yonas Berhe - A fill-in at the point -- not a major minutes player
6-foot-3 Anson Bartlett - A backup in the backcourt averaging eight minutes a game -- shooting appears to be his best asset
6-foot-10 Shawn Oliverson - He is playing very little this season as Kerry Rupp shifts Olu Ashaolu into the middle if Magnum Rolle gets into foul trouble
The LT roster, by position
Brandon Gibson 6-5 225 G SO
Jamel Guyton 6-3 200 G SR
Yonas Berhe 6-0 170 G SO
DeAndre Brown 5-11 160 G JR
Andres Marmolejo 6-3 215 G JR
Kyle Gibson 6-5 205 G SR
Darius Redding 6-4 205 F FR
Tevin Hall 5-10 155 PG FR
Anson Bartlett 6-3 175 G SO
Justin Rake 6-3 200 SG FR
Olu Ashaolu 6-7 220 G/F SO
Trey Felder 6-5 169 SG/SF FR
David Jackson 6-8 205 F SR
Kaiser Stegall 6-3 205 SF FR
Magnum Rolle 6-11 225 C/F SR
Shawn Oliverson 6-10 250 C/F JR
What To Expect:
- The Bulldogs obviously want revenge to be on the menu and also will be looking to regain respect after a defensive debacle at home against NMSU
- Kyle Gibson is just a very tough matchup so the key seems to be to make him work for his points while 'containing' the other Bulldogs -- not letting anyone go off on a career night
- LT is currently third in defensive scoring average in the WAC at 72 points per game so were New Mexico State's 91 points and San Jose State's total of 87 anomalies or signs of defensive weaknesses being exposed? Tech is second in the conference in field goal percentage defense at 446%.
- C.J. Webster will be available for this matchup, giving San Jose State greater depth upfront
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