Utah State wins 80-71

A tug of war? Can that actually be used to describe a basketball game?

We're running with it, plus that point Brockeith Pane with 21 points hurt the Spartans all evening via dribble-drive penetration in a Utah State 80-71 victory.

A strong second half by frontcourter Tai Wesley -- because he wasn't burdened by foul trouble -- also aided the Aggie victory. He finished with 16 points, eight boards and just one second half foul. Tyler Newbold just missed a double-double with 11/9.

An under-the-weather Adrian Oliver totaled 18 points. Justin Graham added 15 and Brylle Kamen 13.

Utah State went up 56-50 with 11:03 left. Then Pooh Williams got called for an elbow, subsequently used a variation of the King's English in conversing with the referee and was slapped with a T. Two Oliver free throws and a Graham bucket brought the difference back to two.

The Aggies eventually stretched the lead to seven -- 61 to 54 -- with 8:45 remaining, then 63-54 until Graham nailed a jumper. Stew Morrill's squad then advanced it to 11. It was cut to nine a couple of times but San Jose State couldn't get closer.

Utah State remained relatively foul free in the second half and forced the Spartans into double figure whistles.

Rebounding was even at the half but the Aggies broke out to earn a 14 carom lead in that category come game's end.

Wil Carter fouled out with 8:20 remaining in the game, limited all night by foul difficulties.

It was a most surreal first half, highlighted by 28 foul calls, 15 on USU. For the Aggies, Wesley (both offensive, one an intentional elbow), Morgan Grim, Matt Formisano and Nate Bendall each were whistled for two fouls, with Brady Jardine totaling three.

Oliver had 10 points after the initial 20 minutes (on just six shots), Brylle Kamen nine and Calvin Douglas seven.

Pane owned the first half with 15 points, five boards and a trio of assists.

Utah State rolled out to a 7-0 lead but SJSU came back to tie it at nine apiece on a pair of Oliver free throws. It went back and forth until the Aggies led 39-38 when the clock expired.

By the way, Wild Bill Sproat was sporting wings tonight.

Spartans @ Utah State Friday, 6 p.m.

Utah State is Utah State, year-in and year-out. Stew Morrill has his system (screen, screen, screen and then screen) until an open shot is accessed or Tai Wesley can muscle inside. Defensively, the Aggies play physical and boast Pooh Williams, the returning WAC Defensive Player of the Year who will probably be the prikmary matchup against Adrian Oliver. It's a style and squad of talents who play to their strengths, understand their individual and team boundaries and minimize weaknesses.

The Aggies, owning 11 straight 23-win plus seasons, are 12-2 overall this go-around, 9-0 in the vaunted Spectrum, where Wild Bill Sproat is enthroned. That's Bill up at the top in a game last season versus Hawaii -- let's see what he drapes over himself versus the Spartans.

Hawaii preceded San Jose State into The Spectrum, falling 74-66. UH lost the rebounding battle 32-13, was doubled up in free throw attempts 15/30 but did shoot 62% against the Aggies. Wesley posted a double-double of 27/13 and will be a very difficult matchup on Friday.

Utah State is allowing but 57.4 points per game, a number primarily due to their style of play but also the quality of opponents faced this season. Minus Hawaii, the last six opponents have totalled 58 or less points come the final buzzer.

The Aggies are shooting 46% so far this season -- down a bit or them -- while allowing opponents to be successful just 38% of the time.

Getting personal, the WAC coaches selected Tai Wesley as the Pre-Season Player of the year , with Tyler Newbold and Pooh Williams as second-teamers -- almost exclusively for their defensive play. Stew Morrill's squad received eight votes as the top team -- New Mexico State received the other. However, the media chose Adrian Oliver as Pre-Season Player of the Year, with Tai Wesley a first-teamer and junior college transfer at the point Brockeith Pane awarded Newcomer of the Year honors.

The USU Starting Five

* Nate Bendall 6-foot-9 -- 5.4 ppg., shooting 52% overall, 4.5 rpg., he's coming off a foot injury and playing about 20 minutes a game

* Tai Wesley 6-foot-7 -- 13.8 ppg., shooting 64% overall, 8.2 rpg., only foul trouble limits his productivity

* Pooh Williams 6-foot-4 -- 9.5 ppg., shooting 40% overall 37% from three, half of his shot attempts have been treys

* Tyler Newbold 6-foot-5 -- shooting 40% overall, 28% from long distance but these are improved numbers from earlier, 40 assists to nine TOs

* Brockeith Pane 6-foot-1 -- 9.7 ppg., shooting 35%, 28% from three, has 27 assists to 30 TOs, 54 free throw attempts is second on the team

Off The Bench

* Brady Jardine -- 8.3 ppg., shooting 56% from the floor, 8.6 rpg. leads the team

* Brian Green 6-foot-1 -- 11.6 ppg., shooting 48% from three-point range, 71 of his 106 shot attempts have been three-pointers

* Morgan Grim 6-foot-8 -- inside muscle, more offensive than defensive rebounds

* James Walker 6-foot-2 -- a freshman learning the ropes, 16 assists to nine TOs. shooting 30%

The Schedule so far

In the games that Utah State has lost, Tai Wesley went 1-6 from the foul line in the 78-72 road loss to BYU plus Nate Bendall didn't play. In the 68-51 loss in D.C. to Georgetown, Wesley fouled out with 10+ minutes remaining and GT led just 33-29 at the half.

11/13/10 vs. Weber State W, 77-65
11/17/10 at BYU L, 78-72
11/20/10 at Southern Utah W, 66-53
11/24/10 vs. Utah W, 79-62
11/27/10 vs. Northeastern W, 56-54
12/01/10 at Denver W, 61-53
12/04/10 at Georgetown L, 68-51
12/07/10 vs. Long Beach State W, 81-53
12/11/10 vs. Cal State Bakersfield W, 77-58
12/18/10 at Utah Valley W, 76-58

World Vision Invitational Tournament, Logan, Utah
12/21/10 vs. Idaho State W, 71-48
12/22/10 vs. Western Michigan W, 78-57
12/23/10 vs. Troy W, 80-39
12/29/10 vs. Hawai'i W 74-66

The Aggie roster (alphabetized, by position)

Antonio Bumpus 6-3/185 Guard JR (redshirting)
Leon Cooper Jr. 6-1/170 Guard FR
E.J. Farris 6-2/185 Guard SO (walk-on)
Brian Green 6-1/200 Guard SR
Preston Medlin 6-4/175 Guard SO
Tyler Newbold 6-5/210 Guard SR
Brockeith Pane 6-1/195 Guard JR
Steve Thornton 6-5 200 Guard Fr (grayshirting)
James Walker 6-2/180 Guard FR

Pooh Williams 6-4/190 Guard/Forward SR

Nate Bendall 6-9/250 Forward SR
Brad Brown 6-6/190 Forward RS FR
Ben Clifford 6-7/220 Forward FR
Matt Formisano 6-8/240 Forward SR (walk-on)
Morgan Grim 6-8/230 Forward RS JR
Brady Jardine 6-7/220 Forward JR
Tai Wesley 6-7/240 Forward SR

Leland Miller 7-1/230 Center SO (walk-on)

Spartans fall 75-62

It was yet another grinder as both teams tossed jab after jab but with neither squad able to sustain a pullaway lead until late and that turned out to be Fresno State. The host Bulldogs topped SJSU 75-62.

With the score 61-56, freshman Kevin Olekaibe hit a floater to make it 63-56 in favor of the Dogs.

Then came a Tim Steed dunk.

Keith Shamburger and Jonathan Wills traded nailing one of two free throws and Steed then flushed his second one.

Subsequently a march to the foul line ensued until the buzzer.

Fresno State's Mr. (Greg) Smith didn't go to Washington but rather to the basket for16 points. But it was his late second half steal and later a block with resulting passes to Tim Steed for the aforementioned dunks.

The Spartans couldn't get the needed stops in the last five minutes.

For SJSU, Adrian Oliver led with 15 points (6-19 shooting) as the Bulldogs defended he and Justin Graham extremely well. Shamburger totaled 13 points, Wil Carter 11 and Calvin Douglas 10.

Two important figures: the Bulldogs went 14-29 from the foul line and still won by 13, plus Steve Cleveland's squad won the battle of the boards 52-41.

Noteworthy was the effort of Chris Jones. Players want touches which usually means passes to them. In Jones' case, he gets his hand on more basketballs than Mr. Spalding.

At the half, it was Fresno State ahead 33-29.

At that point, the Bulldogs out-boarded San Jose State 26-18 and the Fresno State color announcer (we couldn't pick up the KSJS broadcast) labeled it the hardest working first half for the Bulldogs this season. Oliver totaled 11 points on 13 shot attempts and generated five assists in the initial 20 minutes with Carter scoring 10 points and grabbing nine boards.

Neither team shot well in the first half -- San Jose State at 36% but with 10 turnovers to 35% for the Bulldogs.

At Fresno State, Wednesday night, 7 p.m.

Yes, they are departing for the Mountain West Conference plus the Fresno State - San Jose State basketball matchups don't carry the juice of yesteryear but it's still nice to top the Raisin-towners anytime and anywhere. Next up on the schedule is a December 29 evening get-together in the Save Mart Center.

So who does Coach Steve Cleveland (yes, it's lame but shouldn't he be leading Cleveland State?) have and how are the Bulldogs doing?

As for the latter, uh, not that well.

Disregarding the game against Vanguard, the Bulldog squad started out 0-4 but has won three of its last four games, albeit the latter against lesser competition than initially faced this season.

6-foot-7 sophomore wing Jerry Brown is redshirting due to injury but junior point Steven Shepp just re-gained his eligibility after missing the first nine games due to academics. He started last season, averaging 5.5 points and 4.6 assists. Against North Dakota State in his first game, Shepp totaled three points, three assists and three rebounds in 15 minutes of action.

The key personnel issue emanating out of Fresno is the subpar numbers being put up by sophomore center Greg Smith. He's been in what seems like a season-long funk -- 9.7 points & 6.0 rebounds a contest when a nightly double-double was the expectation -- and Cleveland recently offered this on his NBA prospect:

"Greg Smith has to play hard all the time -- that's the bottom line...When he plays hard, he'll be a part of this. When he doesn't play hard, someone else is going to play...There are no chosen ones here. Promise you that."

Part of the Smith equation is the inconsistent outside shooting displayed to date by the Bulldog smalls which had led to little room for Smith to maneuver.

In a new category, here's what we see so far:

Highlights: the play of Kevin Olekaibe who was more a shooter/scorer in high school but is playing the point for now -- he's a tremendous athlete who gets up and down the floor quickly

Lowlights: The regression of Greg Smith.

Fresno Season-To-Date

11/12/10 at BYU L, 83-56
11/17/10 vs. Vanguard W, 74-42
11/20/10 at UCSB L, 69-54
11/26/10 vs. Washington State L, 66-55
11/30/10 at Utah L, 76-63
12/04/10 at Colorado State L, 87-74
12/07/10 at San Diego W, 74-70
12/11/10 vs. Pepperdine W, 64-51
12/18/10 vs. North Dakota State W, 82-69
12/21/10 vs. Pacific L, 65-55

The Bulldog Starting Five

* Greg Smith 6-foot-10 sophomore -- 9.7 points, 6 rebounds a game, shooting 58% overall, 48% from the foul line, 17 blocks in 10 games, will the NBA prospect 'show up' or display more disinterest?

* Nedeljko Golubovic 6-foot-8 senior -- he was hurt last season yet continued playing, he's averaging 6.1 points & 5.0 boards a game, shooting just 32% overall, plus a third of his shots have been three-pointers and he is making just 22%

* Garrett Johnson 6-foot-4 sophomore -- 8.1 ppg., 40 of 66 shots have been three-pointers, shooting 41% overall, 35% from long distance

* Tim Steed 6-foot-4 junior -- 8.3 ppg., 4.7 rpg., shooting 45% overall, only nine three-point attempts, an inexplicable 47% at the foul line

* Kevin Olekaibe 6-foot-1 freshman -- 10.3 ppg., 61 of his 109 shots have been threes, shooting 37% overall, 31% from beyond the stripe, leads team with 17 steals and 24 assists

As a team, the Bulldogs are at 41% shooting overall while holding opponents to 43%. From three, it's a meager 27% -- very unlike previous Fresno State squads.

Key Reserves

* Steven Shepp 6-foot-2 junior -- just eligible, he's not a penetrator but passes well on the perimeter

* Tyler Johnson 6-foot-2 freshman -- out of St. Francis in Mountain View

* Bracken Funk 6-foot-8 freshman -- 7.7 points & 4.7 rebounds a game, an LDS mission returnee

* Jonathan Wills 6-foot-6 junior -- a transfer from New Mexico, he's not shooting or passing as well as expected

* Bennie Rhodes 6-foot-6 junior -- a City College of San Francisco walk-on who is more a slasher than shooter


The Fresno State roster (alphabetized, by position)

(Steve Cleveland can't call out the name Johnson during practice since he has three of them)

Garrett Johnson Guard 6-4 195 SO
Justin Johnson Forward 6-6 205 SO
Tyler Johnson Guard 6-2 170 FR
Kevin Olekaibe Guard 6-1 165 FR
Bennie Rhodes Guard 6-6 190 JR
Steven Shepp Guard 6-2 175 JR
Tim Steed Guard 6-4 215 JR
Jonathan Wills Guard 6-6 185 JR

Jerry Brown Forward 6-7 205 SO
Givon Crump Forward 6-7 210 RS SO
Bracken Funk Forward 6-7 240 FR
Nedeljko Golubovic Forward 6-8 240 SR

John Ryan Center 6-10 270 FR
Greg Smith Center 6-10 250 SO

Photos from the SJSU - Puget Sound game

Alex Baranda of the Examiner has a ton of game photos from the SJSU - Puget Sound game -- go here.

A Justin Graham For a PhD Marching and Chowder Society

We haven't checked with him but we're seriously thinking about forming a Justin Graham For a PhD Marching and Chowder Society.

He will have a Master's degree by the end of the school year but maybe, just maybe, he'll consent to obtaining a PhD before finally departing SJSU. And since the NCAA professes to be all about the student-athletes and education, maybe, just maybe, the suits in Indianapolis will grant another year or two of athletic eligibility.

So what are we basing our group on? Try 16.1 points per contest, a 51% shooting average, 58% on three-point attempts, 4.5 rebounds a game, 45 assists and 31 steals -- all in 11 games.

Who's with us?

An ESPN Adrian Oliver feature

ESPN is getting into the AO act...about time.

Adrian Oliver's 42-point Christmas present
Diamond Leung
ESPN
December, 23, 2010

San Jose State guard Adrian Oliver set school records with 42 points in a game and 30 points in a half, as the Spartans won 95-62 against Puget Sound.

"Told my family I'd score 40-plus for Christmas for them ... so merry Christmas fam," Oliver tweeted...

Go here for the remainder.

Former San Jose State basketballer Jack Avina's wife passes

The author does a tremendous job at telling the story here -- getting at what we call the story behind the story.

‘It’s tough living without her’
Kerry Eggers
The Portland Tribune
Dec 23, 2010

It has been nearly three months now, but he still finds himself sitting in the easy chair in his family room, staring into space.

It is going to be a tough holiday season for Jack Avina.

All of the six children, 13 grandchildren and three great-children will be in Portland to spend Christmas with the patriarch of the family.

But not his beloved Clare.

Clare Avina died on Sept. 21, leaving her husband of 57 years alone for the first time since he was a student at San Jose State.

“I don’t care if I live or die,” Jack Avina says, fighting back tears as he rides the wave of despair and reality. “But I’m going to live.”

Avina, the legendary former University of Portland basketball coach, has always been the baddest hombre around. He has been devastated by the loss of his life partner.

“This is the toughest thing Dad’s been through in his life,” says Joel Avina, the oldest of Jack’s three sons. “You sit him down in front of a picture of my mom … he’s broken.”

At 81, after three hip and shoulder replacement surgeries and a continuing battle with diabetes, the safe bet was that Jack – who coached the Pilots from 1970-87 – would meet his maker before Clare, who was in relatively good health.

“This is not the way we thought it would happen,” Joel Avina says...

Go here for the remainder.

Spartans romp 95-62

It took a while to shout 'timber' but eventually San Jose State did so as the Spartans shellacked Puget Sound 95-62.

Here's the game report and box from SJSU athletics:

Oliver Pours In School Record 42; 95-62 Win Over Puget Sound
Courtesy: San Jose State Athletics
12/22/2010

It was a record-setting night for guard Adrian Oliver as San Jose State won its third game in a row defeating Puget Sound, 95-62, in a non-conference men's basketball game.

Oliver, a 6-foot-4 senior, set school records for most points scored in a game with 42 points, most points scored in a half with 30 and most three-point baskets made in a game without a miss as San Jose State (8-3) moved five games above .500 for the first time since the 2001 season.

The nation's sixth leading scorer going into the game was 12-of-15 from the field and 7-of-9 shooting three-pointers. After missing his first 3-point basket try early in the first half, he made seven in a row, his last five to end the first 20 minutes and two at the start of the second half. His three-point production also tied the San Jose State record for most 3-point baskets in a game.

"Tonight, I was playing ball. The shots were falling. I was in rhythm," said Oliver, who played just 25 minutes and notched his 13th game of 30 or points in a San Jose State uniform. "Every spot on the floor was a good spot the way I was feeling it. The guys recognized that and put a little more emphasis on getting me open. I was just connecting on my shots."

"That's the best performance I've ever seen," said Puget Sound's fourth-year coach Justin Lunt.

Oliver outscored Puget Sound (5-5) in the first 20 minutes as San Jose State went into halftime with a 55-29 lead. The Spartans led by as many as 37 points, 84-47, with 6:42 left in the game.

"I was glad to see Adrian do it (set the school record). I think he is capable of some more games like that and I wouldn't be surprised if the record is temporary. It's always nice for a player to set a record and have your team successful on the same night," said San Jose State coach George Nessman about Oliver breaking the old record of 40 points scored by Wally Rank in a 1980 game against Sacramento State. "He took 15 shots for 42 points. That's pretty good production."

Guard Justin Graham scored 19 points and 8 assists and reserve forward Brylle Kamen added 15 points for San Jose State in its highest scoring game of the season.

"Brylle is a hard worker. That phrase gets a little over used, but he just brings it and that really helps us. Brylle makes a difference for us. We've been saying that all along and we're glad to see that play out," added the Spartans' coach about the 6-foot-7 Kamen, who played just his third game of the season since becoming eligible on December 12 and scored in double figures for the first time.

Forward Kaleb Shelton led the Loggers, an NCAA Division III program, with 20 points. Guard Edric Egberaure was Puget Sound's only other double-figure scorer with 17.

San Jose State shot 45.5 percent from the field as a team, outrebounded Puget Sound, 45-31, and had a season-high 23 assists.

"We were able to get into good spots on the floor and make good decisions and good plays," added Justin Graham, whose eight assists were his season-high.

Graham added that the team's defense helped San Jose State overcome a sluggish start that saw the Spartans trail by as many as five points on three occasions in the first six minutes of the game.

"We started to get some stops and started to get some easy fast-break lay-ups. Once you start getting shots to fall, it just keeps going on and on and on," said Graham. San Jose State outscored Puget Sound, 30-4, the final seven minutes of the first half.

The Spartans have a week off before opening Western Athletic Conference play at Fresno State, December 29.

San Jose State (8-3)

Graham 8-11 3-5 19
Carter 1-4 0-0 2
Ballard 0-1 0-0 0
Shamburger 1-9 2-2 4
Oliver 12-15 11-13 42
Moor 1-3 0-2 2
Douglas 2-6 2-3 8
Dick 0-0 0-0 0
Jones 0-3 2-2 2
Kamen 5-11 5-5 15
Henson 0-2 1-2 1
Casey 0-1 0-0 0
Ton 0-0 0-0

Totals 30-66 23-29 95

Halftime score - San Jose State 55, Puget Sound 29
Three-point field goals - San Jose State 12-27 (Shamburger 0-6, Oliver 7-9, Graham 3-5, Douglas 2-5, Jones 0-1, Kamen 0-1)
Rebounds - San Jose State 45 (Ballard, Graham 8)
Assists - San Jose State 23 (Graham 8)
Total fouls - Puget Sound - 27, San Jose State 14
Attendance - 1,377

The Rebounder frosh dinner

Dear SJSU Rebounders and Basketball Fans

Time to once again have the opportunity to meet our freshman and sophomore players at the first of our two players' dinners. The first dinner will be held at the Bold Knight Bistro in the cozy downstairs wine cellar on January 11th with the social hour starting at 6:00 followed by dinner at 7:00.

The dinner, featuring baked garlic breast of chicken with pasta and side salad, is $25.00 inclusive for Rebounders and $30.00 for non-members, payable at the door.

No-host beverages will be offered.

Players and coaches sponsorships are available and ONLY sponsors will receive tickets to the ever popular Rebounders raffle featuring wonderful SJSU prizes. Cost of sponsorships are $25.00 for players and $50.00 for coaches with player's sponsors receiving one ticket and coaches' sponsors receiving three.

Additionally sponsored players will sit at the sponsor's table!

Want to sponsor a player but unable to attend the event? Just contact Gayle Kludt at sjsubabe@cwnet.com for details. If you win a prize it with be delivered to you either at the next game or by mail!

So support your Spartans and have fun too but RSVPs to the event are required by January 5th. RSVP to Gayle at the above email or at 408 531-1063 to reserve your spot. Please, no credit cards will be accepted; cash and checks only.

Puget Sound here on Wednesday

It's D-3 Puget Sound coming to town on Wednesday evening, 7 p.m., for a matchup with San Jose State. The Loggers are 2-0 in Northwest Conference play, 5-4 overall.

In 2008-09, Coach Keith Lunt led the Loggers to an overall record of 25-4, including 16-0 in the NWC and Lunt's first conference championship and first NWC Coach of the Year award. The Loggers advanced to the NCAA Division III national tournament Sweet 16 and a final ranking of ninth in the country. Last season was not so successful at (9-16, 5-11).

The Logger Starting Five

* Julian Fernandez, 6-foot-3 -- 8.4 ppg., shooting 31% overall

* Edric Egberuare, 6-foot-2 -- 10.0 ppg., 4.3 rpg , shooting 34% overall -- attended Milpitas High, so expect a sizeable numbers of locals coming out to cheer him on

* Aaron Edwards 6-foot-4 -- 8.0 ppg., 3.4 rpg., shooting 32% overall

* Kaleb Shelton 6-foot-5 -- 15.9 ppg., 8.3 rpg., shooting 38%

* Riggs Yarbro 6-foot-7 -- 6.4 ppg., 3.8 rpg., shooting 47%

Off The Bench, (playing 10 or more minutes a game)

* Gabe Borboa 6-foot-7

* Matt Geverola 5-10

* Ryan Hoff 6-foot-2

* Caleb Gauff 6-foot-4 -- he's a Sacramento native so some family and friends may make it to the game

* Erick Evans 6-foot-3


*** As a team, Puget Sound is shooting a lowly 36% while opposing team to make 49% of shot attempts. But part of the Loggers low percentage is due to 188 three-point attempts (out of 516 overall) being made at a 27% rate of effectiveness.

*** Plus, PG is earning only 9.3 assists per game (that shooting percentage again) versus committing 17.4 turnovers a contest.


The PG schedule so far

12/08/10 Evergreen State 87, Puget Sound 73
12/04/10 Puget Sound 66, Pacific (Ore.) 63
12/03/10 Puget Sound 74, Willamette 66
11/26/10 @ Occidental -- Puget Sound 77, Occidental 75
11/27/10 @ Chapman -- Chapman University 77, Puget Sound 70
11/20/10 St. Thomas 69, Puget Sound 49
11/19/10 Puget Sound 74, UC Santa Cruz 71
11/16/10 @ Northwest University -- Northwest University 110, Puget Sound 58
11/20/10 @ Bethany -- Puget Sound 86, Bethany College 73

From that last game:

Gabe Borboa had a perfect 9-for-9 shooting night to lead the Loggers to an 86-73 victory over Bethany on Monday. Borboa became the fourth Logger to ever have a perfect shooting night with over eight attempts.

"He just couldn't miss," added head coach Justin Lunt. He ran the floor and finished very well around the rim."

The Loggers (5-4) controlled most of the game with a 47-37 halftime lead and shot a season-high 50.9 percent. As a team, the Loggers also shot 43.5 percent from three-point range while holding the Bruins to a 38.3 percent field goal percentage.

Kaleb Shelton led the Loggers with 22 points and 10 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the year. Borboa's perfect night translated into a 21-point performance as he shot 3-for-3 from the free throw line as well. He also added five rebounds.

"We just did a really good job executing the game plan," said Lunt. I thought we shot well and moved the ball well. The biggest factor tonight was our execution offensively and defensively."


The Puget Sound roster (by position, alphabetized)

Malcolm Colbert G Fr 6-0 180
Edric Egberuare G Jr 6-2 190
Erik Evans G Jr 6-3 185
Julian Fernandez G Jr 6-3 175
Matt Geverola G Jr 5-10 165
Drew Harrison G Fr 6-4 200
Ryan Hoff G Fr 6-2 195
Nate Prohaska G Fr 6-0 165
Ryan Rogers G So 6-1 170
Phillip Thomas G So 6-3 180


Daniel Berendsen F Fr 6-4 180
Gabe Borboa F So 6-7 200
Caleb Gauff F So 6-4 205
Aaron Edwards F Sr 6-4 200
Spenser McDonald F Fr 6-6 180
Kaleb Shelton F Jr 6-5 210
Riggs Yarbro F So 6-7 215

Spartans win 86-70

So physical at times some thought they had stumbled into a mixed martial arts event plus with more starts and stops than a beater sporting a sand clogged fuel injecter, the matchup between San Jose State and Seattle concluded minus any tap outs but an 86-70 Spartan victory.

It was the fourth road success so far this season for SJSU, now 7-3.

Justin Graham and Keith Shamburger paced the Spartan point production with 24 and 22 points apiece. Adrian Oliver, Wil Carter and Chris Jones added 13, 12 and 12 respectively. Oliver struggled with his shot all evening going 3-13.

Some basketball games are ballet, or at least offer stretches of such -- not this one. Best described as a grinder, still SJSU had this one in the books early on in the second half even though the Redhawks never lowered their intensity.

Frontcourter Alex Jones, battling foul trouble primarily caused by his illegal movement on screens, led Seattle with 21 points. On recollection, none of his fouls were as a result of him defending his matchup.

At the half, it was 45-34 San Jose State, behind 17 points from Graham. The Redhawks hung tough on the scoreboard for a while but San Jose State kept adding to its lead.

A new San Jose site

A new site has recently been set up titled "Best of Blogs San Jose" and a Spartan Hoops article has been selected for featuring on the site. Do check it out.

Just caught this

Saw this on the 'net today about Seattle's previous game and it may play out in San Jose State's favor on Saturday night:

"...They helped make up for the loss of junior guard Cervante Burrell, who was out with a knee injury suffered Saturday against Idaho. His status for Saturday's game against San Jose State is questionable..."

Burrell is the starting point for the Redhawks, averaging 12.6 points per game and leading the team in assists.

A fascinating read into mid-major (or lower) recruiting

It's not necessarily San Jose State or WAC-related but read on if you wish to gain some degree of insight into the college basketball recruiting process for the non-Dukes:

Recruiting an emotional, physical roller coaster for UNCW coaches
Brian Mull
Star News
December 4, 2010

On a steamy morning in mid-July, UNC-Wilmington men's basketball coach Buzz Peterson and his staff met in the office of assistant Jamie Kachmarik.

Like practically every other Division I coach in the country, the four men entrusted with rescuing the Seahawks from CAA oblivion had spent the 10 previous days on the road. They sat on hard bleachers in hot gyms for up to 14 hours a day evaluating high school seniors-to-be playing in games that often deteriorated into rec-center pickup ball, sans skins.

Unlike 95 percent of their peers though, the new UNCW staff had to restock more than half its roster. They entered the July recruiting period with a lone verbal commitment and a half-dozen scholarships to hand out.

The Seahawks' coaches were in need of every essential – skill, speed, guards, big men.

Peterson and assistants Kachmarik and Matt McMahon arrived at UNCW in April from Southern Conference member Appalachian State. However, players of a higher talent level would be required to return the Seahawks to elite status in the CAA. The Southern had an average RPI of 19.6 (out of 31 Division I conferences) over the past five seasons. The CAA had an average RPI of 12.4 in that same period and three member programs won an NCAA tournament game.

The coaches were already evaluating potential Seahawks through a specific lens. They sought fundamentally sound, skilled players possessing a high basketball IQ, 3-point shooters, prospects with wide wingspans and the versatility to play multiple positions. All of these qualities must be inside a coachable package that includes high character and sound academics.

This was non-negotiable...

Go here for the remainder.

San Jose State - Seattle game preview

It's Seattle up next for the Spartans on Saturday, December 18 at 7 p.m. in the Emerald City. Thinking of the geographical locations, let's also call it at least in some ways the unofficial PC versus Mac matchup.

The Redhawks aren't big and like to run and press. Hey, what else should be expected from a team in a city with expresso machines pulsating on every corner. Jittery is also an apt description for a team that topped Oregon State and Idaho but also lost at home to Cal Poly by 16 and on the road to San Francisco by 21 and UC Davis by 22 points. In that December 11 contest with Idaho, Seattle forced the Vandals into 20 turnovers and also won the battle of the boards 35-27.

Let's see if Seattle is effective or not in producing TOs against SJSU. Their defense is improving in points allowed as the season continues.

Cam Dollar, the ex-UCLA guard and assistant to Lorenzo Romar at UW, is the Redhawk head coach. He has enjoyed success in garnering talent leaving the nearby Husky program (Charles Garcia - who actually never made it to UW - and now Clarence Trent, who is redshirting). Having had a hand in originally recruiting both helped in those moves.


The Redhawk Starting Five

* Cervante Burrell 5-foot-10 -- 12.6 ppg., 39% overall shooting, 0-7 on three-point attempts, 39/45 assist-to-turnover ratio

* Sterling Carter 6-foot-0 -- 12.0 ppg., 41 % overall shooting, 41% on three-point attempts, 73 of his 127 shots have been from long distance, 42 TOs in 12 games

* Garrett Lever 6-foot-0 -- 3.6 ppg., 36% overall shooting, second in rebounding at 6.3, a (team-leading) 29 steals

* Aaron Broussard 6-foot-5 -- (team-leading) 15.1 ppg., (team-leading) 52% overall shooting, (team-leading) 8.4 rpg., second in steals with 20

* Alex Jones 6-foot-8 -- 9.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per game,

Off The Bench

* Gavin Gilmore 6-foot-8

* Brandon Durham 6-foot-7 -- a low post threat currently shooting 62%

* Mark McLaughlin 6-foot-6 -- originally committed to Washington State, then signed with Nevada and finally Baylor before coming home, he's averaging 8.7 points and 4.5 rebounds a game with 34% overall shooting and 29% from long distance (he's taken the second most trey attempts on the team)


As A Team

Seattle is shooting 40% on the season while allowing opponents to make 45% of shot attempts, 29% to 345 on threes. The Redhawks are trailing in most stats but the closest is 105 steals to 106 for opposing teams.


Seattle schedule to date

12/11/10 Seattle University 66, University of Idaho 56

12/04/10 @ Weber State 65, Seattle 61

12/01/10 @ Portland State 83, Seattle 76

11/29/10 Seattle University 72, Montana State 70

11/27/10 UC Davis 80, Seattle 58

11-21-10 @ Irvine, CA Seattle University 75, Navy 70

11/20/10 @ Irvine, CA UC Irvine 85, Seattle University 77

11/19/10 @ Irvine, CA Louisiana Tech 85, Seattle University 72

11/17/10 Seattle University 83, Oregon State Univers 80

11/14/10 Cal Poly 76, Seattle University 60

11/12/10 @ San Francisco 97, Seattle 76

11/08/10 @ Maryland 105, Seattle Univ. 76


The Redhawk roster (by position, alphabetized)

Cervante Burrell G 5-10 170 Jr.
Sterling Carter G 6-0 200 Fr.
Jarell Flora G 6-3 180 Fr.
Garrett Lever G 6-0 180 Sr. (the son of former NBA player Fat Lever)
Mark McLaughlin G 6-6 195 Fr.
Fred Wilson G 6-2 197 Fr.

Aaron Broussard F 6-5 205 Jr.
Brandon Durham F 6-7 220 So
Gavin Gilmore F 6-8 220 Jr.
Alex Jones F 6-8 215 Sr.
Chad Rasmussen F 6-7 200 So.
Taylor Stevens F 6-7 230 Jr.
Clarence Trent F 6-6 225 So.

Time for another edition of Let's Make A Case

We noticed that San Jose State's Justin Graham was not listed among the players in contention for the recently announced WAC Player of the Week.

Tai Wesley won that honor and here were the runners-up:

* Boise State senior guard La'Shard Anderson

* Fresno State junior guard/forward Tim Steed

* Hawai'i junior guard Zane Johnson

* Idaho senior guard Shawn Henderson

* Louisiana Tech senior guard DeAndre Brown

* Nevada junior forward Dario Hunt

* New Mexico State freshman guard Christian Kabongo

For the sake of brevity, we offer the following examples/matchups:

Accumulated at home, Graham totaled 16 points, six steals, five assists and three rebounds versus Santa Clara and then hit the game-winning shot with San Jose State down by one against Eastern Washington while scoring 13 points along with two rebounds, two assists and two steals.

La'Shard Anderson, in a loss at UNLV, totaled:18 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals. But he committed nine turnovers. On the road against Drake, Anderson put up 15 points, seven assists and three steals. He shot 5-16 overall, 0-5 from three-point range.

Fresno States's Tim Steed enjoyed 12 points and five rebounds in a home win over San Diego plus broke out for 17 points, seven boards, three assists and two steals against visiting Pepperdine.

We're not arguing the fact of Justin not winning the award but missing out for consideration is beyond belief.

Spartans win 70-69

In "A League of Their Own" it was Tom Hanks as Jimmy Dugan who proclaimed there is no crying in baseball. In basketball, there's supposed to be no wetting of one's pants but that just what is happening to opposing players when San Jose State's Justin Graham is handling the ball with 10 or less seconds remaining in a game and the Spartans tied, down by one or even two.

Because just like against Oregon on November 20 when he nailed an and1 three-point play on a last second dribble-drive to beat the Ducks, Graham took it to the Eagles of Eastern Washington and put in the game winner with six seconds remaining to give SJSU a 70-69 win Sunday afternoon. It's becoming apparent he must have something against our supposed fine feathered friends.

Graham finished with 13 points while Adrian Oliver led via a game-high 29.

To their credit, the Eagles shot a remarkable 10-21 from long distance and overall out-boarded the Spartans by a margin of four, 35-31.

The Spartans enjoyed a 37-32 lead after the initial 20 minutes. At that time, Oliver had 14 points, four assists and a pair of steals.

Opening up the second half, Keith Shamburger nailed a deuce and then a trey, giving the SJSU a 42-35 lead.

San Jose State then went up by 10 -- 47-37 -- at the 15:58 mark.

But Eastern Washington kept battling and connected on a bevy of threes.

The game was tied at 57 with 7:12 showing.

A Cliff Dean trey tied it again at 64.

Oliver nailed a pair of free throws to make it 66-64, then EW's Tremayne Johnson made good on one of two foul shots.

At the 1:56 mark, Wil Carter was fouled but was errant on both his attempts.

Dean was then fouled and the sophomore sank both free throws to give Eastern Washington a one point lead at 67-66.

Oliver misfired on a baseline jumper and San Jose Stater Matt Ballard was called for a foul on Dean in the backcourt.

The underclassman was perfect on both his attempts, pushing the Eagle lead to three, 69-66.

With 56 seconds on the clock, Graham was fouled and netted both his foul shots, making it a one point game.

Eagle Coach Kirk Earlywine called time at the 42 second mark, with 22 seconds showing on the shot clock. After inbounding the ball, Eastern Washington quickly committed a turnover on a fumbled pass.

Spartan Coach George Nessman called a 30-second timeout, with 23 seconds remaining.

Then Graham closed it out with his 11-foot jumper and sent the Eagles scurrying for a supply of Depends.

SJSU donned the usual -- before this season -- white jerseys for this game. The gray ones were probably burned late Friday evening but we've been unable to confirm such a report.

It['s Eastern Washington early Sunday afternoon

So the Big Sky Conference member Eagles want a rematch? The Spartans took down Eastern Washington 67-60 on November 12 in Cheney, WA and now face Coach Kirk Earlywine's squad once more Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. at Walt McPherson Court.

In the earlier game, an Adrian Oliver torrid stretch proved the difference. From our game report:: "He [AO] made one of two free throws, then a deuce from the corner. Another AO corner shot -- a trey -- made it 58- 50. Eastern Washington managed a tip-in but Oliver put in two more at the charity stripe followed by a top of the key two. He closed the barrage out with a bank shot and the Eagles were plucked."

Oliver finished with 34 points.

Here's Coach Earlywine on the previous game:

"I thought there two things that decided that game, we played the game without Cliff or Glen, and we had 12 turnovers in the second half -- that was huge. And we fouled too much and put them on the line 37 times. That was a little bit of a problem for us early in the year, but not fouling has been a big point of emphasis in practice and we're doing better with that as of late. We are keeping our hands off people and learning how not to get tangled up with players. Oliver is fifth-year senior, so he is pretty crafty. He knows how to get himself to the free throw line and we have to do a better job of keeping him from getting there."

The absent points, Glen Dean and Cliff Colimon, will both be playing. to some degree, on Sunday.

Here's the lead on the EW athletics SJSU game preview:

"Returning starting point guard Glen Dean, out for two months with a stress fracture in his foot, has finally been cleared to practice with the Eastern Washington University men's basketball team. That, plus the return of a pair of players recently out with injuries, gives the Eagles some needed momentum heading into a Sunday (Dec. 12) rematch with San Jose State..."

...Dean was the Freshman of the Year in the Big Sky Conference last season when he averaged 12.2 points and 4.4 assists per game. Because he's missed two months already, Earlywine says his return will be slow and gradual...

"The bone is his foot has healed sufficiently to resume practicing on kind of a limited basis," he explained. "So it's going to be a gradual process of working him back into full-speed practices and then the games...

...Plus, Eastern will welcome back this week point guard Cliff Colimon, who has missed the past two games and four total games with a sprained ankle. Plus, forward Rashano McRae has missed the last three games and valuable practice time with a concussion.

"While he's not completely 100 percent, his ankle is significantly better after holding him out for two weeks," said Earlywine of Colimon, who is averaging 12.0 points and 2.3 assists per game in the three games he's played..."


EW's starting five -- a pickem among three frontcourters and three guards

* Cliff Edaraine 6-7 9.3 ppg., 8.1 rpg., shooting 53% overall

* Laron Griffin 6-8 7.3 ppg., 7.1 rpg.

* Tremayne Johnson 6-7 12.4 ppg., 6.6 rpg. (he'll be the best athlete on the floor)


* Cliff Coliman 6-0 12.0 ppg. , 41% on three-point shots

* Jeffrey Forbes 5-10 13.7 ppg. , 42% on three-point shots

* Kevin Winford 5-11 15.3 ppg., 44% on three-point shots (he hit eight treys in a loss to Idaho)


One difference worth noting is Sunday marks the eligibility of Brylle Kamen for San Jose State. Our exposure to the 6-foot-7, 230 frontcourter in the pre-season scrimmage indicated a real aggressiveness with the ball and that will be most welcomed. We also want to be seeing some in-the-paint scoring prowess, rebounding and defensive effectiveness -- a lot to ask of one player but needed attributes.

Plus, will the Spartans come out angry about the late loss to Santa Clara? And, if so, can they maintain it for 40 minutes?


Here's the EWU roster (by position and alphabetized)

* Glen Dean G 5-10 170 So.
* Cliff Colimon G 6-0 170 Jr.
* Sean Fischer G 6-0 170 Fr.
* Willie Hankins G 6-3 190 Fr.
* Jeffrey Forbes G 5-10 170 So.
* Kevin Winford G 5-11 170 So.

*Geoffrey Allen G/F 6-5 170 Fr.

* Rocky Brown F 6-6 200 Fr.
* Cliff Ederaine F 6-7 205 Jr.
* Laron Griffin F 6-8 220 Jr.
* Jaylen Henry F 6-7 230 Fr.
* Morgan Hyslop F 6-7 200 Jr.
* Tremayne Johnson F 6-7 200 Jr.
* Rashano McRae F 6-7 230 Jr.
* Carter Warnock F 6-9 220 Fr.

Santa Clara pulls it out 67-63

Santa Clara Coach Kerry Keating inserted different players into his usual starting lineup and the move initially worked. But San Jose State took back the lead, courtesy in part to Bronco ballhandling generosity. It eventually became a battle back and forth until Keating's squad hit late shots and nabbed a 67-63 win at Walt McPherson Court.

Adrian Oliver led all with 26 points but didn't shoot well. Kevin Foster led the Broncos with 25 points, after scoring six in the first half. Justin Graham totaled 16 points and nabbed six steals.

SJSU shot 33% overall on the game, 2-12 from three-point range. SC shot 39%, 7-18 on treys.

A Keith Shamburger deuce put San Jose up 33-26 early in the second half but Santa Clara kept at it. The Spartans were strong early in half two but the momentum stalled and the Broncos, to their credit, took advantage.

It was 51-50 with SJSU leading when a Matt Ballard and1 three-point play boosted the margin to 54-50. Later, a Graham steal and feed to Shamburger led to a layup and a 58-55 Spartan margin.

But with 1:44 on the clock, Foster hit a driving layup to put his team ahead 59-58.

Oliver then missed a tough jumper but SC's Evan Roquemore came down and he also misfired.

Oliver was subsequently fouled, missed the first but made the second to tie the game at 59.

Then came THE BIG (SANTA CLARA) PLAY.

Coming off two screens, Foster nailed a trey with 26.1 seconds showing.

Then came THE BIG (SAN JOSE STATE) PLAY.

Oliver attempted a shot which was blocked by Roquemore, who recovered the ball and was fouled. Did a foul occur on the attempt? Not according to those who count, the referees.

Roquemore was then fouled, nailed a pair of free throws to put Santa Clara ahead by five and decide the outcome.

Graham was fouled, missed his first free throw (back rim), intentionally missed the second and Wil Carter grabbed the rebound but was errant with his shot attempt.

After 20 minutes, San Jose State led 27-26. Oliver had 16, Graham 10 and Ballard his free throw to achieve the total.

With 11:47 remaining, the Broncos were ahead 12-8. The Spartans were successful of just four of 15 shots at that point.

It was 22-21 in Santa Clara's favor when Ballard hit a free throw to tie the game. Oliver's jumper gave the Spartans a 24-22 lead. Broncos turnovers, forced and unforced, led to the first half lead loss.

SF Chronicle features AO

Adrian Oliver thinks, therefore he scores
Steve Kroner, Chronicle Staff Writer
December 10, 2010

Meet Adrian Oliver, the thinking man's scorer.

The San Jose State guard is averaging 24.9 points per game this season. He has 12 career games of at least 30 points.

Oliver comes from a basketball family; he has two cousins who played college basketball, and his uncle, Allen Oliver, coached him at Modesto Christian High.

Given that background, it's easy to understand how well Adrian Oliver understands the game.

"People would say I have a high basketball IQ," Oliver said, "and I ... just tried to further nurture that by looking up to players like Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan - not because they're gifted with the game physically, but the way they go about watching film, the minor details.

"I'm big on attention to detail..."

Go here for the remainder.

The latest AOL

A.O.L. - Home Again & A Call To Action
Spartan Athletics
12/10/2010

Spartans, it's time.

The school that is less than twenty minutes away from us is making the short drive over to play in our house, Friday night (December 10) at 7:00 p.m. You should absolutely positively know that I am talking about Santa Clara.

We all know what playing Santa Clara means to our school, and, more importantly, to our alumni. I expect to see and feel each and every one of you there ready to engage in the battle with us.

We are off to a good start and have to continue flourishing in this early season. Your participation from the stands is vital for our success being that we finally get to play at home for these next two games (Santa Clara and Eastern Washington on December 12).

It all starts on Friday. I want this game to be a momentous occasion with crowd energy. I promise you that we will give back the same effort that you all put in for us. This season has the potential to be one of the most special seasons in San Jose State basketball history and I sense that a lot of people around the city of San Jose can sense that.

Instead of running away from that thought, I want to embrace it with open arms and take the challenge personally and deliver. This is what I tell my teammates - have high expectations rather than have none at all.

The time is now Spartans! And, the special thing about it is we all can experience it together!

Get your pre-game workout, or your pre-game meal, whatever it may be and meet us at The Event Center rocking your blue & gold with your vocal chords fresh and ready to yell. Let's get to it Spartans!

You already know, AOL signing out...

Mark Emmons on Adrian Oliver

San Jose State basketball: Adrian Oliver can deliver stats, but can he produce wins?
Mark Emmons
Mercury News
12/08/2010

There has never been a doubt about his scoring ability, his penchant for taking over games or his will to have the ball in hand as the clock winds down.

But when Adrian Oliver returned to San Jose State for his senior season, he knew there was a lingering question on the minds of NBA scouts:

Can he win?

Go here for the remainder.

SC 7 p.m. Friday night at Walt McPherson Court

Usually it takes a U in front of SC to bring out the fire and passion -- for and against -- of fan-dom but a simple SC will work for Spartan devotees on Friday evening. That's when the Broncos -- those %&$@# El Camino-ites -- travel cross the valley to hopefully play a sacrificial lamb role.

Furthering our animal theme, we don't usually support the roundup of wild horses but we'll definitely be joining such a cause a couple of nights hence and are desirous of utilizing the term 'corralled' in the post-game headline.

The UCLA touch that Coach Kerry Keating was supposed to import to Santa Clara basketball is still in transit. The former UCLA assistant coach is coming off an 11-21 season -- his best talent Kevin Foster was injured -- and currently stands 4-4 after most recently falling to visiting UC Santa Barbara.

As for team stats, the Broncos are shooting 45% overall while allowing opponents to go 47%. Keating's squad checks in at 36% from long range to 43% for opposing teams (that's a significant differential). Santa Clara is averaging 72.9 points a night while allowing 76.6.


Santa Clara starting five

Robert Smith (6-0, 185)

the nominal point, he averaging 2.6 assists a contest, 6.3 points a game and ranks third on the team in rebounding at 3.8 each time out

Kevin Foster (6-2, 219)

out last season due to injury, the husky backcourter is averaging a team-leading 17.8 ppg., shooting 39% overall, 40% from three and 70 of his 110 shot attempts have been from long distance -- he's the creator on offense as he is also averaging 3.7 assists a contest but also committing 3.6 turnovers each time out

Troy Payne (6-6, 210)

primarily a defender, he offers very limited shooting range and is just 7-17 at the foul line -- let's see if Keating matches him with Adrian Oliver

Ben Dowdell (6-7, 225)

he's shooting 53% for the season (with no trey attempts) yet just 60% at the foul line -- his primary numbers: 7.3 points and 4.1 rebounds a contest

Kevin Trasolini (6-9, 235)

seemingly a bruiser inside, he's the Bronco second-leading scorer and boarder at 12.3 ppg. and 6.3 respectively -- the conundrum is he has just 23 free throw attempts on the season and is shooting just 54% on his free throws yet he inexplicably has attempted 22 treys with a 36% make rate

Off the Bench

Raymond Cowels III (6-4, 205)

he, third in the lineage, is quite appropriately the best three-point shooter on the squad at 43%

Freshman Evan Roquemore ((6-3, 165) is at 9.9 ppg in 23 minutes of play per contest but remarkably has earned a tops-on-the-team 44 free throw opportunities in spite his height, weight and half of his shots from the floor coming beyond the three-point line

The Broncos definitely have some players necessary to seesimply to determine how they doing what they are.


Games to date

11/12 CSU Bakersfield W, 82-77

11/15 @ USC L, 86-73

11/18 Rice W, 66-65

11/21 Bethune-Cookman W, 75-61

11/23 Northern Colorado W, 87-84

11/26 in Las Vegas vs. Arizona L, 82-59

11/27 in Las Vegas vs. Ohio L, 78-72

12/04 UC Santa Barbara L, 80-69


The Bronco roster (by position and alphabetized)

* Yannick Atanga Forward 6-8 210 Freshman
* Raymond Cowels III Forward 6-4 205 Sophomore
* Chris Cunningham Forward 6-8 230 Sophomore
* Ben Dowdell Forward 6-7 225 Senior
* Niyi Harrison Forward 6-7 220 Sophomore
* John McArthur Forward 6-9 225 Freshman
* Troy Payne Forward 6-6 210 Senior
* Marc Trasolini Forward 6-9 235 Junior

* Phillip Bach Guard 6-4 195 Junior
* Julian Clarke Guard 6-3 192 Freshman
* Kevin Foster Guard 6-2 219 Sophomore
* Beau Gamble Guard 6-0 185 Freshman
* Nate Mensah Guard 6-3 195 Senior
* Kyle Perricone Guard 6-3 195 Sophomore
* Evan Roquemore Guard 6-3 165 Freshman
* Michael Santos Guard 6-5 205 Senior
* Robert Smith Guard 6-0 185 Sophomore

Justin Graham WAC POY

San Jose State’s Justin Graham has been named the Verizon Western Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Nov. 29-Dec. 5. The honor marks the first career WAC Player of the Week award for Graham.

Graham, a senior guard from Ripon, Calif. (Ripon HS), led San Jose State with a pair of back-to-back 20-plus point performances for the first time in his career as the Spartans split a pair of road games last week. Graham posted 20 points with a career-high 11 rebounds, five assists and three steals in a 72-63 loss at UTSA. He extended his streak of made three-point baskets to six with a 2-for-2 performance in the game. Graham led the Spartans with 21 points, a team-high five assists and four steals, plus six rebounds in 37 minutes of play in an 85-70 road win at UC Irvine.

On the week, Graham averaged a team-high 20.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 3.5 steals per game. He shot 50 percent (14-of-28) from the field and 60 percent (3-of-5) from three-point range.

Other nominees:

* Boise State senior guard La'Shard Anderson
* Fresno State freshman guard Kevin Olekaibe
* Idaho junior guard Deremy Geiger
* Louisiana Tech sophomore guard Brandon Gibson
* Nevada freshman guard Denote Burton
* New Mexico State junior forward Troy Gillenwater
* Utah State senior guard Pooh Williams

Another writeup on last night's game

Enjoyed the opening to this game report on last night's matchup:

San Jose State handles UC Irvine
Anteaters lose early lead and Coach Turner loses his cool, earning a late ejection in setback.
Barry Faulkner
Los Angeles Times
December 4, 2010

IRVINE — Their edge was the first to go. Next, went the lead. Finally, it was first-year coach Russell Turner's temper that made the final departure in the UC Irvine Anteaters' 85-70 nonconference men's basketball loss to San Jose State on Saturday at the Bren Events Center.

The Spartans (5-2) used an overwhelming backcourt to overcome an 11-2 deficit, eventually taking control toward the end of a first half in which the Anteaters led for the first 13:28.

But when senior guard Justin Graham converted a three-point play that put the visitors up, 18-17, the Spartans never trailed again...

Go here for the remainder.

Spartans win 85-70

Host UC Irvine started the game like 'this is our crib' or however it would be stated in Orange County but then San Jose State eliminated the turnovers and gained greater shooting accuracy. That made the Anteaters a 2010 taxidermy trophy tonight by the score of 85-70. Putting a 1-11 shooting start and a bevy of early turnovers in the rear view mirror -- fortified the Spartan win.

Justin Graham led the scoring with 21 and Adrian Oliver added 18. Chris Jones totaled a season and career high 15 points, scoring in many a manner from different spots on the floor. Wil Carter put together a double-double of 12 points and the same in rebounds.

The Spartans owned the boards 43-27 and went 26-32 at the foul line but were out-shot on the game 41% to 49%.

A blazing 51-point second half did the job for SJSU. At the 11:56 mark, San Jose State led 50-39. Irvine found itself down by 15 with 10 minutes showing.

At the half, it was 34-27 in favor of the Spartans and Oliver totaled but four points at that time -- on a layup plus a pair of free throws. But it was a tale of disparate puzzle pieces with Irvine breaking out to 5-0 and 13-4 leads and then the Anteater shots began connecting far more often with iron and glass than twine while the opposite was in effect for SJSU.

A Graham and1 three-point play put San Jose State ahead 18-17 and a Spartan 18-4 run concluded with a 22-17 lead at the 5:26 mark. A Chris Jones trey made it a 21-4 run before the Anteaters finally countered.

Matt Ballard returns home twice

Most fans do not remember that current Spartan big Matt Ballard played as a UC Irvine Anteater in the 2007-2008 season. He's also from Orange County so it's a two-fer for Matt although UCI has a different coach now and, to the best of our knowledge, none of current Anteaters were members of the team when Ballard played there.

Another Khufu Najee signing article

Here's a letter-of-intent signing article from the Diablo Valley College student newspaper on newest Spartan Khufu Najee:

Najee gets full ride to SJSU
First-year guard signs letter of intent to play at San Jose
Gerardo Recinos
December 1, 2010

Basketball players are athletes with speed and strength, and Khufu Najee possesses both.

Najee, a 6 foot-3 inch tall guard, now playing for the Vikings, was this season's first DVC basketball player to sign his letter of intent to play college ball at San Jose State University next year on a full-ride athletic scholarship.

Najee, 18, a freshman, played only a handful of games at DVC before signing his letter.

As a star basketball player at Berkeley High School, Najee managed to keep a 3.45 cumulative GPA when he graduated, as well as being a first team all-league selection...

Go here for the remainder.

An Antonio Lawrence mention

Remember Antonio Lawrence from his one year at San Jose State? His name just popped up here:

Pro-Basketball in Jacksonville a ‘Giant’ Challenge
Darcy G. Richardson
The Jacksonville Observer
December 2, 2010

Ron Sholes hopes to succeed where others have failed when the Jacksonville Giants, the ABA’s newest and most promising franchise, take to the floor against the visiting San Francisco Rumble at 8 p.m. on Dec. 4.

Sholes, a local attorney and owner of City Hall Pub, a restaurant and bar located next to Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena where the Giants will play their fifteen home games and a possible playoff game later this year, is confident that his basketball franchise will be different than those in the past...

...[The Giants] signed Antonio Lawrence, a 6-foot-5 small forward who played at San Jose State...

Somehow we missed this AO feature

This escaped our attention earlier -- so to make amends:

SJSU’s Adrian Oliver looks to a bright 2011 basketball season while staying focused on family
Joseph Akeley
Spartan Daily
November 16, 2010

When Adrian Oliver was told in 2007 that his grandparents were ill, he knew he had to transfer from the University of Washington to a Bay Area school to support them.

“Up in Seattle, I was like ‘I don’t care about basketball anymore. I just want to be with my family. That’s the only thing that matters,’” the SJSU basketball star said.

Oliver said his grandparents were instrumental in raising him after his father left the family when he was 7 years old.

“My mom would have to work nights, and I would have to go to my grandparents house and they would take care of me at night,” he said. “My grandma is like my second mom, and my grandfather is my father. I don’t call him grandpa, I call him Dad. They mean everything to me...”

Go here for the remainder.

It's at UC Irvine Saturday night

(here's Darren -- Spiderman -- Moore, UCI guard who gained some fame this week across the 'net for his tattoos)

Having a lack of success with successive Roadrunner road opponents, San Jose State faces a different member of the animal kingdom -- the anteater.

Of course, this can only mean UC Irvine in Orange County, the opponent Saturday night at 7 p.m. in the Bren Center.

Our best research indicates the diet of the four mammal species of the suborder Vermilingua is ants (duh) and termites, with no mention of a taste for Spartans. We'll take that as a plus.


A new UCI mentor has taken over -- Russell Turner -- who previously coached for the Golden State Warriors , plus Stanford and Wake Forest prior to that. He has yet to enjoy a full recruiting season but he and his staff initially reached out to the Bay Area as well as France in stocking the current roster.


UCI Record To Date

11/08/10 @ Illinois L, 79-65
11/13/10 @ USC L, 62-49

2K Sports Classic Coaches vs. Cancer
11/19/10 vs. Navy W, 75-60
11/20/ vs. Seattle University W, 85-77
11/21/10 vs. Louisiana Tech L, 76-72

11/27/10 @ Marist W, 77-56
12/01/10 @ San Diego W, 90-82

In that last game, two Irvine players performed very well on the road:

"Senior guard Darren Moore scored a career-high 30 points to lead UC Irvine over San Diego, 90-82, at Jenny Craig Pavilion Wednesday night. Moore added 11 rebounds for his third double-double of the season along with four assists and four steals. He was 9 of 9 from the field, including 3 of 3 from three-point range, and 9 of 12 from the free-throw line. Senior guard Patrick Rembert scored 18 points and added three steals as UCI (4-3) won for the fourth time in the last five games."


The Anteater Starting Five

* Patrick Rembert 6-foot-0 (13 ppg, shooting 38%, 17/16 assist-to-turnover ratio)

* Daman Starring 6-foot-3 4.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg)

* Darren (Spiderman) Moore 6-foot-3 (team-leading 17 ppg, shooting 50% overall, 45 free throw attempts already, team-leading rebounder at 6.7 a game, plus 15 steals)

* Eric Wise 6-foot-6 (9.7 ppg, shooting 46%, 6.3 rpg)

* Paval Losonsky 6-foot-9 (8.3 ppg., 5-11 on three-point attempts, 4.2 rpg)

Plus, backcourter Derrick Strings is a three-point shooter off the bench as two thirds of his shots have comes from distance.


Freshman Chris McNealy (son of the former Spartan) played 22 minutes against the Toreros and scored nine points. Let's see how much he is on the court versus SJSU.

Wise has been injured (hip flexor strain) but is now back. He'll be a load upfront and quite a difficult matchup for SJSU's frontcourt

So it's Darren Moore and Wise who will play the primary roles. Expect Calvin Douglas to be matched up often against Moore but it's anyone's guess as to who will receive the responsibility for dealing with Wise.

San Jose State beat Irvine twice last season -- 69-56 in Orange County and 78-68 at Walt McPherson Court. Wise scored a team-leading 15 points in the former and followed that with 31 against the Spartans on the road. Adrian Oliver totaled 31 and 29 points respectively in the two games.

The official UC Irvine roster (by position and alphabetical)

Derick Flowers 6-0 170 Guard SO
Emil Kim 6-5 205 Guard SR
Jonas Lalehzadeh 6-5 205 Guard JR
Darren Moore 6-3 190 Guard SR
Chris McNealy 6-3 170 Guard FR (San Ramon Valley HS)
Patrick Rembert 6-0 188 Guard SR
Brandon Scott 6-2 190 Guard SO (Archbishop Mitty HS) redshirting
Daman Starring 6-3 190 Guard SO
Derrick Strings 6-2 180 Guard JR
Mike Wilder 6-2 210 Guard SO

Adam Folker 6-9 225 Forward JR
Pavol Losonsky 6-9 235 Forward SR (Slovakia)
Kevin Mulloy 6-6 205 Forward FR
Eric Wise 6-6 240 Forward JR

Maxime Chupin 6-9 220 Center FR (France) (awaiting eligibility determination)
Peter Simek 6-9 240 Center SR (Slovakia)

Former SJSU coach Janice Richard dies

Louisiana College women's basketball coach Janice Joseph-Richard dies
Randy Benson
The Town Talk
December 1, 2010

Janice Joseph-Richard, an All-American at Louisiana College who returned the women’s basketball program at the Pineville school to national prominence as a coach, has died.

Richard, 46, died Wednesday, Dec. 1, at Christus St. Frances Cabrini Hospital in Alexandria after five-year battle with breast cancer.

“The basketball world lost a great coach and a great person,” said Frank Schneider, who coached Richard for three years at LC and later started her coaching career by hiring her as an assistant at Southeastern Louisiana.

“Janice Joseph-Richard was one of the classiest individuals to ever walk the Louisiana College campus,” LC President Joe Aguillard said. “When you were with her, you felt you were in the presence of a special person. I think she was anointed...”

Go here for the remainder.

Here's another report.

A game report and a photo slideshow

Here's a report from the San Antonio newspaper on the Spartan loss to UTSA.

Also, here is a slideshow of photos from the game.