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News Archives 2007 - Current

Weber State vs Brigham Young
Since 1963	WSU	BYU
Overall Wins	920	899
Last Tournament Appearance	2007	2012
Last Tournament Win	1999	2012
Tournament Appearances	14	24
Tournament Wins	6	11
Best Tournament Seed	7	3
Conference Titles	19	18
20 Win Seasons	24	26
Winning Seasons	41	39
Losing Seasons	8	10
Best Record	27-3	32-5
Worst Record	7-22	1-25
Undefeated in Conference	2	0

Weber State vs Brigham Young
Since 1963	WSU	BYU
Overall Wins	896	874
Last Tournament Appearance	2007	2011
Last Tournament Win	1999	2011
Tournament Appearances	14	23
Tournament Wins	6	10
Best Tournament Seed	7	3
Conference Titles	19	18
20 Win Seasons	23	25
Winning Seasons	40	38
Losing Seasons	8	10
Best Record	27-3	32-5
Worst Record	7-22	1-25
Undefeated in Conference	2	0

12/4/11
Milestones & Records
With Weber's double-overtime thriller over San Jose State, the Big Sky is now 7-3 against the Western Athletic Conference. The win was number 100 for Randy Rahe as the head coach of Weber State. Coach Rahe is the fifth WSU coach to achieve 100 wins at Weber State. Four of the five coaches got number 100 in their sixth season at WSU. Only Neil McCarthy reached 100 in five years. McCarthy also has the WSU record for the most Big Sky regular season titles with four. Rahe long with Dick Motta, Phil Johnson and Ron Abegglen coached teams to three titles. Rah'es 100 wins are the fifth most wins in school history; he needs 17 more wins to move up to fourth. Joe Cravens has 116 wins, third best is Motta with 120 wins, Abegglen's 157 is second most. The school record is McCarthy with 200 wins in his 11 year tenure at WSU.

Damian Lillard is the nation's leading scorer averaging 28.2 ppg. His career-best 41 points scored against San Jose State was the second most points scored in a single game in Weber State history. His prior high was 36 points which he did against Saint Mary's (2011-12) and Eastern Washington (2009-10). After the EWU game Lillard was quoted as saying the following after leaving the game with a few minutes remaining, "I knew I had 36 and I mean, why not go for 40? But I'm not going to argue with the coach." He finally got the 40 points but it was a long wait because of last year's medical redshirt.

Single Game Points
1. Stan Mayhew 45 1977 (Utah State)
2. DAMIAN LILLARD 41 2012 (San Jose St)
3. Jerry Trice 40 1966 (NAU)
Harold Arceneax 40 2000 (@ EWU)
Harold Arceneax 40 2000 (MSU)
4. Jim Lyon 39 1964 (CS Los Angeles)
Jim Lyon 39 1964 (Whitworth)
Willie Sojourner 39 1970 (MSU)
Bruce Collins 39 1977 (CS Stanislaus)
Harold Arceneaux 39 1999 (EWU)
Harold Arceneaux 39 2000 (ISU)
5. Stan Rose 38 1993 (@ EWU)
Harold Arceneaux 38 1999 (@ EWU)
6. Al Hamilton 37 1992 (The Citadel)
Jermaine Boyette 37 2003 (BYU)
7. Ryan Cuff 36 1997 (@ ISU)
Harold Arceneaux 36 1999 (vs North Carolina, NCAA 1st Rd)
Harold Arceneaux 36 2000 (CS Northridge)
Jermaine Boyette 36 2001 (BYU)
DAMIAN LILLARD 36 2010 (EWU)
DAMIAN LILLARD 36 2012 (St Mary's)

Lillard still is 10th in WSU history for career points with 1,321. Another 37 points will move him ahead of Harold Arceneaux's 1,357. Lillard scored 617 points as a sophomore which is the 8th most in school history for a single season. On WSU's 28 game schedule, he would need to average 25.5 ppg to surpass Arceneaux's school record in 713 points. Qualifying for the conference tournament would add one to three more games and a post season berth could add at least a one more game. "The Show" played in 33 games in 1999.

Lillard's six 3-pointers against SJSU moved him up to #3 in the WSU record books for career 3-pointers with 177. Alex Fisher (1995-98) made 176. Ahead of Lillard are Jimmy DeGraffenried (196, 1991-96) and Johnny Hamilton (241, 2000-04).

The single season scoring average record at WSU is 23.2 ppg by Stan Rose in 1992-93. Two other players have also averaged 23 ppg: Bob Davis (23.1, 1971-72) and Arceneaux (23.0, 1999-00). Lillard has a great shot to get the school record with his 28.2 ppg after six games played.

As a team, Weber State is currently 17th ranked nationally in points per game with 82.0 and 31st in rebounds per game with 40.5. The Wildcats' 9.2 three-pointers per game is 15th best in the nation. Weber's three-point average is 39.9% which ranks 44th.

Weber's leading rebounder, Kyle Bullinger who averages more than nine boards per game played just 12 minutes against SJSU after suffering a dislocated elbow. His status has not been announced yet as to when Wildcat fans can expect him back on the court. Bull had already been dealing with a slipped disc issue with his back prior to the Saint Mary's tournament and he also had a minor ankle sprain against Jacksonville State.

12/3/11
Memorable Win For Rahe's 100th
Weber St. 91, San Jose St. 89 2OT
Associated Press
OGDEN, Utah -- Damian Lillard scored a career-high 41 points as he made a driving layup with 10.7 seconds left in double overtime and converted the old-fashioned 3-point play as Weber State outlasted San Jose State in a 91-89 double-overtime victory Saturday night.

Lillard, who entered the game leading the nation in scoring at 25.6 points per game, hit a 3-pointer with 5.6 seconds left in regulation to send it to overtime for Weber State (5-1).

James Kinney scored 28 points, including a couple of 3-pointers to bring San Jose State (3-5) back in the second overtime. Keith Shamburger hit a pair of free throws to put San Jose State up by one with 21 seconds left, before Lillard's game-winner and a Weber State defensive stop.

Weber State coach Randy Rahe won his 100th career game.

12/1/11
San Jose State at Weber State, Saturday Night
Big Sky Scoreboard | Radio | Big Sky TV | Live Stats | Twitter
This Saturday night at the Dee Events Center the Wildcats are back in action after three game 18 day road trip where the 'Cats went 2-1 including the first 4-0 start since 1985. The Wildcats take on the Spartans of San Jose State at 7:30 p.m. The WSU women's team also plays San Jose State, that game has a 5:00 p.m. tipoff.

San Jose State makes just its second appearance in Ogden with the last being in 1976 when Weber beat San Jose 98-82. Overall in the series the Spartans lead 2-1, winning 64-56 in 1973-74 and last year in San Jose at the ESPNU Bracketbusters WSU lost 62-46.

As part of the Bracketbusters, the home team is required to play at the road team's place the following season if possible or the season after that. So if Weber can get say Nevada, Hawaii, Butler or Wichita State this season, the 'Cats would have to go play on the road at their place next year.

The Spartans have a 3-4 record with wins coming at home against UC Irvine (51-50), UT San Antonio (72-66) and a non-DI (109-71). The four losses are to Cal Poly (79-52), San Francisco (83-81 OT), Santa Clara (84-58) and Montana State (77-70). The loss to the Bobcats was the only one on their home floor.

The Spartans average 70.4 ppg and allow 72.9. They average 34.0 rpg and their opponents average 39.4. Graduated from SJSU last season is Adrian Oliver who was one of the top scorers in the nation where he averaged 24 ppg. This year junior guard James Kinney leads the team with 16.7 ppg and he dropped 30 against UTSA. Sophomore Keith Shamburger averages 14.4 ppg and Wil Carter, of Pocatello, is averaging 9.7 ppg and a team-best 8.6 rpg.

San Jose State finished with a 17-16 record last year and had their first winning season in nearly two decades. They only went 5-11 in WAC play but advanced to the semifinals of the conference tournament where they lost to the eventual champion Utah State. The Spartans advanced to the CBI where they lost 85-74 to Creighton in the tournament's first round.

Weber State vs the WAC
Overall 110-87
Fresno State 4-1
Hawaii 4-2
Idaho 52-20
Louisiana Tech 0-2
Nevada 19-20
New Mexico State 4-2
San Jose State 1-2
Utah State 26-38

A win over SJSU would be win number 100 for Coach Rahe and it would also be win number 896 for WSU all-time. Also, the Big Sky is 6-3 against the WAC this season. A SJSU win would bring the Big Sky's record to 7-3 vs the WAC. Weber has not lost a home OOC game excluding in-state opponents since 2005.

Damian Lillard is averaging 25.6 ppg, which leads the nation in scoring. He has scored 20 or more points in four of five games this season. This week he moved into tenth place on the WSU career scoring list with 1,280 points surpassing Johnny Hamilton's 1,240 points.

After Saturday's matchup the 'Cats head back on the road for an in-state battle at BYU next Wednesday, December 7. The Provo showdown will tipoff at 7:00 p.m. and will be broadcast on BYUTV.

11/28/11
Saint Mary's 87, Weber St. 70
Associated Press
MORAGA, Calif. -- Matthew Dellavedova had 25 points and a career-high 11 assists and Rob Jones added 24 points and 12 rebounds to lead Saint Mary's to an 87-70 victory over Weber State in the championship game of the Shamrock Office Solutions Classic on Monday night.

Kenneth Walker II added 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Gaels (4-1), who beat the Wildcats for the second straight season.

Damian Lillard matched his career high with 36 points for Weber State (4-1), including a dominant stretch in the second half in which he scored 21 straight points for the Wildcats. Kyle Tresnak added 17 points.

Lillard's second-chance basket got Weber State within 64-58 with 7:26 left, but Saint Mary's went on a 14-2 run to lead 78-60 with 4:28 remaining. Dellavedova culminated the surge with a 3-pointer.

The Gaels were 8 for 13 from beyond the arc.

11/28/11
WSU @ St. Mary's For Championship
Big Sky Scoreboard | SMC Stream ($7.95) | Live Stats | Radio | Twitter
Sunday
Saint Mary's 86, San Francisco State 52
Weber State 69, Jacksonville State 61
Monday
Jacksonville State vs San Francisco State, 6:00 p.m.
Weber State @ Saint Mary's, 8:30 p.m.

11/27/11
Coach Rahe Gets 99th Win!
Weber St. 69, Jacksonville St. 61
Associated Press
MORAGA, Calif. -- Damian Lillard scored 23 points and pulled down eight rebounds to lead Weber State to a 69-61 victory over Jacksonville State in the opening round of the Shamrock Office Solutions Classic on Sunday night.

The Wildcats advanced to Monday's championship game against Saint Mary's, which beat San Francisco State earlier Sunday.

Kyle Bullinger added 11 points and 10 rebounds for Weber State, which improved to 4-0 for the first time since the 1985-86 season.

Brian Williams scored 16 points and made five assists for the Gamecocks (2-4), who fell behind by 21 late in the first half but gradually sliced into the deficit and trailed just 64-59 with a minute left. But a 3-point try by Williams went in and out, and the Wildcats held on.

Rinaldo Mafra added 14 points for Jacksonville State, but leading scorer Tarvin Gaines was held to nine points, six under his average.

11/27/11
Shamrock Office Solutions Classic
Big Sky Scoreboard | SMC Stream ($7.95) | Live Stats | Radio | Twitter
Sunday
San Francisco State vs Saint Mary's, 5:00 p.m.
Jacksonville State vs Weber State, 7:30 p.m.
Monday
Consolation game, 6:00 p.m.
Championship game, 8:30 p.m.

11/26/11
Stats and Milestones
National Stats
Currently Weber State is ranked 8th nationally in points per game with 87.3 and 3rd in rebounds per game with 44.0. WSU is #1 in the nation for 3-point field goal percentage shooting 50%, hitting 37-of-74. WSU is also #1 in 3-pointers made per game with a 12.3 average.

Damian Lillard ranks 6th nationally in points per game with 23.0 and Scott Bamforth is ranked 24th with a 21.0 average. Bam also is ranked #2 in the nation for 3-point field goal percentage shooting 82.4% from 14-of-17 shooting. Kyle Bullinger is ranked 10th in rebounds per game with 11.3.

Records and Milestones
Lillard has the 11th most career points in WSU history with 1,219 and needs 21 points to be 10th. Knocking in another 13 3-pointers will tie Lillard with Alex Fisher (176) for the 3rd most career 3-pointers at WSU. Lillard already has the school record, 84, the most 3's made in a single season. Lillard is tied 6th with 3 other players for the most points scored in a single game with 36. The record is 45 points by Stan Mayhew in 1977. If Lillard can end the season at his current average points per game of 23.0 that would tie him for the 3rd best single season points average with Harold Arceneaux.

Bullinger is just 71 points away from being the 26th player in WSU history to score 1,000 career points. He also just became the 23rd player in WSU history to get 500 rebounds. He currently has 504. He needs just 5 boards to get to 22nd to pass up Johnnie Moore and 7 more than that would tie him with Lance Allred (511). Bull can also become just the 14th player in WSU history to get 1,000 points and 500 rebounds. Bull's junior year he hit 54 3's; if he can do that again he would graduate with 184 3's, the 3rd most in school history. Bull could become one of two players in WSU history to achieve 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 177+ 3-pointers.

Bamforth's 7 3-pointers against Utah State is the second time he has hit 7 in a game. Seven 3's in a game is the 3rd most in a single game by a WSU player which is shared with Nick Hansen (2010) and Ryan Cuff (1997). The school record is held by Greg Boyd (1988) with 9 and 2nd most is a two way tie between Alex Fisher (1996) and Johnny Hamilton (2004). Bam also has the 3rd most 3's made in a single season with 78. He was 5 short of Eddie Gill's (1999) 83. Lillard's (2010) 84 is the school record.

If Bam can get 78 3's per season like he did his sophomore year he would graduate with 234 3's. The school record is Johnny Hamilton's 241 (2000-2004). Second most is Jimmy DeGraffenried with 196 (1991-96).

Coach Randy Rahe needs 2 more wins to get to 100 overall at Weber State and as a DI head coach. Of the 9 coaches in WSU's previous 49 year history as a DI member, 4 coaches have crossed the 100 mark. In Neil McCarthy's 10 seasons he won 200 games. The second longest tenured coach was Ron Abegglen who won 157 games in 8 seasons. Number three is Dick Motta with 120 wins in 6 seasons and Joe Cravens won 116 games in the 7 seasons prior to the hiring of Coach Rahe. Rahe is in his 6th season at Weber and all of the WSU coaches to crack 100 wins did it in their 6th season except for McCarthy who did it in 5 seasons. Rahe is also in a 4 way tie for the 2nd most Big Sky regular season titles with 3. McCarthy won 4 conference titles.

The Weber State men's basketball program needs just 6 wins to get to 900 all-time.

11/25/11
Sun/Mon: Shamrock Office Solutions Classic
Big Sky Scoreboard | SMC Stream ($7.95) | Live Stats | Radio | Twitter
This coming Sunday and Monday, the 3-0 Wildcats will compete in the Shamrock Office Solutions Classic in Moraga, CA, which is the home court of the St. Mary's Gaels. WSU hasn't started a season 4-0 since 1985-86 when the 'Cats started out 10-0. Oddly that team only won 8 of its final 19 games and lost in the semifinal of the 1986 Coors Light Big Sky Tournament in Reno.

Weber's first opponent at the Shamrock will be the Gamecocks of Jacksonville State, Sunday night at 7:30 p.m. which will be the second act after St. Mary's plays San Francisco State, a local DII team. The two winners will play in Monday's championship game at 8:30 p.m. and the two losers will play in a 6:00 p.m. consolation game. All four games of the tournament will feature a live video stream via subscription services Gaels Live on SMCGaels.com.

The JSU 'Cocks have a 2-2 record with wins over non-DI Miles College (87-64) and Alabama State (78-65) and losses to Marshall (58-44) and #20 Cincinnati (73-59). JSU, located in Jacksonville, AL, will start a 6 game road trip tonight traveling to Natchitoches, LA, to take on Northwestern State at 6:45 p.m. JSU's next home game isn't until December 17th. The 'Cocks average 67 ppg, 4.5 bpg, 8.3 spg and outrebound their opponents by eight boards per game.

St. Mary's lately has started each season pretty hot and has been a solid mid-major team with at-large aspirations. On Wednesday night, the Gaels (2-1) had a disappointing loss at the University of Denver, 70-58. Their two wins were against non-DI Fresno Pacific (98-58) and Northern Iowa (57-41). SMC's Rob Jones the West Coast Conference leader in boards and field goal percentage is averaging 18.7 ppg and 11.0 rpg. Matthew Dellavedova, a 6-4 guard considered one of the best in the country is averaging 13.7 ppg, 5.0 apg, 3.7 rpg and shoots 40% from 3.

San Francisco State is 1-4 overall and have faced no DI opponents yet. James Albright, a junior transfer from CS Bakersfield is averaging 14.4 ppg and is shooting 58.5% from the field.

Athlon Sports Preseason Preview, Jacksonville State
The Gamecocks want to put a 2010-11 season that included a 14-game losing streak behind them. But it could be more of the same if senior forward Stephen Hall (11.1 ppg) doesn't receive some help on offense.

Lindy's Preseason Preview, Jacksonville State
Jacksonville State has picked up a reputation as being a football school with former Arkansas coach Jack Crowe running the program. Beating Ole Miss last season only helped the Gamecocks' football street cred. So James Green has an uphill struggle to get Jacksonville State on the college basketball map. It doesn't help Green's cause that Nick Murphy and Jeremy Bynum aren't returning after exhausting their eligibility. Murphy was Jacksonville State's all-time leading scorer, while Bynum was No. 3. Stephen Hall is a solid piece, but experience is thin and the Gamecocks had yet to announce their crop of newcomers at press time, although Louisiana guard Mason Leggett committed to the program.

Athlon & Lindy's both picked the Gamecocks 10th of 11 in the Ohio Valley Conference with no all-conference preseason selections.

Athlon Sports Preseason Preview, St. Mary's
Even though they lost the WCC's Player of the Year, Mickey McConnell, to graduation, don't look for the Gaels, who are riding a streak of four-straight 25-win seasons, to go away. Randy Bennett, in his 11th season as head coach, has the Gaels positioned on a national stage. Bennett has seven of his top eight scorers - including four starters - returning from last year's team, which lost to Kent State in the opening round of the NIT. Two of those returnees, junior guard Matthew Dellavedova, who averaged 13.4 points and 5.3 assists last season, and senior forward Rob Jones, who averaged 13.8 points and a team-high 7.7 rebounds as a junior, were first-team All-WCC selections. Mitchell Young, a 6'9" junior forward who averaged 10.2 points and 5.1 rebounds as the league's best sixth man, is also back, along with three others players with starting experience.

Lindy's Preseason Preview, St. Mary's
The debate in Moraga is whether this group has the potential of the Patty Mills-Omar Samhan-Diamon Simpson team that had Gonzaga on the ropes in 2009. More to the point is whether the Gaels have upgraded the schedule enough to sway the NCAA selectors. The Gaels are always good enough to beat anybody, but need to beat a few more somebodies. Adding two games with BYU in league play won't hurt. This could be Bennett's deepest team, if not his very best.
- John Blanchette.

Athlon picked SMC to finish 3rd in the WCC behind Gonzaga and BYU while Lindy's picked the 'Zags first and SMC second.

Weber State is 4-0 against the OVC and has never met the 'Cocks on the hardwood. WSU is 1-0 against: Eastern Kentucky, Eastern Illinois, Morehead State and Tennessee State. Against St. Mary's, Weber is 0-3 and 62-49 against the WCC (10-26 BYU, 29-14 Gonzaga, 4-0 Loyola Marymount, 4-1 Pepperdine, 8-0 Portland, 3-1 San Diego, 2-3 San Francisco, 2-1 Santa Clara). WSU's three losses to SMC were in 1990-91 (L 80-69), 1991-92 (L 74-71) and 2010-11 (L 77-54). WSU has never played a game against San Francisco State.

Gamecocks Bio
Public school established in 1883
Students: 9,481
Location: Jacksonville, Alabama
Conference: Ohio Valley
Colors: Red and White
Arena: Pete Mathews Coliseum, 5,800

Gaels Bio
Private school established in 1863
Students: 3,917
Location: Moraga, CA
Conference: West Coast Conference
Colors: Red, White and Blue
Arena: McKeon Pavilion, 3,500

11/23/11
Big Sky Games Thanksgiving Week
Sunday
Northern Iowa 78, UNC 69 | Montana 73, San Diego 60
Monday
PSU 101, Linfield 64
Tuesday
EWU 89, Hawaii 72 | Seattle 85, MSU 73 | NAU 80, N. New Mexico 49
Iowa State 90, UNC 82 | Sac 69, UC Davis 61
Wednesday
Loyola Mary 79, ISU 76 OT | North Dakota 88, UM 81 OT
Thursday
No Games
Friday
UNC 74, Western Carolina 57 | Wyoming 65, PSU 51
Saturday
Utah State 75, ISU 62 | Loyola Mary 81, NAU 61 | PSU 66, Louisiana Tech 48
UM 73, Long Beach State 71 | Idaho 76, MSU 67 | McNeese State 68, Sac 63

11/23/11
Bamforth Named POTW
By Jon Kasper, Big Sky Conference
http://www.bigskyconf.com/news/2011/11/22/MBB_1122114744.aspx

11/21/11
'Cats Move Up To #11 In Mid-Major Top 25
The CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 week 3 poll is out with Weber moving up from 19th to 11th. The first two weeks Weber stayed at 19th.

The last year WSU cracked the top 10 or top 5 was in 2002-03. 2011-12 is the 13th season of the mid-major poll. Back in '03 there was only a top 10 until a few years later it expanded to a top 25 format.

Upon a win over Jacksonville State this Sunday at the Shamrock Office Solutions Classic, WSU would get to take on tournament host St. Mary's who is #9 in this week's poll. SMC also has 9 AP top 25 votes.

Also in the poll is BYU at #16 who fell from 15th. Utah Valley has 4 votes and remains unranked. Former Big Sky member Gonzaga sits firm at #1 with 26 of the possible 31 top place votes.

11/19/11
Weber St. 80, UC Irvine 72
Associated Press
IRVINE, Calif. -- Damian Lillard scored 27 points, Scott Bamforth added 16, and Weber State beat UC Irvine 80-72 Saturday in a back-and-forth contest featuring 10 ties and five lead changes.

Lillard added eight rebounds and four assists for the Wildcats (3-0). Kyle Bullinger had 11 points and 16 rebounds.

Daman Starring scored a career-high 21 points for UCI (0-3). Michael Wilder and Derick Flowers added nine points apiece.

Chris McNealy hit two free throws with 5:44 left for a 59-57 Irvine lead before the Wildcats went on a 16-3 run, capped by a 3-pointer from Lillard, to go up 73-62 with 1:38 remaining.

Weber State hit 7 of 8 free throws in the final 54 seconds to seal the victory. For the game, Weber State hit 26 of 31 free throws, including 20 of 23 in the second half. UCI was 22 of 34 from the foul line.

11/19/11
Weber State's First Road Challenge is at UC Irvine
Big Sky Scoreboard | Big West TV (Free) | Radio | Twitter | Forum
Tonight at 5:30 p.m. the Wildcats will attempt to go 3-0 for the first time in 5 years and get its first road win of the season at UC Irvine. The UC Irvine Anteaters are 0-2 with both losses against teams WSU will face within the next month. UCI lost to #24 Cal 77-56 and with 6 seconds left in the game against San Jose State, UCI lost the lead and the game on a pair of Spartan free-throws, 51-50. Weber State will be UCI's first home game.
Tonight's game is the second ever meeting between the two schools. The only game played was in a 1983 Utah Classic in Salt Lake City, with the 'Cats winning 83-65 on the first night of the tournament on December 29th. Weber State is 29-20 against the Big West: 2-1 Pacific; 1-1 UC Riverside; 2-2 UC Santa Barbara; 4-1 CS Fullerton; 13-8 CS Northridge; 3-8 Long Beach State; 1-0 UC Irvine; 2-0 UC Davis; 0-0 Cal Poly. From 1996-2001, CS Northridge was a full member of the Big Sky and in its last season won the Big Sky regular season title and made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament after winning the Big Sky Tournament by beating EWU 73-58.

Probable Starters
Chris McNealy, G, 6-1, 180, So, 9.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.0 apg
Daman Starring, G, 6-3, 190, Jr, 3.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 3.5 apg
Michael Wilder, F, 6-2, 215, Jr, 5.0 ppg, 1.5 rpg
Will Davis II, F, 6-8, 210, Fr, 10.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg
Mike Best, C, 6-10, 200, Fr, 2.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg

Athlon Sports Outlook
The Anteaters lost five seniors, including their starting backcourt, then got blindsided in late May when 6-6, 240-pound forward Eric Wise (16.3 ppg, 8.1 rpg), one of the Big West's premier players, announced he was transferring to USC for his senior season. Irvine has experience in the backcourt with juniors Mike Wilder (9.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg) and Damon Starring (7.4 ppg) and sophomore Chris McNealy (5.0 ppg). Junior post Adam Folker, who missed last season with hand and hip injuries, returns. UCI led the Big West in scoring last season, but was last defensively.

Lindy's College Basketball Outlook
Like Pacific (with the transfer of Allen Huddleston), the Anteaters also lost an underclass All-BWC choice when Eric Wise quit and later transferred to USC for a senior season in 2012-13. Without Wise's wide frame positioned in the high- or low-post areas, coach Russell Turner will have to rely even more heavily upon the offensive skills of Mike Wilder, Daman Starring and Chris McNealy. Each is capable of scoring in the 15 points-per-game range. Turner also anticipates giving extensive opportunities to freshmen guards Aaron Wright and Collin Woods, each of who is likely to be a starter far sooner than later. The Anteaters are in need of some dependable post players.

Athlon picked UCI to finish 7th of 9 schools and Lindy's had the 'Eaters 9th. Both publications had UC Santa Barbara's Orlando Johnson as a BWC 1st Team All-Conference selection. Johnson is the younger brother of former WSU basketball player Robbie Johnson (1990-94) who is #3 in WSU history for career steals with 156.

UCI's Collin Woods who was recruited by WSU was a high school teammate of Kyle Tresnak at Horizon High in Scottsdale, AZ. Both graduated in 2010.

Anteater Bio
Public school established in 1965
Students: 27,676
Location: Irvine, CA
Conference: Big West
Colors: Navy Blue and Gold
Arena: Bren Events Center: 5,000

11/17/11
WSU sharpshooter counts blessings as well as 3-pointers
By Roy Burton, Standard-Examiner
http://www.standard.net/stories/2011/11/17/wsu-sharpshooter-counts-blessings-well-3-pointers

11/16/11
Getting to know the best basketball team in Utah
By Trevor Amicone, ksl.com Contributor
http://www.ksl.com/?sid=18112573&nid=294&title=weber-state-basketball-getting-to-know-the-best-basketball-team-in-utah

11/15/11
Weber St. 73, Utah St. 63
Associated Press
OGDEN, Utah -- Scott Bamforth scored a career-high 28 points and made seven 3-pointers as Weber State defeated Utah State 73-63 on Tuesday night.

Bamforth hit his first five 3-point tries of the game to improve to 10 for 10 on the season. He finished 7 for 9 beyond the arc.

Damian Lillard added 17 points and Byron Fulton 10 for the Wildcats (2-0), who lost 10 of the previous 11 meetings between the schools. Kyle Bullinger tallied eight points and 13 rebounds.

Morgan Grim led Utah State (1-1) with 19 points. Brockeith Pane added 14 points, and Brady Jardine had nine points and 14 rebounds.

11/14/11
Utah State @ Weber State, Tuesday Night 7 PM
Big Sky Scoreboard | Radio | Big Sky TV | Live Stats | Twitter | Forum
After pounding a non DI oppponent by more than 50 points, the Wildcats are ready to take on a real team and there is no better way to start the season than hosting the Utah State Aggies. Utah State fresh off of a 69-62 home win over BYU.

While the Aggies haven't lost an in-state home battle since the 1990's, WSU would just like to protect its home court against the in-state schools. At home, WSU is 15-14 against USU, 10-8 vs BYU, 10-8 vs Utah, 15-2 vs SUU and 2-0 vs UVU.

Utah State has won four straight and 10 of the last 11 games against Weber. WSU's last 2 wins in the series are both home games - 2001-02 and 2007-08. Since that '02 buzzer beater three-pointer by Brad Barton, the 'Cats are 2-3 at home against the Ags.

11/14/11
Damian Lillard, Wildcats look to snap streak vs. Aggies
From the Deseret News: Randy Hollis
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700197945/Weber-State-Utah-State-basketball-Damian-Lillard-Wildcats-look-to-snap-streak-vs-Aggies.html?s_cid=rss-18

11/13/11
Athlon/Lindy's College Basketball Preview On WSU's Next Opponent: Utah State
Athlon Sports College Basketball Preview 2011-12
There are plenty of questions at Utah State about the upcoming season. Can the Aggies win a fifth straight Western Athletic Conference regular-season title? How will they replace four veteran starters? Is this going to be a rebuilding year, or can USU reload and contend?

Those are just a few of the questiosn facing Aggies fans, most of whom do believe USU will reload and be right at the top of the WAC again.

Veteran head coach Stew Morrill promises he is excited and almost giddy about the challenges that lie ahead for this season's team. Entering his 26th year as a head coach and 14th at USU, Morrill is looking forward to teaching his system to a plethora of new faces.

"Any time you start over with a lot of new players, there is the challenge of trying to make a new group mesh with a few veterans to see what you have," Morrill says. "I hope I'm as excited in February as I am now about coaching this team."

Eight letterwinners from a team that went 30-4 last season and reached the NCAA Tournament are gone. Six seniors graduated and two others left the program. Two of those seniors were four-year starters, including league MVP Tai Wesley, while another started for three seaons. Many times the Aggies were able to count on experience down the stretch in close games. Over the past four seasons, USU boasts a 111-28 record.

While USU lost a ton of experience, the cupboard is not totally bare. WAC Tournament MVP Brockeith Pane is back at point guard. The senior headlines a gruop of four letterwinners from a year ago. There are also three players who redshirted last season, including Preston Medlin, who saw action as a true freshman.

Pane, who averaged 11.8 points and 3.4 assists per game last season, will be counted on to be a leader, especially in the early going. Fellow seniors Brady Jardine and Morgan Grim - both forwards - will need to do their part to help bring along all the newcomers. Junior guard E. J. Farris will also be asked to nurture the 10 newcomers, including six freshmen.

The USU coaching staff believes the recent additions bring plenty of talent to the program. This could be one of the most athletic Aggie teams in a while, but it certainly is lacking experience.

Redshirts Antonio Bumpus, a junior, and Ben Clifford, a freshman, will definitely challenge for playing time. Junior college transfers Danny Berger, Mitch Bruneel, Igor Premasunac and Kyisean Reed are expected to be in the mix, as well as freshmen Steven Thornton, Adam Thoseby, David Collette and Jordan Stone.

"I want this group to believe they can be successful," Morrill says. "I just want them to go about it the right way, which is day-by-day. You can't win a WAC championship by talking about it; you've got to go to work."

The goal is to mesh in time for conference play. Making a run at a fifth straight regular-season league title is the plan - despite all the new faces.

Athlon Sports picked USU to win the WAC with New Mexico State second and Nevada third and picked Brockeith Pane to finish with 1st Team honors.

Lindy's Sports College Basketball 2011-12 Preview
After ruling the WAC with an iron fist the past several seasons, this Utah State team will be fortunate to get back to the NCAA Tournament for a fourth consecutive time. Losing four of five starters is bad enough. Having to bring in a dozen new players will test head coach Stew Morrill. Seniors Brockeith Pane and Brady Jardine are the only players with any significat minutes of experience. In the recent past, picking Utah State to win the WAC in hoops was like choosing former league member Boise State to take it all in football. But this year could be different for the Aggies as they try to find their way with little experience to draw upon.

2011-12 Honors Candidates: Brockeith Pane, Brady Jardine

Keep An Eye On: Jardine will likely be in the starting lineup after coming off the bench last season. He needs to adapt to keep the Aggies grounded with a dozen new players roaming the halls.

Returning Starter (1): Brockeith Pane, G, 6-1, 195, Sr. (11.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg)

Returning Key Reserves: Brady Jardine, F, 6-7, 220, Sr. (7.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg); Morgan Grim, F, 6-7, 230, Sr. (2.1 ppg, 1.0 rpg); E.J. Farris, G, 6-2, 185, Jr. (1.9 ppg, 0.5 rpg)

Starters Lost (4): Tai Wesley, F, 6-7, 240 (14.8 ppg, 8.0 rpg); Pooh Williams, G/F, 6-4, 190 (8.6 ppg, 1.6 rpg); Tyler Newbold, G, 6-5, 210 (6.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg); Nate Bendall, F, 6-9, 250 (6.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg)

Lindy's Sports picked USU to finish third with New Mexico State second and Nevada to win the WAC and Brockeith Pane to the 1st Team.

Sources: Athlon Sports Magazine & Lindy's Sports Magazine

11/12/11
Historical Stats: Weber State vs Utah State
Weber State will open its first of three in-state home games in 2011-12 by playing Utah State at the Dee Events Center on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. This year's game is the 64th all-time meeting; the overall series is, WSU with 25 wins and USU with 38. Utah State is Weber's fifth-oldest rivalry in school history.

Against the Aggies, the 'Cats are 15-14 at home, 2-1 on neutral courts and 8-23 in Logan. The first 2 games ever played between WSU & USU were 1971 & 1972, both in Logan and both won by Weber.

There have been 5 overtime games and WSU has taken 3 of them. The lowest scoring game was in 1971, WSU won 63-62. The highest scoring game was 1988, USU won 107-93. Over the years the series went back and forth and WSU had a lead in the wins column up until 1988 where the series came to a 17-17 tie. Since '89 USU has led the series and the 'Cats had kept within 4 games until USU's recent success winning 10 of the last 11 games dating back to 2003.

Stew Morrill is in his 14th season as USU's head coach, he is 11-4 against Weber with USU. His first year was 1999 and his Aggies lost by 20 points to the 'Cats at the Delta Center. Stew would lose 3 of his first 4 competitions to the Purple and White. Stew is the winningest coach in USU history with a record of 325-103 and 12 straight 23 win seasons. This season USU has 17 home games which should help in securing another 20 win season. Stew has a 194-13 record in Logan.

Coach Rahe spent 13 seasons as an assistant to Stew at Colorado State & Utah State. Rahe is 1-6 vs Stew.

Weber State vs Utah State
Since 1963*	WSU	Utah State
Overall Wins	892	910
Last Tournament Appearance	2007	2011
Last Tournament Win	1999	2001
Tournament Appearances	14	18
Tournament Wins	6	4
Best Tournament Seed	7	10
Last 3 Tournament Seeds	14, 12, 15	11, 12, 12
Conference Titles	19	11
20 Win Seasons	23	24
Winning Seasons	40	38
Losing Seasons	8	11
Best Record	27-3	30-4
Worst Record	7-22	4-23
Undefeated in Conference	2	1