Slick-shooting New Mexico State guard Jahmar Young -- who will lead the Aggies into the Save Mart Center on Thursday against Fresno State -- was named the Western Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Feb. 1-7. The honor marks the third career WAC Player of the Week award for Young.
Young, a junior guard from Baltimore, Md. (sorry Fresno, but you know I have to mention his state of birth!), led New Mexico State to a 94-82 win over San Jose State last week. Young scored a team-high 25 points while going on 8-of-13 from the field and 4-of-6 from 3. Young was also 5-of-5 from the free throw line.
Young added five assists, three rebounds and a blocked shot.
Young will be the main offensive threat the Bulldogs face when they host the Aggies on Thursday. Young scored a game-high 26 against the Bulldogs when they first faced-off earlier this season. Right behin him was guard Jonathan Gibson, who had 25 in that game. Combined they were a terrific 17 of 38 from the field.
If all goes according to plan, Fresno State star forward Paul George will return to full practice Tuesday, two days before the Bulldogs' home game against New Mexico State.
Team spokesman Steve Trembley said the plan was for George to participate in the Bulldogs' first full practice since Saturday's WAC road win at Hawaii. The win snapped the Bulldogs' 19-game losing streak on the road against WAC teams that dates back to Jan. '08.
George's return to the lineup, if his sprained ankle is indeed ready to go by Thursday, would be a boon for the Bulldogs. George is the straw that stirs the drink. He ignites the team offensively and opens the floor for other players. He's the team's leader in points (17), rebounds (7.3) and steals (2.5).
The Bulldogs (12-12, 5-5) gained some confidence with the win at Hawaii, despite the fact that Hawaii (9-14, 2-8) is one of the worst teams in the league, because winning in Hawaii alone was a feat. The Bulldogs hadn't won in Honolulu since the 2003-2004 season.
NMSU (14-8, 7-2, No. 3 in the WAC) is one of the top teams in the league, with guards Jonathan Gibson and Jahmar Young leading the way. The pair had 45 points and 10 assists in the Aggies' most recent win agaisnt SJSU. After some academic issues, forward Troy Gillenwater is back as well, perhaps making the Aggies the team to beat in the WAC the last half of the season.
Jimmy Saia wasn't around here in the '90s when Boyd Grant was spinning his magic with the help of Ron Adams' sticky matchup zone defense.
But the Sunbirds men's basketball coach (left, photo) has adopted a similar 1-1-3 alignment that seems to be turning things around for his team.
After losing to then-No. 3 Concordia 63-61 in Irvine on Jan. 23 on a last-second shot, the Sunbirds have won four in a row, including this week's 81-61 home blowout of No. 3 Biola.
"We've found ourselves defensively with the 1-1-3," Saia told me tonight after his team won at Point Loma Nazarene. "It's the old Boyd Grant defense. The team likes it and it's
There's been a Paul George sighting in the Stan Sheriff Center.
Fresno State team spokesman Steve Trmebley says George (the team's best player) is not expected to play because of his sprained right ankle, but he is suited up and going through pre-game warmups with the team. He will be available to play, but only in very limited circumstances.
If the Bulldogs are winning and need someone to shoot free throws to seal it, maybe George can come in. That would be something.
In case you missed Thursday's Bee and the story previewing Fresno City's baseball team and featuring Fresno State freshman transfer Dave Rohm, and if you happened to ignore the season-opening doubleheader against Sacramento City at John Euless Ballpark, then here's reason to check these guys out.
Rams coach Ron Scott believes he may have a big-time player in Rohm and all but pronounced him all-state caliber before he even took his first swing.
Once Rohm did take his cuts, it became obvious Scott had a true read on the former Clovis High star. In two Rams wins, Rohm merely went 5 for 7 (.714) with 3 doubles, 3 RBIs and 3 runs scored. He also walked once, got hit by a pitch twice (struck out once) and finished the series with a 1.143 slugging percentage.
Ron Scott was a baseball catcher once upon a time. A pretty good one, too. He helped Miami reach the 1974 College World Series championship game and the same year won a gold medal for Team USA at the World Games.
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For the past 22 years, Scott (right, photo wearing No. 10) has been leading Fresno City's baseball team to 760 victories, 15 Central Valley Conference championships and the 1992 state crown. Along the way, the man with a catcher's body has filled out, let's say, as you'd expect for someone in his 50s.
Don't get me wrong. Scott won't break a wooden chair if he sits on one. He can still fit into his leisure suit, and strikes a dashing figure in his baseball uniform. But like most of us, he's fighting the battle of the bulge around the waist.
But at last look, the man appears to be slimming down a tad, and there's a reason for that. Call it a mid-life adjustment.
Scott got a wild hair to run the Napa Valley Marathon next month. He blames, or credits, Bee columnist Matt James, a marathoner who has written stories and blogs on his running exploits. Anyway, Scott said reading James got him inspired to give it a try. (If a little ink-stained wretch like James can run them, so can I, you can just hear Scott thinking to himself.)
I talked to Ron the other day and he's been training hard. Even has the aches and pains to show for it. Remember, catchers spend most of the time squatting and throwing. They aren't lauded for their running prowess or speed on the basepaths.
But that's the good thing about marathons. You can go at your own pace, even walk, dance, do cartwheels or stop at the local bar for a pint or two on the way to the finish line.
So hoist one for Ron Scott. May the wind be at your back and your journey filled with lasting memories. And, indeed, if you do make it all the way, be content knowing you have 364 days to recover before the next one.
For the second straight year, Fresno State coach Steve Cleveland celebrated his birthday in Hawaii.
The Bulldogs coach turned 58 on Thursday and celebrated by having dinner with associate head coach Jeff Reinert and team trainer Brad Floy.
"I've got a few more gray hairs but I feel good," said Cleveland, in his fifth year at Fresno State. "I've been blessed with good health. Hopefully we can finish this [season] off strong and certainly a healthy Paul George would help that."
Yes, I think that was a birthday wish Cleveland made. All he wants is a healthy Paul George. But he won't get it. Not yet at least.
He said Friday that George will sit out Saturday's game against Hawaii. This will be the third straight game that George -- the team's leader in points, steals and rebounds -- will miss. He was injured in the first half against Utah State and sat out the Bulldogs win against Nevada and their losses on the road to Idaho and Boise State.
Fresno State will have to hold out a little longer without its best player.
Hawaii guard Dwain Williams, the team's second-leading scorer, has been suspended indefinitely by Hawaii coach Bob Nash. The Honolulu Adverstiser is reporting it's because of issues related to academics. Williams has already been suspended previously this season because of the same issue, the paper reported, and missed the last five games because of the death of his cousin.
It's seriously doubtful that Williams will play against the Bulldogs.
So what does that mean for the Bulldogs? They'll definitely have a better chance of winning Saturday's game at Hawaii. I know, Marek, the Bulldogs rarely, if ever, win on the island. But with Fresno State missing Paul George -- I seriously doubt he's going to play on that bum right ankle -- the Bulldogs needed a break, and may just have gotten one with this because Williams is Hawaii's best perimeter shooter.
"We're not a great perimeter shooting team," Nash said by phone early this afternoon. "
Adhar Mayen can shoot, If Hiram [Thompson] takes more shots he could be a factor. [Jeremy] Lay hasn't shot the ball well in some times but he's capable as well. ... We don't have to live and die by the jump shot. We have to make sure the shots we take are within the offense and that we're shooting with confidence. And if we don't get it, we know we're great on the offensive boards."
Speaking of Thompson, the starting point guard who hurt his shoulder against Nevada on Jan. 30 practiced today and is expected to play, Nash said.
Fresno State had the top-ranked recruiting class in the WAC, according to Scout.com and Rivals.com.
The Bulldogs were ranked 63 by Scout.com and 52 by Rivals.com. ESPN, though, had Boise State with the second-best recruiting class from the non-BCS conferences. (You need a subscription for that.)
Here's how the WAC rated according to the two outlets:
It might be addition by subtraction for Fresno State. Boise State losing defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox, might be a boost for the Bulldogs. Or perhaps not.
Wilcox will join former La. Tech coach Derek Dooley in Tennessee as the Vols DC. Now there's a high compliment: to have a guy you just coached against -- and beat -- for three seasons hand pick you to be his DC.
Boise State beat Tech 45-35 in 2009, 38-3 in 2008 and 45-31 in 2007, the three seasons Dooley led Tech. Wilcox was the Broncos DC for the last four seasons.
The Broncos had a No. 14 statistical finish in both total defense and scoring defense and were No. 3 in turnover margin last season. Broncos coach Chris Petersen and others have often said the Broncos defense has been overshadowed by its offense.
Wilcox was replaced by Boise State defensive line coach Pete Kwiatkowski on Wednesday. Kwiatkowski was DC at Montana State from 2000 to 2005. The Idaho Statesman reported he was the only candidate to replace Wilcox.
