Last week I posted that Byron Fulton may have a knee injury that could keep him out until conference play. Just wanted to update that I heard that he did indeed have his knee scoped, but should be back in a week or two, so it was quite minor.
Fulton should have a big role in WSU offense with his versatility, and he will be counted on to rebound as well.
The info is from Roy Burton of the Standard-Examiner.
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Showing posts with label Byron Fulton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Byron Fulton. Show all posts
Monday, November 5, 2012
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Byron Fulton May Have An Injury
I haven't really seen this confirmed anywhere, so I just want to make sure it is noted as just something I have heard, but cannot confirm.
The word (off of a Weber State message board... and yes, I have learned what I believe to trust on message boards and what not to) is that Byron Fulton has his knee scoped, and may be out at least until the beginning of conference play.
Fulton is one of their best offensive players and could even start in the frontcourt, so it would be a big loss if he misses significant time. If he does miss time, a player like Joel Bolomboy would be counted on to step up.
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The word (off of a Weber State message board... and yes, I have learned what I believe to trust on message boards and what not to) is that Byron Fulton has his knee scoped, and may be out at least until the beginning of conference play.
Fulton is one of their best offensive players and could even start in the frontcourt, so it would be a big loss if he misses significant time. If he does miss time, a player like Joel Bolomboy would be counted on to step up.
Follow me on Twitter @bigskybball
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Look Back At Last Year's Breakout Sophomores Predictions
Last August, I made five predictions on guys that would be breakout sophomores in the Big Sky. Because I am all about accountability here, let's take a look back and see how the predictions turned out.
Paul Garnica (Northern Colorado)
What I said: "Garnica is loaded with potential, as he does a lot of things very well. He posted one of the best steal rates in the BSC (4.3%), rebounded well from the guard position, and made some plays passing the ball (21.4% ARate). However, he needs to improve in 2 areas - taking care of the ball, and taking better shots."
How it turned out: Not a bad start. He showed a ton of improvement shooting the basketball, as he bumped his three-point shooting from 27% to 49%, and was a big part of the reason why UNC was the best three-point shooting team in the country last year. This bumped his EFG% way up. However, his turnover rate remained too high, especially if he is going to be a primary ballhandler. His steal rate also went down. He improved in some areas, but still has a lot of room for growth.
Emmanuel Addo (Northern Colorado)
What I said: "Addo will log a lot of minutes in the post, and he looks to be up to the challenge. He played 37% of the team's minutes last year, but was an excellent performer for his time on the court. He was a great offensive rebounder, with his 12.3% second on the team to Mike Proctor. He was also an efficient scorer, with a 53.5% from inside the 2-point arc while making a respectable 68% of his FTs (and he was solid at getting to the line)."
How it turned out: Addo played a little bit more (bumped his minutes from 15 per game to 21 per game), but remained mostly the same player. He averaged 9.6 ppg and 4.1 rpg last year, but in watching him you get the feeling that he has a lot more room to grow. He shot a similar percentage, and was a little bit better at getting to the line (and maybe 75% of his freebies, up from 68%). He was a better defensive rebounder, but pulled down a little less offensive rebounds. Talent wise, he can be one of the best big men in the conference, he has that much athletic ability. If he can develop from solid fringe starter and really consistently utilize all of his skills, UNC's frontcourt will be in good shape.
Kareem Jamar (Montana)
What I said: "Jamar is hampered a bit by the solid depth the Grizzlies have, but he had a very productive freshman season and has the talent to be even better as a sophomore. He was solid but not great offensively, shooting 48.5% from inside the arc and 38% beyond it. Both solid, but there could especially be improvement from 2 point range. Jamar is a solid rebounder for his size, and takes good care of the basketball for a guard."
How it turned out: This was my best call, as Jamar developed from a good player into one of the very best in the conference, and he should have a chance to be the Player of the Year this season. He bumped his scoring by 5.5 ppg, and he did it very efficiently (better three-point shooting, better free-throw shooting, and getting to the line more often). He improved his passing and is one of the very best in the Big Sky, averaging 3.7 assists per game out of the two guard spot. He continued to rebound at a great rate for a guard. Jamar is now a bona fide star in the Big Sky, and even bigger things should be on the horizon. A Jamar and Will Cherry backcourt will be worth the price of admission every night.
Byron Fulton (Weber State)
What I said: "One of the answers will likely be Fulton, who had a solid freshman year as a role player. At 6'7'' Fulton will be one of the big guys, but he does not have a traditional low post game. He is dangerous from outside the arc, shooting 24/50 from long range last year."
How it turned out: Fulton was mostly the same player in year two and in year one. He played similar minutes, and had similar stats across the board. He did not shoot as well as he did in his freshman year (though still a more than respectable 43% from downtown), but he improved as a rebounder. Fulton is a nice contributor for them... any team can use a big man that can step outside and hit shots, but can also defend and rebound down low. Fulton will be a key contributor once again for the Wildcats.
Jackson Carbajal (Sacramento State)
What I said: "Carbajal played solid minutes last year, and will be relied upon even more after the graduation of Sultan Toles-Bey. He has room to improve, as he was not that efficient last year. He took a lot more 3s than 2s, even though he was a 31% shooter from downtown and 57% shooter inside the arc. He should reverse that trend, and look to get inside more this season."
How it turned out: Carbajal had some injury issues (and was facing more competition for time on a more talented team), but he showed great improvement when he was on the court. He was a better outside shooter, improving from 31% from downtown to 36%, which was huge because he is not shy about taking that shot. He also did very well to cut down his turnovers, from a 23.6 TO Rate to 15.1 last season. Those two things made him a much better offensive player, and makes him a reliable scoring option for the Hornets at the two spot. If he can improve further, the Hornets starting five could be just about as good as anyone else's in the Big Sky.
How did I do?
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Paul Garnica (Northern Colorado)
What I said: "Garnica is loaded with potential, as he does a lot of things very well. He posted one of the best steal rates in the BSC (4.3%), rebounded well from the guard position, and made some plays passing the ball (21.4% ARate). However, he needs to improve in 2 areas - taking care of the ball, and taking better shots."
How it turned out: Not a bad start. He showed a ton of improvement shooting the basketball, as he bumped his three-point shooting from 27% to 49%, and was a big part of the reason why UNC was the best three-point shooting team in the country last year. This bumped his EFG% way up. However, his turnover rate remained too high, especially if he is going to be a primary ballhandler. His steal rate also went down. He improved in some areas, but still has a lot of room for growth.
Emmanuel Addo (Northern Colorado)
What I said: "Addo will log a lot of minutes in the post, and he looks to be up to the challenge. He played 37% of the team's minutes last year, but was an excellent performer for his time on the court. He was a great offensive rebounder, with his 12.3% second on the team to Mike Proctor. He was also an efficient scorer, with a 53.5% from inside the 2-point arc while making a respectable 68% of his FTs (and he was solid at getting to the line)."
How it turned out: Addo played a little bit more (bumped his minutes from 15 per game to 21 per game), but remained mostly the same player. He averaged 9.6 ppg and 4.1 rpg last year, but in watching him you get the feeling that he has a lot more room to grow. He shot a similar percentage, and was a little bit better at getting to the line (and maybe 75% of his freebies, up from 68%). He was a better defensive rebounder, but pulled down a little less offensive rebounds. Talent wise, he can be one of the best big men in the conference, he has that much athletic ability. If he can develop from solid fringe starter and really consistently utilize all of his skills, UNC's frontcourt will be in good shape.
What I said: "Jamar is hampered a bit by the solid depth the Grizzlies have, but he had a very productive freshman season and has the talent to be even better as a sophomore. He was solid but not great offensively, shooting 48.5% from inside the arc and 38% beyond it. Both solid, but there could especially be improvement from 2 point range. Jamar is a solid rebounder for his size, and takes good care of the basketball for a guard."
How it turned out: This was my best call, as Jamar developed from a good player into one of the very best in the conference, and he should have a chance to be the Player of the Year this season. He bumped his scoring by 5.5 ppg, and he did it very efficiently (better three-point shooting, better free-throw shooting, and getting to the line more often). He improved his passing and is one of the very best in the Big Sky, averaging 3.7 assists per game out of the two guard spot. He continued to rebound at a great rate for a guard. Jamar is now a bona fide star in the Big Sky, and even bigger things should be on the horizon. A Jamar and Will Cherry backcourt will be worth the price of admission every night.
Byron Fulton (Weber State)
What I said: "One of the answers will likely be Fulton, who had a solid freshman year as a role player. At 6'7'' Fulton will be one of the big guys, but he does not have a traditional low post game. He is dangerous from outside the arc, shooting 24/50 from long range last year."
How it turned out: Fulton was mostly the same player in year two and in year one. He played similar minutes, and had similar stats across the board. He did not shoot as well as he did in his freshman year (though still a more than respectable 43% from downtown), but he improved as a rebounder. Fulton is a nice contributor for them... any team can use a big man that can step outside and hit shots, but can also defend and rebound down low. Fulton will be a key contributor once again for the Wildcats.
Jackson Carbajal (Sacramento State)
What I said: "Carbajal played solid minutes last year, and will be relied upon even more after the graduation of Sultan Toles-Bey. He has room to improve, as he was not that efficient last year. He took a lot more 3s than 2s, even though he was a 31% shooter from downtown and 57% shooter inside the arc. He should reverse that trend, and look to get inside more this season."
How it turned out: Carbajal had some injury issues (and was facing more competition for time on a more talented team), but he showed great improvement when he was on the court. He was a better outside shooter, improving from 31% from downtown to 36%, which was huge because he is not shy about taking that shot. He also did very well to cut down his turnovers, from a 23.6 TO Rate to 15.1 last season. Those two things made him a much better offensive player, and makes him a reliable scoring option for the Hornets at the two spot. If he can improve further, the Hornets starting five could be just about as good as anyone else's in the Big Sky.
How did I do?
Follow me on Twitter @bigskybball
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Montana Is Going Dancing
Congratulations to the Montana Grizzlies. After beating Weber State 85-66 in the Big Sky title game, they will be headed to the NCAA Tournament.
I thought that if they won, they would do it because they are the best defensive team in the conference. Instead, they did it by being almost literally unstoppable offensively in the second half.
Weber State led 36-31 at the break, but it was all Montana in the second half, as they outscored the Wildcats 54-30 after the intermission. In the second half, they simply could not be stopped. They were 19/32 from the field in the second half, including 8/12 from downtown.
Mathias Ward started out the half by giving them big shot after big shot. He was firing on all cylinders, and finished with 23 points on 10/16 shooting. Offensively he is one of the most diverse big men in the conference, and he showed it in this one. He also had eight rebounds.
From there, it was Kareem Jamar that took over offensively. He seemed to hit from everywhere on the court... at one point the announcer said Damian Lillard just looked over at Randy Rahe and shook his head. Sometimes, there is not much that you can do. Jamar finished with 23 points (on 9/12 FG, 5/8 3PT) and seven assists. He was fantastic all tournament long and was the Big Sky Conference Tournament MVP. Well deserved.
All other starters were in double figures for the Griz. Will Cherry finished with 13 points and six assists. Derek Selvig had 16 points, including 13 in the first half when he kept the Grizzlies in it. Art Steward had 10 points and seven rebounds. The bench played only nine minutes combined, as it was the starters that carried the day.
For Weber State, it's a tough way to go out. Damian Lillard played great for most of the night (had one stretch where he was a bit too passive) and finished with 29 points, ten rebounds, and seven assists. However, he just didn't get a lot of help. Byron Fulton had ten points, and Kyle Tresnak had 12, but nobody else was in double figures. It was the same story for WSU offensively as last week... they simply didn't look like they knew what to do for most of the night against the Montana zone. They stopped being aggressive, and jacked up too many threes. It worked in the second half, but they couldn't keep it going.
Montana has won 14 straight games, and 20 of their last 21. They will head to the tournament as hot as any team in the country. They are currently projected by most pundits as a 15 seed, and I would not want to see them in my bracket if I was a 2 seed. They have the type of balanced offense and stout defense that could make them a candidate to pull a shocker in the NCAA Tournament.
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Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Weber State Moves to 13-1
For the first half, it wasn't. Weber State led 42-24 at the break, and they looked like they were going to run away with a blowout victory.
But then MSU showed a lot of pride and toughness, crawling back to make it a battle in the second half, and giving the Wildcats a legitimate scare. At one point, the Bobcats went on a 12-0 run to cut the lead to 48-46, and both Damian Lillard and Scott Bamforth were on the bench with four fouls.
However, it was then that the Wildcats showed that even if Lillard does go to the draft, they will be a solid team next year. They got a big three from Jordan Richardson (to get the lead back to five), and got some big shots by Byron Fulton. Both players are sophomores. Fulton finished with 17 points and got way too many open looks - he is simply too dangerous as a set shooter to leave him free. Gelaun Wheelwright also gave them very nice minutes off the bench, and I really like his game as long as he is not trying to do too much..
Shawn Reid has a career-high 31 points on 12/15 shooting for Montana State, and at times he was the offense. Two of their best outside shooters (Jeff Budinich and Christian Moon) were a combined 2/20 from the field and 0/16 from downtown, so this would have been a blowout were it not for Reid. If there is a silver lining to the Blount incident, it is that Reid will have a chance to be the guy as a sophomore, and he has the talent to grow into that role.
On a night that Damian Lillard did not play particularly well (for him), and the Wildcats were in foul trouble for most of the second half, they have to be encouraged that they were still able to come out of the game with a road win. It wasn't pretty, but 13-1 is still 13-1.
For the Bobcats, they came into the game just needing something positive to happen, and they got that. They shot the ball poorly, particularly from deep, and they still hung in it against perhaps the best team in the conference. That is at least something to build on, which is something they haven't been able to say much lately.
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Sunday, February 12, 2012
Weber State, Montana Remain Tied at Top
We are moving closer to the Big Sky dream scenario of a regular season finale featuring 14-1 Weber State traveling to take on 14-1 Montana, as both teams took care of business on Saturday night.
Weber State hosted Eastern Washington, and won a hard-fought contest 84-75 over an Eagles team that could have really used the win. It was the type of game that showed why Eastern Washington could be a dangerous team in the Big Sky tourney if they make it.
Eastern Washington stayed in it despite a poor night from Collin Chiverton, who finished with just seven points. He found time to fire up 13 shots in just 17 minutes, missing 11 of them. Cliff Colimon led the team with 20 points, but he turned it over 7 times. Parker Kelly continued his ascent up the depth chart, as he may have been the best player for them on this night, finishing with 17 points on 10 shots (including 5/8 from downtown). The freshman walk-on has been one of the most pleasant surprises of the conference.
The Wildcats did not get a great shooting night out of Damian Lillard (4/13) but he found different ways to contribute. He got got to the line 12 times (making them all), so he finished with a game-high 22 points. He also had six rebounds and four assists. Continuing their run of nice balance, four other guys were in double figures, led by Byron Fulton's 16 points (and 9 rebounds).
Weber State is now 20-4 on the year. EWU sits at 5-7 in the Big Sky, just a half-game ahead of Northern Colorado, who they host on Wednesday night.
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In the other game, it looked like Montana was in serious trouble against Sacramento State, but they battled back to win 67-58 to finish 7-1 on the road (their best since the mid 1970s). It was their eight straight win and 14 out of 15, stopping Sacramento State's streak of four straight wins.
The Hornets led 32-27 early in the second half, before the Grizzlies went on a 16-2 run helped by their 1-2-2 press, the same thing that was so instrumental in beating Northern Colorado. Eventually, Montana built the lead to 49-37 (helped by a Brian Katz technical), before the Hornets went on a 7-0 run to cut the gap to five. However, just when it looked like they were back in it, they made the kind of mistake that costs team's ballgames.
Konner Veteto swatted a Derek Selvig shot, then taunted Selvig, drawing a technical. As it turned out, that was all she wrote for the Hornets. Montana made the free throws and drained a three, and the lead was never lower than eight the rest of the day. Sacramento State fans are not happy with the refs, but I can't comment too much on that since I did not see enough of the early second half where many of the complaints come from. But it seems to me that Sac State was undone more by lack of composure, both with the Grizzlies press and with frustration by the refs.
Sac State did a nice job on Will Cherry (who still had 17 points) and Kareem Jamar, but it was the seniors that led Montana. Derek Selvig had 14 and 14, and Art Steward had 16 and 8.
The Griz improve to 19-6, and will finish out the regular season at home. The Hornets drop to 4-9 in the Big Sky, and every game is must-win from here on out. Even one more loss could end their chances of making the Big Sky tournament.
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Weber State hosted Eastern Washington, and won a hard-fought contest 84-75 over an Eagles team that could have really used the win. It was the type of game that showed why Eastern Washington could be a dangerous team in the Big Sky tourney if they make it.
The Wildcats did not get a great shooting night out of Damian Lillard (4/13) but he found different ways to contribute. He got got to the line 12 times (making them all), so he finished with a game-high 22 points. He also had six rebounds and four assists. Continuing their run of nice balance, four other guys were in double figures, led by Byron Fulton's 16 points (and 9 rebounds).
Weber State is now 20-4 on the year. EWU sits at 5-7 in the Big Sky, just a half-game ahead of Northern Colorado, who they host on Wednesday night.
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The Hornets led 32-27 early in the second half, before the Grizzlies went on a 16-2 run helped by their 1-2-2 press, the same thing that was so instrumental in beating Northern Colorado. Eventually, Montana built the lead to 49-37 (helped by a Brian Katz technical), before the Hornets went on a 7-0 run to cut the gap to five. However, just when it looked like they were back in it, they made the kind of mistake that costs team's ballgames.
Konner Veteto swatted a Derek Selvig shot, then taunted Selvig, drawing a technical. As it turned out, that was all she wrote for the Hornets. Montana made the free throws and drained a three, and the lead was never lower than eight the rest of the day. Sacramento State fans are not happy with the refs, but I can't comment too much on that since I did not see enough of the early second half where many of the complaints come from. But it seems to me that Sac State was undone more by lack of composure, both with the Grizzlies press and with frustration by the refs.
Sac State did a nice job on Will Cherry (who still had 17 points) and Kareem Jamar, but it was the seniors that led Montana. Derek Selvig had 14 and 14, and Art Steward had 16 and 8.
The Griz improve to 19-6, and will finish out the regular season at home. The Hornets drop to 4-9 in the Big Sky, and every game is must-win from here on out. Even one more loss could end their chances of making the Big Sky tournament.
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Sunday, December 11, 2011
Frank Otis Injury Update; Weber State Beat Southern Utah
This is a couple of days old, but from The Standard-Examiner:
Frank "Mook" Otis limped off the court with loose cartilage in his knee in the first half of the BYU contest, just days after Weber State lost 6-foot-6 senior forward Kyle Bullinger for up to six weeks with a dislocated elbow. Otis, a 6-6 junior forward from Oakland, Calif., is out indefinitely as doctors try to rehab his knee without having to scope it out as they did last spring.There are varying reports on how long Otis will be out... I have heard 2-3 weeks (from someone who talked to Otis), while the coaching staff sounds less certain.
It will be a big adjustment to their lineup. When Kyle Bullinger got hurt, they went with a big lineup, and Otis slid from the 4 to the 3. Now, they started G Jordan Richardson at the 2, with Scott Bamforth sliding to the 3. It definitely worked on Saturday, as the Wildcats beat Southern Utah 84-66, taking control of the game and never looking back. It was one of the Wildcats best offensive performances of the year, as they shot 57% from the field.
Damian Lillard was the star again, scoring 31 points on 9/15 shooting, and dishing out 9 assists. Kyle Tresnak had 15 points, while Jordan Richardson (10 points) and Byron Fulton (10 points) were also in double figures. Strangely, Scott Bamforth did not attempt a shot, and finished scoreless with 5 rebounds.
The Wildcats take on California on Friday in perhaps their last chance to get a real statement, non-conference victory.
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Monday, December 5, 2011
What Does the Loss Of Kyle Bullinger Mean For Weber State?
In case you missed, Weber State's All-Conference Forward Kyle Bullinger got injured against San Jose State, as he is out with a possible dislocated elbow. (If you are so inclined, watch the video. Be warned, it is graphic and will make you a bit sick, especially if you have a weak stomach).
Word is that Bullinger will miss 3-4 weeks (which again, if you watch the video, seems unreal). Tuesday night's game against BYU will be the first start Bullinger has missed his whole career, and it will be a tough one to absorb. First, let's look at what Bullinger has brought to the table.
He has struggled with his outside shot a bit this year, in part because he has been battling a back injury. His shooting percentages (both 2 and 3 pointers) are way down this year, but I don't expect that trend to continue. What Weber State will miss is his rebounding and toughness. He has a 27.2 DR% on the year, good for 26th in the country. They will miss that a lot.
I have heard that in his place, Frank Otis will move from the 4 to the 3 and play on the wing a bit more, and senior Darin Mahoney will get the start at the 4. Mahoney is probably their best post defender, and they will try to replace Bullinger's toughness with Mahoney's.
However, it will be a strain on their offense. Damian Lillard has already been carrying a heavy load, as teams have been keying on Scott Bamforth ever since he lit up Utah State. Kyle Tresnak has been very solid in the post, but not sure where the rest of the offense is going to come from.
They will need production from Byron Fulton, as he is the man off the bench with the most scoring ability at this point. He has good range, and can get down on the block a little bit (though he has the tendency to settle for the fadeaway). Freshman Mike Brown has been pretty productive in limited minutes, but I am not sure how well he will fare against athletic opponents. Jordan Richardson is a talented guard, but not a big offensive threat. For some more explosiveness, the word is that freshman Gelaun Wheelwright will have his redshirt pulled, but I am not sure that will solve the problem either.
In short, the injury to Bullinger means there will be even more pressure on Damian Lillard. He is a guy that is already very heavily relied on, and there is one less weapon for defenses to have to account for.
We wish Kyle Bullinger a speedy recovery, and he can't come back quick enough for Weber State.
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Monday, November 28, 2011
Weber State to Take on St. Mary's
It wasn't the most pretty game for Weber State, but they beat Jacksonville State 69-61 in the first round of the St. Mary's Classic, setting up a championship game tilt with St. Mary's.
As is alarmingly becoming a bit of a trend, the Wildcats jumped out to a big lead, leading by 20 at the break, but let the Gamecocks hang around. The star was Damian Lillard, who had 23 points, shot the ball well, and pulled down 8 rebounds. He was the most consistent outside threat for the Weber.
Weber State still needs to feed the ball inside a bit more. Kyle Tresnak was solid with 10 points and Byron Fulton had a nice game with 8, but they need to keep feeding these guys. If they can get better balance that will serve them very well.
They now take on St. Mary's tonight at 8:30pm mountain time, and the stakes are simple: If they win, the small ripple of Weber State's at-large chances get a little bigger. If they lose, that talk ends. They are certainly good enough for this win, and needless to say it would be a really big one if they can get it.
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As is alarmingly becoming a bit of a trend, the Wildcats jumped out to a big lead, leading by 20 at the break, but let the Gamecocks hang around. The star was Damian Lillard, who had 23 points, shot the ball well, and pulled down 8 rebounds. He was the most consistent outside threat for the Weber.
Weber State still needs to feed the ball inside a bit more. Kyle Tresnak was solid with 10 points and Byron Fulton had a nice game with 8, but they need to keep feeding these guys. If they can get better balance that will serve them very well.
They now take on St. Mary's tonight at 8:30pm mountain time, and the stakes are simple: If they win, the small ripple of Weber State's at-large chances get a little bigger. If they lose, that talk ends. They are certainly good enough for this win, and needless to say it would be a really big one if they can get it.
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Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Weber State Stakes Claim As The Best Team In Utah
I said earlier that Weber State needed to beat Utah State if they wanted to be considered the best team in Utah, and they came through on Tuesday night thanks to a big first half and a huge day from Scott Bamforth.
The Wildcats came our firing in the first half, leading 42-27 at the intermission and leaving no doubt for everyone who was the best team in the state of Utah. They slowed down a bit in the second half and allowed Utah State to cut the lead down to as little as 6, but they held on for a pretty convincing victory over the Aggies.
The star of the game was Scott Bamforth, who had 28 points and 6 rebounds on the day, including 7 three-pointers. He made his first five attempts, which ran his streak up to 10 straight makes from three-point land before his first miss. He was especially huge in the first half, where it seemed like time and time again the Aggies left him alone, and he buried them. In the first half he had 17 points on 5/6 three-point shooting. Bamforth is also a good ball handler, which can help to take the pressure off Lillard.
Damian Lillard did not have his best game, but it is a testament to the depth of the Wildcats that they won solidly without their star playing his best. He did finish with 17 points, but shot just 4/16 from the field and 2/9 from downtown. However, he played solid defense, and held Brockeith Pane to 14 points. Even if he is not scoring, Lillard does other things to help his team win.
Kyle Bullinger also played very well for Weber, showing that he is the glue guy of the team. He rebounds the ball very well for his size (6'6'') as he had a game-high 13 rebounds, and always seems to have his nose around the basketball. He has a nice midrange game as well that can extend beyond the arc, and is just a nice all-around player. Jordan Richardson is the other guard that got some run, and I liked him. Offensively he takes care of the ball well, and defensively he is a nice on the ball defender. I don't think any coach would be displeased with those attributes from the back up PG.
Obviously the guards are the strength of the team, but the big guys are very solid as well. Kyle Tresnak had a nice first half (finished with 6 points), and showed some good skill around the basket. Frank Otis is very athletic for a big man, and made some nice plays even if the box score didn't show him having a big day. Byron Fulton is another offensive weapon for them (he had 10 points, including 2/3 from downtown), and he can score inside and out. Darin Mahoney is a solid rebounder and probably their best interior defender.
Weber State will not have a ton of chances to prove themselves this season out of conference, so this is a big win. (For the record, there other two big games are at BYU and at California). They think they are the best team in Utah, and it is hard to argue after this game. Less than a week ago, Utah State took down BYU 69-62, and now Weber State has beaten Utah State 73-63, and did it in convincing fashion.
Steps to being the best team in Utah:
Beat Utah State: Check
Beat BYU: Test comes December 7
Beat Utah: Test comes December 22
Beat Southern Utah: Test comes December 10
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Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Breakout Sophomores in the Big Sky
After Luke Winn's article last week looking at potential breakout sophomores in the nation, I think it would be fun to look at similar players in the Big Sky. So here are (in my opinion) the best candidates to breakout next season in their sophomore campaign.
- Paul Garnica (Northern Colorado) - Garnica is loaded with potential, as he does a lot of things very well. He posted one of the best steal rates in the BSC (4.3%), rebounded well from the guard position, and made some plays passing the ball (21.4% ARate). However, he needs to improve in 2 areas - taking care of the ball, and taking better shots. He turned it over 28.3% of the time as a freshman, which is far too high. In comparison, BSC POY Devon Beitzel had a 15.8% TORate. That is a lot of wasted possessions. Garnica also had an EFG% of only 45.0%, thanks to going 15/56 from downtown. He would be wise to cut down on his attempts (unless he has been working on it all summer). If he can improve in those two areas, he has the all-around game to be an All-Conference player.
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- Emmanual Addo (Northern Colorado) - Another player from NoCo, which is not really a surprise - with the loss of 4 contributing seniors, the young guys will play a key role for BJ Hill. Addo will log a lot of minutes in the post, and he looks to be up to the challenge. He played 37% of the team's minutes last year, but was an excellent performer for his time on the court. He was a great offensive rebounder, with his 12.3% second on the team to Mike Proctor. He was also an efficient scorer, with a 53.5% from inside the 2-point arc while making a respectable 68% of his FTs (and he was solid at getting to the line). If he can make a natural progression from year 1 to year 2, Addo will be a pleasant surprise, and he will be a solid starter for the Bears.
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- Kareem Jamar (Montana) - Jamar is hampered a bit by the solid depth the Grizzlies have, but he had a very productive freshman season and has the talent to be even better as a sophomore. He was solid but not great offensively, shooting 48.5% from inside the arc and 38% beyond it. Both solid, but there could especially be improvement from 2 point range. Jamar is a solid rebounder for his size, and takes good care of the basketball for a guard. He is also a solid defender. Jamar is one of those guys that might not put a lot of points on the box score (8.1 PPG as a freshman), but he is an excellent contributor for the Griz and will be one of the most important players as they contend for the Big Sky championship. Cherry and Jamar is one of the best backcourts in the Big Sky.
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- Byron Fulton (Weber State) - Weber State is excellent in the backcourt, but there will be some question marks about the frontcourt heading into this season. One of the answers will likely be Fulton, who had a solid freshman year as a role player. At 6'7'' Fulton will be one of the big guys, but he does not have a traditional low post game. He is dangerous from outside the arc, shooting 24/50 from long range last year. He was the Conference Freshman of the Year, and his role could expand a bit more this year, especially if he can play well defensively. He posted a solid 16.0 DR%.
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- Jackson Carbajal (Sacramento State) - Carbajal played solid minutes last year, and will be relied upon even more after the graduation of Sultan Toles-Bey. He has room to improve, as he was not that efficient last year. He took a lot more 3s than 2s, even though he was a 31% shooter from downtown and 57% shooter inside the arc. He should reverse that trend, and look to get inside more this season. He also posted a backward Assist/TO ratio, turning the ball over almost 3 times as much as he got an assist. Still, Carbajal deserves a mention here because he will get plenty of opportunity to improve this year, and he should see a lot of playing time once again.
Honorable Mention - Tate Unruh (UNC), Andre Hatchett (ISU), Shawn Reid (MSU)
What do you think? Should I have included anyone else? Who will be the best sophomore in the Big Sky this season?
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- Emmanual Addo (Northern Colorado) - Another player from NoCo, which is not really a surprise - with the loss of 4 contributing seniors, the young guys will play a key role for BJ Hill. Addo will log a lot of minutes in the post, and he looks to be up to the challenge. He played 37% of the team's minutes last year, but was an excellent performer for his time on the court. He was a great offensive rebounder, with his 12.3% second on the team to Mike Proctor. He was also an efficient scorer, with a 53.5% from inside the 2-point arc while making a respectable 68% of his FTs (and he was solid at getting to the line). If he can make a natural progression from year 1 to year 2, Addo will be a pleasant surprise, and he will be a solid starter for the Bears.
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- Byron Fulton (Weber State) - Weber State is excellent in the backcourt, but there will be some question marks about the frontcourt heading into this season. One of the answers will likely be Fulton, who had a solid freshman year as a role player. At 6'7'' Fulton will be one of the big guys, but he does not have a traditional low post game. He is dangerous from outside the arc, shooting 24/50 from long range last year. He was the Conference Freshman of the Year, and his role could expand a bit more this year, especially if he can play well defensively. He posted a solid 16.0 DR%.
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- Jackson Carbajal (Sacramento State) - Carbajal played solid minutes last year, and will be relied upon even more after the graduation of Sultan Toles-Bey. He has room to improve, as he was not that efficient last year. He took a lot more 3s than 2s, even though he was a 31% shooter from downtown and 57% shooter inside the arc. He should reverse that trend, and look to get inside more this season. He also posted a backward Assist/TO ratio, turning the ball over almost 3 times as much as he got an assist. Still, Carbajal deserves a mention here because he will get plenty of opportunity to improve this year, and he should see a lot of playing time once again.
Honorable Mention - Tate Unruh (UNC), Andre Hatchett (ISU), Shawn Reid (MSU)
What do you think? Should I have included anyone else? Who will be the best sophomore in the Big Sky this season?
Monday, August 1, 2011
Weber State's Stable of Shooters
Last year, Weber State was the preseason pick by both the coaches and media to win the Big Sky Conference, in part thanks to preseason BSC POY Damian Lillard. For awhile, things were mostly going to play, as WSU was off to a 5-3 start with losses only to major conference opponents.
We know what happens next. Lillard injured his foot in the second half of the ninth game of the year against Tulsa (and was granted a medical redshirt), and he may have taken Weber State's conference title hopes with him.
But that is not quite the rest of the story. While they initially went into a slump when Lillard got hurt (going 4-6 in their next 10, including the Tulsa game), they rebounded to win 6 in a row and 8 of the next 9, including wins over Northern Colorado, Montana, and Northern Arizona. How did they do that without their best player? One reason is they were one of the best shooting teams in America last year, shooting 40.4% from beyond the arc, fifth in the country. Who are these guys?
The best shooter of the bunch is Scott Bamforth, who had an excellent season as a sophomore after spending one year in the JUCO ranks. He shot 78/160 from behind the arc, a cool 48.8%, best in the Big Sky and 4th in the NCAA (over the regular season, where he shot 50%). For his marksmanship he was named First Team All Big Sky and the Newcomer of the Year in the Conference. His True Shooting % ranked in the top 20 in America (he is also a great FT shooter), and he should have a great chance for postseason awards once again. Plus, Weber State fans might have a soft spot in their heart for him thanks to a particular memorable shot.
Kyle Bullinger is another star for the Wildcats, as he joined Bamforth on the first team All-Conference. He shot an excellent 43% from downtown on 126 attempts, which is made all the more impressive by the fact that he is the team's leading rebounder. He is poised for another great year as a senior, and should be one of the best players in the Conference.
There is Lillard himself, who does pretty well outside the arc. He got 34.5% in his time last season after shooting 39.3% his sophomore year and 37% his freshman year. Teams have to respect his outside shot, which makes him all the more dangerous (because if you guard him too close, he will beat you off the dribble). Lillard has a full offensive repertoire, which makes him a potential favorite for the preseason POY award.
Byron Fulton was the Conference Freshman of the Year, and his outside shooting was a big reason why. He was 24/50 from 3-point land, good for 48%, and could see an even bigger role this year with the graduation of big man Trevor Morris. He is another guy that keeps defenses honest, because he will hit shots if you give him a good look.
Jordan Richardson is a guy that didn't have a huge role last year, but he did shoot 33.3% from outside as a freshman. He will likely be fighting with incoming freshmen Gelaun Wheelwright, Shai Fields, and Michael Brown for playing time.
Now that is a good crop of shooters Weber State has coming back, all of which will be made even more dangerous by the attention that Damian Lillard will receive this year. It is tough to say that Weber St will shoot as well this year (over 40% from outside), but I think it's safe to say they are the best shooting team in the Big Sky Conference.
(Image from Freddie Lacey at weberstatesports.com)
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