Top Departing Players #19: Darin Mahoney

With the throes of the offseason all around us, I thought it would be fun to take a look at the 20 best players that are departing from the Big Sky, either due to graduating, declaring for the draft, or transferring.

Darin Mahoney is a guy that will be missed by Weber State, because he did all of the little things that a team needs to win. His stat line is not impressive... four points and about six rebounds per game, but that doesn't really signify what he did for the team.

He did not shoot all that often, or ever really look for his own shot, but when he did, he was at least efficient. He shot 53% from the field, and 76% from the free throw line. He knew his game, and knew that looking for his own shot was not part of it, so he took what was given. This is the sign of a smart player.

He was a guy that was a solid rebounder and defender.  He had an 11.7 OR% and 18.6 DR%, both solid rates. He had a 4.0 block %, which equated to about one per game. He was willing to do the dirty work, and this made him a perfect fit for a team with scorers like Damian Lillard and Scott Bamforth.

He also complemented Kyle Tresnak well in the post. Tresnak is a guy that is a very good offensive weapon, but is not a great rebounder. Mahoney helped to hide that weakness. Mahoney was a guy that would never fill the stat sheet, but I have a feeling Randy Rahe is sure going to miss him.

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Weber State's Season Ends in Overtime Loss

Weber State had a tough matchup in the second round of the CIT, having to travel to take on Loyola Marymount. They fought back from a first half deficit, but ultimately fell 84-78 in overtime on Sunday.

“I’m extremely proud of my team and we have accomplished a lot,” Rahe said. “This is as good a group of kids you can find and we fought through a lot and I couldn't be prouder of them.”

Playing without Scott Bamforth, who was not with the team for personal reasons, Weber State trailed by 10 at the break. The lead was still at 11 points with 6:56 to play, but then Weber State made a run, ultimately capped by a Damian Lillard three-pointer with 23 seconds to play.

Lillard finished with 27 points (and 14/14 from the line). He ends the season as the school's single-season scoring leader, with 784 points for the year (third best all time in the Big Sky). He set a school record for threes, and ends the year with a 24.5 PPG average, also best in school history.

He owns many records. He likely will finish his career with 1,934 points, second in Weber State history and fifth in Big Sky history. He is the school's career leader in three pointers and free throws made, and is second in assists. He has been a great, great player for the Wildcats. It is difficult obviously to see him returning to school, as there is not a lot left individually for him to prove at this level.

Gelaun Wheelwright finished with 19 points and and seven rebounds, and he will be called upon to be a huge cog for them next season. It seems, judging from the past month of the season, that he will be up to the task.

The careers for Kyle Bullinger and Darin Mahoney also end. Though it ends in disappointment, they had great careers and meant a lot to Weber State basketball. 25 wins in your senior year is certainly nothing to hang your head about.

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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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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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A Few More Thoughts on Joel Bolomboy

I wrote a little about Joel Bolomboy, a F recruit out of Texas that committed to Weber State in the last week, but I had a few more thoughts on the biggest takeaways from his commitment.

1) The Big Sky can recruit with bigger conference schools - Bolomboy had offers from New Mexico, Texas A&M, Fresno St, and others, and he still chose Weber State. The key is for Big Sky schools to be able to identify the players earlier than others and stick with them longer (obviously easier said than done). According to The Standard, "Weber State was the first school to recruit Bolomboy, starting in his sophomore season, and also the first to offer him a scholarship."

2) Bolomboy fills a need for Weber State - Darin Mahoney will be one of the top shot blockers and defenders in the Big Sky, but he will be a senior this year. Kyle Bullinger is a part-time post player, and he is a senior. Frank Otis will be solid after transferring from SMU, but he will be a junior this year. They will need some big men, and Bolomboy fits the bill.

3) Bolomboy has the potential to be one of the best defenders in the Big Sky - He is athletic and has a long wing span (which is a bit of a cliche, but still worth mentioning) and a quick jump, which allows him to be a solid shot blocker. He is still developing there, and could be a force on the glass and defensively inside for Weber State. He is certainly not lacking in confidence: "I'm really good at rebounding. I'm better on defense," Bolomboy said. "I can shoot really good for my size, dribble the ball. I can jump very high, very explosive in traffic." If WSU can develop him properly, they will have a really good one.

What are your biggest takeaways from the signing of Bolomboy?