Top 20 Departing #7: Frank Otis

I am counting down the top 20 players that are departing the Big Sky via graduation, transfer, or any other way.

Frank Otis struggled though injury problems during his tenure at Weber State. After his junior season, where he played just 12 games and had knee issues all year, it was fair to wonder if he would be able to contribute much in his last season in Ogden. Fortunately for the Wildcats, he played all 37 games as a senior, and was one of the brightest spots in an excellent season for Randy Rahe's team.

Otis had his minutes limited a bit (he played 58.8% of the team's minutes), which was likely a function of trying to keep him fresh, and a luxury that Weber State had thanks to their excellent depth. However, in those minutes, he played excellent, efficient basketball.

Otis shot 63% from the floor during the season. If you throw out one game (February 28 against Sacramento State), that number creeps up to around 66%. Simply put, he was a guy that didn't need the ball, but when he had it, he didn't force shots, and he was extremely efficient. The 8.9 PPG that he averaged doesn't speak to how good he was on offense, because he knew how to pick his spots.

He was also a solid rebounder, and his 10.5 OR% was eighth in the Big Sky, while his 19.8 DR% was seventh in the conference. Despite playing a lot of minutes with a guy like Joel Bolomboy (who was possibly the best rebounder in the conference), he still pulled down a good amount of rebounds.

Another benefit to Otis was his maturity and leadership. For a team that was looking for leaders after Damian Lillard's departure, Otis is one guy that stepped up. He was a classy guy, which sometimes gets overlooked. In terms of pure numbers, Otis' per game stats can be replaced. But the efficiency with which he did it was what made him such a good player for Weber State last season.

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Weber State Moves to CIT Finals

After initial reports suggested that Weber State would be at home for the CIT semifinal, they wound up traveling to take on Northern Iowa in the semifinals. It turns out, it didn't matter where the game was, because Weber State went into UNI and got the win to advance to the CIT Finals.

It was a back and forth game throughout the second half, with the Panthers leading 53-49 late in the second half, and then tying the game at 55. However, it was Davion Berry hitting a jumper with 4:12 to play to give the Wildcats the lead that they would hold the rest of the day, eventually winning 59-56.

“This was an extremely tough game against a really physical and talented team in a tough environment,” said WSU head coach Randy Rahe who returned to his home state of Iowa and picked up his 150th career win. “We played really tough and really hard and I was so proud of how we fought. We missed some shots but kept fighting and found a way to do it against a really tough opponent. I’m so proud of our team for not giving up. It’s been a remarkable run and 30 wins is a phenomenal accomplishment.”

Frank Otis led the way in this game with 13 points (on 5/8 shooting) and 11 rebounds, ensuring that he has one game left to play in his career. Scott Bamforth had 14 as well (including four more treys), and Davion Berry scored 15 points. The Wildcats held UNi to just 38% shooting, including 3/18 from downtown.

30 wins is a great accomplishment, as is the fact that they have continued to play hard even after the disappointment of the Big Sky tournament.  By my count, just seven other teams, gotten to the 30 win mark this year. Let's hope they can make it to 31!

The CIT finals will be in Ogden on Tuesday, where Weber State will take on East Carolina.

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A Cool Story About Frank Otis

Saw this cool story about Frank Otis, by someone writing into the Standard-Examiner:

Editor,

I am a Montana Grizzly fan who traveled to see Weber State play the Grizzlies in the conference tournament championship. It was a great game by both squads, but that is not why I am writing. After the game, with the Montana team and students celebrating on court, I witnessed a classy act by Wildcat Frank Otis.

I know the loss must have been a bitter pill for Otis, who played ferociously along with his teammates. Despite his disappointment, he walked over to Grizzly senior Mathias Ward, who was standing off to the side with his foot in a cast from his heart-breaking and career-ending injury.

Otis shook Ward's hand and gave him a hug. It was a moment of grace in adverse circumstances that makes you proud to be a sports fan.

It's good to see that Otis is as good of a guy as he is a player!

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Weber State Leads The Country in FG Percentage

Weber State has been good offensively this year, we know. But as it turns out, nobody in America is shooting the ball as well as them.

They currently (as of Monday night) lead the country in field goal percentage at 51.3%. They are third in the country in three-point percentage, sitting at 42.3% (Creighton leads the country at 42.9%). That is impressive.

Obviously, a lot of guys contribute to this. Frank Otis shoots 68.8% from the field, which is second in the country. Among their normal rotation of nine guys, all but two of them shoot better than 50% on twos. The two that don't are Scott Bamforth (who makes up for it by shooting 42% on threes and 91% from the line) and James Hajek, their least used offensive player.

The Wildcats are dangerous.

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Weber State Is The Best Team in the Big Sky

The standings will show that Montana is 14-1, while Weber State is 13-2. The Grizzlies still have Will Cherry and Kareem Jamar, who might be the two best players in the conference. They still have Wayne Tinkle, the best coach in the Big Sky. But on Thursday night, Weber State clearly looked like the best team in the Big Sky.

The Wildcats beat Montana 87-63 on Thursday night in Ogden, and the game was never really in doubt from about midway through the first half and on. Montana's record-setting winning streak ended with a thud, as they had no answer for Weber on either end of the court.

Weber has been the best defensive team in the Big Sky this year, so it was appropriate that they got started in this game defensively. Montana scored just 24 first half points, because the Wildcats were using their athleticism to shut down everything. Kareem Jamar had no room to operate (finishing with 4 points), and that caused Will Cherry to press a bit. The Grizzlies turned the ball over early, and WSU just got more and more aggressive.

Offensively, Weber State aggressively pounded the ball down low, and they got whatever they wanted. Kyle Tresnak had 19 points on 8/10 shooting, and Frank Otis had 14 points on 5/7 shooting. This is a winning blueprint for Weber, because the Grizzlies don't have the size to match up. Put it this way... when Tresnak or Otis have the ball down low, Montana does not even have one guy to match up defensively with them them, let alone a defender for each guy. They got anything they wanted inside, and that was not a fluke.

WSU also got big games from Gelaun Wheelwright (14 points, 4/4 from downtown) and Davion Berry (16 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals), as those two guys seemed to have an answer for Montana often in the second half.  Anytime the Grizzlies threatened to threaten (it would be a stretch to say they threatened in the second half), there was an answer.

On the year, Weber State has been the better offensive team by a smidgen, while being much better defensively. The fact that they lost by 2 to Montana and slipped against Montana State (which the Grizzlies almost did as well) does not change the fact that on a neutral court, Weber State is the better team.

However, that is the ace in Montana's hand. If they win out, they have home-cpurt advantage in the Big Sky tournament, meaning that if the teams meet again, it would be in Missoula. The Grizzlies have a tough schedule down the stretch, but with Tinkle at the helm and a leader like Will Cherry on the court, it would not surprise anyone if the Big Sky will still go through Montana.

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Weber State Cruises to 85-64 Victory

Northern Colorado scored the first basket of the game, but Weber State was in control the rest of the way. At the half, Weber State led 45-25, shooting 62.1% from the floor (while holding UNC to 32.3%), prompting Bears coach BJ Hill to bring out his second unit to start the second half. However, there was no tactic that was going to work for UNC in this game - Weber State was just dominant on both ends of the floor.

On offense, the Wildcats were a model of efficiency in this game. They shot 60.8% from the floor for the game, including 8/17 from downtown and 15/18 from the stripe. They are unselfish with the ball, and can hurt you in so many ways. Five guys were in double figures tonight. Among the ways they hurt you:

- Scott Bamforth is so good. He is one of the top two shooters in the Big Sky (if not the best), but he is also really good handling the ball and always in control. If he gets a split second (and they are good at getting him that time), look out.
- Davion Berry is so smooth. He has a beautiful jumper, and is a good passer as well. He doesn't force things, but seems to be able to get a good look whenever he wants to. Very versatile offensive player.
- Frank Otis, a guy that really impressed tonight. He was 6/6 from the field, and is now shooting 68.1% from the floor over the season (72% in Big Sky games). He is another guy that doesn't force things, and he even had a sweet spin move tonight. He's a senior who has seen a lot of things in his college career, and it shows.
- The two-headed PG monster of Jordan Richardson and Gelaun Wheelwright is really good, and combined for 17 in this game. Richardson  does everything well, while Wheelwright is a little more up and down, but more prone to make a spectacular play. In this one, it was a sick stepback three that nobody could have guarded.
- Finally, there is Kyle Tresnak in the post. When matched up against UNC's second line, he simply had his way down low.
- Also, Joel Bolomboy is not a dangerous weapon offensively per se, but he is very good at getting second chances for the team, and had a monster putback jam in this game. There are not a lot of guys more fun to watch than him.

Defensively, Weber State is really tough. First, they are the best team in the country at not allowing their opponents to shoot threes. This is a very real and very important skill. When opponents do get off three-point attempts, they aren't that good, which is why opponents shoot less than 28% against them. If you try to go down low, guys like Tresnak and Joel Bolomboy are there to block you. They have made huge strides on the defensive end of the floor.

Here is the difference between Weber State and most other teams in the Big Sky (and this was evident tonight). When the game speeds up and intensity rises, most other teams in the conference get out of control, and look a bit out of sorts, making bad decisions. These Wildcats stay within themselves and more often than not, make the right play.

A couple positives for UNC... Emmanuel Addo looked solid. He was aggressive, finishing with 11 points. This is big for UNC, because Addo and Paul Garnica are the only consistent scorers on the second unit. Greg Tucker continues to come along as well. He made some freshman mistakes early, but overall was a nice contributor for the Bears.

Here is my takeaway from the game... I understand that Montana is a lot better now even than they were three weeks ago when I saw them in Greeley. But so far this year, Weber State is the best Big Sky team I have seen. The Grizzlies have the two best players in the conference... but Weber State is the deepest team. We have at least one more game between these two teams coming up, and I am hoping for two more.

* Photos courtesy of my lovely wife!

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Frank Otis and Kyle Bullinger Close to Playing For Weber State

Good news out of Ogden, as Weber State is close to getting back a couple of their frontcourt players. From The Standard:

While Weber State (12-3, 4-0) has been playing shorthanded since early December with senior forward Kyle Bullinger and junior forward Frank "Mook" Otis out with injuries, both are practicing and getting closer to game-ready, which will give the Wildcats some more size and rebounding in the front court just as backup center James Hajek (dislocated knee) goes out for four to six weeks. Otis could play as soon as tonight and the Wildcats hope Bullinger could see limited action Saturday.

With games against Montana State Thursday night and Montana on Saturday, whatever these two guys could give them would be a huge plus for the Wildcats.

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The Damian Lillard Show

It's Damian Lillard's world, we're all just living in it.

In a season filled with great performances, Lillard gave us all another one on Saturday night in an 88-81 victory over Portland State. It was Weber State's toughest conference game yet and showed why the Vikings could still be a factor in the Big Sky race. They led by 7 at halftime (including as much as 15), and were up by as much as 9 with under 13 minutes to play.

However, Lillard and the Wildcats were not to be denied.

There no less than 11 NBA scouts in attendance, and Lillard gave them one heck of a performance. For the first time in his career he played all 40 minutes, finishing with 38 points, his 6th 30+ point game of the year.

He shot 12/23 from the field, 8/14 from downtown (including 7/8 in the first half), and 6/6 from the stripe. In addition to the 38 points, he had five rebounds, five assists, one block, one steal, and only one turnover. Simply put, he was sublime, and continued to show he has the talent to at least be considered an All-American.

Scott Bamforth also had a stellar game, scoring 21 points, with 19 of them coming in the second half. Weber State continues to win even with a patchwork lineup. Kyle Bullinger still might be a week away from returning, while Frank Otis is probably at least two weeks away. In addition, big man James Hajek dislocated his kneecap, and he will be out a while. Yet the Wildcats continue to win, riding the back of Damian Lillard.

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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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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 Falls to St. Mary's 87-70

Photo courtesy of Weber State

Going into the game, we knew that Weber State's chances of securing an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament were pretty slim. After Monday night's loss to St. Mary's, it seems those chances are probably getting closer to non-existent.

It was not a "bad" loss, but Weber State doesn't have a ton of chances to impress the voters and committee in the non-conference slate, so this was a big one. In the first half, it looked like it was going to be a good night, as the Wildcats jumped out to a lead as big as 10 points, and entered the break ahead 32-31.

However, midway through the second half, the wheels came off. Weber State took a 52-50 lead with 12:37 to play, but St. Mary's then went on a 28-8 run, sealing up the victory. The Gaels scored 56 points in the second half, and alarmingly struggles in the second half are becoming a trend for the Wildcats.

“We played hard and executed well early on but the last 10 minutes we had some breakdowns,” said WSU head coach Randy Rahe. “We fought extremely hard but we need to improve in some areas. We let them shoot 69 percent in the second half and outrebound us. Damian was fantastic tonight but we need to have more contributions and balance from the rest of the team.”

Damian Lillard was indeed phenomenal, and led all scorers with 36 points. At one point in the second half, he scored 21 straight points for the Wildcats, showcasing his talent and the fact that not a lot of others were stepping up. He finished with 11/18 FG, 2/5 from 3PT, and 12/15 from the FT line. He was the best player on the floor.

Kyle Tresnak was a key going into the game, and he did step up, finishing with 17 points on the game. He was a force in the first half when Weber State went on a run to take the lead, and the only blemish of the day was at the foul line (3/10). Beyond those two guys, Weber State simply did not get production.

Kyle Bullinger was battling an injury, and finished scoreless in 32 minutes. Scott Bamforth was hounded all game long, and had 5 points on just 3 shot attempts. Frank Otis contributed 8 points in 24 minutes. Nobody else scored more than 4. To go on the road and beat a team like St. Mary's, who will be a player in the WCC, you need balance and a lot of guys to step up, but unfortunately they didn't have that in this one.

Weber State will be off until Saturday, when San Jose State comes to town. The loss drops Weber State to 4-1.

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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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Weber State Gets Some Love

Ballin' Is A Habit is starting their previews for the upcoming season, including a look at their top teams in the country. They have ranked Weber State at 50.

Outlook: The 2010-2011 season was a surprisingly successful one for the Wildcats. They lost star guard Damian Lillard to a broken foot nine games into the season and still managed to finish third in the Big Sky and make the CBI. That success was largely due to the play of Scott Bamforth, a junior sharpshooter -- he shot 55.1% from three in league play -- that will be a terrific compliment to Lillard in the back court this season, and senior Kyle Bullinger, a face-up four with three-point range. With Lillard back, the graduation of Lindsay Hughey won't hurt as much, but replacing Trevor Morris could be an issue. He was a big, physical presence in the paint. Look for Kyle Tresnak to fill his role in the paint. The x-factor may end up being Byron Fulton, a 6'7" sophomore and reigning Big Sky Freshman of the Year. Fulton averaged 7.0 ppg and 3.5 rpg while shooting 48% from beyond the arc as sixth-man. He should move into the starting lineup this season. With Montana and Northern Colorado both losing key pieces, Weber State should be the favorite to win the conference.

I think they may have forgotten about Frank Otis, who figures to have a role in the frontcourt, but overall it is a very nice write up. Check out their post and the rest of their season previews, which are sure to be excellent.

What Impact Will Frank Otis Have On Weber State?

One of the biggest transfers into the Conference that is eligible to play this year is Frank Otis for Weber State. Otis transferred from SMU, and eligiblity-wise will be a junior.

He played two seasons for SMU. As a freshman, he averaged 2.4 PPG and 2.2 RPG in 13.9 minutes. As a sophomore, he averaged 2.1 PPG and 3.1 RPG in 11.0 minutes. As a sophomore in his role he posted very solid rebound rates, and shot 55% from the field (albeit on 42 FGA).

Otis is a 6'6'' F who is primarily a low post player, which is important because that is probably the area where Weber State is the weakest. While Otis probably won't start this year, he will definitely be in the rotation. In addition, with the graduation of Kyle Bullinger and Darin Mahoney after this season, Otis looks likely to be a starter next year (obviously a lot of things could happen between now and then).

Weber State (and Big Sky) fans, what do you expect from Otis? Will he be a significant contributor this season?

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?