All-Aussie Hoops Australia Team selections - December 2008

by Mike Green (AussieHoopsAmerica.com contributor)

Time to put words behind the numbers; these monthly selections take into account many factors including players individual performance, how the player's school is performing, strength of schedule and conference, and individual honours the player may have earned over the month. The All-AHA teams (NCAA D1 unless noted) for December are:

Men's

1. Patrick Mills (Sophomore Guard, St Marys): He certainly isn't experiencing a second year hangover, leading his team in any way they need him. St Marys sit on top of the WCC having only lost one game, due to the growing leadership of Mills and courtesy of poor performances by Gonzaga. Pat has won 2 WCC Player of the Week awards and expect things to get tougher for the Gaels with key games on the road against San Diego (Jan 22) and Gonzaga (Jan 29).

2. Luke Nevill (Senior Centre, Utah): Big Luke is leading his inconsistent team in scoring, rebounds and double doubles. His team seems to have turned the corner recently taking care of #17 Gonzaga after embarrassing losses including to D2 school, Southwest Baptist. Luke has won 2 MWC Player of the Week awards so far and is in early consideration for MWC All-conference honours. The Utes face a January with 7 conference games, 5 of these at home and 6 against teams with better records, and a tough non-conference challenge against LSU on January 6.

3. A.J. Ogilvy (Sophomore Centre, Vanderbilt): Another 2^nd year player that hasn't slowed his production and seems to have grown with the departure of Shan Foster. Vanderbilt won their first 10 games last year with Foster and Ogilvy being credited mostly for their start. This year the Commodores have dropped 3 games so far and face a tough 8 game January schedule with 5 games on the road. A key match-up will be the home game v #14 Tennessee on January 20.

4. Ben Magden (Junior Forward, Augusta State NCAA D2): South Australian Magden leads his Jaguar team with the goal of returning to a D2 Championship game. They have only lost one game and play in one of the toughest conferences; Currently ranked #7 nationally, Augusta State is ranked 2^nd in their conference with 10 games scheduled for January. They play #2 USC-Aiken twice during the month, at home on the 5^th and on the road on the 19^th with these results expected to shape the Jags year.

5. Cameron Gliddon (Freshman Guard, Columbia University NAIA D1): After red-shirting last year, West Australian Gliddon has immediately added to an already strong Eagles outfit. Nationally Ranked #4 Concordia plays in the tough GSAC and have only lost one game against #7 Westminster. Concordia plays the only other GSAC ranked opponent on January 3 in a home match-up against #12 Azusa Pacific.

Honourable mentions:

Aron Baynes (Washington State) – Powerful inside player for a team struggling to score;

Nate Tomlinson (Colorado) – Having a great freshman year in a struggling team;

Ryan Bathie (Nicholls State) – Leader on Aussie-laden team, playing a weaker schedule this year;

Jesse Wagstaff (Metro State, NCAA D2) – Two Player of the Week awards for the Canberra senior;

Anatoly Bose (Nicholls State) – Super athlete right at home in the college game.

Women's

1. Tegan Cunningham (Junior Guard/Forward, Oklahoma State): The Cowgirls Cunningham is the 3^rd leading scorer on the team who have only had two losses this year, one of those against #4 ranked Duke. Victorian Cunningham, sister of Dandenong WNBL player Caitlin, is enjoying her 3^rd year in College basketball after transferring from Seward County Community College. Key games for the Cowgirls are away games at Iowa State on January 10 and at #7 Baylor on January 17.

2. Emma Langford (Freshman Forward, Wyoming): Highly recruited Langford is living up to her reputation having a stellar freshman season at Wyoming. The South Australian playing alongside a number of other Aussies leads the team in most statistical categories and is an early consideration for all-conference and possibly NCAA freshman honours. Wyoming plays 7 games in January, none against ranked opponents. Their first test against a ranked opponent comes early in February against #25 New Mexico.

3. Alison Lacey (Junior Guard, Iowa State): Canberra-born PG Lacey leads her team in assists and is third on PPG. Plays in a tough conference on a well-supported team that's just starting to get recognition. The Cyclones play the last of two non-conference games against #20 ranked Vanderbilt and IPFW in January, followed by 5 conference games including 2 against #22 Kansas State, #21 Oklahoma State, and # 7 Baylor. If they can come out of January with results against these opponents, they are sure to be ranked come tournament time.

4. Hayley Munro (Sophomore Forward, Fresno State): Another second year player who seems to be growing and producing even more. With increased time due to injuries in her team, Munro is gaining a solid reputation as a player of the future. Playing in a weaker conference, the Bulldogs should return to a stronger position after the return of some players. January is solid and the key-game for them will be against Utah State with their two Aussies, Alice Coddington and Stacey Howard, on February 1.

5. Louella Tomlinson (Sophomore Centre, St Mary's): After setting the most blocks record in the WCC last year, Big Lou is continuing her dominance inside with points and rebounds and of course blocks which she leads the NCAA in. Her team is really struggling having only recorded 3 wins, however should improve on this once they enter conference play in January. Tomlinson recorded the first triple double of her college career in a loss against Boise State on December 29, an effort which rewarded her WCC Player of the Week honours. St Mary's toughest game in January is against Gonzaga on January 24.

Honourable mentions:

Kylie Morrissy (Troy) – Senior who leads the Aussie-dominant Trojans in Points;

Micaela Cocks (Oregon) – Kiwi Junior who leads her under-performing Ducks in the tough Pac-10

Ellie Manou (Oregon) – Fighting injuries in her second year, she makes a difference when fit;

Diana Neves (Vanguard NAIA D1) – Super scorer from Queensland who's lighting it up in Cali.

Sarah Ilic (Hawaii) – Improving 2^nd year player, team is struggling to get it done.

Stetson signs 2 Aussies for 2009-10

DeLand, Fla. – Head Coach Derek Waugh is proud to announce the signing of three student/athletes for the 2009 freshman class. Joel Naburgs and Liam McInerney out of Victoria, Australia, as well as Tyshawn Patterson from Orlando, Florida will join the Hatters next season.

"We are obviously losing a very good and productive senior class, but I believe that this recruiting class will help us stay at a very competitive level in and out of our league," said Waugh.

Naburgs is a 6-3, 200 lb shooting guard who attended Box Hill Senior College and played for the Kilsyth Cobras in the Victorian Youth League (Big V) in Melbourne, Victoria. He averaged 23.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game and earned League MVP honors with the Cobras. Naburgs led his school team to an Eastern Zone Championship in 2008. He scored 46 and 47 points in back to back games.

"Joel was the MVP of the Melbourne Youth League which is quite an accomplishment. He can obviously score but I also think that he will be a very good defender for us. He has been very well coached and I think he will be able to step in and contribute quickly," said Waugh.

McInerney is a 6-8 forward/center who attended Ballarat & Clarendon College and played in the Big V Youth League for the Ballarat Nuggets. He averaged 19.5 points and 17 rebounds per game this past season. He was his team's MVP, the league's leading rebounder and a league all-star selection. He was named All Victoria Country State and All-Australian in 2005, 2006, and 2007.

"Liam is a very intelligent player with a very good skill set," said Waugh. "As we move forward, I am very confident that he and Graeme Radford will do a nice job in the middle for us. Liam also has a great feel for the game. With added strength, he should be able to step in and play a very important role for us offensively, defensively and on the boards."

Patterson is set to graduate from Orlando Christian Preparatory and then join the Hatters this summer. He is a 6-1, 165 lb guard who led his team to a 27-2 record and a 1A State Championship last season. He was named to the All-Tournament team and Second Team All-State. He averaged 18.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 4.0 steals as a junior.

"Tyshawn has a lot of ability and has obviously been very successful at the high school level," said Waugh. "While I really like all of his skills, the most important thing he brings is great energy. He plays harder than his opponent night in and night out and we cannot wait to have him a part of the program."

The Outlook on UConn's Ater Majok

by Mark Brown (AussieHoopsAmerica.com contributor)

With UCONN incoming freshman Ater Majok now stateside and waiting for final clearance by the NCAA, I thought I would share some of my thoughts on the Australian (via Sudan) big man.

I recently sat down Ater and his coach Edward Smith on their previous trip to the states. That exclusive interview along with exclusive private workout video will be available soon in the form of TV and web content.

Here are some of the things I can tell you:

Off the court:

This is a confident, driven young man. His goals are as clear as they are sky high.

His selection of UCONN was well considered and speaks to his desire to be challenged.

Though he is somewhat understated, there is a smoldering intensity not far below the surface.

I was struck by his fiercely competitive attitude.

On the court:

He is a unique talent blending of size, skill and agility.

He’s a legit 6’10 and like most young players will need to put on muscle for the challenges ahead.

His offensive skills are very good and versatile. He can operate in the post as well as face-up. His perimeter skills are also very good.

Good shooting form and range to 3pt land. He can put the ball on the floor and handle comfortably on top or the wing. With the size of center, he projects to play both the power and wing forward offensively.

Defensively, he projects as more of a center and power forward. Shot-blocking should be a big part of his game.

Though he moves very well for a big man, it is still a question whether he has the lateral quickness to guard well enough in space versus wing players.

Outlook:

Assuming he is cleared by the NCAA and can join the team by mid-December here is what he is facing.

No matter how good, or great Majok may be, we have to remember he’ll be joining the #2 team in the nation at mid-season just as they are embarking on their Big East Conference schedule.

He has had zero exposure to this level of competition let alone the preseason conditioning program and offensive and defensive systems of Calhoun.

His biggest obstacle will be conditioning. No matter how tough his workouts have been until now, game shape (particularly Calhoun game shape) will take time to develop.

Finding the right way to deploy Majok while fitting him into the current rotation and competing for a Big East and National Title will test even a Hall of Fame Coach.

Whatever happens the remainder of this season, it’s important to remember that next season will be a much truer test of just how good Ater Majok will be.

Read the AussieHoopsAmerica.com Report and see video on Majok

Luke Nevill Named MWC Player Of The Week

 Nov. 24, 2008

DENVER, Colo. - University of Utah senior center Luke Nevill has been named the Mountain West Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week, announced the league office Monday. Among his accomplishments this week, Nevill was named the MVP of the Glenn Wilkes Classic following Utah's 3-0 performance in the tournament.

"Luke is competing harder and he's taking coaching very well," said Utah head coach Jim Boylen at his weekly press conference. "He's been very coachable and has embraced his teammates more this year. He has stepped outside of himself and has played more for his team and his teammates than he did last year. He has just recommitted to playing for his teammates, while trying to learn and grow. He's let me coach him more this year and I'm proud of him for doing that."

Nevill began the week with a double-double in Utah's 79-60 home victory over Green Bay, scoring 20 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. He also got it done on the defensive end, blocking three shots. In the Utes' next action, Nevill posted his second double-double of the week and his third in as many games, scoring 10 points and pulling down 10 rebounds in Utah's 83-72 neutral-court victory against Ole Miss of the Southeastern Conference. He also added three assists in the contest.

Utah wrapped up the week by shutting down Morgan State, 66-37, completing a three-game Glenn Wilkes Classic sweep and being named the tournament champions. In that victory, Nevill led the Utes with 16 points and grabbed six rebounds, while recording three more blocks.

Nevill, named a Preseason All-MWC selection and a second-team All-MWC choice last year, is leading the conference in total rebounding (11.0 rpg), offensive rebounds (4.5 per game), defensive rebounds (6.5 per game) and blocked shots (2.25 bpg). He is also ranked third in scoring (18.5 ppg) and his field goal percentage (.644) is ranked ninth.

Mills' 24 points lifts Gaels over Providence

Anaheim, CA – The Saint Mary's men's basketball team held off the Providence Friars in the final game of the 76 Classic, posting an 81-75 win on Sunday from the Anaheim Convention Center. SMC had four players score in double figures, as Patrick Mills led the way with 24 points.

The Gaels held a 20-point lead at halftime, and led by as much as 21 points in the second half before Providence cut the SMC lead to six points late in the game. Four of the five starters for SMC scored in double figures, and accounted for 75 of the 81 points

SMC's leading scorer, Mills, was 8-for-15 from the floor and connected on 3-of-7 3-pointers. His biggest three came with just under four minutes remaining, giving the Gaels some breathing room and a 9-point (75-66) lead.

Diamon Simpson had a season-high 18 points against a very tough and physical Big East opponent. Simpson was 5-of-07 from the floor, and had a big game from the free throw line, connecting on 8-of-10 shots from the stripe. He had just five rebounds, but tied his career-high with four assists and added three steals. His final steal prevented the Friars from cutting the SMC lead to four, and resulted in the Mills three to give SMC a nine-point lead.

Ian O'Leary had his best game of the season, as he scored a season-high 13 points and added a team-high eight rebounds. He was 4-for-5 from the floor, had threes assists, one block and one steal in 22 minutes. Omar Samhan scored in double figures once again, adding 16 points and eight rebounds in a season-high 34 minutes.

Saint Mary's got off to a quick start, opening the game with a 10-0 run following threes by O'Leary and Hughes, a dunk by Simpson, and a pull-up jumper by Mills. After the Friars cut the SMC lead to three (21-18) at the 10:28 mark, the Gaels used a 6-0 burst over the next 1:28 to extend the lead back to nine.

With the Gaels leading 30-24 at the 6:46 mark, SMC went on an 18-4 run to close the half to take a 20-point (48-28) lead at the break. The run was highlighted by 10 points from Mills, which included two threes. Saint Mary's also got four points from O'Leary and two from Simpson and Ben Allen.

Mills finished the half with 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the floor, while Simpson and O'Leary added 11 and nine respectively. The Gaels shot 57.1 percent from the floor, the best first half percentage of the young season, while shooting 45.5 percent from 3-point land, which was also the best first half 3-point shooting performance of the season.  SMC forced 13 Providence turnovers with five first half steals.

With 15:10 remaining in the game, the Gaels held a 60-39 advantage following a basket by Samhan. Following the Samhan bucket, the Gaels went cold from the floor for the next four minutes, allowing the Friars to use a 10-0 run to cut the SMC lead to 11 points with 11:53 left on the clock. The scoring drought for SMC ended when Mills hit an 18-foot jumper with 11 minutes left on the clock.

After the Mills basket, Providence continued to chip away at the Saint Mary's lead. With 9:32 left to play, the Friars cut the deficit to single digits, when Marshon Brooks hit 2-of-3 free throws. Providence cut the lead to six (70-64) following a pair of made free throws by Jonathan Kale at the 5:58 mark.

With SMC leading 72-66, Simpson made a big steal under the basket which was followed by a transition three from the right corner by Mills, giving the Gaels a nine-point advantage with four minutes remaining.

Saint Mary's will return to action on Thursday, Dec. 4 with a road game at Kent State. The game between the Gaels and the Golden Flashes will tip-off at 4 p.m. Pacific Time from the 6,327-seat MAC Center on the Kent State campus (Friday 11am AEDT) .

 

 

Ogilvy Tourney MVP

CANCUN - Vanderbilt sophomore A.J. Ogilvy scored 25 points to lead four Commodore players in double figures in route to a 71-66 win over VCU in the finals of the Cancun Challenge at the Moon Palace Resort in Cancun, Mexico. Ogilvy was named the tournament's MVP, and junior guard Jermaine Beal was named to the Cancun Challenge All-Tournament team.

Sunday's win marked the second consecutive Thanksgiving tournament title for the Commodores. Vanderbilt captured the South Padre Island Invitational in 2007 with wins over Utah State and Bradley.

The Commodores led for most of the contest, but VCU made the game interesting in the second half behind their frenzied defense and clutch shooting Ram guard Eric Maynor, who ended the game with 31 points, 23 of those in the second half. Vanderbilt, who saw its lead balloon to as many as 18 early in the second half, struggled with the quickness of the VCU guards in the period, and had its lead cut to one, 48-47, with 11:11 to play in the game. VU responded and pushed its lead back up to seven, but once again VCU came back, this time cutting the deficit to two points with 1:19 to play in regulation.

Free throw shooting, a strong point for the Commodores in the tournament, came through again in the waning moments, as Beal knocked down two shots and sophomore forward Darshawn McClellan made one-of-two with 30 seconds remaining to give VU the winning margin of 71-66. On the night, Vanderbilt was 26-for-30 from the charity stripe (86.7%).

Ogilvy ended the night with 25 points and seven rebounds, and included in his total were two three-point shots from the top of the key. Ogilvy played 30 minutes and was 11-for-16 from the floor overall. Beal scored 14 points and added six assists, while freshman Brad Tinsley continued his double-digit streak with 13 points in 37 minutes of action. Freshman forward Jeffery Taylor also added double figures with 10 points.

VCU's Maynor led all scorers with 31 points. Ram forward Larry Sanders was the only other VCU scorer in double figures with 10.

Vanderbilt returns home for a game with the UIC Flames Wednesday night at Memorial Gym. Tip time is set for 7 p.m.  (Thurs 11am AEDT).

 

 

 

Aron Baynes & WSU Hit Road for Legends Classic

WSU will take on Mississippi State Friday at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

COUGARS HIT ROAD FOR LEGENDS CLASSIC: The Washington State University men's basketball team hits the road for the first time this season as it heads across the country to Newark, N.J. to compete in the 2008 Legends Classic held at the Prudential Center. The Cougars will face Mississippi State in the semifinals, Sat. Nov. 29th (9:30am AEDT). Depending on the outcome of that game, WSU will face either No. 4 Pittsburgh or Texas Tech on Sunday.

LAST TIME OUT FOR THE COUGS:
• The Cougars defeated Canisius, 67-41, Tuesday (Nov. 25) evening at Pullman's Friel Court.
• The Cougars trailed early in the game, marking the second-straight game the Cougs have trailed and just the second time this season. • Senior Taylor Rochestie led the team with 17 points.
• Freshman Klay Thompson had the best shooting night of his career with 15 points while shooting .500 from the field.
• The Cougars kept Canisius' leading rebounder Chris Gadley (9.7 rpg coming in) off the boards as he didn't grab a single rebound. .
• Daven Harmeling, Taylor Rochestie and Klay Thompson have scored in double figures the last two games...they are the first Cougars to record back-to-back double figure scoring games this season. .
• For the second-straight game, six freshmen saw action, two redshirt freshmen (Abe Lodwick, Charlie Enquist) and four true freshmen (Marcus Capers, DeAngelo Casto, Klay Thompson, Nick Witherill). .

WSU AGAINST THE SEC:.
• The Cougars are 3-7 all-time against current members of the Southeastern Conference. .
• WSU has never faced Mississippi State, nor has it faced Auburn, Florida, Mississippi, or South Carolina. .
• The Cougars' last meeting against an SEC opponent was in the 2007 NCAA Tournament when WSU fell to Vanderbilt, 78-74 ,in double overtime. .
• There are two SEC teams on the Cougs' schedule this season as they will head to Baton Rouge to take on LSU on Dec. 28. .
• The only two teams WSU has faced more than once from the SEC are Alabama (1-2) and LSU (1-1). .

LOOKING AHEAD:.
• Depending on Friday's outcomes, WSU could face No. 4 Pittsburgh or Texas Tech Saturday. .
• WSU has never faced Pitt. .
• The Cougars and Red Raiders met once in the 1995 NIT with WSU prevailing, 94-82 in Pullman. .
• Both TTU and WSU have head coaches who took over for their fathers at their current programs (Knight and Bennett). .

KEEPING THE NONCONFERENCE STREAK ALIVE:.
• The Cougars have won 20-straight regular season nonconference games dating back to the last four nonconference regular season games of the 2006-07 season. .
• The 20-game streak is second-longest in school history passing the 19-straight regular season nonconference games winning streak during the 1990-91 and 1991-92 seasons. .
• WSU's record streak stands at 23 games set during the 1931-32, 1932-33 and 1933-34 seasons. .

NEARLY PERFECT IN NOVEMBER:.
• WSU is 33-0 all-time in the month of November at Friel Court and has won 30-straight November games in Pullman and is 34-1. .
• The Cougars' only loss in Pullman in November was 77-47 to Colorado State, Nov. 30, 1963. .
• WSU is a perfect 18-0 in the month of November under third-year head coach Tony Bennett. .
• The Cougars have started the season 4-0 in all three of Tony Bennett's season at the helm. .

WSU FRESHMEN AMONG TOPS IN PAC-10:.
• Four different Cougar freshmen rank in the top-three amongst freshmen in the top-10 in seven different categories (as of Nov. 24). .
• Klay Thompson leads all Pac-10 freshmen in 3-point field goals made (fifth overall), is third amongst freshmen in scoring (23rd overall) and is tied with WSU redshirt freshman Charlie Enquist for third amongst freshmen for blocks per game (tied for fifth overall).
• Marcus Capers leads the conference freshmen in assist/turnover ratio (10th overall) and is tied for first in assists (tied for 12th overall). • DeAngelo Casto leads the Pac-10 freshmen in blocks per game while ranking third in the league. .

THOMPSON OFFERS `FRESH' START:.
• With his start against MVSU Nov. 15, Klay Thompson became the first Cougar freshman to start a season opener since Kyle Weaver started against Montana State, Nov. 19, 2004.
• He also became the first WSU freshman to start a game since Nikola Koprivica started against San Diego State, Dec. 21, 2006. .
• A total of six freshmen saw action in the season opener for the Cougs (Marcus Capers, DeAngelo Casto, Charlie Enquist, Abe Lodwick, Klay Thompson, Nick Witherill).
• Four of the freshmen are true freshman (Capers, Casto, Thompson, Witherill). The last time four true freshman played in the season opener was in 2004 (Josh Akognon, Robbie Cowgill, Daven Harmeling, Kyle Weaver). .
• Six freshmen have seen action in three of WSU's four games, while five freshmen saw action in the other game. .
• Last season just two freshmen played for the Cougars, making a total of 20 appearances (one true freshman, one redshirt freshman). • This year seven WSU freshmen have combined for 23 appearances in the first four games. .
• Thompson currently leads the team in scoring with 12.3 points per game. The last freshman to end the season with 12 or more points was Mark Hendrickson with a 12.6 average in 1993. (Second-best mark in WSU's freshmen record books.) .

FRESHMEN LEADING BLOCK PARTY:.
• Freshman DeAngelo Casto's four blocks against Mississippi Valley State Nov. 15 tied him for the third most by a freshman in a game. .
• Carlos Daniel had the best freshman debut blocks-wise with five against Eastern Washington, Nov. 29, 1994...Aron Baynes also had five blocks as a freshman at San Diego State, Dec. 10, 2005. .
• Casto followed with a two-block performance against Fairleigh Dickinson...he's averaging 2.3 blocks per game and has had a block in every game of his career. .
• In the second game of the season, freshman Klay Thompson led the Cougs in blocks with three...he's tied for second on the team with 1.0 blocks a game. .
• Redshirt freshman Charlie Enquist also has four blocks on the season, tying with Thompson for third on the team with 1.0 blocks per game. .

WINNING BY 20-PLUS:.
• This season the Cougars have won all four games by margins of victory greater than 20 points. .
• WSU's final two wins of the 2007-08 season were also by 20 or more points (61-41 over Notre Dame-3/22; 71-40 over Winthrop-3/20). .
• The Cougars have had a margin of victory of 20 or more points in each of their last six wins, dating back to last season. .

SENIOR CITIZENS:.
• Despite a roster with just five seniors (including walk-on Ryan Bailey), the majority of WSU's points came from the senior class in the opening game. .
• The seniors accounted for 43 of WSU's 76 points (57 percent), including the game's only two double-digit scorers in Aron Baynes (14 points) and Caleb Forrest (13 points). .
• An upper classman has led the Cougs in scoring in every game this season (freshman Klay Thompson tied Taylor Rochestie for game-high honors in the third game of the season). .
• The upperclassmen have outscored the freshmen, 177-92 this season, 149 of those points scored by seniors. (one junior has played, no sophomores). .

ROCHESTIE PLAYS 100TH GAME:
• WSU's Nov. 21 game against Sacramento State marked the 100th game of redshirt senior Taylor Rochestie's career. • He's now played in 101 games. .
• Rochestie played 28 games as a freshman at Tulane and has played 73 games at WSU. .
• The point guard has started 69 of his 101 games thus far, including 44 starts at WSU. .

BAYNES EYEING 1,000 POINTS:.
• Senior center Aron Baynes is looking to become the 30th player in Washington State history to score 1,000 points in his WSU career. .
• Now with 686 career points, Baynes needs a total of 314 more points this season to reach the milestone. .
• The Australian-native tallied 365 last season averaging 10.4 per game. .

ROCHESTIE CLOSING IN TOO:.
• Redshirt senior guard Taylor Rochestie is also closing in on the 1,000-point mark for his career. .
• Between his freshman season at Tulane University and the last two years at WSU, Rochestie has amassed 873 points. .
• After a junior season in which he tied Baynes for third on the team in scoring with 365 points, Rochestie will need 477 total points this season to get to 1,000 as a Cougar. .
• Rochestie has 569 points as a Cougar after scoring 304 at Tulane. .

COUGARS RECEIVING VOTES:.
• Although the Cougars haven't been ranked this season, they still continue to receive votes in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Polls. .
• WSU has 13 votes in the AP Poll and 15 in the ESPN/USA Today Poll. .
• Three of WSU's opponents this season are ranked, as is Pittsburgh, a possible opponent for the Cougars in the Legends Classic. • Pittsburgh (4), Gonzaga (9/10), UCLA (13/11) and Arizona State (14)are all ranked. .
• On top of that, four of the Cougars' opponents are receiving votes (Baylor-both, LSU-AP, USC -both, Washington-ESPN/USA Today). .

COUGS AMONG YOUNGEST TEAMS IN THE COUNTRY:.
• With nine total freshman, WSU is tied with three other schools for the most freshmen on a roster in the country. The Cougs are tied with Presbyterian, High Point and The Citadel. .
• The Cougars' group of seven true freshmen is tied for the fourth most true freshmen on an NCAA Division I roster in the nation. Duquesne, Saint Louis and Iona each have eight true freshmen on their rosters. .
• WSU's seven scholarship freshmen also ties them for third in the country for most scholarship freshmen. Duquesne and Saint Louis each have eight scholarship freshmen. .
• Although freshmen-heavy, the Cougars older players make up for it. Among the youngest teams by average age, the Cougars rank 10th in the country with an average age of 19.87 years old. Arizona State (19.81 years old) ranks directly ahead of the Cougs, while Oregon (19.93 years old) is right behind WSU at 11th. .

ABOUT THE LEGENDS CLASSIC:.
• The 2008 Legends Classic is a 12-team tournament featuring teams from 12 different conferences. .
• Four teams from four top conferences start the tournament with opening round games on their home courts. .
• Those four teams will advance to the championship round of the tournament at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., Nov. 28-29 (Pittsburgh, Mississippi State, Texas Tech, WSU). .
• The Cougars defeated Fairleigh Dickinson, 55-33, in the Pullman Regional of the Tournament. .