Nov. 14, 2005
BELLINGHAM, Wash. -
UPDATE: The Western men's basketball team, ranked among the top five nationally in two preseason ratings, opens its season this week at the Brigham Young University-Hawaii Seasider Classic in Laie, Hawaii, meeting Emporia State on Thursday (7 p.m. HT) and the host Seasiders on Saturday (7:30 p.m. HT).
All five starters and eight seniors, including five three-year letter winners, return for coach Brad Jackson (21st year, 375-217) from last season's 22-7 squad that tied for first place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and reaching the semifinal round at the NCAA Division II West Regional.
Western, which was the unanimous pick to win the GNAC championship in the preseason coaches poll, was picked No.2 nationally in the Street & Smith's preseason rating and No.5 by Division II Bulletin. Receiving preseason All-America honors from Street & Smith's were senior guard/forward Grant Dykstra, a second-team choice, and senior guard Ryan Diggs, who received honorable mention.
Dykstra garnered first-team West Region all-star honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches and Daktronics Inc. last season, and was a first-team all-GNAC selection. He averaged 17.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.
Diggs was a second-team NABC West Region all-star and a first-team all-GNAC pick. He averaged 18.1 points, 3.3 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game.
Last year, Western ranked No.15 in the final NABC/NCAA II Poll and was rated as high as No.5 during the season.
The Vikings also were ranked No.2 by Street and Smith's prior to the 2001-02 season after reaching the national semifinals the previous campaign.
THREE-DOT NOTES: Redshirt Ira Graham won the slam-dunk competition at Viking Jam on Nov. 1 ... Western has been to two West Regionals, being the host school both times. In 2001, the Vikings won the title and went on to reach the semifinals at the NCAA II Elite Eight, and in 2005, they got to the regional semifinals ... Last year's league title was Western's second as the GNAC begins its fifth season. The Vikings tied for last year's crown as they did in 2002 ... Dykstra was the 2005 recipient of the United States Basketball Writers Association Most Courageous Award and a finalist for the V Foundation Comeback Award for the second straight season ... Dykstra is the only Western player to start all 83 games over the last three seasons.
UPCOMING GAMES:
Nov. 17 (Thu.) at BYUH Seasider Classic Laie, HI 7 p.m. HT vs. Emporia State KS
Nov. 19 (Sat.) at BYUH Seasider Classic Laie, HI 7:30 p.m. HT vs. Brigham Young Hawaii
Nov. 25 (Fri.) WWU/CHUCK RANDALL THANKSGIVING CLASSIC Saint Martin's vs. Colorado Mines CARVER GYM 3 p.m. WESTERN vs. Sonoma State CA CARVER GYM 7 p.m.
Nov. 26 (Sat.) WWU/CHUCK RANDALL THANKSGIVING CLASSIC Saint Martin's vs. Sonoma State CARVER GYM 3 p.m. WESTERN vs. Colorado Mines CARVER GYM 7 p.m.
Nov. 29 (Tue.) HAWAII PACIFIC UNIVERSITY CARVER GYM 7 p.m.
Dec. 2 (Fri.) PUGET SOUND CHRISTIAN COLLEGE CARVER GYM 7 p.m.
PREVIEW: With all five starters returning from a highly successful season, hopes are high for the 2005-06 Western men's basketball team.
Last year's 22-7 team was the top seed in the West Regional of the NCAA Division II National Tournament, reaching the regional semifinals, and tied for first place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference at 13-5.
The Vikings figure to be one of the most experienced teams in the country, with eight seniors on the roster, five of whom are three-year letter winners.
With the success this crop of Vikings has had, Street and Smith's preseason NCAA II rating put Western at No.2 nationally, behind only Tarleton State TX, and it was No.5 in the Division II Bulletin rating.
The Vikings, who were also the unanimous pick to win the GNAC crown, return 85 percent of their scoring and 90 percent of their rebounding from a year ago, but Jackson believes there's still room for improvement.
Leading the way for Western are two first-team all-GNAC seniors, who are on pace to finish their careers among the top five scorers in school history - forward Grant Dykstra and guard Ryan Diggs. They helped Western average 91.3 points a game last season, which ranked third nationally in NCAA II.
Dykstra was named the 2005 national recipient of the prestigious United States Basketball Writers Association Most Courageous Award. He averaged 17.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and a team-high 2.0 steals, and was a first-team all-West Region selection by both Daktronics, Inc., and the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Dykstra shot 50.3 percent from the field (174-of-346), including 46.9 percent (69-of-147) on 3-pointers, and 82.3 percent (79-of-96) on free throws.
Diggs averaged a team-high 18.1 points a game and also contributed 3.3 assists and 1.1 steals, earning second-team NABC all-region honors. He shot 85.0 percent on free throws, the sixth-best mark in the GNAC, and his 6.2 free throw attempts per game were the second-best average in the conference.
Dykstra, who has started every game the last three seasons, ranks 11th in school history in scoring with 1,226 points, is 12th in career steals with 150 and 13th in assists with 280. Diggs is 13th in career scoring with 1,158, and is 16th in assists with 259.
The third three-year letter winner on the perimeter is guard Kyle Jackson, the son of the head coach. Jackson averaged 9.9 points and a team-high 4.0 assists, shooting a team-best 86.0 percent on free throws and 48.4 percent (30-of-62) on 3-pointers.
Two more seniors complete the starting lineup in the post spots. Forward Tyler Amaya earned GNAC Newcomer of the Year honors as he averaged 12.0 points and team-bests of 7.9 rebounds and 1.0 blocked shots.
At center, Tyler MacMullen averaged 10.8 points and 6.3 rebounds as a junior, shooting a team-best 52.7 percent from the field.
Another senior three-year letter winner, guard Preston Vermeulen has been the team's Most Inspirational Player each of the past three seasons. He averaged 3.7 points in just 7.2 minutes a contest and was also a defensive presence.
Two other seniors provide additional depth up front. Forward Darrell Visser, a three-year letter winner, averaged 2.4 points and 0.8 blocks. Senior center Rob Primozich saw action in 13 contests last year.
Junior center Lukas Henne has seen regular action the last two seasons, last year averaging 3.0 points, 2.6 rebounds and 0.6 blocked shots, shooting 57.8 percent from the field and 83.3 percent on free throws.
Sophomore forward Brett Weisner averaged 2.9 points and 1.3 rebounds last season, and seems fully recovered from off-season shoulder surgery.
Two freshmen - forward Calin Schell and guard Ken Nwaelele - return after redshirting last year. Schell was a first-team Class 2A all-state pick as a prep senior in 2003-04, averaging 17.0 points on 57.7 field goal shooting, 9.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocked shots. Nwaelele was a second-team all-Kingco 4A League choice as a senior, averaging 16.7 points and shooting 41 percent from 3-point range.
Completing the active roster is freshman David Brittinen, an honorable mention Class 2A all-state pick for state champion Hoquiam High School in 2003-04 who joined the squad last spring. Sophomore guard Ira Graham (Fontana, CA), who averaged 4.6 points in 11 contests last year, will redshirt.
The Vikings open the season in Hawaii, facing regional rival Brigham Young-Hawaii, and also travel to California in December to meet defending West Region champion Cal Poly Pomona.
COACH JACKSON: Brad Jackson is in his 21st year and is the most successful coach in school history, both in total wins (375-217) and winning percentage (.633). Entering the season, he ranks 27th among active NCAA II coaches in victories and 37th in winning percentage. In 2001, Jackson directed Western to a 27-4 record and the semifinals of the NCAA II National Championship, being named NABC/NCAA II West Region, Northwest small college and Pacific West Conference Coach of the Year. Five times named district/region Coach of the Year, Jackson has directed Western to 15 post-season playoff appearances, including district/region/conference championships and national tournament appearances in 1988, 1994, 2001 and 2005. He has had eight 20-win campaigns (1986-90, 1993-94, 2000-01, 2001-02, 2004-05).
WWU/CHUCK RANDALL TOURNEY NOTES: Western has won its last six games at the CRTC and is 9-3 overall. The Vikings' last setback came in 2001 when they lost 97-94 in overtime to Minnesota State-Moorhead.
RADIO BROADCASTS: Western games are being broadcast this season on KBAI Radio (930 AM) with Doug Lange handling the play-by-play, and either Mark Scholten, Jason Stiles or Ervin Kuehbler providing the color commentary. They also can be heard on the internet at www.wwuvikings.com.
ON THE WEB: For up-to-date statistics, box scores of every game, records, stories, etc., see the Western Athletic web page at www.wwuvikings.com. Up-to-date league standings and statistics can be found on the Great Northwest Athletic Conference web page at www.gnacsports.com.
PROBABLE WESTERN STARTERS & TOP RESERVES:
G Kyle Jackson, 5-10, ***Sr., Bellingham, WA/SehomeG Ryan Diggs, 6-2, ***Sr., Victorville, CA/SilveradoC Tyler MacMullen,6-9, *Sr.,Mukilteo,WA/Kamiak/Edmonds CCF Grant Dykstra,6-4, ***Sr.,Everson,WA/Lynden ChristianF Tyler Amaya, 6-6, *Sr., Mount Vernon,WA/Mount Vernon/Gonzaga/Dixie
G Preston Vermeulen, 6-2, ***Sr., Sumas, WA/Nooksack ValleyF Brett Weisner, 6-5, *So., Spokane, WA/Shadle ParkC Lukas Henne, 6-7, **Jr., Bremerton, WA/Central KitsapF Darrell Visser, 6-6, ***Sr., Lynden, WA
*letters
OPPONENT SKETCHES: EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY KS: The Hornets, who lost 79-75 at Kansas State in an exhibition game on Nov. 10, return five players from last season's 16-12 team that finished 8-10 in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association, losing to Washburn KS in the first round of the MIAA tournament. The 2004-05 campaign was the third consecutive winning season under head coach David Moe (5th year, 61-50). This season, Emporia State, with three starters returning, is picked to tie for fifth in the MIAA in a preseason coaches poll. The Hornets return their leading scorer from last season in 5-foot-11 senior guard Tyrell Sledge. (15.2 ppg, 4.1 apg, 80.7 FT-Pct., 96-119). Sledge, a second-team all-conference pick last year, is joined in the backcourt by 2005 MIAA Freshman of the Year Wes Book. Book, a 6-4 guard, averaged 11.5 points per game last year on 40.3 (48-119) shooting from three-point range and 84.1 (69-82) accuracy from the free throw line. Another former conference freshman of the year, Shawn Herrman, a 6-6 senior forward who won the award in 2003, averaged 10.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game last season. Two other Hornets with part-time starting experience are 6-8, 260-pound junior center Ed Desir, who averaged 5.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game; and 6-5 senior guard Ryan Blevins, who average 5.6 points and 3.6 rebounds. Emporia State added five transfers this season, led by 6-7 junior forward Steven Trotter, a Longview High School graduate who averaged 15.6 points and 8.8 rebounds at Lower Columbia CC last season on his way to first team all-NWAACC honors; and 6-8 senior Anthony Joseph, who played at Bethune-Cookman FL. The Hornets lost six of their final eight games last season after starting the year with eight straight victories. Emporia State leads the all-times series 1-0, winning 85-78 on Dec. 12, 1988, at the Grand Canyon Tournament.
BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY-HAWAII: (vs. Emporia State on Nov. 18) The Seasiders' 2004-05 season ended with an 80-69 loss to Western in the first round of the NCAA II West Regional on Haggen Court at Carver Gym. BYU-Hawaii, which was making its fifth consecutive regional appearance, finished the season 16-9 overall and second (11-4) in the Pacific West Conference. The Seasiders' key returnee is 6-foot-6, 225-pound forward Austin Smylie. Smylie averaged 17.0 points and 6.9 rebounds per game last season and shot 62.8 percent from the floor, being a second-team National Association of Basketball Coaches/NCAA Division II West Region all-star. Another starter, 6-1 junior guard Jason Solis, returns for head coach Ken Wagner (15th year, 289-145), who was named PacWest Conference Coach of the Year three times from 2002-2004. Solis averaged 4.6 points and 2.3 assists per game last year. Paul Peterson, a 5-9 sophomore guard who was a key reserve last season (6.7 ppg, 3.5 apg, 51.7 FG Pct.), will likely start. Two newcomers join Smylie up front. Wu Tai-hao, a 6-8 freshman, has played with the national team in his native Taiwan, and 6-9 center Vaughn Schouten sat out last season after transferring from Southern Utah, where he averaged 3.3 points and 2.1 rebounds per game in 2003-04. Last season, the Seasiders averaged 90.1 points per game, shot 52.3 percent from the field, 42.9 percent from three-point range and 77.1 percent from the free throw line. BYU-Hawaii graduated three of its top four scorers from that team. They are Jake Chrisman, a 6-8 center who was a two-time first team all-West Region selection (20.7 ppg), 6-3 guard Michael Stowell (14.3 ppg) and 6-1 guard Thomas Watkins (12.9 ppg). Western holds a 6-5 series advantage.
SONOMA STATE UNIVERSITY CA: (at University of the Pacific on Nov. 18) The Seawolves return 13 letter winners and nine of their top 10 scorers from last season's 16-11 team that finished in a third place tie in the California Collegiate Athletic Association standings (13-7). Sonoma State's top returnee is 6-foot-6 junior forward J.T. Tipton, a second-team National Association of Basketball Coaches/NCAA Division II West Region All-Star last season. Tipton averaged 14.2 points per game while shooting 53.3 percent (120-225) from the floor and 77.1 percent at the free throw line (128-166). Tipton, a first-team all-league selection, led the CCAA in rebounding (10.0) and was the only Seawolf to average more than four rebounds per game. Vince Inglima, a 6-5 senior guard, was a second-team CCAA all-star last season (11.7 ppg; .446 3-pt Pct,. 37-83, 83.8-FT Pct.; best in CCAA) and 6-2 sophomore guard Andrew Kochevar (9.4 ppg) led the CCAA with a 50.5 3-point shooting percentage (52-103). Three other players who made at least 10 starts last season return for head coach Pat Fuscaldo (12th year, 186-188). They are 6-8 senior center Paige Dumont (7.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg), 6-8 junior forward Barry Weiss (4.9 ppg, 55.7 FG Pct., 59-106) and 6-2 senior guard Chris Getty (3.3 ppg). Also returning are 6-4 senior forward Donald Deshotels (6.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg) and 6-2 sophomore guard Patrick Mitchell (3.0 ppg, 3.1 apg). Sonoma State converted 40.8 percent of its 3-point tries last season (204-500). Western has won both previous series meetings, winning 84-83 in overtime last season at Rohnert Park.
COLORADO MINES: (vs. Nebraska-Omaha on Nov.18 and Pittsburg State KS on Nov.19 in Colorado School of Mines Classic, and at Saint Martin's on Nov. 25). Two starters and eight letter winners return from last season's Oredigger squad that finished 16-12 overall and fifth in the East Division of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (10-9). Colorado Mines must overcome the loss of its top two scorers from last season, guards Stephen Bahl (21.5 ppg) and Kevin Wagstaff (17.5 ppg). The top returnees are 6-foot-3 junior guard Frankin Ryk (8.3 ppg, 38.2 3-pt. Pct., 47-123) and 6-7 sophomore forward Ben Mohr (6.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 57.9 FG Pct., 73-126). Two reserves from last season, 5-11 senior guard Travis Test (5.0 ppg, 42.2 3-pt. Pct., 27-64) and 6-6 junior forward Davey Iverson (6.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.0 bpg) will likely start for head coach Pryor Orser (5th season, 46-65). Two newcomers, 6-2 freshman guard Kyle Pape and 6-8 junior forward Ian Elseth should also see time in the starting lineup. Elseth last played at Oregon State, where he saw limited minutes in 2001-02. Australian native Alex Hayman, a 6-4 sophomore forward, and 6-8 sophomore center Clayton Moores will also be in the rotation this season after playing limited minutes last year. The series with Western is tied at 1-1.
2005-06 GAME SUMMARIES: None
