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Men's Basketball

2007-2008 Men's Basketball Weekly Release #4 (January 23)

"" Back to Headlines

This Week's Schedule

Thurs., Jan. 24 - vs. Alaska Fairbanks, 7 p.m., Alterowitz Gym
Sat., Jan. 26 - Alaska Anchorage, 7 p.m., Alterowitz Gym


 Click HERE for live stats of Thursday's and Saturday's games.


Week in Review

The Yellowjackets showed even more improvement this past week.  Despite two losses on the road at Saint Martin's and Western Oregon, MSUB played hard and freshman John Brooks (Perris, Calif.) had a career-high 32 points against WOU.  He also came off the bench against Saint Martin's for a team-high 16 points. 

Brooks took the lead on freshman Aaron Terry (Moreno Valley, Calif.) averaging 13.9 points per game.  Terry (13.8) had led the team in scoring much of the season.  Brooks and freshman Brett Taylor (Billings) lead from deep making 34 three pointers each.  Brooks had a career-high six against WOU from long range.  Terry leads the team in field goals (82) and in free throws (48).  He is shooting 82 of 189 from the floor for 43 percent and has pulled down 3.8 boards per game.  In addition, he is handing out 2.33 assists and a team-leading one steal per game.  Brooks is 62 of 174 from the field for 36 percent.  Cameron Khoury (Fr., Alta Loma, Calif.) is tallying 7.2 points per game for the Jackets and is grabbing a team-leading 6.0 boards per game while swatting .067 blocks per game.

As a team the Jackets are shooting 36 percent from the field and 31 percent from the perimeter.  Just over half (79) of the Yellowjackets' 3-pointers have come in the last six games.  During that span, MSUB is averaging 10 treys a game.


From the GNAC

Division II Games: Alaska Anchorage 14-0, Northwest Nazarene 7-2, Seattle Pacific 10-3, Seattle 9-5, Central Washington 8-5, Western Washington 7-5, Saint Martin’s 7-6, Western Oregon 5-6, Alaska Fairbanks 1-7, MSU Billings 0-14.  

West Region Games: Alaska Anchorage 8-0, Northwest Nazarene 5-2, Seattle 7-4, Seattle Pacific 5-3, Central Washington 7-5, Western Washington 6-5, Saint Martin’s 5-5, Western Oregon 3-5, Alaska Fairbanks 1-5, MSU Billings 0-6.  

LAST WEEK: Thursday – Central Washington 73 at Alaska Anchorage  78;  Western Washington 81 at Alaska Fairbanks 63; MSU Billings 52 at Saint Martin's 81; Seattle 72 at Western Oregon 78. Saturday  Western Washington 62 at Alaska Anchorage 63; Central Washington 91 at Alaska Fairbanks 69; MSU Billings 72 at Western Oregon 85; Seattle Pacific 72 at Northwest Nazarene 87; Seattle 77 at Saint Martin's 88.  

THIS WEEK: Thursday - Alaska Anchorage at Seattle; Alaska Fairbanks at MSU Billings; Saint Martin's at Northwest Nazarene, 7:30 p.m.; Western Oregon at Seattle Pacific, 7:30 p.m.  Saturday – Alaska Anchorage at MSU Billings; Alaska Fairbanks at Seattle; Western Washington at Central Washington; Western Oregon at Northwest Nazarene, 2 p.m.; Saint Martin's at Seattle Pacific, 3:30 p.m.  

POLLS: NABC (Jan. 15) - 14. Alaska Anchorage; 24. Seattle Pacific; 26. Seattle. NCAA West Region – The first NCAA West Region weekly poll will be released Wednesday, Jan. 30. GNAC Coaches Pre-Season: 1. Alaska Anchorage (7) 104; 2. Seattle Pacific (1) 87; 3. Seattle (2) 84 ; 4. Western Washington and Central Washington 62; 6. Saint Martin's 52; 7. Northwest Nazarene 40; 8. Western Oregon 35; 9. Montana State Billings 18; 10. Alaska Fairbanks 16. Note: First-place votes in parenthesis. Points awarded on 11-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis).  

DOUBLE DOUBLES: 5 – Carl Arts, UAA.  4 – Jake Beitinger, CWU.  3 – Kevin Atkins, UAF; Rob Will, SPU.   2 - Luke Cooper, UAA; Liam Hughes, WOU.  1 – Fifteen with.  

NATIONAL STATISTICS (Through Jan. 13): Individuals (Top 50): Scoring - 9. Ira Graham, WWU, 21.4. FG PCT. - 16. Rob Will, SPU, 63.5; 38. Ira Graham, WWU, 57.8; 41. McCade Olsen, UAA, 57.6. Three-Point FGs - 44. Chris Bryant, UAA, 2.9. Three-Point PCT. - 32. Chris Bryant, UAA, 45.3. Free Throw PCT. - 5. Jake Linton, SMU, 95.3; 9. Ryan Coldren, SU, 91.7; 37. Brandon Foote, CWU, 85.7. Rebounding - None. Assists - 1. Luke Cooper, UAA, 8.9; 42. Tyler Roberts, NNU, 5.0; 46. Dane Johnson, WOU, 4.9. Steals - None. Blocks - 32. Steve Severin, WWU, 1.9; 39. Robbie Will, SPU, 1.8. Assist/Turnover - 6. Luke Cooper, UAA, 3.53; 34. Jared Moultrie, SPU, 2.19.  Team (Top 50): Scoring - 8. Central Washington 88.1; 22. Western Washington 83.5; 48. Western Oregon 79.4. Scoring Defense - 5. Alaska Anchorage 58.7. Scoring Margin - 20. Alaska Anchorage 15.4; 22. Western Washington 14.1; 34. Seattle 12.1; 42. Central Washington 10.5. Field Goal PCT. - 12. Western Oregon 50.7; 24. Alaska Anchorage 49.9; 27. Western Washington 49.7; 28. Seattle Pacific 49.6; 42. Northwest Nazarene 48.4; 48. Central Washington 48.0.. Three-Pointers - 45. Central Washington 8.4. Three-Point Percentage - 17. Alaska Anchorage 41.7; 40. Central Washington 38.9; 48. Alaska Fairbanks 38.4; 49. Northwest Nazarene 38.3. Free Throw Percentage - 3. Saint Martin's 78.0; 4. Northwest Nazarene 77.9; 6. Seattle 77.6; 41. Western Oregon 72.6. Rebounding - 4. Western Oregon 10.2; 15. Seattle 7.8.  Assists - 2. Seattle Pacific 21.5; 21. Alaska Anchorage 18.3; 41. Western Washington 16.8. Steals - None. Blocks - 15. Western Washington 5.0. Fewest Turnovers - 10. Western Washington 12.8; 31. Seattle Pacific 13.8; 36. Alaska Anchorage 14.0.

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMS:  UAF Top of the World  (Nov. 15-18) –  Mladen Begojevic, UAF.   Central Washington (Nov. 16-17) – Jake Beitinger, CWU; Brandon Foote, CWU; Tyler Roberts, NNU; Adam Shildmyer, NNU.  Seattle Pacific (Nov. 16-17) – Rob Will, SPU; Ira Graham, WWU.  Western Washington (Nov. 23-24) – Ira Graham, WWU; Calin Schell, WWU; Rob Diederichs, SPU; Rob Will, SPU.  UAA Great Alaska Shootout (Nov. 21-24) – Carl Arts, UAA.  Central Washington (Nov. 30-Dec. 1) – Jake Beitinger, CWU; Sam Kelly, WOU; Brad Krichevsky, WOU.  CSU Pueblo (Nov. 30-Dec. 1) – Bill Richardson, SMU.  WWU Great Western Shootout (Dec. 18-19 at Las Vegas) – Ira Graham, WWU; Calin Schell, WWU; Jake Beitinger, CWU.  Humboldt State (Dec. 21-22) – Michael Knight, Seattle; Ryan Coldren, Seattle.  Western Oregon (Dec. 28-29) – Mike McLaughlin, WOU; Travis Kuhns, WOU; Nate Jackson, CWU; Jake Beitinger, CWU.  Seattle Pacific (Dec. 28-29) – Marques Echols, SPU; Rob Diederichs, SPU; Michael Knight, SU.  Alaska Anchorage (Dec. 28-29) – Chris Bryant, UAA (MVP); McCade Olsen, UAA; Luke Cooper, UAA.

GNAC PLAYERS-OF-THE-WEEK: Mike McLaughlin, Western Oregon (F, 6-7, So., Lake Oswego, OR) and Jake Linton, Saint Martin’s (G, 5-10, Jr., Lynnwood, WA – Meadowdale). . .McLaughlin and Linton led their respective teams to a pair of wins, including victories over defending GNAC co-champion Seattle University.  McLaughlin scored 36 points, connecting on 16 of 23 shots, and also had 14 rebounds and four assists as the Wolves earned their first two conference wins of the season, defeating the Redhawks 78-72 and Montana State Billings 85-72. . .Linton took just 11 shots, but helped produce 59 points in wins over the Yellowjackets (81-52) and Seattle U. (88-77).  He made seven of 11, including six of eight three-pointers and was perfect (16-16) at the foul line.  In addition to his 36 points, he also had 11 assists and six steals and just two turnovers.  His 11 assists led to an additional 23 Saint points.  

HONORABLE MENTION:. Chris Bryant, Alaska Anchorage (G, 6-4, Sr., Metlakatla, AK – Drake) scored 40 points to lead the Seawolves to a pair of narrow home wins.  Bryant made 13 of 26 shots, including six of 11 three-pointers.  He also had 16 rebounds and three assists as UAA improved to 14-0 in Division II contests.  

AROUND THE GNAC:  Liam Hughes of Western Oregon and Steve Severin of Western Washington nearly equaled GNAC single-game records Thursday.  Hughes had 11 offensive rebounds, one short of the record of 12 set by the Wolves’ Stanley Ratcliff against Northwest Nazarene on Jan. 7, 2006.  Severin blocked eight shots, falling short of the GNAC record of nine by Rob Will of Seattle Pacific against Cal State L.A. on Nov. 17, 2006.  Severin did set a GNAC record for conference games, breaking the old mark of seven by Jay Van Hook of Central Washington against Saint Martin’s on Feb. 14, 2004. . Though he ranked just fifth in last week’s NCAA national statistical report, Linton’s current 96.1 free throw percentage is one of the best in NCAA Division II history.  Among players who have qualified for the final national report, only Paul Cluxton of Northern Kentucky has posted a better full-season percentage.  In 1997, Cluxton made all 94 of his attempts.  Linton’s career percentage of 92.1 (257-279) ranks second all-time to Cluxton’s 93.5 (272-291) though the NCAA doesn’t recognize career performances until a player completes their eligibility.

CSTV GAMES: CSTV will stream a doubleheader from Brougham Pavilion this Saturday.  The Falcons will take on Seattle University in the women’s game at 1:30 p.m. and will play Saint Martin’s in the men’s game at 3:30.  Later this season (Feb. 23), CSTV will stream a doubleheader from Bellingham.  The Viking women will play Western Oregon at 2 and WWU’s men will play Central Washington at 7.  

AGAINST THE WEST REGION: GNAC (15) vs. CCAA (10)  - NNU 1-0, WOU 1-0, Seattle 5-1, CWU 3-1, WWU 3-2, SPU 1-1, SMU 1-3, UAF 0-1, MSUB 0-1.  GNAC (5) vs. PacWest  (3) -  UAA 3-0, NNU 1-0, SPU 1-0, WOU 0-1, CWU 0-2.  CCAA (10) vs. GNAC (15) -  CSU San Bernardino 5-0, UC San Diego 1-0, Cal State L.A. 1-0, CSU Dominguez Hills 1-0, Humboldt State 2-1, San Francisco State 0-1, CSU Stanislaus 0-2, Sonoma State 0-2, Cal Poly Pomona 0-2, Chico State 0-3, CSU Monterey Bay 0-4.   PacWest (3) vs. GNAC (5)  -  BYU-Hawaii 2-2, Notre Dame de Namur 1-1, Chaminade 0-1, Hawaii Hilo 0-1.  

NON-CONFERENCE RECORDS: GNAC teams finished their non-conference schedules with a 60-35 record, the third best record in league history.  The best non-conference record (65-27) came in 2005-06 when all 10 schools posted winning non-conference records and five qualified for the playoffs.  The GNAC ended up 20-13 against other West Region teams, including 15-10 against the CCAA, Cal State San Bernardino accounted for five of the CCAA's 10 victories.  Against all Division II team, GNAC squads posted a .631 winning percentage (41-24).


Upcoming Opponents

Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks (webpage) - The Nanooks enter the week with a 4-10 record overall and a 1-4 mark in conference play.  UAF has dropped three straight and nine of 10 after starting the year 3-1.  The Nanooks' lone conference win was an 85-79 win at Western Oregon on Jan. 5.  ""

Leading the way for the Nanooks this season is Kevin Atkins who is averaging a team-best 14.3 points.  He leads four players in double figures.  Atkins also leads the team in rebounds at 8.1 per game which is good for second in the conference.  He leads the squad in field goals made with 71, free throws with 55 and steals with 18.  Mladen Begojevic is second on the team in scoring at 11.6 points.  He leads the squad in three pointers with 21 and is second on the team in assists with 20.  Colin Matteson also is averaging 11.6 points and he is second on the team in field goals with 57, along with being second in rebounds at 5.6 per contest.

As a team, the Nanooks are shooting 41 percent from the field and 36 percent from beyond the arc.  UAF is 70 percent from the foul line and averaging 34 rebounds per game.  Opponents are shooting 51 percent against UAF and near 40 percent from beyond the arc.    

Interim head coach Clemon Johnson takes over the reins of the Nanook program from Frank Ostanik.  Johnson is no stranger to basketball or winning as he was an NBA champion with the Philadelphia 76ers and played for three other teams during a 10-year stint in the NBA.  He brings 25 years of basketball as a player and coach to the UAF program.

All-time Series:  MSUB leads the all-time series, 31-15.
Last Meeting: UAF won 90-68 on Feb. 19, 2001 in Fairbanks.
Series Recap:
MSUB leads at home 21-2.  The last time UAF won in Billings was Feb. 22, 1992, 84-80.  MSUB has won the last 10 at home.  Overall, the Yellowjackets have won four of the last six in the series.

Alaska Anchorage Seawolves (webpage) - 14th-ranked Alaska Anchorage enters the week with a 14-3 record overall and is the lone unbeaten team in the GNAC at 5-0.  UAA has won 12 straight after starting the year 2-3.  All three losses are against D-I"" opponents.  The last two wins have not been an easy chore as UAA defeated upset-minded Central Washington 78-73 and Western Washington 63-62. 

Leading the way for the Seawolves this season is Carl Arts who is averaging a team-best 17.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and 104 made field goals and 22 steals on the year.  Also in double figures is McCade Olsen at 15.5 points.  He is second on the team in field goals with 101 made buckets.  In addition, Chris Bryant averages 14.1 points and leads the team from beyond the arc with 49 3-pointers.

Nationally, the Seawolves rank high in a number of areas both individually and as a team.  Bryant is 47th in 3-point field goals per game at 2.9 and 3-point percentage he is 24th at .462.  Luke Cooper leads the nation in assists at 8.8 per game and is sixth in assist/turnover ratio at 3.41.

As a team, UAA is fifth in the nation in scoring defense, holding teams to just 59.7 points per game.  The Seawolves are outscoring their opponents by an average of 13.9 points which is good for 22nd in the nation.  In addition, UAA is 19th in 3-point percentage (.410), 20th in assists (18.1), turn the ball over just 13.5 times per game (27), and are 11th in assist/turnover ratio at 1.34.   

All-time Series:  UAA leads the all-time series 28-24
Last Meeting: UAA won 111-91, Feb. 17, 2001, in Anchorage
Series Recap: MSUB leads the series at home with a 19-5 record.  The Last time UAA won in Billings was on Jan. 14, 1995 with a 97-78 decision.  The Yellowjackets have won six straight at home in the series.  UAA has won three of the past four overall, including the last two.


The Stats

Click HERE for current MSU Billings 2007-08 season statistics


The Standings

"" 2007-08 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Standings(Through games of Jan. 23, 2008)

 

Conference

Overall

  W L Pct W L Pct
Alaska Anchorage 5 0 1.000 14 3 .824
Central Washington 4 2 .667 10 5 .667
Saint Martin's 4 2 .667 9 6 .600
Northwest Nazarene 3 2 .600 11 3 .786
Seattle Pacific 3 2 .600 11 3 .786
Western Washington 3 3 .500 10 5 .667
Seattle University 2 3 .400 9 5 .643
Western Oregon 2 4 .333 9 6 .600
Alaska Fairbanks 1 4 .200 4 10 .286
Montana State Billings 0 5 .000 0 16 .000

The Polls

NCAA West Region (first poll released in February)


The GNAC Leaders

Click HERE for 2007-08 GNAC stats leaders


The Players

#1 Kyle Palmer (Fr., G, Baton Rouge, LA) #23 Troy Ruff (So., F, Custer, MT)
#2 Brett Taylor (Fr., G, Billings, MT) #25 Mike Barton (So., F, Havre, MT)
#3 Aaron Terry (Fr., G, Moreno Valley, CA) #32 John Brooks (Fr., G, Perris, CA)
#5 Kirk Blaine (Fr., F, Gillette, WY) #33 Tyler Hentzen (So., F, Brea, CA)
#10 Jeff Miner (So. G, Gresham, OR)  
#21 Cameron Khoury (Fr., F, Alta Loma, CA)  

The Last Time in Yellowjacket Basketball

A player scored at least 50 points— Feb. 12, 2000 (Markus Hallgrimson, 50 vs. Western New Mexico)
A player scored at least 40 points— Jan. 28, 2006 (Carlin Hughes, 45 vs. St. Edward's)
A player scored at least 30 points — Jan. 19, 2008 (John Brooks, 32 at Western Oregon)
A player made at least 20 field goals — Dec. 15, 1972 (Roy McPipe, 20 vs. Dickinson State)
A player made at least 15 field goals — Feb. 16, 2001 (Dan Carter, 17 vs. Alaska Anchorage)
A player made at least 15 3-pointers — Feb. 12, 2000 (Markus Hallgrimson, 16 vs. Western New Mexico)
A player made at least 10 3-pointers — Nov. 21, 2005 (Cameron Munoz, 11 vs. Johnson & Wales)
A player made at least 5 3-pointers — Jan. 19, 2008 (John Brooks, 6 at Western Oregon)
A player made at least 20 free throws — Nov. 14, 1998 (Titus Warmsley, 22 vs. Queens)
A player made at least 15 free throws — Feb. 3, 2006 (Jonathan Wiley, 16 vs. Lincoln)
A player made at least 10 free throws — Jan. 5, 2008 (Aaron Terry, 10 vs. Seattle University)
A player had at least 25 rebounds — Jan. 28, 1978 (Bill Mummert, 28 vs. Northern Montana)
A player had at least 20 rebounds — Feb. 10, 1981 (Russell Murrey, 21 vs. Rocky Mountain)
A player had at least 15 rebounds — Feb. 10, 2005 (Justin Hassell, 18 vs. Chaminade)
A player had at least 15 assists — Feb. 4, 2006 (Carlin Hughes, 15 vs. Lincoln)
A player had at least 10 assists — Jan. 20, 2007 (Eric Cunningham, 12 vs. Lincoln)
A player had a least 5 blocked shots — Feb. 19, 2004 (Bill Day, 5 vs. Chaminade)
A player had at least 10 steals — Feb. 5, 2004 (Jerett Skrifvars, 11 vs. Great Falls)
A player had at least 5 steals — Feb. 10, 2007 (Eric Cunningham, 5 vs. Incarnate Word)
A player had a triple-double — Feb. 26, 2005 (Carlin Hughes, 20p, 10r, 16a vs. Johnson & Wales)


The team scored at least 140 points — Feb. 1, 2003 (146 vs. Western New Mexico)
The team scored at least 130 points — Jan. 28, 2006 (136 vs. St. Edward's)
The team scored at least 120 points — Feb. 3, 2006 (128 vs. Lincoln)
The team scored at least 110 points — Feb. 19, 2007 (111 vs. Texas-Permian Basin)
The team scored at least 100 points — Feb. 10, 2006 (107 vs. St. Mary's Texas)
The team allowed at least 100 points — Dec. 1, 2007 (103 vs. Colorado Christian)
The team made at least 50 field goals — Feb. 1, 2003 (51 vs. Western New Mexico)
The team made at least 40 field goals — Feb. 3, 2006 (40 vs. Lincoln)
The team shot over 70% from the field — Jan. 24, 1987 (71.7% vs. Alaska Anchorage)
The team shot over 60% from the field — Jan. 17, 2004 (61.3% vs. Green Mountain)
The team shot over 50% from the field — Jan. 20, 2007 (54.5% vs. Lincoln)
The team made at least 25 3-pointers — Feb. 18, 1999 (26 vs. Western New Mexico)
The team made at least 20 3-pointers — Feb. 3, 2006 (20 vs. Lincoln)
The team made at least 15 3-pointers — Dec. 17, 2007 (15 vs. Rocky Mountain)
The team made at least 45 free throws — Jan. 28, 2006 (46 vs. St. Edward's)
The team made at least 40 free throws — Feb. 8, 2005 (41 vs. Hawaii-Hilo)
The team made at least 30 free throws — Dec. 19, 2005 (33 vs. Emporia State)
The team had at least 50 rebounds — Jan. 4, 2006 (50 vs. Western New Mexico)
The team had at least 40 assists — Jan. 16, 2004 (40 vs. Green Mountain)
The team had at least 30 assists — Feb. 26, 2005 (30 vs. Johnson & Wales)
The team had at least 25 assists — Jan. 20, 2007 (26 vs. Lincoln)
The team had at least 10 blocked shots — Jan. 12, 2002 (10 vs. Oklahoma Panhandle)
The team had at least 5 blocked shots — Dec. 16, 2006 (6 vs. West Liberty State)
The team had at least 20 steals — Feb. 5, 2004 (28 vs. Great Falls)
The team had at least 15 steals — Feb. 19 2007 (12 vs. Dallas Baptist)


The School Records (records that include 2007-2008 in bold)

Points
Game - 1. Reece Gliko (54)
Season – 1. Roy McPipe (850)
Career – 1. Roy McPipe (1,883)

Field Goals

Game - 1. Roy McPipe (20/35)
Season – 1. Roy McPipe (346)
Career – 1. Roy McPipe (742)

Field Goal Percentage
Game - 1. Jerett Skrifvars (10-10), 100%) 1. James Washington (10-10, 100%)
Season – 1. Harvey Munford (65.2)
Career – 1. Jaysun Mims (62.66)

3-Pointers

Game - 1. Markus Hallgrimson (16/28) vs. Western New Mexico (NCAA Div. II Record)
Season – 1. Markus Hallgrimson (160)
Career – 1. Cameron Munoz (451)

3-Point Percentage
Game - 1. Mike McDowell (5-5, 100%) 1. Mitch Cole (5-5, 100%)
Season – 1. Lance Vaccarelli (50.00)
Career – 1. Pryor Orser (45.33)

Free Throws
Game - 1. Titus Warmsley (22/24)
Season – 1. Dan Retzer (291)
Career – 1. Le Heins (482)

Free Throw Percentage
Game - 1. Jerett Skrifvars (19/19, 100%)
Season – 1. Jay Harrie (93.47)
Career – 1. Tony Harmon (86.5)

Rebounds
Game - 1. Bill Mummert (28)
Season – 1. Jim Soft (480)
Career – 1. Jim Soft (1,338)

Assists
Game - 1. Carlin Hughes (16) 1. Jamie Stevens (16)
Season – 1. Carlin Hughes (269)
Career – 1. Jamie Stevens (805)

Blocked Shots
Game - 1. Mark Brewer (8)
Season – 1. Chris Herriford (55)
Career – 1. Chris Herriford (97)

Steals
Game - 1. Jerett Skrifvars (11)
Season – 1. Dominic Washington (90)
Career – 1. Jamie Stevens (167)


Schedule & Results

Day Date Opponent Time Location Results
Fri. 11/2 vs. Metro State^ 5 p.m. Anaheim, CA L, 72-55
Sat. 11/3 vs. Cal State San Bernardino^ 12 p.m. Anaheim, CA L, 84-52
Sun. 11/4 vs. Kentucky Wesleyan^ 4 p.m. Anaheim, CA L, 87-67
Fri. 11/23 vs. St. Cloud State 3 p.m. Omaha, NE L, 89-68
Sat. 11/17 at Nebraska-Omaha 8 p.m. Omaha, NE L, 113-56
Fri. 11/30 vs. Colorado School of Mines 5 p.m. Nampa, ID L, 114-70
Sat. 12/1 vs. Colorado Christian 3:30 p.m. Nampa, ID L, 103-69
Mon. 12/17 Rocky Mountain 7 p.m. Alterowitz Gym L, 88-79
Sat. 12/22 Nebraska-Omaha 1 p.m. Alterowitz Gym L, 88-77
Sun. 12/23 Nebraska-Omaha 1 p.m. Alterowitz Gym L, 98-85
Mon. 12/31 Montana Western 7 p.m. Alterowitz Gym L, 77-57
Sat. 1/5 Seattle* 7 p.m. Alterowitz Gym L, 120-81
Thu. 1/10 Northwest Nazarene* 7:30 p.m. Alterowitz Gym L, 94-69
Sat. 1/12 Seattle Pacific* 7 p.m. Alterowitz Gym L, 62-56
Thu. 1/17 at Saint Martin's* 7 p.m. Lacey, WA L, 81-52
Sat. 1/19 at Western Oregon* 7 p.m. Monmouth, OR L, 85-72
Thu. 1/24 Alaska Fairbanks* 7 p.m. Alterowitz Gym  
Sat. 1/26 Alaska Anchorage* 7 p.m. Alterowitz Gym  
Thu. 1/31 at Western Washington* 7:30 p.m. Bellingham, WA  
Sat. 2/2 at Central Washington* 7 p.m. Ellensburg, WA  
Thu. 2/7 at Seattle Pacific* 7 p.m. Seattle, WA  
Sat. 2/9 at Northwest Nazarene* 7 p.m. Nampa, ID  
Thu. 2/14 Western Oregon* 7 p.m. Alterowitz Gym  
Sat. 2/16 Saint Martin's* 7 p.m. Alterowitz Gym  
Thu. 2/21 at Alaska Anchorage* 7 p.m. Anchorage, AK  
Sat. 2/23 at Alaska Fairbanks* 7 p.m. Fairbanks, AK  
Thu. 2/28 Central Washington* 7 p.m. Alterowitz Gym  
Sat. 3/1 Western Washington* 7 p.m. Alterowitz Gym  
Sat. 3/8 at Seattle* 7 p.m. Seattle, WA  
Fri.-Mon. 3/14-17 NCAA West Regional TBA TBA  

The Coaches

Craig CarseCraig Carse, Head Coach
The 2007-2008 basketball season is head coach Craig Carse’s 13th at MSU Billings, making him the second-longest tenured coach in the history of a program that began in 1927.  In over 30 seasons as a collegiate coach, Carse has to his credit championships in the Presidents Athletic Conference, the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, the Southeastern Conference, the Pacific West Conference, and the Heartland Conference.

The Yellowjackets have posted winning seasons in 10 of Carse’s 12 seasons for an overall record of 210-119.  Those 210 victories also rank Carse second in school history for career wins, trailing only Hall of Fame coach Mike Harkins who spent 16 years as the Jackets’ head coach. 

Carse’s success in Billings continues a pattern that has followed him across the country throughout his 30-year college career.  He has coached and taught the game of basketball from coast to coast as well as overseas.  Sixteen of those years have been as a head coach during which time Carse has built a 289-162 overall record, including a 210-119 record at MSU Billings.  At Alterowitz Gym, Carse's record is 163-19, one of the best home winning percentages in the nation at any level.

After a seven year run as an assistant at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, in 1994 Carse went to work as Executive Vice-President of the United States Basketball Academy.  During that year, Carse developed an innovative style and system of play that features the strengths of individual players.  Incorporated in this were an up tempo attack, pressure defense, three pointers and substitutions galore.  That system has now turned the Yellowjackets into one of the top offensive teams in college basketball, leading the nation in scoring and 3-point shooting since 1995.

In 1995, Carse re-entered the world of collegiate coaching and took over a Yellowjacket program that had gone 5-21 the year before and had only one winning season in the previous four.  On the court he implemented the system that he had worked feverishly on the year before.  Off the court discipline was the new rule.  His players have since subscribed to rigorous direction designed to maintain excellence and high academic standards.  Carse's 12 MSU Billings seasons have seen over a 3.00 team grade point average.

This new philosophy changed the Yellowjackets’ fortunes almost immediately.  In Carse’s first season, MSU Billings advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in eight years and won 20 games for only the second time in the 1990s.  Despite a limited roster, that first team in 1996 managed to lead the nation in three pointers and ranked third in scoring.

The next six years produced more of the same:  three more NCAA berths, three PacWest Conference Championships, a number of national, conference, and school records and Coach of the Year awards.  During that time, the Yellowjackets have led the nation in three pointers made per game in 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004 and 2006.  They were also the nation's leading scoring team in 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, and 2002 with second place rankings in 1999, 2003 and 2006. 

Of Carse’s many recruits over the years, several have advanced to professional careers.  While at LSU, Carse was the primary recruiter of Chris Jackson, Stanley Roberts, Shaquille O'Neal, Gerrt Hammink and Ronnie Henderson.  All were NBA draft picks with O'Neal being the #1 and Jackson a #3 selection.  At small West Virginia State, Carse also produced NBA selections.  Both Ron Moore and Ronnie Legette were drafted a few months after playing in the NAIA National Championship game.  From MSU Billings, the Yellowjackets’ All-American Titus Warmsley has been invited to the camp of the Boston Celtics and other players have played overseas.

Carse took over the program at West Virginia State in 1983-84.  In just his second season, Carse's team went 17-11 in 1984-85.  In his final two seasons at the school, the Yellow Jackets went 57-8 with conference, tournament, and district championships.  Carse guided West Virginia State to the NAIA national title game in 1987 and left the school with a 79-43 record.

After playing LSU in a Hawaii tournament that year, longtime mentor Dale Brown offered Carse a position as an assistant on his staff.  Carse was to become LSU's primary recruiter and Brown's top aide.   During Carse's time as assistant coach, the Tigers were one of the most successful teams in the Southeastern Conference and the NCAA.  The Tigers advanced to six-straight NCAA Tournaments and were ranked as high as #1 nationally.

Carse has coached and participated in National Championship Tournaments at every stop and at the NAIA, NCAA I, NCAA II, and NCAA III levels.   His first position as an assistant at Bethany College, West Virginia, in 1977-1978 produced a Presidents Conference Championship and trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament.  At Salem in West Virginia, from 1978 through 1983, he helped guide the program to a West Virginia Conference power with conference championships and an NAIA tournament berth.  Bethany, Salem, West Virginia State, and Montana State Billings all had suffered losing campaigns before Carse's arrival.

Carse is a noted speaker and clinician.  He has lectured and taught the game of basketball nationally and internationally, including a trip to Australia with the Yellowjackets.  Carse has represented the United States in Europe where he lectured at the Super Cup.  He has also instructed the Chinese National Teams.

A native of Sistersville, West Virginia, Carse is completing his 33rd year in college basketball, 30 as a coach and three as a player.  He and his wife of 30 years have two children, David (27) and Lindsey (23).  Carse earned undergraduate degrees from Bethany College in West Virginia and a masters degree from the West Virginia University.

Mike McShaneMike McShane, Assistant Coach
Mike McShane enters his first year at the assistant men's basketball coach at MSU Billings after playing point guard for the Yellowjackets during the 1999-2000 season.

Raised in Oregon, McShane in the son of John and Jane and is one of six children.  McShane's love for basketball began at an early age and stemmed from family roots in the game.  His uncle played at Oregon State during the glory years of the "Orange Express" under coach Ralph Miller, and his older sister Anne was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in Oregon while playing high school basketball at Oregon City High.

In high school, McShane assisted his team in winning the state title and three league championships.   He also received first team all-state honors.  McShane played for Barry Adams who had over 600 wins, the most in Oregon history.

In college, McShane played three seasons at the University of Oregon before transferring to MSU Billings as a senior.  As a Yellowjacket he averaged 13.7 points, 8.2 assists, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.4 steals per game.  McShane made his mark in the record books and still ranks 11th for single season field goal percentage (59.10), 4th for assists (214) and assists per game (8.2), and 4th for steals (63).  He also ranks second in school history for steals in a single game (7).

Following his time on the collegiate basketball court, McShane played professional basketball in China for one season before playing three seasons in Australia for the Rockhampton Rockets.  He also served as head coach of the women's professional team in Australia for one season.

McShane graduated with his degree in Health and Human Performance in 2001 from MSUB and will pursue his masters in Sport Management while coaching the Yellowjackets.

McShane is married to his high school sweetheart Alisha, who is a certified Ayurveda, Yoga, and meditation instructor in Encinitas, Calif..  Together they have a 16 month old daughter named Stella.

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