Jan. 23, 2014
Next Game:
Sat., Jan 25, Boise State (13-6, 3-3)
Boise, Idaho
Taco Bell Arena (12,480)
4:05 p.m. MST/3:05 p.m. PST
TV/VIDEO: ROOT Sports
DirecTV - 683 & 687; DISH 414/5414 (HD); www.themw.com
Tim Neverett, Play-by-Play; Joe Cravens, Analyst
RADIO: KLIV 1590 AM; KSJS 90.5 FM
Justin Allegri, Play-by-Play
SPARTANS TRAVEL TO BOISE STATE: San José State goes on the road this weekend for a Mountain West game at Boise State. This game features a myriad of emotions for Spartan head coach Dave Wojcik. He spent the last three seasons on Boise State head coach Leon Rice's staff as an assistant/associate coach. In a quirk of the schedule, this is the meeting between the two teams during the conference schedule. Boise State will not visit San José this year, and the Spartans will not play at UNLV.
San José State is looking to break a seven-game losing streak and get the first Mountain West win in school history. Wednesday night, the Spartans fell at home to #7 San Diego State, 75-50, in front of 4,117 fans at The Event Center.
COACHES VS. CANCER SUITS & SNEAKERS GAME: Coaches vs. Cancer Suits And Sneakers Awareness Weekend is taking place this weekend, January 24-26. The San José State coaching staff and support staff will be wearing sneakers in support of this cause. More than 4,000 high school and college coaches will swap their dress shoes for sneakers with their usual game attire during Saturday's game at Boise State to show their support for the American Cancer Society's fight to save lives from cancer. Show your support by visiting cancer.org/suitsandsneakers to see how you can get involved.
LIVE STATS: All games will have live stats available on the Spartan website at www.SJSUSpartans.com.
RADIO COVERAGE: All San José State men's basketball games are broadcast on KSJS, 90.5 FM, and can be heard on ksjs.org. Saturday games can be heard on KLIV, 1590 AM, and at kliv.com. Justin Allegri calls the action for the Spartans.
TV/VIDEO COVERAGE: Saturday's game can be seen on ROOT Sports. Tim Neverett calls the action with Joe Cravens giving his analysis. The station can be found on DirecTV channels 683 and 687, and DISH channel 414/5414 (HD). Fans can also watch live online at www.themw.com.
All home San José State men's basketball games can be see on the Mountain West Network at www.themw.com and at www.sjsuspartans.com/videos.
FACEBOOK/TWITTER: Follow the Spartan men's basketball team (@SJSUMBB) and all San José State athletics teams on the web. Join the official SJSU Spartans page on Facebook and read the latest tweets on Twitter @SJSUAthletics.
TICKETS:  Tickets for all San José State men's basketball tickets may be purchased by visiting the Spartan Ticket Office, calling (408) 924-SJTX, at any Ticketmaster outlet, on the web at www.sjsuspartans.com, or at The Event Center Box Office.
ABOUT BOISE STATE: The Broncos enter Saturday afternoon's game with a 13-6 overall record and 3-3 Mountain West mark, tying for fifth in the conference standings with Colorado State and UNLV. The team lost at New Mexico Tuesday night, 84-75, but picked up a big win at home last Saturday against Utah State, 78-74.
Head coach Leon Rice is in his fourth year at Boise State with a 69-47 coaching record. He guided his 2012-13 team to the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Spartan head coach Dave Wojcik was a member of Rice's coaching staff for the first three seasons.
Eight players have played in 18 or more games this season. Anthony Drmic leads the team and is fourth in the Mountain West in scoring at 18.1 points per game. Derrick Marks is second on the team in scoring at 15.9 points per game and leads the team with 53 assists. Ryan Watkins averages a double-double at 10.8 points and 10.4 rebounds per game.
Boise State holds a 22-2 advantage in the all-time series. The Spartans have never won a game in Boise (0-12). The only win in the last six games of the series was a 76-74 win on January 14, 2010 at The Event Center. Adrian Oliver scored 33 points and made two free throws with 29.3 seconds left for the win. The two teams also battled in a an epic four-overtime game on January 6, 2011. Justin Graham scored 29 points in the 102-101 loss at The Event Center. Spartan coach Dave Wojcik was on the sideline that night as an assistant coach for Boise State.
Last 6 Series Meetings
1/8/09 L 84-64 Boise, Idaho
2/7/09 L 89-83 The Event Center
1/14/10 W 76-74 The Event Center
3/6/10 L 85-56 Boise, Idaho
1/6/11 L - 4OT 102-101 The Event Center
3/5/11 L 66-51 Boise, Idaho
NEW SPARTAN HEAD COACH DAVE WOJCIK: San José State head men's basketball coach Dave Wojcik is in his first year at the helm of the program. He spent the past three seasons as the associate head coach on Leon Rice's staff at Boise State. Wojcik recorded her first head-coaching win on November 20, 2013, with an 83-77 win at Pepperdine.
Wojcik and his brother Doug, head coach at the College of Charleston, are one of seven pair of brothers to be head coaches at Division I.
LAST TIME OUT: In front of a crowd of 4,117, the largest at The Event Center in many years, #7-ranked San Diego State held just a five-point lead, 35-30 with 17:33 left in the game. Then, the Aztecs turned on the jets with a 32-2 explosion over the next 4:40 en route to a 75-50 victory over San José State.
Neither team shot the ball well for any long period of time. The Aztecs picked up their 16th win in a row making only 39.3 percent of their field goals. San José State made just six field goals in the first half and finished the game with a 33.3 shooting percentage.
Devante Wilson led the Spartans in scoring with 14 points including 5-for-8 from the field. Jalen James added 10 points. Chris Cunningham came off the bench to lead the team with six rebounds.
BOISE CONNECTION: Three members of the Spartan coaching staff have strong connections to the Boise State program. Spartan head coach Dave Wojcik spent the previous three seasons as an assistant/associate coach on Leon Rice's staff. Spartan Director of Operations Jared Swanson was the administrative assistant for the Bronco men's basketball program for the 2010-11 season. Spartan Video Coordinator Bryce Martin spent the previous four seasons as a student manager including the head manager for the final three years. Also, current San José State Athletics Director Gene Bleymaier spent 30 years as the Boise State Athletics Director.
LARGEST HOME CROWD SINCE 2000: The Spartans drew 4,117 fans to their game against #7 San Diego State on January 22. It was the fourth-largest crowd to witness a San José State men's basketball game since the 1999-2000 season when 4,033 fans came for the Fresno State game that the Spartans lost 82-76 in overtime.
Largest Event Center Crowds Since 1998-99 Season
4,773 2/3/01 Fresno State L, 86-75
4,540 1/7/99 Fresno State W, 91-64
4,411 2/18/99 #12 Utah L, 71-49
4,117 1/22/14 #7 San Diego State L, 75-50
4,033 2/3/00 Fresno State L-OT, 82-76
CHANGE IN STARTERS: San José State had new starting lineup against #7 San Diego State, the seventh different lineup of the season. The five starters included Jalen James, Isaac Thornton, Devante Wilson, Jaleel Williams and Matt Pollard. Pollard made his first collegiate start, while James is the only Spartan to start every game this season.
FACING NATIONALLY-RANKED TEAMS: San José State hosted a nationally-ranked team for the first time since the 2006-07 season and the first top-10 ranked team since the 1990-91 season when #7 San Diego State visited on January 22.. The last top-10 team to visit was the 1991 #1 UNLV Runnin' Rebels team that finished the season 34-1.
This was the first time a team ranked #7 in the polls visited The Event Center and only the second time in school history that San José State faced a team ranked #7 in the polls (UCLA, L, 109-69; 12/22/1977).
Last season, the Spartans traveled to Lawrence, Kansas, to face #10 Kansas. The Spartans stayed with the Jayhawks for most of the game before a late spurt gave Kansas the 70-57 win. A full listing of games against top-20 teams can be found on page 26 of the release.
Last Top-10 Team At The Event Center -
#7 San Diego State, L 75-50; January 22, 2014
Last Win vs. Top-20 Team -
vs. #19 Alabama, 60-59 OT; December 27, 1996
Comerican Cable Car Classic Game, San José Arena
Top-20 Teams to Visit The Event Center
#1 UNLV, L, 88-64 January 31, 1991
#7 San Diego State, L, 75-50 January 22, 2014
#10 UNLV, L, 100-80 January 6, 1990
#12 Utah, L, 71-49 February 18, 1999
#12 UNLV, L, 80-74 February 11, 1993
#13 Tulsa, L, 64-56 February 19, 2000
#14 Utah, L, 75-57 November 29, 1991
#15 New Mexico State, L, 73-67 February 23, 1991
#16 New Mexico, L 82-81 OT January 13, 1999
#19 Nevada, L, 72-63 January 11, 2007
#19 Fresno State, L, 86-75 February 3, 2001
SPARTAN SIXTH MAN LEADS TEAM IN SCORING: Freshman guard Rashad Muhammad leads the San José State team in scoring this season with 296 points, 15.6 points per game. He has played in all 19 games this season, but started just one (Weber State). He has led the team in scoring in 11 games this year, coming off the bench in 10 of those games.
Of the top-200 scorers nationally through January 19, Muhammad is 186th and is one of 10 freshmen on the list. He is listed in the top-200 in seven categories.
Muhammad National Rankings (as of 1/19)
Points/Game 186th 16.2 ppg
3-pt FG/GM 24th 3.0 pg
3-pt FGM 27th 55
3-pt FGA 53rd 120
3-pt Pct. 15th 45%
Free Throw Pct. 109th 83.5%
Total Points 177th 291
Muhammad scored a season-high 28 points in a three-overtime win against UC Davis and in a loss to Colorado State. He leads the team in three-pointers, making 54 of his 120 attempts this year. He is also the best free throw shooter, making 73-of-87 attempts (83.59%).
The last freshman to lead San José State in scoring was Stony Evans who averaged 9.9 points during the 1983-84 season (276 points in 28 games). That team, coached by Bill Berry, finished the season 10-18. Evans also led the team in rebounding with 176, 6.3 per game.
THREE-POINT SHOOTING RANKS AMONG THE BEST IN THE NATION: San José State's three-point shooting ranks among the elite of the NCAA this season. The Spartans rank in the top-five in three different three-point categories through games of January 19. The Spartans are second in three-point field goal attempts at 486 (VMI #1 at 505), fifth in total three-point field goals made at 177 (Creighton #1 at 195) and fifth in three-point field goals per game at 9.8 per game (Charleston Southern #1 at 11.4 pg).
WILSON ALSO RANKS NATIONALLY IN THREE-POINT SHOOTING: Devante Wilson ranks in the top-110 nationally in three three-point shooting categories. He is 86th in three-point attempts at 113; 104th in total three-pointers made at 41; and 106th in three-point field goals per game at 2.28 pg.
GAME SCHOOL RECORD TIED, THEN BROKEN: Twice this season, San José State made 14 three-pointers in a game. But on January 4, the Spartans decided to break that record by making 15 three-pointers in an 86-67 loss at Utah State. The 15 threes broke the old record of 14, set in wins at Pepperdine and at Houston and against Louisiana Tech on January 13, 2005.
In the game at Utah State, six different players hit at least one three-pointer. Rashad Muhammad led the team, going 6-for-9 from behind arc. Devante Wilson and Jaleel Williams each made three three-pointers, while Chris Cunningham, D.J. Brown and Jalen James each made one.
JAMES ETCHES HIS NAME INTO SAN JOSÉ STATE HISTORY: Freshman Jalen James recorded just the second triple-double in San José State history with his 12 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in a 72-68 win at Houston on December 7. James joins Brandon Hawkins who had 18 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists against Notre Dame de Namur on Dec. 18, 2001.
James is only the third Mountain West player to record a triple-double - Mark Dickel (UNLV), 17 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists on Nov. 19, 1999; and Justin Williams (Wyoming) 10 points, 15 rebounds, 12 blocks on March 10, 2006.
THREE-OVERTIME GAME CLUB: With San José State's three-overtime game against UC Davis on December 18, the Spartans are one of 11 teams nationally to have played a triple-overtime game this season. Through January 19, eight games have gone to three overtimes including on January 11. Drexel has played in two triple-overtime games.
WILLIAMS MAKING AN IMPACT THIS SEASON: After scoring just 68 points the first two years of his Spartan career, Jaleel Williams has scored 219 points in 19 games and is second on the team in scoring at 11.5 points per game. He has led the Spartans in scoring in five games including a career-high 24 points against New Mexico. He has scored 20 or more points in two other games this season - 22 points in a win at Pepperdine and 20 points in the season opener at Santa Clara.
Williams also recorded his first career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds against Pacifica. He was 5-for-8 from the field in the game, including 1-for-3 from three-point range, and a perfect 3-for-3 from the free throw line.
COMEBACK KIDS, NEVER COUNT THEM OUT: In four of the six Spartan wins this season, San José State has overcome double-digit deficits for the win. The largest deficit was 19 points against UC Davis (32-23 and 47-28) in an 89-85, three overtime win at The Event Center. San José State trailed Westminster (45-32) before winning 73-66. On the road Houston led by as many as 15 (22-7) before the Spartans won 72-68, and Pepperdine led by 14 (40-26) before San José State outscored then in the second half (49-33) en route to the 83-77 win.
Since 2002, San José State has overcome a deficit of 13 points or more for the win in 13 games. Twice, the team has had to overcome a 19-point deficit, and three games went to at least one overtime before the Spartans won.
-19 vs. UC Davis (2nd half) 89-85 (3OT) 12/16/13
-19 at CSU Bakersfield (1st half) 78-70 1/23/12
-18 vs. New Mexico State (1st half) 93-84 1/23/10
-18 at Portland State (1st half) 76-73 (OT) 12/28/07
-17 vs. South Dakota State (2nd half) 77-71 (OT) 12/30/07
-15 at Houston (1st half) 72-68 12/7/13
-15 vs. Coppin State (1st half) 81-66 12/29/11
-14 at Pepperdine (1st half) 83-77 11/20/13
-14 vs. UTSA (1st half) 72-66 11/30/11
-14 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson (2nd half) 65-57 11/14/01
-14 vs. Tulsa (1st half) 76-69 1/27/05
-13 vs. Westminster (2nd half) 73-66 12/21/13
-13 vs. Rice (2nd half) 58-57 3/5/02
QUINTUPLE OF SCORERS: For the first time since the 2010-11 season, San José State had five players score 10 or more points in a game. Against Pacifica on December 28, Rashad Muhammad led the Spartans with 19 points, followed by Jaleel Williams with 14 points, Chris Cunningham and Devante Wilson each with 13 points, and Matt Pollard with 10 points.
UNDEFEATED DECEMBER: San José State entered the new year with a four-game winning streak after going undefeated in the month of December - defeating Pacifica (87-59) on the 28th, Westminster (73-66) on the 21st, UC Davis on the 18th (89-85, 3OT) and Houston on the 7th (72-68).
Since the 1996-97 season, the Spartans have recorded a better-than .500 record in nine Decembers.
1996-97 7-1 2009-10 5-2
1998-99 5-2 2010-11 4-3
2000-01 5-2 2012-13 5-2
2003-04 4-3 2013-14 4-0
2008-09 4-2
TWO SPARTANS, 20+ POINTS IN A GAME: Twice this season, two San José State players have scored 20 or more points in a game. The latest came in a win over UC Davis as Rashad Muhammad scored a career-best 28 points, and Devante Wilson added a season-best 22 points. At Pepperdine, Jaleel Williams led the Spartans with a career-best 22 points, while Wilson scored 20 points in his first start of the season.
QUARTET OF SPARTAN SCORERS: In five of the 16 games this season, a quartet of San José State scorers have recorded double-digit scoring games.
Milwaukee - Muhammad 17, James 12, Williams, 11, Mitchell 10
N. Illinois - Williams 13, Brown 12, James 11, Muhammad 11
Pepperdine - Williams 22, Wilson 20, Muhammad 14, Brown 14
CS Fullerton - Muhammad 17, Brown 17, Wilson 16, Cunningham 13
UC Davis - Muhammad 28, Wilson 22, Cunningham 13, Thornton 12
MOUNTAIN WEST Co-PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Jalen James was named the Mountain West Men's Basketball Co-Player of the Week on Dec. 9, after his triple-double performance at Houston. James was honored along with Cameron Bairstow of New Mexico.
James recorded career highs of 12 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in 38 minutes of play at Houston. He was 3-for-4 from the field including 2-for-2 from three-point range and 4-for-4 from the free throw line. His four made free throws came in the final 17 seconds of the game to secure the victory.
James is one of seven players nationally this year to record a triple-double and the only freshman to accomplish this feat.
THREE-POINT ATTEMPTS GAME RECORD BROKEN: With 40 three-pointers attempted as a team on November 17, the Spartans set a single-game record for the most three-pointers attempted in a game. San José State was 10-for-40 from three-point range against James Madison at the NIU Invitational. The 40 attempts breaks the old record of 32 (10-of-23) shot against Boise State on January 6, 2011. The 2011 game went four overtimes, and ironically, current Spartan head coach Dave Wojcik was an assistant coach for Boise State that night.
The 40 three-point attempts also tied the Mountain West record set on March 1, 2003, as Utah played at New Mexico.
CUNNINGHAM GRABBING BOARDS: Chris Cunningham leads the team in rebounding with 121, 6.4 per game. He has recorded three double-doubles this season - 13 points and 10 rebounds versus CS Fullerton; 10 points and a season-high 14 rebounds at Weber State; and 18 points and 11 rebounds against Westminster. Cunningham has 11 double-doubles in his Spartan career. He leads the team with 16 blocked shots.
DISHIN' OUT THE ROCK: Two Spartans have 60 or more assists on the season. Jalen James leads the team with 65 assists, while D.J. Brown has 62 assists. James had 10 assists at Houston, while Brown dished out six assists at Santa Clara and at Weber State.
WAKE UP WITH WOJCIK: Spartan head coach Dave Wojcik hosts a monthly breakfast get-together at Rosie's New York Pizza at 1285 The Alameda in San José. He discusses the X's and O's of basketball, recruiting and general basketball topics throughout the season. A full breakfast is served, but an RSVP is required. Cost is $25 per person which includes a donation to Spartan Foundation. The next breakfast is scheduled for Tuesday, February 4. To RSVP, please contact Blake Sasaki at 408-924-3300 or blake.sasaki@sjsu.edu.
UP NEXT: The Spartans return home to face UNLV on Wednesday, January 29, in the only meeting between the two teams this season. Tip is set for 7:02 p.m., at The Event Center and will be shown exclusively on ESPN3.