Dec. 22, 2008

MWC PLAYER OF THE WEEK - DEC. 22

SEAN OGIRRI, SR., G, WYOMING (DENVER, COLO.)
Wyoming senior Sean Ogirri averaged 25.5 points per game while shooting 58.6 percent (17-of-29) from the field, including a 56.0 percent (14-of-25) effort from 3-point range, in helping Wyoming to wins against Western State (100-73) and Sacramento State (93-70) last week. The 6-foot-3 guard from Denver, Colo., started the week scoring a career-high 26 points on 8-of-13 shooting vs. Western State. Ogirri also tallied two rebounds, two assists and a steal vs. the Mountaineers. Against Sacramento State, he scored 25 points (9-of-16 from the field), while also collecting two assists, one rebound, one block and one steal. Ogirri, who finished without a turnover on the week, canned seven 3-pointers in each of the two games, tying for the second-best single-game trey performance in Wyoming and Arena-Auditorium history.

WEEK 6 RECAP
The MWC posted a 4-3 mark over the weekend to complete its sixth week of non-conference play with a 7-3 record overall. UNLV and Wyoming each went 2-0 during the week, stretching their win streaks to five and four games, respectively, while San Diego State and Utah were all victorious in solo outings on the week. New Mexico split a pair of contests, while BYU and Colorado State each went 0-1.

TWO MTN. BROADCASTS HIGHLIGHT WEEK 7 ACTION
Three games involving Mountain West teams will be televised on Tuesday, December 23, highlighted by a doubleheader on The Mtn. - MountainWest Sports Network. In-state rivals New Mexico State and New Mexico tip off the night's action on The Mtn. at 6:30 p.m. MT, followed by Southern Utah at UNLV (7:30 p.m. PT). Also, Wyoming visits UCLA in a 7:30 p.m. PT outing that will air on FSN Prime Ticket.

MOUNTAIN WEST AMONG CONFERENCE RPI LEADERS
The Mountain West has the seventh-best Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) according to the latest CollegeRPI.com rankings. Since the league's inception in 1999, the MWC has ranked in the top 10 of the RPI in eight of nine years. Below are the top eight conference RPI rankings through games of December 21:

NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS
Mountain West teams are a combined 67-30 (.691) vs. non-conference opponents this season. The MWC has recorded an overall win percentage of 61 percent or greater against non-conference opponents every season since the league's inception in 1999. The MWC's best non-conference performance came during the 2006-07 campaign when MWC teams combined to win a league-record 96 games outside of the conference for an MWC-best .722 win percentage (96-37).

HOMECOURT ADVANTAGE
The nation's longest active home win streak resides in the Mountain West as BYU has won 53 consecutive games in the Marriott Center. The Cougars' 53-game run in Provo is a new school and MWC record for consecutive home victories, breaking BYU's former mark of 44 games, which ran from Feb. 19, 2000 to Jan. 16, 2003. BYU has not lost in the Marriott Center since an 81-73 setback to Loyola Marymount on Nov. 18, 2005. In addition, Wyoming is tied for 10th with eight straight wins in Arena-Auditorium, while UNLV is tied for 19th with five consecutive victories in the Thomas & Mack Center. Here is a look at the nation's top active home court win streaks through games of December 21:

BYU'S LEE CUMMARD NAMED TO NAISMITH WATCH LIST
BYU senior guard Lee Cummard is one of 50 preseason candidates for the 2008-09 Naismith Trophy. The watch list was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors, which based its criteria on player performances from the previous year and expectations for the 2008-09 college basketball season. Cummard, also a 2008-09 John R. Wooden Award preseason candidate, currently ranks among league leaders in scoring (17.7 ppg), rebounding (6.2 rpg), field goal percentage (.589), free throw percentage (.825) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.81).

WYOMING'S BRANDON EWING SETS MWC FREE THROW RECORD
Wyoming senior guard Brandon Ewing hit 19-of-23 free throws in the Cowboys' wins over Western State and Sacramento State last week to become the MWC's all-time leader for career free throws attempted with 657. Ewing, who set a new league record career free throws made earlier this season (now at 534), shattered the previous mark of 638 foul attempts set by former Wyoming teammate Brad Jones (2005-08).

NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS AT HOME
BYU has won 29 consecutive games vs. non-conference opponents in the Marriott Center and currently has the nation's ninth-longest home win streak in out-of-conference play. Duke leads all of Division I basketball with a 65-game home non-conference win streak. Below is a look at the nation's longest active non-conference home win streaks through games of December 21 (data from Stats, Inc.):

DIALING FROM LONG DISTANCE
Effective with the 2008-09 season, the three-point line has increased from 19 feet, 9 inches to 20 feet, 9 inches. UNLV currently holds the NCAA record for consecutive games with at least one made 3-pointer. Since the official adoption of the 3-point rule at the start of the 1986-87 season, the Runnin' Rebels have connected on at least one trey in all 718 of their games. Below is a list of MWC teams and their consecutive streaks with at least one made 3-pointer through games of December 21:

MWC RPI RANKINGS THROUGH THE YEARS
According to the latest 2008-09 Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) report by CollegeRPI.com, Utah is the Mountain West's top-ranked team through games of December 21. The Utes check in at No. 33, followed by BYU at No. 43. Below are the RPI rankings for MWC teams since the inception of the league in 1999 (data from NCAA for 1999-08):