Game Notes in PDF Format
Al Kaly Shrine Classic Tournament Page
CANYON, Texas – The No. 21 West Texas A&M men's basketball team makes its first road trip of the season this weekend at the Al Kaly Shrine Classic at Colorado State-Pueblo. The Buffs will face Adams State for the second time this season on Friday and then play host CSU-Pueblo on Saturday.
WATCH AND HEAR THE BUFFS - Fans, all season long you can watch and hear the Buffs on the radio and online at www.gobuffsgo.com on the men's basketball schedule page. All games will be broadcast on Lonestar FM 98.7 throughout the Texas Panhandle with
Kent Johnson and Lucas Kinsey having the call.
BUFFS PICKED SECOND IN LSC PRESEASON POLL – The Buffs were picked runner-up in the preseason Lone Star Conference Poll as voted on by league coaches, sports information directors and select media representatives. UT Permian Basin was picked to win the league, following its LSC tournament championship from a year ago.
WT RANKED IN PRESEASON TOP 25 – The Buffs are ranked 21st in the preseason National Association of Basketball Coaches Top 25 (NABC). WT is one of four teams from the South Central Region ranked in the NABC poll with Colorado Mines ranked ninth, followed by UT Permian Basin at 11th, Fort Lewis at 16th and WT at 21st. Tarleton State is among others receiving votes in the poll. Defending national champion Northwest Missouri State was tabbed the favorite after going 35-1 last season and recording 15 of 16 first place votes. Queens (N.C.) was picked second in the preseason poll with the remaining first place vote, followed by Bellarmine (Ky.), Lincoln Memorial (Tenn.) and St. Thomas Aquinas (N.Y.) rounded out the top five in the poll.
INSIDE THE AL KALY SHRINE CLASSIC – The Buffs are 3-5 all-time in the Al Kaly Shrine Classic and last played in 2014, dropping a pair of games to CSU-Pueblo (94-81) and Western State (97-88 in double overtime). WT has lost its last four games in the Classic and is 1-3 against CSU-Pueblo in it. WT begin playing in the Classic in 1994 and also played in 2012 and 2013. The Buffs won both games in 2012, including a 76-73 win over CSU-Pueblo. This is the 34th year of the tournament for CSU-Pueblo.
RECAPPING LAST WEEK – The Buffs got off to a strong start with a pair of wins at home last week over Adams State (90-69) and Western State (83-63). The two home wins set the school-record for consecutive home wins at 23 dating back to the 1927 season with the previous record being 21 home wins between 1927-1929. In the opener against Adams State, the Buffs used a 22-8 run in the first half for a 35-23 lead with 4:18 left as the game was tight early on. WT led 43-32 at halftime. ASU pulled within 50-47 with 15:36 left in regulation, but a 28-9 run over the final 10 minutes by the Buffs put the game away as WT won 90-69. In the game, senior David Chavlovich led the way with 24 points on 5 of 12 from the field, 4 of 7 from range and 10 of 11 from the line. He added four rebounds, four assists and a steal. Junior Ryan Quaid had 15 points and 17 rebounds in the game, while freshman CJ Jennings had 15 points off the bench in his first collegiate game and senior Jordan Evans added 14. On Saturday, the Buffs faced Western State as the pesky Mountaineers wouldn't go quietly. Western State held a 33-32 lead at halftime, but a 10-4 run by the Buffs to open the second half and, later, a 14-0 run pushed the lead to 63-50 with 9:31 left as WT settled for an 83-63 win. in that game, Evans had a game-high 25 points on 8 of 18 from the field as he knocked down six triples. Chavlovich added 21 points on 5 of 14 from the field, with two triples and a perfect 9 of 9 from the line. Quaid narrowly missed another double-double with 17 points and nine rebounds.
ABOUT ADAMS STATE - The Grizzlies are 0-2 on the year after losses to WT and UT Permian Basin. Adams State gave a valiant effort at UT Permian Basin with a buzzer-beater from Brandon Sly at the end of regulation forcing overtime tied at 98. In the first extra session, Adams State again had a last second shot to tie on a triple from Jarrett Givens with 10 seconds left for a 109-109 tie. UTPB outscored Adams State 16-6 in the second overtime for the 125-115 victory. Three Grizzlies had 20 or more points in the game with a team-high 26 from Givens and five players were in double figures. For the season, Givens leads the team averaging 18.0 points per game as he is 13 of 24 from the field to lead the team and 7 of 12 from range. Givens is averaging 5.0 rebounds per game. Sly is second on the team in scoring averaging 17.5 points per game. He is 9 of 29 (.310) from the field while draining three triples and going a team-high 14 of 19 from the line (.737). He has 12 assist to lead the team. Shane Johnson is third in scoring at 16.0 points per game as he is 12 of 22 from the field with five triples. He leads the team averaging 5.5 rebounds per game. Szymon Walczak is third in scoring at 11.0 points per game. As a team, the Grizzlies are shooting .457 from the field on 63 of 133, while the opposition is shooting at a .508 clip on 63 of 124. ASU had drained 18 triples in 42 attempts (.429), while going 40 of 71 from the line (.563). The opposition has 19 triples in 44 attempts (.432) and is 70 of 99 from the line (.707). ASU is averaging 37.5 rebounds per game, while allowing 47.0 per contest. The Grizzlies are averaging 16.0 assists per game, 15.0 turnovers, 3.0 blocks and 7.5 steals per game, while scoring 92.0 points per game and allowing 107.5 per contest. Head coach Russ Caton is in his third year at the helm of the Grizzlies and is 26-33 and 0-1 against WT. The Grizzlies were picked tenth (of 15 teams) in the preseason Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Poll.
INSIDE THE SERIES WITH ADAMS STATE - The Buffs lead the all-time series with Adams State, 10-5., including the 90-69 win in the season-opener last week. ASU has won three of the last five in the series. Prior to that, WT began the series winning seven-straight and eight of 10. The teams are 1-1 on neutral floors, while WT is 7-2 in Canyon and tied 2-2 in Alamosa.
ABOUT COLORADO STATE-PUEBLO - The ThunderWolves are 1-1 on the year after splitting a pair of games last weekend at home with an 84-65 win over Rogers State and an 86-83 loss to Arkansas-Fort Smith in Pueblo. CSUP opens the Al Kaly Shrine Classic with Texas A&M-Kingsville Friday, before hosting the Buffs Saturday evening. There are games all day long, both Friday and Saturday at Massari Arena with a women's tournament also going on over the weekend. CSUP is led by a pair of 18.0 scorers in BJ Hardy and Will Newman. Hardy is 12 of 17 from the field (.706) with 10 triples on the year, while Newman is 8 of 18 from the field (.444) with four triples and a team-high 16 of 19 from the line (.842). He is second on the team in rebounding at 5.5 per game and has four blocks and four steals. Donovan Oldham is third in scoring at 16.5 points per game. He is 11 of 28 from the field (.393) with five triples and leads the team on the glass at 7.5 per game, while leading the team with five blocks. Josh Smith averages 12.0 points per game and has six triples on nine buckets. As a tem, the ThunderWolves are shooting at a .454 clip on 54 of 119. They are 30 of 68 from beyond the arc for a .441 clip and 29 of 39 from the line for a .744 average. CSUP is averaging 31.5 rebounds per game, 13.0 assists, 11.0 turnovers, 7.0 blocks and 6.5 steals per game. CSUP is scoring 83.5 points per game. Conversely, the opposition is shooting at a .430 clip on 52 of 121, while going 14 of 39 from beyond the arc (.359) and 33 of 45 from the line (.733). The opponents are averaging 41 rebounds per game and 75.5 points per game. The ThunderWolves were picked sixth in the RMAC Preseason Poll, while Newman was named to the RMAC Preseason All-Conference Team. Ralph Turner is in his seventh year at the helm of the ThunderWolves and is 100-71 at CSUP and 22nd year overall going 462-222. He is 2-3 against WT at the helm of CSUP.
INSIDE THE SERIES WITH CSU-PUEBLO - WT is 13-5 all-time against Colorado State-Pueblo and have won seven of the last nine in the series. WT downed CSUP 82-66 in the last meeting in Canyon on Nov. 22, 2014. Prior to that, CSUP won the previous two meetings, but WT had won six-straight before. The Buffs are 3-5 in Pueblo and have lost their last two meetings there, with the last win coming in a 76-73 decision on Nov. 16, 2012. WT is 10-0 against CSUP in Canyon as the teams have never met on a neutral floor.
CHAVLOVICH PICKS UP PRESEASON HONORS – WT senior David Chavlovich was named to two preseason all-America publications this season as he was named to the Basketball Times Preseason All-America team and was a second team preseason honoree according to Street & Smith's Magazine. Chavlovich put together one of the best single-seasons in WT basketball history last season as he earned first team all-conference honors, helping WT to its first NCAA Sweet Sixteen since 1997-98 as the team went 26-9. Chavlovich set new single-season school-records in points (655), while holding the WT career mark for points (1,762), field goal attempts (1,367), 3-point field goals made (297) and 3-point field goal attempts (802). He broke the school all-time scoring record at UT Permian Basin on Feb. 4, 2017 and earned NABC Division II South Central Region All-District honors.
QUAID TABBED LSC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – WT junior Ryan Quaid was named Lone Star Conference Defensive Player of the Week for the first week of the season. It is his first career weekly honor. Quaid, a native of Fort Collins, Colo., went a team-best 13 of 21 from the field (.619) and six of nine from the free throw line (.667), while pulling down 26 rebounds (13.0 rpg.), with two assists, a team-high three blocks and two steals. Quaid averaged 16.0 points per game for the first weekend. Quaid recorded 21 of his 26 rebounds on the defensive end for the Buffs accounting for 35 percent of the Buffs' 60 total defensive rebounds in the two games and 26 percent of the total 81 rebounds. Quaid leads the league in rebounding at 13.0 per game through the first week.
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ABOUT WEST TEXAS A&M - The Buffs enter with a 2-0 record and make their first road trip of the season, facing Adams State for the second time this year and play at CSU-Pueblo. The Buffs opened the season with a pair of 20-plus-point wins last weekend at home versus Adams State (90-69) and Western State (83-63). WT averaged 86.5 points in those two games, while allowing 66.0 points per game. The Buffs shot at a .430 clip from the field on 52 of 121, while going 22 of 58 from beyond the arc (.397) and an impressive 46 of 59 from the line for a .780 average. WT averaged 40.5 rebounds per game and allowed 38.0, while recording 25 assists (12.5 pg.) to just 17 turnovers, with eight blocks and seven steals. The opposition shot at a .410 clip on 50 of 122, while going just 11 of 47 from beyond the arc (.234) and 21 of 35 from the line (.600). The opponents had 27 assists, 26 turnovers, two blocks and eight steals. Chavlovich leads the team averaging 22.5 points per game as he is 10 of 26 from the field with six triples, but is 19 of 20 from the line, while averaging 5.0 rebounds per game. He also leads the team in assists with 12, while recording just two turnovers and has two steals. Evans is second in scoring at 19.5 points per game as he is 12 of 30 from the field (.400) with a team-high nine triples in 23 attempts (.391) and is 6 of 9 from the line. Evans is second on the team in rebounding at 5.5 per game. Quaid leads the team in rebounding at 13.0 per game and is averaging 16.0 points per game. He is a team-best 13 of 21 from the field (.619) and is 6 of 9 from the line. He has 26 rebounds on the season with 21 on the defensive end, while leading the team with three blocks. Freshman CJ Jennings is fourth in scoring at 7.5 points per game, while junior transfer Gach Gach is third on the team in triples with four.
LOOKING AHEAD - The Buffs return home to host Southwestern Christian and Langston next week over the Thanksgiving Weekend before heading on the road to open conference play the final week of November. Saturday, Nov. 25 will be Poster Night for the Buffs as fans can have men's basketball schedule posters signed by the team following the 5 p.m. game against Langston at the First United Bank Center.
BUFFS SIGN ONE IN NOVEMBER - WT signed the services of Mar'Qualen Grant for the 2018-19 season as he inked with the Buffs on National Signing Day. Grant, shot 59 percent from the field and averaged 15.3 points per game for Waxahachie High School, while averaging six rebounds per game, four steals per game and six assists per contest. He was a first team all-district 10-5A selection last season and was named the 2016-17 Newcomer of the Year in District 10-5A. Last season, Grant helped lead his team to a 29-7 record and 14-0 in district play, while finishing the season as the 5A Region 2 semifinalist. He also competed in AAU for head coach Brandon Ray. Grant helped lead his team to the title of the Adidas Gauntlet Tournament in South Carolina. It was the first time a Texas team had won the tournament.
