Tag: San Jose State Spartans

San Jose State football showcased their skills in Saturday scrimmage

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Photo credit: @AnaKieu

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — A lot went on this week for San Jose State Spartans football, including the 2019 SJSU Spartans Coaches Clinic, where the Spartans’ coaching staff connected and talked ball with over 100 coaches from the State of California. The Spartans, however, wrapped up the busy week with a scrimmage in CEFCU Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Last week, big plays highlighted SJSU’s first scrimmage. This week, SJSU was back at it for their second scrimmage, which was fairly low-key as there were fewer fans in attendance.

Classic rock, R&B, pop, and electro house blasted out of the speakers in CEFCU. The players took the field, practiced their runs, and created big plays. Last season, SJSU was unskilled in running the ball in some key situations against the Wyoming Cowboys and Nevada Wolf Pack, just to name a few Mountain West teams.

The position groups huddled and talked during the unofficial halftime of the scrimmage. After 10 minutes or so, the groups returned to their respective spots on the field.

It wasn’t long before SJSU got a first down and kept possession of the ball. Though, it was an arguable first down because the play was whistled dead by the officials. But I’m going to let you make your own call on the play.

A notable highlight was when a defensive player caught a ball that was initially kicked several feet into the air and stopped a potential scoring play by the offensive unit. Both the players and fans erupted in cheers as all eyes were on the field.

Shortly after, the defense forced the ball out and forced a turnover, which flipped the script. But let’s not forget that this scrimmage was purely spring ball. It’s clear the defense has improved, but they’ll need more than sacks. SJSU will face a tough test in its home opener against the Northern Colorado Bears on August 29th. Northern Colorado’s an FCS team, but they won two games in the 2018 and had one more win than SJSU. So SJSU has to make more than one solid defensive secondary play to hold off Northern Colorado.

Nine San Jose State football players are pursuing pro careers

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By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Disregarding a brief midday rain shower, nine seniors from the 2018 San Jose State Spartans football team stated their case to continue playing the game at the Spartans’ annual Pro Day activities this week.

Representatives from 22 NFL and CFL teams examined, measured, and tested defensive linemen Bryson Bridges and Boogie Roberts; quarterback Michael Carrillo; kicker Bryce Crawford; wide receiver Justin Holmes; defensive backs Dakari Monroe and John Toussaint; tight end Josh Oliver, and running back Malike Roberson.

Bridges, Holmes, Monroe and Toussaint participated in all the activities similar to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis–the vertical jump, bench press of 225 lbs, standing long jump, 40-yard dash, and three shuttle runs of various lengths.

Tight end Josh Oliver, the lone Spartan invited to the 2019 NFL Combine, and one of the best overall performers at his position, was measured for height and weight and participated in pass catching drills at the end of the testing session.

Monroe’s marks in the vertical leap of 35.5 inches and 11.70 in the “long shuttle” were among the best by a SJSU senior in recent years. In 2017, current Chicago Bears linebacker Isaiah Irving had a 36.0 inch leap and former New York Giants fullback Shane Smith was even better at 37 inches. In 2016, Cleveland Wallace III’s 11.43 in the long shuttle is the best time by the Spartan prior to Monroe’s time this year.

Weekend scrimmage on tap for San Jose State football

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By: Ana Kieu

Linebackers Christian Webb and Lionell Wiggins share a lot in common. They are in their first spring with the San Jose State football team after joining the Spartans last fall as community college transfers. They contributed mainly as special teams players last year and are looking to earn spots in the linebacker rotation in their senior season.

“My first spring as a Spartan has been amazing. I really love the environment. It’s a great chance to learn plays and get used to the system than when you come (than) in during the fall,” said Webb, an Orange Coast College transfer.

“Spring has been going very well. Having a new linebackers coach in Coach (Scott) White and having him open his hands up to me and show me my assignment and what I am supposed to do on each and every play, it’s been going quite well,” said Wiggins, a transfer from San Jose City College. “He keeps coaching me and helps me get better as a player,” His older brother is former SJSU defensive lineman Larnell Ransom who was a Spartan from 2002 to 2004.

When Webb and Wiggins are on the field for Saturday’s first full-contact scrimmage, they will be keeping their eyes on a wide receivers group hoping for big things. Those WRs are Tre Walker, who came on strong at the end of the season to finish as the team leader in receiving yards with 714, Bailey Gaither, who averaged 20.4 yards per catch, JaQuan Blackwell and Leki Nunn. All four players have the most experience in the WR group.

According to WR coach Kevin Cummings, he will be looking for big plays from his group, not just in the passing game, but in the running game, too.

“This Saturday, I want guys to be physical. It will be the first time our guys can be ‘live’ in their blocking. I want our guys to be very physical in the run game, because we have to be a better run team this year. We know that. It starts with the receivers getting out on the perimeter and giving the running backs space to run,” said Cummings.

“For the linebacker corps, we want to make sure we want to grade out high first. We want to do our jobs and know our responsibilities. After that, we want to be explosive. We want to make plays and have ‘100-100’ effort,” Webb added.

When Webb referenced ‘100-100,’ it also could refer to he and Wiggins giving it a 100% effort in the classroom, too. Webb and Wiggins are two more of the program record-setting 29 SJSU football players to be named Academic All-Mountain West for last season.

“That was a huge accomplishment. It shows I’m not just a football player. I’m also a student as well. They say we’re ‘student-athletes.’ You have to be a student, first, and an athlete, second,” said Wiggins, a sociology major.

The first SJSU football scrimmage of the 2019 spring practice session is Saturday, March 16, 7:30 pm in CEFCU Stadium. There is no admission charge.

Two major gifts support San Jose State football operations center

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By: Ana Kieu

San Jose State University is pleased to announce that it has received two major gifts to support a new football operations center on the east side of CEFCU Stadium, home of the Spartans. Thomas Thompson, ’72 Behavioral Science, and his wife, Jane Bradley, have committed $500,000 to support the development of the new football facility, with a remaining percentage of their trust to establish the Thomas E. Thompson Athletics Scholarship. SJSU Athletics is also proud to share that an additional gift of $500,000 has been committed to support their football center by an anonymous donor.

“Both of these gifts come from long-time football season ticket holders and steadfast supporters of our Athletics program,” said Marie Tuite, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics. “They are also keenly aware of the importance and significance of completing the funding for the football operations center. Tom and Jane believe in San Jose State and support the mission of the entire university. Our anonymous donor may be one of my favorite individuals–he simply wants us to build the football center and enhance the opportunities for our football program. I’m offering a sincere and gracious ‘thank you’ to these terrific Spartans.”

By supporting the creation of the new SJSU football operations building, these gifts will enable future generations of Spartan athletes to pursue an education while playing NCAA Division I  sports.

Bringing Sport to New Heights
At 6-foot-8, Thompson gravitated toward basketball at a young age, playing in high school and community college. He later transferred to SJSU. Thompson was the first in his family to graduate from both high school and college–achievements that made it possible for him to pursue careers in juvenile probation, construction management, trade association management and real estate. He and his wife are grateful for the opportunity to give back to his alma mater.

“Jane and I want to show our appreciation to SJSU and to assist future students,” said Thompson, a long-time fan of SJSU football and basketball. “San Jose State provided my only opportunity for a good education at essentially no cost, and a great foundation to help me later earn a graduate degree. With the scholarship, we hope that students will have the chance to play football or basketball while earning a degree, just like I did.”

The anonymous donor, who graduated from SJSU in the 1960s, is also a loyal fan of Spartan football.

“I am making this gift because I believe the football program is moving in the right direction under the leadership of Marie Tuite and Coach Brennan,” the anonymous donor said. “I know there are other Spartans like me who care deeply about this program and want to see it thrive. It is my hope that other Spartans will join the growing group of donors in doing what they can to provide Coach Brennan and the program with the resources necessary to compete in the Mountain West.”

“Our momentum continues to build as we move closer to our goal of creating modern, vibrant spaces for our student-athletes and our fans,” said Paul Lanning, vice president for university advancement and CEO of the Tower Foundation. “We are so excited to see donors like these and so many others investing in the future of SJSU football, Athletics and the university.”

To track fundraising progress and learn how you can support Spartan football, please visit sjsufootball.com or contact Josh Thiel, Deputy Athletics Director for Athletics Advancement, at (408) 924-1697 or joshua.thiel@sjsu.edu.

About San Jose State University
The founding campus of the 23-campus California State University system, SJSU provides a comprehensive university education, granting bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in 250 areas of study–offered through its eight colleges.

With more than 35,000 students and nearly 4,370 employees, SJSU continues to be an essential partner in the economic, cultural and social development of Silicon Valley and the state, annually contributing 10,000 graduates to the workforce.

The university is proud of the accomplishments of its more than 270,000 alumni, 60% of whom live and work in the Bay Area.

About San Jose State Athletics
SJSU sponsors 22 (nine men’s and 13 women’s) NCAA Division I intercollegiate sports programs for approximately 470 student-athletes annually. In football, the Spartans are a member of Division I’s FBS, the NCAA’s highest level of competition.

The Spartans’ primary conference affiliation is with the MW. Selected teams belong to the MPSF, the WAC, and the GCC.

SJSU has 10 NCAA team championships and 52 NCAA individual titles. 62 Spartans competed in one or more Olympic Games. SJSU athletes have won seven gold, six silver and seven bronze medals at the Olympics.

Annually, about one-third of the student-athlete population earns either institutional, conference or national recognition based on outstanding academic performance.

11th seed San Jose State takes on 6th seed Air Force in MWC Tournament

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Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

LAS VEGAS — San Jose State men’s basketball will play in their fifth Mountain West Tournament Wednesday as they open play as the 11th seed against the sixth seed Air Force at 4:00 p.m. PT at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. Fans can watch the game via the Mountain West Network and can listen to Justin Allegri’s radio call on the TuneIn app.

Game #31
No. 11 San Jose State (4-26, 1-17) vs. No. 6 Air Force (13-17, 8-10)
Wednesday, March 13, 4:00 pm PST
Thomas & Mack Center
Las Vegas, Nev.

Live Stats
Fans can view live stats of all SJSU men’s basketball games, home and away, by accessing the “Live Stats” feature at www.sjsuspartans.com. Click on the link on the men’s basketball schedule page to follow the action

What Would a Win Mean?
The Spartans are looking for their first win in the Mountain West Tournament (0-4).

Vs. Air Force in 2019
Wednesday’s game against No. 6 AF will be the third meeting between the programs this season.

SJSU played one of their best games of the season in the first meeting of the year with the Falcons, but ultimately fell 73-71 in double-overtime. Brae Ivey, who finished with 18 points, hit a 3 with just two seconds remaining to send the game to the first overtime.

Michael Steadman dominated with 24 points and was one of three Spartans in double-figure rebounding with 12. Ashtin Chastain tallied 13 and Craig LeCesne pulled down 12.

In game two, played in Colorado Springs, AF won more comfortably in a 82-68 final. Steadman had another big game as he scored 21 points and pulled down 17 rebounds. Seneca Knight, Brae Ivey and Brian Rodriguez-Flores all finished with 12 points.

Steadman has had two of his best games of the season against Air Force. He scored 24 points with 12 rebounds in game one and followed up with 21 points and 17 rebounds in game two.

Steadman is averaging 22.5 points and 14.5 rebounds in the two games.

Newcomers on the Rise
The Spartans have played nine first-year players this season, including regular starters Michael Steadman, Zach Chappell, Craig LeCesne and Brae Ivey. The newcomers are accounting for 69.7% of the Spartans’ offense (1,384-1,986).

Steadman alone is accounting for 20% of the Spartans’ offense with 407 points (20.4%).

Baumann the Boss
Sophomore Noah Baumann is shooting lights out from beyond the arc this season, so good in fact that he leads the Mountain West and ranks 10th in the NCAA in 3-point percentage at 45.6%. Baumann also ranks in the top 10 in the MW in 3-pointers per game (2.6).

Baumann set a new school record of 22 consecutive games with a 3-point bucket made against UNLV on Feb. 16, breaking a tie with Robert Owens, who closed out 2009-10 on a 21-game streak, for the new record. His streak is currently at 28.

Baumann is tied for the most 3s in a single-season after hitting three at Fresno State. he currently has 78, tied with Robert Owens (2010). With one more in the conference tournament, he will own the record outright.

In the loss to Utah State, Baumann had one of the most impressive performances of his career as he scored a career-high 29 points and tied the then-school record with seven 3-pointers (7-of-10). He also set career highs in 3-point attempts and field goal attempts.

Baumann has hit the school record in 3-point makes twice the season, the second time, however, vs. New Mexico, he broke the record outright with 8. He finished 8-of-12 from 3-point range to lead the Spartans to a win over UNM.

Not satisfied with just two, Baumann once again made seven treys in the home finale vs. Wyoming. Six of his seven came in the first half. He finished the night with a game-high 27 points.

Baumann holds the first, second and third highest-scoring performances by a Spartan this season with 29 vs. Utah State, 27 vs. WYO and 26 vs. UNM. The sophomore is averaging 11.5 points in conference play, second-most on the team (Steadman). He is also averaging 15.6 points in the last five games.

Chappell’s Show
Freshman Zach Chappell has come on strong as of late, starting the last six games and averaging 7.8 points in the final five games of the regular season. Against UNLV, Chappell finished with 11 points, a career-high six rebounds and nine assists–tied for the most by a Spartan this season. He had 10 points vs. Colorado State.

In the win over UNM, Chappell finished with a career-high 17 points and dished out 9 assists. He now has two games with 9 assists on the season, which is tied with Craig LeCesne for the most by any Spartan.

Chappell then scored 14 points at San Diego State.

Chastain in Charge
Junior Ashtin Chastain has been tasked to fill in the gap in the starting lineup with senior Oumar Barry sidelined by injury. He has started the last 12 games in his stead.

Reviewing the Big Win Over UNM
SJSU’s 89-82 win over UNM was a historic night in the Event Center. Not only did it break a 17-game losing streak, it also featured a plethora of records.

The win was the second all-time against the Lobos and the first-ever in San Jose.

Baumann broke his own school record with eight 3-pointers on 8-of-12 shooting. He finished with a team-best 26 points.

Ivey tied a school record with six steals on the evening. He is one of multiple players to tally six steals, but just the first to do so since Justin Graham vs. Santa Clara on December 10, 2010.

Steadman had his second-straight game with 21 points as well as his second-straight double-double. He had 10 made field goals and 20 field goal attempts, both the most by a Spartan this season.

Steadman and Baumann became the first duo to score 20 points this season and were the first to do so since Ryan Welage and Jaycee Hillsman vs. Wyoming in the MW Tournament last season (March 7, 2018).

Changes
Spartans head coach Jean Prioleau made some changes to his staff in the offseason as he brought in former NC State All-American Julius Hodge as an assistant coach and promoted director of operations Ryan Cooper to assistant coach.

Starry Knight
Freshman guard Seneca Knight has upped his game recently as well. In the last five games, the Lafayette, La., native is averaging 9.2 points, fourth-best on the team in that stretch. Against CSU, he led the team with a 14 point performance. He followed with 12 points at AF and had 12 more at SDSU. In his last outing, he scored 15 points, the most he’s scored against a Division I opponent this season.

Steady Steadman
JUCO transfer Michael Steadman has made a big impact this season as a leader on and off the court. He is averaging a team-high 13.6 points per game and ranks sixth in the MW with 8.5 rebounds per game. He has 11 double-doubles on the season, ranking third in the conference and has scored in double figures in 22-of-30 games. He also has 14 games with double-digit rebounds.

Steadman leads the team with six games with at least 20 points, and has twice achieved the feat in back-to-back efforts. First was against AF and USU. He put up a career-high 24 points and pulled down 12 rebounds in the loss to AF. He then followed up with 20 points at USU.

Steadman’s second such streak started with a career-best 17 rebounds to go with 21 points at AF. He followed with 21 points and pulled down 11 boards in the win over UNM.

Steadman is averaging 14.8 points per game in the last five games and is averaging 13.2 in MW games.

Steadman came up just short of extending his double-double streak to five straight games to close the season, finishing with 21 points and nine rebounds at Fresno State.

Prior to that, Steadman had four-straight double-doubles. He averaged 17.4 points and 11.6 rebounds in the final five games.

Change It Up
Prioleau has used 10 different lineups throughout the season with no one player starting each time out. Senior Oumar Barry had started the first 17 games before an injury kept him out of the lineup the last four games. Seven newcomers have made starts, including freshmen Seneca Knight, Zach Chappell, Trey Smith, and Christian Anigwe.

Baumann and Steadman Crucial in Wins
In SJSU’s four wins this season, there have been two critical factors. Their names are Noah Baumann and Michael Steadman.

In those four games, the pair is averaging 15.3 points each. Steadman has pulled down 11.3 rebounds in those games, while Baumann has been red-hot from 3-point range in each game, averaging 69.6% from the 3-point range (16-23).

On the Board(s)
SJSU ranks third in the MW in offensive boards with 11.0 per game. They rank fifth in defensive boards with 26.2.

Series History: Air Force
Wednesday’s game will be the 16th overall meeting between the Spartans and Falcons. SJSU has a pair of three-game win streaks in the series. The Spartans have won three of the last seven games, however AF is on a four-game win streak after taking both regular season games in 2019 in a 73-71 double-overtime win in San Jose and 82-68 win in Colorado Springs, Colo.

AF checks in as the No. 6 seed and are led by seventh-year head coach Dave Pilipovich. This will be the first meeting between the programs in the MW tournament.

San Jose State/Mountain West Tournament podcast with Ana Kieu: Men’s basketball sets sights on Mountain West tournament; Spring football madness; plus more

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Photo credit: @SJSUMBB, @SJSUSpartanFB, and sjsuspartans.com

On the San Jose State podcast with Ana:

1. SJSU lost to Wyoming 81-71 and was unable to get a win for Oumar Barry on Senior Night last Wednesday.

2. More than two dozen SJSU student-athletes called donors to thank them for their support of the Spartan Athletics Fund and SJSU’s 22 Division I sports programs last Wednesday.

3. SJSU closed out the 2018-19 season with a horrifically embarrassing loss 121-81 at Fresno State last Saturday.

4. SJSU has been putting in work in spring football to prepare for the 2019 season.

5. What does SJSU need to do to beat the No. 6 Air Force Falcons in the first round of the Mountain West Conference men’s basketball tournament?

Ana recorded the San Jose State podcasts each week for SportsRadioService.com. Catch Ana on the San Jose Earthquakes podcasts as the Quakes’ season progresses.

San Jose State closes out regular season with horrifically embarrassing loss at Fresno State 121-81

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Photo credit: @FresnoStateMBB

By: Ana Kieu

The San Jose State’s men’s basketball team wrapped up 2019 with a road game at the Fresno State Bulldogs in Save Mart Center Saturday.

Just moments before the tip-off, Spartans head coach Jean Prioleau announced his starting lineup of Michael Steadman, Zach Chappell, Noah Baumann, Seneca Knight, and Ashtin Chastain.

The rivalry game started a little later than expected due to the fact the Bulldogs honored their three seniors–Braxton Huggins, Deshon Taylor, and Sam Bittner–on Senior Night.

The Bulldogs won the tip and the game went underway. SJSU got on the board first, but Huggins hit back-to-back three-pointers to give Fresno State a 6-3 lead at the 17:45 mark. With those threes, Fresno State tied their new school record with 303 threes and counting this season.

Huggins continued his dominance with seven three-pointers with 8:30 left. The Spartans trailed 35-26, which was unfortunate given the fact they held ties and mere leads up until this point. Huggins had a game-high 21 points and gave the Bulldogs a 37-26 lead with 7:44 left. Meanwhile, SJSU shot 10-of-14 with less than seven minutes left.

Taylor made a pair of free throws to make it a 40-27 game in favor of Fresno State with 6:36 left. Fast forward to the timeout, where the Bulldogs led 43-34 at the Bulldogs’ timeout with 4:31 left. The Spartans later stormed off to the locker room with a 59-40 deficit at halftime. Though, SJSU outshot Fresno State by seven percent, so that was one of the silver linings. The other silver lining was the Spartans’ leading scorers in Knight and Steadman–both of whom scored 11 points each.

As if there wasn’t already enough Huggins in the first half, Huggins opened the scoring with quite a few attention-grabbing shots in the second half.

SJSU trailed 73-47 at the 16:18 mark. Fresno State’s trap got to SJSU and that eventually led to Prioleau putting Brian Rodriguez-Flores, a walk-on guard from Phoenix, in the Spartans’ lineup just minutes before the 10-minute mark. Rodriguez-Flores, however, didn’t provide much assistance to the Spartans, who were overwhelmed by the Bulldogs, who made it rain with threes. Noah Blackwell set the record for most threes in conference play in MWC history. Also, Huggins tied the school record for most threes made in a single game.

Blackwell made a pair of free throws to extend the Bulldogs’ lead to 100-70 with 6:21 left. The Bulldogs had more records to chase in the Save Mart Center and that they did. Fresno State (22-8, 13-5 MW) refused to stop playing offensively and San Jose State (4-26, 1-17 MW) suffered a 121-81 loss to close out the regular season.

SJSU gears up to take on the #6 Air Force Falcons in the first round of the MWC Tournament in Las Vegas. Game three is set for Wednesday, March 13 at 4:00 pm PT. Follow me on Twitter @AnaKieu for live updates.

San Jose State closes out regular season at Fresno State Saturday

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Photo credit: @SJSUMBB

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — San Jose State men’s basketball will play their final regular season game of 2019 on the road this Saturday. SJSU will take on Fresno State at the Save Mart Center beginning at 4:00 pm PST. Fans can stream the game online on the Mountain West Network and can listen to Justin Allegri’s radio call on the TuneIn app.

Game #30
San Jose State (4-25, 1-16) at Fresno State (21-8, 12-5)
Saturday, March 9, 4:00 pm PST
Save Mart Center (15,956)
Fresno, Calif.

Live Stats
Fans can view live stats of all SJSU men’s basketball games, home and away, by accessing the Live Stats feature at www.sjsuspartans.com. Click on the link on the men’s basketball schedule page to follow the action.

What Would a Win Mean?
The Spartans are looking for win #5 on the season, which would be the most in the last two seasons since going 14-16 in 2016-17. A win over the Bulldogs in the Save Mart Center would be SJSU’s first win in Fresno since 2009.

Recapping Game #1 vs. Fresno State
Fresno State held a slim 29-25 lead with 6:34 to play in the first half before they scored the final 18 points of the half to take control. Although, they cooled off in the second half shooting and were just 3-of-15 from the 3-point range in the half, SJSU was unable to climb back into the contest and fell 73-53

Michael Steadman led the Spartans with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Newcomers Getting Things Done
SJSU has played nine first-year players this season, including regular starters Michael Steadman, Zach Chappell, Craig LeCesne and Brae Ivey. The newcomers are accounting for 69.4% of the Spartans’ offense (1,323-1,905).

Steadman alone is accounting for 20% of the team’s offense with 386 points (20.2%).

Baumann Like a Boss
Sophomore Noah Baumann is shooting lights out from beyond the arc this season, so good in fact that he leads the Mountain West and ranks 10th in the NCAA in 3-point percentage at 46.0%. Baumann also ranks in the top-10 in the MW in 3-pointers per game (2.6).

Baumann set a new school record of 22 consecutive games with a 3-point bucket made against UNLV on Feb. 16, breaking a tie with Robert Owens, who closed out 2009-10 on a 21-game streak, for the new record. His streak is currently at 27.

In SJSU’s loss to Utah State, Baumann had one of the most impressive performances of his career as he scored a career-high 29 points and tied the then-school record with seven 3-pointers (7-of-10). He also set career highs in 3-point attempts and field goal attempts.

Baumann has hit the school record in 3-point makes twice the season, the second time, however, vs. New Mexico, he broke the record outright with 8. He finished 8-of-12 from 3-point range to lead the Spartans to a win over New Mexico.

Not satisfied with just two, Baumann once again made seven 3s in the home finale vs. Wyoming. Six of his seven came in the first half. He finished the night with a game-high 27 points.

Baumann holds the first, second and third highest-scoring performances by a Spartan this season with 29 vs. USU, 27 vs. WYO and 26 vs. UNM. He is averaging 11.5 points in conference play, second-most on the team (Steadman). He is also averaging 15.0 points in the last five games.

Chappell’s Show
Freshman Zach Chappell has come on strong as of late, starting the last six games and averaging 9.0 points in the last five games. Against UNLV, Chappell finished with 11 points, a career-high six rebounds and nine assists – tied for the most by a Spartan this season. He had 10 points vs. Colorado State.

In SJSU’s win over UNM, Chappell finished with a career-high 17 points and dished out 9 assists. He now has two games with 9 assists on the season, which is tied with Craig LeCesne for the most by any Spartan.

Chappell then scored 14 points at San Diego State.

Chastain Taking Over
Junior Ashtin Chastain has been tasked to fill in the gap in the starting lineup with senior Oumar Barry sidelined by injury. Chastain has started the last 12 games in his stead.

Reviewing SJSU’s Big Win Over UNM
SJSU’s 89-82 win over UNM was a historic night in the Event Center. Not only did it break a 17-game losing streak, it also featured a plethora of records.

The win was the second all-time against the Lobos and the first-ever in SJ.

Baumann broke his own school record with eight 3-pointers on 8-of-12 shooting. He finished with a team-best 26 points.

Brae Ivey tied a school record with six steals on the evening. He is 1 of multiple players to tally 6 steals, but just the first to do so since Justin Graham vs. Santa Clara (12/10/10).

Steadman had his second-straight game with 21 points as well as his second-straight double-double. He had 10 made field goals and 20 field goal attempts, both the most by a Spartan this season.

Steadman and Baumann became the first duo to score 20 points this season and were the first to do so since Ryan Welage and Jaycee Hillsman vs. Wyoming in the Mountain West Tournament last season (3/7/18).

Ch-Ch-Changes
Spartans head coach Jean Prioleau made some changes to his staff in the offseason as he brought in former NC State All-American Julius Hodge as an assistant coach and promoted director of operations Ryan Cooper to assistant coach.

Starry Knight
Freshman Seneca Knight has upped his game recently as well. In his last five games, he is averaging 9.0 points, fourth-best on the team in that stretch. Against CSU, he led the team with a 14-point performance. He followed with 12 points at Air Force and had 12 more at SDSU.

Steady Steadman
JUCO transfer Michael Steadman has made a big impact this season as a leader on and off the court. He is averaging a team-high 13.3 points per game and ranks fifth in the MW with 8.5 rebounds per game. He has 11 double-doubles on the season, ranking third in the MW and has scored in double figures in 21-of-28 games. He also has 13 games with double-digit rebounds.

He leads the Spartans with five games with at least 20 points, and has twice achieved the feat in back-to-back efforts. First was against AF and USU. He put up a career-high 24 points and pulled down 12 rebounds in the loss to AF. He then followed up with 20 points at USU.

His second such streak started with a career-best 17 rebounds to go with 21 points at AF. He followed with 21 points and pulled down 11 boards in the win over UNM.

He is averaging 14.8 points per game in the last five games and is averaging 13.2 in MW games.

He is currently riding a four-game streak with a double-double. In his last outing, he scored 12 points to go with 10 points vs. WYO. He is averaging 16.5 points and 1.3 rebounds in the streak.

Changes
Prioleau has used 10 different lineups throughout the season with no one player starting each time out. Barry had started the first 17 games before an injury kept him out of the lineup the last four games. Seven newcomers have made starts, including Knight, Chappell, Trey Smith and Christian Anigwe.

Importance of Baumann and Steadman
In SJSU’s four wins this season, there have been two critical factors: Baumann and Steadman.

In those four games, the pair is averaging 15.3 points each. Steadman has pulled down 11.3 rebounds in those games, while Baumann has been red-hot from 3-point range in each game, averaging 69.6% from the 3-point range (16-23).

On the Board(s)
SJSU ranks third in the MW in offensive boards with 11.0 per game. They rank fifth in defensive boards with 26.2.

Series History: Fresno State
The longstanding rivalry between SJSU and Fresno State will see the 173rd game of the series played on Saturday. The series dates back to 12/18/16 in a 58-32 Spartan victory. In the first of two games this season, the Spartans fell to the Bulldogs 73-53 in the Event Center.

The Bulldogs enter the game currently third in the MW standings at 12-5 in MW play. They lead the conference in 3-point shooting at .375 and also lead in 3-point defense at .301. Braxton Huggins and Deshon Taylor both rank in the top six in scoring in the NCAA, while Nate Grimes is the third-best rebounder with a 9.4 per game average.

Baumann Chasing History
Noah Baumann is having a season to remember in his second season as the Spartans’ sharpshooter. In addition to breaking two school records already (consecutive games with a 3 and single-game 3-pointers), he is quickly ascending the single-season mark for made 3-pointers.

He is 75-163 from the 3-point range with one regular season games to go. His 75 makes are currently tied for the second-most in school history.

He hit seven 3s against WYO in his last outing, moving up from a tie for sixth on the list to a tie for second.

San Jose State loses to Wyoming 81-71 in final home game of the season

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Photo credit: @SJSUMBB

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose State men’s basketball wrapped up the 2019 home slate with a … Wednesday night in the Event Center.

Spartans head coach Jean Prioleau went with a starting lineup featuring Noah Baumann, Seneca Knight, Ashtin Chastain, Michael Steadman and Zach Chappell.

Prior to the tipoff, SJSU honored senior Oumar Barry. Barry signed a National Letter of Intent with the Spartans in 2017 after stops at DePaul University from 2015-16 and Iowa Junior College from 2016-17. Barry graduated from Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington, Virginia. Barry was also a top-10 rated high school prospect in Virginia.

The Spartans won the tip and the game went underway. Jake Hendricks got the party started by hitting a 3-pointer and giving the Cowboys a 3-0 lead at the 18:47 mark of the first half. Then, SJSU got on the board when Chastain shot a free throw to cut Wyoming’s lead to 3-1 just 30 seconds later.

But the Cowboys poured in the points for a little over four minutes until Baumann hit a 3 to end the Spartans’ scoring drought at the 12:46 mark. As a result, Baumann extended his school record to 27 consecutive games with a 3. SJSU proceeded to pick up the pace as Baumann hit a 3, LeCesne made a layup and Ivey hit a 3. LeCesne shot a pair of free throws, Christian Anigwe threw down a dunk and Baumann hit a 3 to bring the Spartans within seven, 28-21, with 8:14 left.

There was still some hope in SJSU, who was down by 10, 31-21, but Baumann came to the rescue with back to back 3s to bring the Spartans within four, 31-27, with 6:16 left. Baumann made it a one-point game with a 3 and LeCesne made a layup to help the Spartans snatch a 32-31 lead with 4:19 left.

The two-minute mark proved to be the introduction to a back and forth affair between the two teams. Justin James shot three free throws in a row to put the Cowboys back on top 36-35, but Steadman knocked down a jumper in the paint to help the Spartans regain the lead, 37-36, but Wyoming was back in the game with back to back 3s by James and A.J. Banks. SJSU trailed 42-37 at halftime.

Once again, Hendricks opened the scoring by shooting a free throw just nine seconds into the second half, but Baumann hit a 3 to bring the Spartans within three, 43-40, at the 19:21 mark. The score remained close until Hendricks shot a fastbreak free throw to put the Cowboys ahead 50-44 at the 16:43 mark. That was the start of the Cowboys’ 5-0 run that extended their lead by 10, 54-44, at the 14:40 mark. Isaiah Nichols ended the Cowboys’ run with a layup in the paint along with a free throw just 35 seconds later. Ivey added a fastbreak free throw to bring the Spartans within eight, 54-48, at the 13:32 mark.

Despite the fact SJSU inched their way into the game, Wyoming was a tough customer. The Spartans pulled within six, 56-50, thanks to Steadman’s jumper at the 12:55 mark. Baumann shot a pair of free throws to keep the Spartans within six, 58-52, at the 10:23 mark, but his personal efforts weren’t enough to suppress the Cowboys.

SJSU went on a 6-0 run, courtesy of Steadman’s jumper, Baumann’s pair of free throws, Ivey’s jumper and Chastain’s layup. SJSU’s run was ended by James’ dunk with 4:59 left.

Steadman shot a pair of free throws to make it a one-point game, but Hendricks hit a 3 to put the Cowboys back on top 68-64 with 4:33 left.

Fast forward to the two-minute mark when the Cowboys pretty much took over. Particularly, Hendricks, who hit two 3s, and James, who shot four free throws — two fastbreak and two regular. Banks added three throws — two regular and one fastbreak — to make it a 10-point game with 45 seconds left. Steadman knocked down a jumper in the paint to avoid a double-digit loss, but his efforts were ruined by the Cowboys, who added in a pair of fastbreak free throws to hand the Spartans a 81-71 loss.

SJSU falls to 4-25, 1-16 MW, while Wyoming improves to 7-23, 3-14 MW.

SJSU concludes the 2019 season with a road game at rival Fresno State Saturday, March 9 at 4:00 pm on the Mountain West Network.

San Jose State podcast with Ana Kieu: Men’s basketball looks forward to closing out the season; Football culture is a priority; plus more

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Photo credit: @SJSUMBB and @SJSUSpartanFB

On the San Jose State podcast with Ana Kieu:

1. SJSU got blown out by SDSU 84-56 last Saturday.

2. SJSU will host Wyoming tonight.

3. Beyond Football has been shaping a culture at SJSU.

Ana Kieu does the San Jose State podcasts each week for SportsRadioService.com