| gobuffsgo.com |
|
Buffs Hope to Reverse Recent Trend Against Midwestern State
Jan. 22, 2008
West Texas A&M Men's Basketball Notes in PDF Format
CANYON, Texas - A year ago the West Texas A&M men's basketball team accomplished many things, including qualifying for the NCAA-II tournament for the sixth time under head coach Rick Cooper, but notching a victory over Lone Star Conference rival Midwestern State was not among their accolades. The Buffs get their chance to avenge four straight losses to the Mustangs on Wednesday when the Buffs entertain MSU in an 8 p.m. match up at the First United Bank Center. Last season, the Buffs and Mustangs squared off twice during the regular season with MSU taking both meetings, but the two squads ended the year tied atop the LSC South Division with identical 9-3 league marks. In postseason play, the two schools were again paired against one another at the NCAA-II South Central Regional, with the Mustangs ending WT's season after a hard-fought 86-81 win. This season, however, the two squads that take the floor will be very different than the ones that met three times last year. The Buffs are without All-American Damien Lolar, who led the LSC in scoring in 2006-07, and the Mustangs lost seniors Drew Coffman, Eric Dawson and Chad Rickett, who combined for 51.3 points per game last season. West Texas A&M has reloaded this season without Lolar and enter the weekend with a 12-5 record and a perfect 2-0 mark in LSC South games. Senior Robert Lee, who joined the Buffs after playing last season at the University of Houston, leads the team in scoring (14.5 points per game), rebounds (5.2 per game), and steals (19). A pair of Amarillo natives have also stepped up their game in recent weeks, with junior point guard Kyle Shields and Tyler Cooper contributing heavily to the Buffs' perfect LSC South start. Shields has registered double-figure scoring in six of his last eight contests, averaging 11.6 points per game during that time span, while Cooper recorded a game-winning three pointer in the LSC opening win over Angelo State and narrowly missed a third career double-double with nine points and 11 rebounds in a road win over Eastern New Mexico. Midwestern State, meanwhile, comes to Canyon with an 8-8 record after having lost four of its last five contests. The Mustangs feature four players in double figure scoring for the season, lead by junior Nolan Richardson IV, who is the grandson of former University of Arkansas coaching great Nolan Richardson. The elder Richardson coached the Razorbacks to three Final Four appearances and a national championship in 1994. Radio Coverage Internet Broadcast Weekly Luncheons
|
