Weber State University Athletics
Patten Named Big Sky Conference MVP
3/1/2007 6:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
OGDEN, Utah -- Weber State senior David Patten was selected the Big Sky Conference's Men's Basketball Most Valuable Player on Thursday, and was one of three unanimous picks to the All-Conference first team.
The team, selected by the nine Big Sky Conference basketball coaches, was
picked on Thursday morning. For the first time since 1988-89, the Big Sky
selected a first team and a second team, as well as honorable mention team.
Since 1990, the Big Sky announced one All-Conference team, and honorable
mention picks.
Eastern Washington sophomore Rodney Stuckey, and Northern Arizona senior
Ruben Boykin Jr., joined Patten as unanimous first-team selections. The trio
was joined on the first team by Idaho State senior David Schroeder, Montana
sophomore Jordan Hasquet, and Northern Arizona senior Tyrone Bazy.
Stuckey, the 2006 MVP, Schroeder and Boykin Jr., were repeat first-team
selections.
Portland State junior Dupree Lucas was selected Newcomer of Year. Freshman
of the Year went to Montana's Cameron Rundles, while teammate Bryan Ellis
was tabbed Defensive Player of the Year.
Patten, a 6-foot-8 forward from Placentia, Calif., led Weber State to a
share of the Conference regular-season title a year after the Wildcats tied
for last place. Patten averaged 14.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, while
shooting 54.9 percent from the field. In conference play, Patten averaged
16.3 points, 67.3 rebounds and shot 58.6 percent from the field.
Patten is the fifth Weber State player to be named Big Sky MVP, joining
Jermaine Boyette (2003), Harold Arceneaux (1999, 2000), Jimmy DeGraffenreid
(1996), and Ruben Nembhard (1995).
Stuckey, a 6-5 guard from Kent, Wash., leads the Big Sky and ranks seventh
in the nation in scoring averaging 24.6 points per game. Stuckey also
finished second in the Big Sky in assists with 5.52 per game and steals with
2.45 per game. He led the Big Sky in free-throw percentage at .846 and made
215 free throws.
Boykin Jr., a 6-7 forward Los Angeles, led the Big Sky with 16
double-doubles. He ranks third in the Big Sky at 16.3 points per game, and
is first in rebounds at 9.0 per game. Boykin Jr. also ranks in the top 15 in
the league in field-goal percentage (52.4) and assists (3.18). Boykin Jr.
also led Northern Arizona to a share of the regular-season title, and the
No. 2 seed in the Big Sky Championship.
Schroeder, a 6-2 guard from Salmon, Idaho, helped the Bengals qualify for
the Big Sky Championship for the first time since 2004. Schroeder ranks
second in the league in scoring at 16.8 points per game. He also averaged
5.5 rebounds and 1.48 steals per game. He made 42.4 percent of his 3-point
field goals during the regular season, and averaged 2.59 3-pointers per
game.
Hasquet, a 6-7 forward from Missoula., Mont., averaged 13.3 points and 6.6
rebounds per game. He came on strong in conference play, netting 15.6 points
and 6.8 rebounds per game. Hasquet recorded six double-doubles during the
regular season.
Rounding out the first team was Bazy, a 6-1 guard from Bryan Texas. The 2006
Newcomer of the Year was the second-leading scorer in conference play,
averaging 18.4 points per game. In all games, Bazy averaged 16.1 points,
2.54 assists, and 1.14 steals per game. He also shot .822 percent from the
free-throw line.
This year's Newcomer of the Year Lucas, a 6-1 guard from Wichita, Kan.,
helped Portland State to a fourth-place finish. Dupree averaged 13.1 points
and 3.7 assists per game. In conference play, he netted 15.1 points and 2.94
assists per game. The transfer from Xavier is the third Vikings to win Newcomer
of the Year. Current Portland Trail Blazers guard Ime Udoka claimed the honor in 2000, and Jason Hartman was Newcomer of the Year in 1998. Lucas was also a second team All-Conference pick.
Rundles, a 6-1 true freshman from Minneapolis, Minn., excelled late in the
season for the Grizzlies. He averaged 18.3 points per game over his final
four games. Rundles led all Big Sky freshman in scoring (8.2 points per
game), assists (2.13), and 3-point field goal percentage (.481). Rundles is
the first Grizzly to win Freshman of the Year since Darren Engellant in
1989.
Ellis, a 5-10 senior guard from Detroit, Mich., was a spark plug on the
defensive end for the Grizzlies. Ellis helped Montana finish third in the
league in scoring defense. He averaged 1.6 steals per game, and often
guarded opponents' top scoring guards. Ellis is the first Grizzly to win
Defensive Player of the Year.
The second team consisted of Montana's Andrew Strait, Northern Arizona's
Stephen Sir, Montana State's Nick Dissly, Weber State's Juan Pablo Silveira
and Lucas. Sir leads the nation in 3-point field goals per game, and has a
league single-season record of 114 made 3-pointers entering the tournament.
Strait, a first-team pick in 2006, averaged 14.9 points and 6.4 rebounds
this season. Dissly, who led MSU to a fifth-place finish, averaged 14.6
points and 4.7 rebounds per game. Silveira averaged 10.9 points per game,
and made a league-best 87 percent of his free throws in conference play.
2006-07 Big Sky All-Conference Team
First Team
Player, School Year Height Position Hometown
#*Rodney Stuckey, Eastern Washington So. 6-5 G Kent, Wash.
*David Schroeder, Idaho State Sr. 6-2 G Salmon, Idaho
Jordan Hasquet, Montana So. 6-9 F Missoula, Mont.
Tyrone Bazy, Northern Arizona Sr. 6-1 G Bryan, Texas
#*Ruben Boykin Jr., Northern Arizona Sr. 6-7 F Los Angeles, Calif.
#David Patten, Weber State Sr. 6-8 F Placentia, Calif.
#Unanimous Selection. *Two-Time Selection
Second Team
Player, School Year Height Position Hometown
Andrew Strait, Montana Jr. 6-8 F/C Yakima, Wash.
Nick Dissly, Montana State Sr. 6-4 F Bozeman, Mont.
Stephen Sir, Northern Arizona Sr. 6-6 G Minnetonka, Minn.
Dupree Lucas, Portland State Jr. 6-1 G Wichita, Kan.
Juan Pablo Silveira, Weber State So. 6-3 G Salto, Uruguay
Honorable Mention
Paul Butorac, Sr., F, Eastern Washington; Akbar Abdul-Ahad, Sr., G, Idaho
State; Carlos Taylor, Jr., G, Montana State; Kirk Archibeque, Jr., C,
Northern Colorado; Scott Morrison, Jr., C, Portland State; Arturas Valeika,
Jr., F, Weber State.
Individual Award Winners
Most Valuable Player: David Patten, Weber State
Newcomer of the Year: Dupree Lucas, Portland State
Freshman of the Year: Cameron Rundles, Montana
Defensive Player of the Year: Bryan Ellis, Montana