Pepperdine Game Preview: Rolling Waves Play San Jose State
By Josh Horton
November 13, 2012; Berkeley, CA, USA; Pepperdine Waves guard Nikolas Skouen (31) controls the ball against California Golden Bears guard Justin Cobbs (1) during the first half at Haas Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Pepperdine vs. San Jose State
Game Time: 7:00 p.m. PST
Live Stream: http://www.pepperdinesports.com/allaccess/?media=419444
Teams Records: Pepp – 3-0 – SJSU – 0-4
Leading Scorers: Pepp – Davis 23.7 SJSU – Muhammad 15.3
Leading Rebounders: Pepp – Lane 11.0 – SJSU – Williams 6.0
Leading Distributors: Pepp – Major 4.7 – SJSU – 2.8
Project Starters:
Pepperdine
G – Jeremy Major
G – Malcolm Brooks
G – Nikolas Skouen
F – Stacy Davis
F – Brendan Lane
San Jose State
G – Isaac Thornton
G – Jalen James
G – D.J. Brown
G – Chris Cunningham
F – Jaleel Williams
Among the hottest teams in the West Coast Conference is Pepperdine, much to the surprise of many of the common fans and national pundits. The Waves come into their game tonight against the struggling San Jose State Spartans with a 3-0 record, which included wins against Central Michigan and UC Riverside.
Stacy Davis and Brendan Lane are making a convincing case as the best frontcourt in the WCC. The senior and sophomore forwards are averaging 36.0 points and 18.0 rebounds this season.
The Opponent
The Spartans have seen a great deal of turmoil this season. The Spartans tipped-off their season by losing to a division II opponent Cal State Monterrey Bay.
The Spartans just got back from the NIU Invitational, where they did not win a single game in the three days they were there.
Expect San Jose State to get a significant contribution off the bench from freshman guard Rashad Muhammad, who averages 15.3 points per game. Muhammad has not gotten a start this season, yet he is the second on the Spartans in minutes with 30.3 per game.
Chris Cunningham, a Santa Clara transfer, was supposed to be a bigger factor this season. However, he has not lived up to his billing this year, averaging 4.8 points.
Keys to the Game
Feed the Two-Headed Monster
The Two-Headed monster alluded to above is sophomore forward Stacy Davis and senior forward Brendan Lane. These two have been fantastic this season, and the Waves will need to rely on Lane and Davis to provide scoring and rebounding for the team.
Step on Their Throats
Let’s be honest, San Jose State has not had the best season. However, they should not be taken for granted. The Spartans will be desperate for a victory, and the Waves will need to be conscientious of this and bury them early.