Wednesday, March 27, 2013

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Halfway through a possible journey that could culminate in a second consecutive NCAA Division II national championship, Western Washington heads to Louisville, Kentucky this week to compete in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight.

The Vikings, 30-2 overall and ranked No.4 nationally in the final National Association of Basketball Coaches NCAA II Top 25 poll, meet Florida Southern, champions of the South Region, in a national quarterfinal Thursday at Freedom Hall.

WWU reached the Elite Eight with a 62-58 victory over Seattle Pacific in the championship game of the West Regional before a crowd of 2,521 at Sam Carver Gymnasium. Prior to that, they defeated Chaminade HI, 102-87, in the opening round, and Cal State San Bernardino, 86-77, in the regional semifinal.

Leading the way for WWU, which also claimed the Great Northwest Athletic Conference title with a 17-1 record, the best in league history, is senior guard John Allen, a Daktronics third-team All-American and West Region Player of the Year and first-team NABC West All-District pick, who averages 17.3 points and 4.3 assists a game.

Senior forward Paul Jones, an honorable mention Daktronics All-America and first-team NABC all-district and second-team Daktronics all-region choice, contributes 14.5 points and 6.5 rebounds while shooting 59.0 percent (180-of-305) from the field.

Completing the starting lineup for the Vikings are junior guard Richard Woodworth, who averages 10.7 points and 3.3 assists and was the West Regional Most Outstanding Player; senior center Chris Mitchell, who provides 8.8 points and 5.7 rebounds; and junior forward Austin Bragg, who contributes 8.8 points and a team-high 7.0 rebounds.

Florida Southern, 25-5 overall and ranked No.8 nationally, claimed the South Region championship with a 90-88 victory over Alabama-Huntsville. The Moccasins are led by senior guard Seth Evans, a first-team Daktronics all-South Region selection who averages 16.8 points and 3.4 assists while shooting 42.5 percent (108-of-254) on 3-pointers.

The Vikings have won 30 games each of the last two seasons, the only time in school history that mark has been achieved. This is the third Elite Eight visit for the Vikings. In addition to winning the national championship last season, they reached the national semifinals in 2001.

WWU had a 24-0 start this season and a 30-game winning streak over the last two years. Both the start and streak broke school records that had stood for 41 years.

WWU has started the same five players in every game this season, and all were named to the GNAC all-star team.

Senior guard John Allen paces the Vikings, being named a third-team Daktronics All-American and West Region and GNAC Player of the Year. Also a NABC West District first-team all-star, he  leads WWU in points per game at 17.3, second in the GNAC. Allen, who was named to the regional all-tourney team, had 29 points in the regional opener against Chaminade

Overall, Allen leads the team and ranks among the league’s top 10 in four categories, being fourth in free-throw shooting (86.5 percent, 77-of-89), and fifth in both treys (2.1) and assists (4.2).

Allen has scored 1,453 career points, which ranks eighth among WWU leaders (needs 12 to move into seventh), is 12th in assists (340) and his free-throw percentage of 89.1 (236-of-265) is on school-record pace.

Allen, who has scored double-figure points 25 times this season with a high of 38, has had three 30-plus point games this season and seven career contests with 30 or more. The school record is nine. He scored a career-high 43 points, the second-highest figure in school history and four off the school record, against Simon Fraser on Jan. 2, 2011.

Senior forward Paul Jones, a Daktronics honorable mention All-American and first-team West Region all-star, NABC West District all-star and all-GNAC  pick, is averaging 14.5 points and 6.5 rebounds. He is second among conference field-goal shooters and is 24th nationally at 59.0 percent (180-305), scoring double figures in 26 games.

Jones scored 18 points in an 86-85 win over arch-rival Central Washington on Jan. 10, including the buzzer-beating winning layup, and versus the Wildcats on Feb. 9, finished with 16 points and a career-high 16 rebounds. He has had five double-doubles in points and rebounds this season.

Junior guard Richard Woodworth, who has reached double figures in scoring 18 times this season, is averaging 10.7 points. A second-team all-league choice, he ranks fourth among GNAC leaders in 3-point accuracy (46.3 percent, 38-of-82).

Woodworth, the West Regional Most Outstanding Player, averaged 13.3 points in the three regional wins.

Rounding out the starting five are senior center Chris Mitchell, who is averaging 8.8 points and 5.7 rebounds, and junior forward Austin Bragg, a transfer from Clark CC, who is averaging 8.8 points and 7.0 rebounds, fourth in the GNAC. Both players received all-conference honorable mention.

Bragg has had a GNAC and team-best seven double-doubles in points and rebounds this season, including a 20-point, 11-rebound effort against Seattle Pacific on Feb. 2.

Mitchell was a first-team CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-District honoree and is a three-time GNAC academic all-star.

Mitchell has 42 blocks this season and Bragg 41.

Outstanding contributions off the bench have come from senior guard Rico Wilkins, who is averaging 8.0 points on 39.6 percent 3-point shooting (40-of-101); senior guard Cameron Severson, who is averaging 8.0 points and 4.5 rebounds, shooting 59.0 percent from the floor (95-161) and 89.7 percent (61-of-68) at the line; and sophomore forward Anye Turner, a transfer from South Puget Sound CC, who has 39 blocks and is hitting 57.3 percent (43-of-75) of his field goals.

In the regional championship victory, Wilkins made a key steal in the final seconds, Severson had 14 points on 7-of-10 field-goal shooting, five rebounds and four assists; and Turner added 10 points.

Severson has had 14 double-figure point games this season and Wilkins 11.

Florida Southern: The Moccasins, 25-5 overall and ranked No.8 nationally, claimed the South Region championship with a 90-88 victory over Alabama-Huntsville. The Moccasins are led by 6-0 senior guard Seth Evans, a first-team all-South Region selection who averages 16.8 points and 3.4 assists while shooting 42.5 percent (108-of-254) on 3-pointers. Evans averaged 18.2 points as a junior after transferring from NCAA Division I Wisconsin-Green Bay, where he was a key reserve. Coach Linc Darner (7th season, 156-65), the Sunshine State Conference Coach of the year, has a high-powered offense that averages 85.0 points a game, with six players averaging 9.3 points a game or more.  Dominic Lane, a 6-2 junior guard, contributes 13.4 points and 6.0 rebounds, and 6-0 sophomore guard Kevin Capers comes off the bench to average 13.0 points while playing less than 20 minutes a game.

WEST REGION AT NCAA II ELITE EIGHT: A representative of the West Region has either won the national men’s basketball title or been runner-up in each of the last four years. WWU won the title in 2012 after BYU Hawaii reached the final in 2011, and Cal Poly Pomona took the crown in 2010 after getting to the final in 2009.

NOT OVER THE HILL: Two of WWU’s players are 24 years old – Chris Mitchell and Rico Wilkins, four are 23 – John Allen, Paul Jones, Cameron Severson and Alfred Davis, and two are 22 – Austin Bragg and Dane Thorpe.

NATIONAL STAT RANKINGS: The Vikings rank among the top 10 nationally in five team statistical categories. They are No.5 in scoring margin (16.0), eighth in field-goal percentage (50.3) and blocked shots (5.4) and ninth in 3-point percentage defense (30.0) and ninth in scoring offense (83.8).

CARVER GYM STREAK: The Vikings were 16-0 at home in 2012-13 and will bring a school record 26-game winning streak at Carver Gym into next season. That broke the school standard of 21 set from 1970 to 1972 and bettered the GNAC record of 25 set by Humboldt State from 2001 to 2003.

TOP 10 RANKING: WWU was ranked among the Top 10 in all 16 weekly polls this season, breaking the school record of 10 set during the 2005-06 campaign. Earlier this season, the Vikings matched the school’s highest ever rating of No.2 six times. WWU also was ranked No.2 on one occasion during the 2005-06 season. In all, the Vikings are working on a school-record 24 straight Top 25 weekly rankings.

20 WIN SEASONS: WWU reached 20 wins for the 15th time in school history in Tony Dominguez’ first year as head coach. Brad Jackson accomplished that feat 12 times during his 27 years as coach and Chuck Randall did it twice in 18 seasons.

THREE-DOT NOTES: The Vikings have started the same five players in every game this season … Twenty-two of WWU’s wins this season have been by 10 or more points, the other margins being seven in overtime, nine once, six twice, four twice, three and one … Allen was picked as the preseason GNAC Player of the Year and was a Division II Bulletin Super 16 selection … Allen was named Most Valuable Player at the South Point Holiday Hoops Classic and he and Woodworth were co-MVPs at the WWU Chuck Randall Thanksgiving Classic … Also picked all-tournament at South Point was Mitchell … Allen, Bragg, Jones and Woodworth have each earned GNAC Player of the Week recognition this season, Allen being named twice … The Vikings received one first-place vote in the NABC Preseason Top 25 while being picked No.6 … WWU was tabbed No.8 nationally in the Division II Bulletin preseason poll.

WWU EARNS GNAC TEAM HONOR TWICE: The Vikings earned GNAC Team of the Week honors for Dec. 30-Jan. 5 and Jan. 27-Feb. 2, both while posting wins over Montana State Billings and Seattle Pacific.

ALLEN 1,000 AND BEYOND: John Allen became the 23rd Viking to reach the 1,000 plateau in career scoring, and just the fifth who did not play four seasons at WWU to accomplish that feat, on Dec. 8 vs. Quest BC. Allen currently ranks eighth at 1,453, and is 12th in assists at 340. He is on school-record pace in career free-throw percentage at 89.1 (236-of-265) and his seven games with 30 points or more rank second in school history to Mike Franza (1970-73), who had nine.

PRE-SEASON HONORS: John Allen was picked as the preseason GNAC Player of the Year and was a Division II Bulletin Super 16 pick. Besides Allen, the Vikings’ Paul Jones and Richard Woodworth were named to the GNAC preseason all-conference team.

COACH DOMINGUEZ: Tony Dominguez (30-2, first rookie coach in school history to win 20 games and the first in NCAA II history to win his first 24), who shared GNAC Coach of the Year honors, is in his first season as head coach at WWU after being an associate head coach the previous two seasons and an assistant 17 years overall, all at WWU. During that stretch, the Vikings posted a 317-165 (.658) record, made six regional appearances and won five conference championships. WWU took the NCAA II national crown in 2012, winning a school record 31 games, and reached the national semifinals in 2001. As an assistant, Dominguez was responsible for recruiting, scouting, coordinating scheduling, and budgeting. He played a major role in the recruiting classes of past 12 seasons. Those teams had a winning percentage of .711 (246-100).

TOUGH EXHIBITIONS: The Vikings accounted well for themselves in a pair of road exhibition games against NCAA I opponents. They lost 88-78 at Washington on Oct. 24 and fell 105-87 at Duke, which has been ranked No.1 in the AP poll. WWU trailed by just two points, 74-72, against Washington with 4:30 to play, and versus Duke was within 11, 69-58, with 13:58 to go and 14, 99-85, with 2:13 remaining. The 18-point margin was the closest any defending DII national championship team had gotten to Duke since the Blue Devils began inviting those squads for exhibitions six years ago. In the combined second half of the games with Washington and Duke, the Vikings trailed by just four points. John Allen and Chris Mitchell each scored a team-high 17 points against Washington and Paul Jones added 15. Jones led the Vikings versus Duke with 20 points, 14 in the second half. Allen had 17, Woodworth 13 and Rico Wilkins added 12 off the bench.

NATIONAL CHAMPS! WWU won the 2012 national championship, defeating Montevallo, Ala., 72-65, on March 24 in a nationally televised game at Northern Heights, Kentucky. The Vikings finished 31-5, the win total being the most in school history. They won their final six games following a loss to Montana State Billings in the GNAC Tournament semifinal after winning the league's regular-season crown. It was the first NCAA basketball title at any level for a school from the state of Washington since Puget Sound won the NCAA II championship in 1976. Brad Jackson, who was the unanimous DII National Coach of the Year, resigned in late August to become an assistant at University of Washington, ending a 27-year, 518-win coaching tenure at WWU.

NATIONAL AND REGIONAL TV:  WWU appeared on two regional telecasts (ROOT Sports), Jan. 10 when the Vikings’ won 86-85 at home over Central Washington and March 9 when WWU fell 72-70 to Seattle Pacific in the GNAC Tournament championship at Lacey. WWU also has been on national TV three times over the last calendar year. The Vikings were on the CBS Sports network and CBSSports.com in the national semifinal game and when they played Simon Fraser on March 2. The NCAA II national title contest was carried by CBS TV.

GNAC REGULAR-SEASON CHAMPS: The Vikings won the GNAC regular-season championship for the second straight year, finishing with a 17-1 record, the best in GNAC history. Last year, they placed first with a 16-2 mark. The GNAC title is the fifth overall for WWU, which also won conference titles in 2002, 2005 and 2009 when they weren’t separated as to regular season and tournament.

 FINAL SEASON FOR VISSER: This campaign will be the last for Rob Visser, who is in his 19th year as an assistant for the Vikings. A member of the WWU Athletics Hall of Fame, Visser had 1,026 points, 725 rebounds (fourth) and 168 blocked shots (second) during his three-year career. 

RADIO BROADCASTS: Selected WWU games are being broadcast this season on KBAI Radio (930 AM) and KPUG Radio (1170 AM) with Doug Lange handling the play-by-play and Mark Scholten providing the color commentary. They also can be heard on the internet at www.wwuvikings.com.