Yellowjackets Picked Second in PacWest Basketball Poll (Sept. 30, 2003)

BILLINGS, MT – After an injury-riddled season last year in which it finished third in the PacWest Conference, the MSU Billings men’s basketball team has been picked to finish second in a poll of conference coaches.  The Yellowjackets finished ten points behind Hawaii-Hilo in the preseason coaches’ poll that was released by the conference today.

MSUB was 18-9 overall and 8-7 in the PacWest in 2002-2003.  The Yellowjackets return four players who played in at least 23 games last season along with two others who were opening-day starters before being injured. 

PacWest Freshman of the Year Cameron Munoz (Chino, CA) returns for his sophomore season after leading the team and the conference in 3-point field goals made.  He was voted one of the top five returning players in the conference by opposing coaches.  Munoz connected on 96-of-220 from behind the arc as a true freshman, finishing with 19 more than the conference’s second-best 3-point shooter Dan Thompson, who was a senior for the Jackets.  Munoz’s .436 shooting percentage from 3-point range was second in the conference by .004 to BYU-Hawaii freshman Shawn Opunui, who only attempted 75 threes all season.

After missing almost all of last season because of injuries, seniors Jerett Skrifvars (Brea, CA) and Dave Carse (Billings, MT) will return to the starting lineup for the Yellowjackets this season, adding experience and a scoring punch to a squad that averaged 89.3 points per game.  Skrifvars had surgery to repair ligaments torn in his thumb during a fall in last season’s fifth game.  Carse had surgery to repair a shoulder injury that had plagued him since his sophomore season.  Skrifvars was able to apply for a medical redshirt because he played in fewer than 20-percent of the games, but Carse played in seven games and had to use a year of eligibility.

In the five games he played before being injured, Skrifvars was leading the PacWest with a 22.6 points-per-game scoring average.  He scored at least 20 points in four of the five games he played, including a career-high 29 against St. Martin’s.  Carse averaged 9.1 points and 3.9 assists per game before his injury.

Justin Hassell (Brooklyn, NY) and Bill Day (Boise, ID) are the Yellowjackets’ other two seniors.  Hassell was the team’s second-leading scorer at 13.4 points-per-game last season, scoring double-figures 17 times including a season-high 29 against Chaminade.  Day averaged 5.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game in 23 games.  He missed the final four games of the season with a knee injury.  The sixth returning player for the Yellowjackets is sophomore Buddy Windy Boy, who played in all 27 games and averaged 6.7 points-per-game.  He averaged 18.5 minutes-per-game off the bench for the Jackets.

Yellowjacket coach Craig Carse added two junior college transfers and two true freshmen to the team with this year’s recruiting class.  Trea Fortier (Jr., Palmdale, CA) comes to MSU Billings from Antelope Valley CC where he averaged 11 points and nine rebounds per game.  He helped AVCC to a 29-3 record.  Alex Galloway (Jr., Berkeley, CA) transfers to MSUB from City College of San Francisco.  He was a two-time first team All-Bay Area selection at Lincoln High School in San Francisco.

Jonathan Wiley (Westlake Village, CA) and Derek Taylor (Lewistown, MT) will be the Jackets’ only freshmen this season.  Wiley was a first team all-conference selection at Westlake High School, where he averaged 21 points and seven rebounds per game as a senior and led his team to the CIF quarterfinals.  Taylor was an all-state point guard for Fergus County High School where he averaged 13.4 points and 2.65 assists per game.  He led the Golden Eagles to a third place finish at the Class A state tournament in 2002.

The Yellowjackets open the 2003-2004 regular season November 22 when they host Minot State.  In addition to their 15 PacWest games, the Yellowjackets’ schedule is highlighted by a home-and-home series with Humboldt State.  The Lumberjacks were ranked No. 1 in Street and Smith’s preseason poll this week and feature preseason All-American Fred Hooks.  MSUB will play at Humboldt on December 13 and the Lumberjacks will visit Alterowitz on December 29.