2005-2006 Men’s Basketball Wrap Up

BILLINGS, MT – Record setting seasons are nothing new at Montana State University-Billings in the past decade.  But the 2005-2006 season was a special one for several reasons.  Playing their first season in the Heartland Conference, the Yellowjackets were regular season co-champions.  Along the way, senior guard Cameron Munoz broke the all-time NCAA Division II 3-point record.

MSU Billings opened the 2005-2006 campaign with six-straight victories.  Two of them came in a home-and-home series against cross-town Rocky Mountain College in the span of three days in December.  The biggest win of the early season came on December 19 when the Yellowjackets outran Emporia State 118-110.  The Hornets were one of the top teams in the Jackets’ new region for most of the year.

Following the victory against Emporia State, the Yellowjackets wrapped up the 2005 calendar year with two games at a tournament in Kingsville, Texas.  MSUB had one of its most inconsistent performances of the year in a six-point loss to East Central University then lost to a very talented Texas A&M-Kingsville. 

While the two in-region losses in Texas were a setback, the Yellowjackets rebounded by winning seven-straight against Heartland Conference teams.  Five of those games were counters in the conference standings, and five were on the road.  The highlight of the early conference season was a three-game sweep in San Antonio where the Jackets beat Incarnate Word twice and St. Mary’s once.

A week after the trip to Texas, the Jackets took to the road again for games in Missouri and Kansas.  MSUB won its fifth-straight Heartland Conference game at Lincoln (MO) on January 21 then drove through the night for a non-conference game at Emporia State on January 22.  The toll of being on the road for 10 of 14 days showed as the Yellowjackets experienced their worst defeat of the season, 93-66.

Just as they had after the losses in Kingsville, the Yellowjackets bounced back.  This time they won seven of eight games, the only loss coming in a two-game split at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas.  During that eight game stretch, MSU Billings was 4-1 in conference games.

Set up to make a run at the regular season Heartland Conference crown, the Yellowjackets stumbled on the road during the final week.  They lost three games in a row, two of which were conference games.  St. Edward’s had similar difficulties during its final weekend, and the Yellowjackets and Hilltoppers finished tied for the regular season title at 9-3 in the league.  Both teams earned the right to host a first round conference playoff game with St. Edward’s winning the No. 1 seed in a tiebreaker.

The Yellowjackets opened the conference playoffs at home against Oklahoma Panhandle State, a team that had beaten them by 20 just a week before.  MSU Billings prevailed 80-67 to advance to the conference championship game against St. Edward’s in Austin.  The Yellowjackets led for much of the game, but a string of late turnovers cost them the game, the title, and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

MSU Billings finished the 2005-2006 season with a 20-8 overall record, the Jackets’ fifth season with 20 or more wins during coach Craig Carse’s 11 seasons.  It was also the eighth time one of Carse’s teams led the nation in 3-point shooting, averaging 12.9 made threes per game.  The Jackets also ranked second nationally for scoring at 92.9 points per game.

In addition to the team achievements, MSU Billings had several individual stars shine in 2005-2006.  The most notable was Munoz, who broke the NCAA Division II career 3-point record.  The guard from Chino, California, made 147 3-pointers for the season and finished his four-year career at MSU Billings with 451.  He led the nation in 3-point shooting, averaging 5.3 made threes per game. 

An All-Heartland First Team selection, Munoz led the conference and ranked thirteenth in the nation for scoring average at 21.8 ppg.  He finished as the second-leading scorer in Yellowjacket history.  Munoz also ranked sixteenth in the nation this season for 3-point percentage and 57th for free throw percentage.  He registered his name in the school career record book’s top 10 for points, scoring average, field goals, 3-pointers made, 3-point percentage, assists, and steals.

Senior guard Buddy Windy Boy (Lodge Grass, MT) finished the season ranked thirteenth nationally for 3-pointers made, averaging 3.2 per game.  An all-conference honorable mention selection, Windy Boy also ranked 57th nationally for 3-point percentage.  The team captain and pillar of the team finished his career ranked in the top 15 in school history for points, field goals, 3-pointers made, blocked shots, and steals. 

Yellowjacket point guard Carlin Hughes (So., Perth, Australia) led the nation in assists for much of the season and finished the season ranked second nationally for assists per game at 9.6.  The all-conference second team guard also ranked 56th in the country for steals, 65th for 3-pointers per game, and 74th for 3-point percentage.  Hughes had three different games in which he handed out 15 assists, one short of the single game school record.

Although the Yellowjacket offense relied heavily on the 3-pointer, senior big man Moritz Wohlers (Wolfenbuttel, Germany) played a large part in the Yellowjackets’ success.  Wohlers, a transfer who was playing his first and only season as a Yellowjacket, ranked in the top 65 nationally in three statistical categories:  24th for field goal percentage, 52nd for scoring average, and 64th for rebounding average.  Wohlers also joined Munoz on the All-Heartland First Team.

Along with being ranked in the top two in the country for both 3-point shooting and scoring, the 2005-2006 Yellowjackets were among the top 60 in NCAA II for five other categories.  The Jackets ranked tenth for assists per game (18.3), 26th for free throw percentage (74.4), 37th for scoring margin (9.0), 37th for 3-point percentage (38.5), and 60th for field goal percentage (47.3). 

Heartland Conference Team Rankings
Scoring Offense – 1^st (92.9)
Scoring Margin – 1^st (+9.0)
Free Throw Percentage – 1^st (74.4)
Field Goal Percentage – 2^nd (47.3)
Field Goal Percentage Defense – 3^rd (44.4)
3-Point Field Goals Per Game – 1^st (12.86)
3-Point Field Goal Percentage – 1^st (38.5)
3-Point Field Goal Percentage Defense – 1^st (33.9)
Blocked Shots Per Game – 3^rd (2.79)
Assists Per Game – 1^st (18.32)
Steals Per Game – 3^rd (7.68)
Assist/Turnover Ratio – 1^st (1.19)

Heartland Conference Individual Rankings (Top 10)
Scoring – Cameron Munoz, 1^st (21.8; Moritz Wohlers, 2^nd (19.4); Carlin Hughes, 3^rd (17.3); Buddy Windy Boy, 12^th (12.4); Lucas Walker, 14^th (11.8
Rebounding – Moritz Wohlers, 3^rd (8.0); Lucas Walker, 8^th (5.5)
Field Goal Percentage – Moritz Wohlers, 2^nd (58.4); Lucas Walker, 5^th (53.7); Cameron Munoz, 13^th (44.7)
Assists Per Game – Carlin Hughes, 1^st (9.61); Cameron Munoz, 12^th (2.04); Jonathan Wiley, 14^th (1.82)
Free Throw Percentage – Jonathan Wiley, 3^rd (85.7); Cameron Munoz, 4^th (83.2); Carlin Hughes, 6^th (78.1); Moritz Wohlers, 9^th (72.5); Lucas Walker, 11^th (69.4)
Steals – Carlin Hughes, 2^nd (2.14); Buddy Windy Boy, 13^th (1.11)
3-Point Field Goal Percentage – Cameron Munoz, 1^st (43.5); Buddy Windy Boy, 7^th (38.2); Carlin Hughes, 15^th (34.6)
3-Point Field Goals Per Game – Cameron Munoz, 1^st (5.25); Buddy Windy Boy, 2^nd (3.18); Carlin Hughes, 3^rd (2.61)
Blocked Shots Per Game – Buddy Windy Boy, 6^th (0.71); Lucas Walker, 9^th (0.59); Moritz Wohlers, 12^th (0.54); Drew Arnold, 13^th (0.52)
Assist/Turnover Ratio – Carlin Hughes, 4^th (1.88)
Offensive Rebounds Per Game – Moritz Wohlers, 2^nd (2.46); Lucas Walker, 14^th (1.32)

Heartland Conference Individual Awards
First Team – Cameron Munoz, Moritz Wohlers
Second Team – Carlin Hughes
Honorable Mention – Buddy Windy Boy

NCAA National Team Rankings
Scoring Offense – 2^nd (92.9)
Scoring Margin – 37^th (9.0)
Field Goal Percentage – 60^th (47.3)
Free Throw Percentage – 26^th (74.4)
3-Point Field Goals Per Game – 1^st (12.9)
3-Point Field Goal Percentage – 37^th (38.5)
Assists Per Game – 10^th (18.3)

NCAA National Individual Rankings
Points Per Game – Cameron Munoz, 13^th (21.8); Moritz Wohlers, 52^nd (19.4)
Field Goal Percentage – Moritz Wohlers, 24^th (58.4)
3-point FG Per Game – Cameron Munoz, 1^st (5.3); Buddy Windy Boy, 13^th (3.2); Carlin Hughes, 65^th (2.6)
3-point FG Percentage – Cameron Munoz, 16^th (43.5); Buddy Windy Boy, 57^th (38.2); Carlin Hughes, 74^th (34.6)
Free Throw Percentage – Cameron Munoz, 57^th (83.2)
Rebounds Per Game – Moritz Wohlers, 64^th (8.0)
Assists Per Game – Carlin Hughes, 2^nd (9.6)
Steals Per Game – Carlin Hughes, 56^th (2.1)

School Records, Team Single Game
Points – 4^th (136 vs. St. Edward’s)
Points Combined – 4^th (237 vs. St. Edward’s); 5^th (228 vs. Emporia St.)
Field Goals Made – 8^th (47 vs. Western New Mexico)
Field Goal Percentage – 11^th (59.1% vs. St. Edward’s)
3-Point Field Goals – 10^th (20 vs. Lincoln)
Free Throw Percentage – 8^th (92.6% vs. St. Edward’s)
Steals – 10^th (15 vs. Rocky Mountain)

School Records, Team Season
Points – 10^th (2,600)
3-Point Field Goals Made – 3^rd (360)
Free Throws Made – 14^th (520)
Free Throw Percentage – 8^th (74.4%)
Assists – 8^th (513)
Assists Per Game – 8^th (18.3)
Blocked Shots – 4^th (78)

School Records, Individual Single Game
Points – Carlin Hughes, 6^th (45 vs. St. Edward’s)
3-Point Field Goals – Cameron Munoz, 7^th (11 vs. Johnson & Wales); Buddy Windy Boy, 12^th (9 vs. Minot St.)
Free Throws Made – Moritz Wohlers, 4^th (17 vs. Emporia St.); Jonathan Wiley, 6^th (16 vs. Lincoln); Carlin Hughes, 10^th (14 vs. St. Edward’s)
Assists – Carlin Hughes, 3^rd (15 vs. Minot St., Rocky Mountain, and Lincoln); Carlin Hughes, 10^th (14 vs. Texas A&M Kingsville, Lincoln, and St. Mary’s)

School Records, Individual Season
Points – Cameron Munoz, 10^th (611)
3-Point Field Goals – Cameron Munoz, 2^nd (147); Buddy Windy Boy, 14^th (89)
3-Point Percentage – Cameron Munoz, 13^th (43.5)
Free Throws Made – Moritz Wohlers, 9^th (161)
Free Throw Percentage – Jonathan Wiley, 5^th (85.7); Cameron Munoz, 13^th (83.2)
Assists – Carlin Hughes, 1^st (269)
Assists Per Game – Carlin Hughes, 1^st (9.6)
Steals – Carlin Hughes, 5^th (60)

School Records, Individual Career
Points – Cameron Munoz, 2^nd (1,879); Buddy Windy Boy, 10^th (1,278)
Points Per Game – Cameron Munoz, 7^th (19.0)
Field Goals – Cameron Munoz, 4^th (592); Buddy Windy Boy, 11^th (436)
Free Throw Percentage – Cameron Munoz, 4^th (84.1)
3-Point Field Goals – Cameron Munoz, 1^st (451); Buddy Windy Boy, 3^rd (305); Carlin Hughes, 11^th (128)
3-Point Field Goal Percentage – Cameron Munoz, 3^rd (43.3)
Blocked Shots – Buddy Windy Boy, 5^th (58); Jonathan Wiley, 9^th (39); Drew Arnold, 14^th (21)
Assists – Carlin Hughes, 7^th (405); Cameron Munoz, 13^th (233)
Assists Per Game – Carlin Hughes, 1^st (8.1)
Steals – Buddy Windy Boy, 4^th (120); Cameron Munoz, 11^th (88); Carlin Hughes, 12^th (85)