FAIRBANKS, Alaska -- The Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team concludes its four-game home stand this weekend, as they'll take on Northwest Indian College for a pair of contests at the Alaska Airlines Court. The Nanooks open the weekend with the Eagles on Friday, followed by a Saturday night matchup in Fairbanks. Both games are set for a 7 p.m. tipoff.
Alaska will seek to extend its best start under head coach Mick Durham against NWIC this weekend, as the Nanooks are 6-2 through eight games. Alaska will also look to push its home winning streak to five, as they are off to their best home start in 13 years.
Last Time Out
Senior Travante Williams and junior Bangaly Kaba both filled up the stat sheet on last Saturday afternoon against Central Washington, as their efforts helped the Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team earn an 82-71 Great Northwest Athletic Conference victory over the Wildcats at the Alaska Airlines Court.
Williams scored game-best 19 points, while Kaba tallied 17 points, as both players tied for the team-high in rebounds with seven apiece. The duo's contributions were not limited to the offensive side of the ball, as Williams stole a career-high seven steals and blocked a game-best four shots. Kaba was just as impressive on the defensive end, as he collected three steals and swatted two Central Washington shots.
Chasing 300 Wins
Head coach Mick Durham enters play this weekend with 298 career wins. If the head man picks up the weekend sweep of the Eagles, he will become just the third coach, and second NCAA Division II coach this season to surpass the 300th win plateau. Durham is in his 21st season with as a NCAA head coach. He spent the first 16 years at NCAA Division I Montana State, where he amassed 246 wins. Durham is now in his fifth season with the Nanooks, and has won 52 games in that span.
Stepping Out of Conference
After playing a pair of early December GNAC games, the Nanooks will return to the non-conference portion of its schedule this weekend. Alaska opened GNAC play last weekend and picked up a pair of wins over Northwest Nazarene and Central Washington. The 2-0 start marks the first time the Nanooks have opened conference play with a pair of wins since the 2004-05 season.
Bold in Gold
The Alaska Nanooks have yet to lose when wearing the gold uniforms this season. The Nanooks are a perfect 6-0 in contests played in those uniforms. Alaska has worn the gold unis in all four home games, along with the two contest at the Seawolf AT&T Jamboree in Anchorage, Alaska.
Home Cooking
The Nanooks are a perfect 4-0 this season at the Alaska Airlines Court this season. The start is the best for Alaska at home under head coach Mick Durham, and is the first time since the 2002-03 season the Nanooks have been undefeated at home after four games. The '02-'03 team opened the year with 11-straight home wins, which included a first-place finish in the Top of the World Classic.
Turning Over the Competition
A lot of the Nanooks 8-2 start can be attributed to their defense. Alaska leads the league in turnovers, as they are forcing teams to cough up the ball 18.4 times per game. Most of the turnovers have come in the way of steals, as Alaska has ranks seconds in the GNAC in steals per game with their 9.6 average. Senior Travante Williams is tied for second in the league in steals, as he is swiping the ball 3.3 times per game.
Instant Success
Senior Travante Williams and Bangaly Kaba have not wasted any time on becoming impact players for the Nanooks during their first year with the team. The duo are each 1-2 on the team in scoring and rebounding. Williams leads the team in scoring with his 18.0 points per game average – a mark that is the fifth best in the GNAC – and is second in rebounds with his 6.6 caroms per game. Meanwhile, Kaba is tops on the team with his 7.4 rebounds per game total. He is also second in points, by chipping in 13.5 per game.
Getting Them Involved
The return of senior guard Joe Slocum has paid dividends for the Nanooks through the first month and a half of the season. After redshirting last season, the All-GNAC preseason selection has controlled the Alaska offense and has dished out a team-best 4.3 assists per game. That mark is the seventh-highest per game average for assists in the GNAC. Slocum is coming off a seven-assist performance against Central Washington. It was the second time this season the San Francisco native has handed out seven helpers in one game.
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team, follow @NanooksMBB on Twitter.
