Sac State coach seeks way to stop Spartans' Kinney

NCAA rules prevent basketball coaches from live scouting. That meant Sacramento State men's coach Brian Katz was unable to make the short drive west Wednesday night to catch the UC Davis Aggies host the San Jose State Spartans – the Hornets' opponent Saturday in San Jose.

But Katz figures repeatedly watching video of Spartans guard James Kinney might be scarier than seeing him in person.

"I'll look at the game on the computer, but I'd rather do both," Katz said. "Of all the guys I've seen so far this season, (Kinney) is by far the best scorer. He makes tough shots."

Kinney led all scorers with 27 points in San Jose State's 74-64 win, increasing his average to 23.4 points, fourth-best in the NCAA entering Thursday's games. Kinney can score beyond the three-point line, make medium-range jumpers and slash to the basket.

Katz said he will throw a variety of players at Kinney in an attempt to keep him from getting comfortable and catching fire. That means a flurry of guards and maybe some bigger bodies.

At 5-2, the Hornets are tied for the best start in school history through seven games. With Big Sky Conference play starting Dec. 19, Sac State has the most victories of any team in the league.

For the first time since the 2005-2006 season, the Hornets received a vote in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll, whose voting panel is chaired by former coach and ESPN analyst Seth Greenberg. Gonzaga (8-0) is No. 1, with Utah State (4-1) and Cal State Northridge (6-2) of the Big West Conference at No. 17 and No. 24, respectively.

"(Getting a vote) is really good for our kids," Katz said. "People are noticing, and it's nice when you see teams like Gonzaga on that list. It's like, 'Wow!' It's just really good for the kids."

Ejection seat – Katz's first-half ejection in last week's 90-70 loss at Arizona State was the first of his 37 years coaching, he said.

"Five technicals in 37 years and only one ejection," said Katz, who was careful not to discuss his real feelings so he wouldn't face a fine from the NCAA.

Fipps leads the way – Sydnee Fipps, a sophomore forward for the UC Davis women's basketball team, was 25th nationally in scoring (20.2 per game) and second in the Big West entering Thursday's games.

The Aggies, who had 11 steals against No. 1 Stanford, are averaging 14.8, fifth in the nation. Fipps and Blair Shinoda are tied for third in the Big West, averaging 2.6 each.

Parrish the thought – Se'nyce Parrish scored a career-high 39 points and Kylie Kuhns had 20 rebounds in the Sac State women's 80-71 overtime victory over Oregon State on Saturday in a non-conference game in Corvallis.

Parrish shot 72.2 percent overall and 69.2 percent from beyond the three-point line against the Beavers. Parrish's previous career-scoring best was 15 points against Cal State Fullerton earlier this season.

Order Reprint