Not One-Dimensional: Cooper & Wolters Could Lead League in Scoring & Assists
November 6th, 2012 - 7:07
If they pace their respective conferences in scoring and assists, Ohio University's D.J. Cooper (Mid-American) and South Dakota State's Nate Wolters (Summit League) are among the striking number of mid-major players who could become All-Americans this season by guiding their schools back to the NCAA playoffs. Wolters became SDSU's all-time leading scorer in mid-season and Cooper became the first player in NCAA history to amass 2,000 points, 900 assists, 600 rebounds and 300 steals.
Finishing atop a league in scoring and assists has happened more often than one might think at first glance. Louisiana State's Pete Maravich, the NCAA's all-time leading scorer when he averaged more than 43 points per contest each of three years, also paced the SEC in assists with 6.3 per game as a senior in 1969-70. Houston's Rob Williams was a sophomore in 1980-81 when he topped the SWC in both scoring (25 ppg) and assists (4.9 apg).
Loyola Marymount's Keith Smith (West Coast in 1984-85 and 1985-86) and Marquette's Travis Diener (Conference USA in 2003-04 and 2004-05) twice achieved the feat. Premium NBA playmakers John Stockton (Gonzaga) and Steve Nash (Santa Clara) were among four different WCC players in this category in a 12-year span from 1984 through 1995.
Baylor's Pierre Jackson (Big 12) could become the first player to pace a power six league in scoring and assists in the same campaign since Arizona's Jason Terry in 1998-99. Following is a chronological list of guards who led a major conference in scoring average and assists in the same season since assists became an official NCAA statistic in 1983-84:
| Season | Scoring/Assists Leader | School | PPG | APG | Conference (Finish) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983-84 | John Stockton | Gonzaga | 20.9 | 7.1 | West Coast (T4th) |
| 1984-85 | Keith Smith | Loyola Marymount | 25.1 | 5.6 | West Coast (T6th) |
| 1985-86 | Keith Smith | Loyola Marymount | 21.0 | 7.0 | West Coast (2nd) |
| 1987-88 | Vernell "Bimbo" Coles | Virginia Tech | 24.2 | 5.9 | Metro (T3rd) |
| 1987-88 | Ken "Mouse" McFadden | Cleveland State | 20.5 | 5.9 | Mid-Continent (2nd) |
| 1988-89 | Anthony Manuel | Bradley | 21.1 | 8.0 | Missouri Valley (4th) |
| 1989-90 | Gary Payton | Oregon State | 25.7 | 8.1 | Pacific-10 (T1st) |
| 1990-91 | Terrell Lowery | Loyola Marymount | 28.5 | 9.1 | West Coast (2nd) |
| 1992-93 | Curt Smith | Drake | 21.1 | 4.6 | Missouri Valley (5th) |
| 1994-95 | Steve Nash | Santa Clara | 20.9 | 6.4 | West Coast (1st) |
| 1994-95 | Damon Stoudamire | Arizona | 22.8 | 7.3 | Pacific-10 (2nd) |
| 1995-96 | Ira Bowman | Pennsylvania | 16.4 | 5.3 | Ivy League (T1st) |
| 1996-97 | Antonio Daniels | Bowling Green | 23.5 | 6.7 | Mid-American (T1st) |
| 1996-97 | Andre Woolridge | Iowa | 20.2 | 6.0 | Big Ten (T2nd) |
| 1997-98 | Charles Jones | Long Island | 29.0 | 7.4 | Northeast (1st) |
| 1998-99 | George "Gee" Gervin Jr. | Houston | 20.6 | 3.9 | C-USA (6th/N) |
| 1998-99 | Shawnta Rogers | George Washington | 20.7 | 8.0 | Atlantic 10 (1st/W) |
| 1998-99 | Jason Terry | Arizona | 21.9 | 5.5 | Pacific-10 (2nd) |
| 1999-2000 | Detric Golden | Troy State | 17.6 | 5.9 | Trans America (T1st) |
| 1999-2000 | Rashad Phillips | Detroit | 23.0 | 5.3 | Midwestern Collegiate (3rd) |
| 2002-03 | Marques Green | St. Bonaventure | 21.3 | 8.0 | Atlantic 10 (6th/E) |
| 2003-04 | Travis Diener | Marquette | 18.8 | 6.0 | C-USA (8th) |
| 2003-04 | Marquis Poole | Idaho State | 19.0 | 6.0 | Big Sky (T2nd) |
| 2004-05 | Travis Diener | Marquette | 19.7 | 7.0 | C-USA (9th) |
| 2005-06 | Jose Juan Barea | Northeastern | 21.0 | 8.4 | Colonial Athletic (5th) |
| 2008-09 | Stephen Curry | Davidson | 28.6 | 5.6 | Southern (1st/S) |
| 2008-09 | Brandon Ewing | Wyoming | 18.5 | 5.0 | Mountain West (6th) |
| 2008-09 | Eric Maynor | Virginia Commonwealth | 22.4 | 6.2 | Colonial Athletic (2nd) |