2005-06: Derek Wabbington will be one of the leaders for the Cowboys in his senior season. Wabbington is coming off a strong season in 2004-05 -- his first at the NCAA Division I level. He is primarily a post player, but can also play the power forward spot. Wabbington will team with fellow senior Justin Williams to give the Cowboys a pair of very athletic frontline players who can run the floor exceptionally well. The two are also interchangeable in that they can both play either the four or five position. With his size and athletic ability, Wabbington can cause matchup problems for taller, less athletic players; as well as smaller, less physical opponents. 2004-05: Wabbington started eight of the 27 games he played in the 2004-05 season. He was sixth on the team in scoring (6.3 ppg), and was fifth in rebounding (3.6 rpg). He missed one game versus Indiana-Purdue at Fort Wayne due to a bruised shoulder suffered in practice on Jan. 9, 2005, but he returned to play 19 minutes vs. Utah in the very next game on Jan. 15. Six times during the season, he scored in double figures. The Phoenix, Ariz., native scored a career best 15 points against the Arizona Wildcats. He scored 12 points on three occasions -- versus Texas Arlington, the University of San Diego and BYU. Wabbington had 11 points against Kansas State, and scored 10 against SDSU. Wabbington grabbed a career high seven rebounds on two occasions -- against San Diego and New Mexico. Junior College: Wabbington started 28 of 31 games his sophomore season of 2003-04. He helped lead Northeastern Junior College to a 22-11 overall record, 14-6 in conference play. Wabbington averaged 8.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game his sophomore season. NJC advanced to the semifinals of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region IX Tournament. In the quarterfinal game of the Region IX Tournament, Wabbington enjoyed one of his best games of the season, scoring 25 points and grabbing 15 rebounds against Western Wyoming. He hit 12 of 14 field goal attempts in 30 minutes of play. Entering the 2003-04 season, Street & Smith's College Basketball Preview magazine ranked NJC No. 11 in the country. As a freshman, Wabbington averaged 10 points and six rebounds per game while starting 26 of 31 games. He shot 45.5 percent from the field and converted 63.0 percent of his free-throw attempts. NJC posted a record of 17-14 during Wabbington's freshman season. He posted season bests of 19 points and 18 rebounds. His best games came against: North Platte Community College (19 points and 10 rebounds); Laramie County Community College (15 points and 18 rebounds); and Casper College (12 points and 16 rebounds). He was coached at NJC by Brian Joyce. High School/Personal: Wabbington played his high school basketball at Washington High School in Phoenix, Ariz., where he was coached by Vic Johnson. He earned First Team All-Region honors, and was an Honorable Mention All-State honoree. Wabbington averaged 15 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and two blocks per game as a high-school senior. Wabbington is left-handed. Born Feb. 17, 1983, he is the son of Judy Wabbington. He is majoring in social science. He was also recruited by Arizona State, Creighton, Gonzaga, Iowa State, Nebraska, and UNLV. |
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