Following a 76-58 victory over Saint Mary’s on Tuesday night, the No. 25/21 Nevada Wolf Pack (8-1) completes its three-game homestand this weekend, playing host to Pacific (3-7) on Tuesday night at Lawlor Events Center. Saturday’s game will tip off at 7:05 p.m. Nevada rebounded from its first loss of the season with Tuesday’s victory over the Gaels, which marked the team’s 13th win in 14 home games. The Wolf Pack is ranked 25th and 21st in this week’s Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ polls, respectively, and won its first seven games to get off to the team’s best start in 55 seasons. Winners of eight of nine games this season, Nevada will next try to match the start of teams from last year and 1978-79, which won 10 of their first 11 contests. Following Saturday night’s game with Pacific which ends the team’s longest homestand of the year, the Wolf Pack will travel to Akron on Dec. 22 in a rematch of last year’s BracketBuster game. The team will then take five days off for the holidays before ending the non-conference slate with a home game against Maine on Dec. 28 and a trip to Seattle to take on 16th-ranked Gonzaga on Dec. 30 in the Battle in Seattle.
The three-time defending Western Athletic Conference champion Wolf Pack returns four starters from last year’s 27-6 team, including preseason All-American senior forward Nick Fazekas, senior guard Kyle Shiloh and junior guards Ramon Sessions and Marcelus Kemp. Under the direction of third-year head coach Mark Fox, the team also features four other returning letterwinners and six new faces (one redshirt freshman and five true freshmen). Nevada won its third straight WAC regular-season title last season and earned the team’s third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, garnering the league’s automatic NCAA bid after winning the 2006 WAC Tournament.
ABOUT THE PACIFIC TIGERS
Pacific has turned in a 3-7 record so far this season. The Tigers have lost their last four games, most recently dropping a 67-60 decision to Saint Louis on Dec. 12 in Stockton, Calif. Under the direction of 19th-year head coach Bob Thomason (313-228 record at Pacific), the Tigers returned two starters and eight letterwinners from last year’s 24-8 NCAA Tournament squad. Pacific won the Big West Conference title last year, turning in a 12-2 mark in league play.
Sophomore forward Anthony Brown (6-7, 225) is leading three Tigers in double figures for scoring at 16.2 points per game, while sophomore guard Steffan Johnson (6-1, 175) and freshman guard C.J. Morgan (6-0, 160) are adding 11.6 and 11.1 points per contest, respectively. Brown is also the squad’s leading rebounder, pulling down 7.6 boards per game this year. Morgan has knocked down a team-high 24 three-pointers, while Johnson is shooting 48.8 percent from three-point land (20-41).
IN THE SERIES
Saturday will mark the 92nd overall meeting on the hardwood between the Wolf Pack and Tigers with Pacific holding a 48-43 advantage in the all-time series. Nevada won the last meeting between the two teams, turning in a 77-70 come-from-behind victory at Pacific’s Spanos Center in Stockton on Dec. 3, 2005. Mo Charlo scored 16 of his 22 points in the second half and Nick Fazekas added 23 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks in last year’s victory, which snapped a 20-game losing streak for Nevada in Stockton. The Wolf Pack overcame a 39-30 halftime deficit in the tilt, which ended a grueling four-game road stretch that saw the team log over 10,000 frequent-flier miles in 11 days, including wins at Vermont, UNLV, Kansas and Pacific.
Prior to last season, the Tigers had won the last two meetings between the two teams and eight of the last 10, including a 72-69 victory on Dec. 11, 2004 at Lawlor Events Center. Nevada was a member of the Big West Conference from 1992-2000 and holds an 86-83 all-time record against the teams that currently make up the league. Earlier this season, Nevada turned in an 83-64 victory over Big West member UC Irvine on Nov. 21 in Reno.
IN THE RANKINGS
Nevada has been featured in the national top 25 in the majority of the preseason polls again this year, dropping to 25th in the Associated Press poll and 21st in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ rankings released on Dec. 11. The team had climbed as high as 20th (AP) and 19th (ESPN) in the Dec. 4 rankings.
The Wolf Pack appeared at 24th in the preseason Associated Press poll, released on Nov. 6, and checked in at 25th in the first ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ poll, released on Oct. 27. That marks the second consecutive season Nevada has been ranked in the preseason by both of the major polls after checking in at 22nd (AP) and 25th (coaches) prior to the 2005-06 season.
The Wolf Pack spent 11 weeks ranked in one of the two major national polls in 2005-06, climbing as high as 17th in the AP poll on Dec. 5 and as high as 21st in the coaches’ rankings four times during the year. The team ended up ranked 20th in the final Associated Press poll of the year.
In addition, Nevada has been picked to win the WAC and featured in the top 25 in the majority of the other preseason publications, including Lindy’s (19th), Street & Smith’s (20th), Sporting News (23rd), Collegehoopsnet.com (23rd) and CBS SportsLine (23rd).
WINNING AT LAWLOR
Including Tuesday’s 76-58 victory over Saint Mary’s, Nevada has now won 13 of its last 14 games at Lawlor Events Center. With its loss to UNLV on Dec. 9, the Wolf Pack saw its 12-game home winning streak dating back to last year come to an end, marking the team’s first home defeat since a 59-53 loss to Utah State on Jan. 23, 2006. The Wolf Pack has now turned in a 49-6 record at Lawlor Events Center since the start of the 2003-04 season (.891 winning percentage). In 2005-06, the Wolf Pack turned in a 17-1 record at Lawlor Events Center, setting the school record for home victories in a single season. That bested the 15 victories the team turned in during the 2003-04 season. The Wolf Pack also turned in the second-best home winning percentage in school history in 2005-06 (.944), second only to the perfect 15-0 record the team turned in during that 2003-04 campaign. The Wolf Pack has won 73.3 percent of its games at Lawlor Events Center since it opened in 1983-84 (252-92 all-time).
Nevada was listed as having the best home-court advantage in the WAC in this year’s Street & Smith’s Basketball Preview.
LAST TIME OUT
Senior Fazekas scored 19 points to become the first player in school history to top 2,000 career points as Nevada beat Saint Mary's 76-58 Tuesday night at Lawlor Events Center.
Junior Marcelus Kemp went 4-for-4 from three-point range and finished with 20 points for Nevada, which outscored St. Mary's 13-1 in the first four minutes of the second half to bounce back from a home loss to UNLV on Dec. 9. Diamon Simpson had 18 points and Brett Collins added 16 points and nine rebounds for the Gaels.
Nevada opened the second half with a 16-3 run, including two treys by Kemp, one by senior Denis Ikovlev and a three-point play by Fazekas for a 46-26 lead with 14:45 remaining.
Saint Mary's pulled to 48-35 on Wayne Hunter's basket off a rebound but Fazekas answered with an 18-footer. He pushed the lead to 55-38, scoring inside off a lob pass from Kemp for his 2,001st point at 8:50.
Ikovlev finished with 10 points and eight rebounds - both career highs - and senior Kyle Shiloh had nine points for Nevada, which shot 55 percent from the field. The Wolf Pack also hit 10-of-14 from three-point range (a season-high 71.4 percent) after making only 34 percent of their shots and one of 15 three-pointers against the Rebels.
The Wolf Pack scored eight unanswered points on back-to-back three-pointers by Shiloh and freshman JaVale McGee and a 12-foot jumper by Fazekas to take a 15-7 lead early.
Fueled by sophomore Lyndale Burleson's steals on three consecutive possessions, they went on a 12-2 run capped by Fazekas' 18-footer from the baseline to go ahead 30-16 with 3:43 left in the first half. But Saint Mary's closed the half with a 7-0 run, including Collins' 3-pointer at the buzzer to cut it to 30-23 at halftime.
WINNINGEST PLAYERS
With Tuesday’s win over Saint Mary’s, seniors Nick Fazekas and Kyle Shiloh tied Kevinn Pinkney (2002-05) as the winningest players in school history with 85 victories. Pinkney was a member of four squads that turned in an 85-43 record, including an NCAA Sweet Sixteen season in 2003-04 (25-9 record). Since starting their Wolf Pack careers in 2003-04, Fazekas and Shiloh have played on teams that have amassed an 85-23 mark so far, including the 25-7 NCAA squad in 2004-05 and a 27-6 NCAA team last season.
FABULOUS FAZEKAS
The 2005 and 2006 Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year, senior forward Nick Fazekas returns for his senior year poised to finish his career as one of the most decorated players in school history. He is the preseason favorite to win his third consecutive WAC Player-of-the-Year honor and could become just the second player in league history to be named the WAC Player of the Year three times in his career (Utah's Keith Van Horn is the other).
A preseason first-team All-American by Athlon and Street & Smith's and one of 50 players on the preseason watch lists for both John Wooden Award and the Naismith Trophy, Fazekas has moved into the top 10 in nearly every Nevada career statistical category. The honorable-mention 2006-07 preseason Associated Press All-American scored 20 points in a Nov. 18 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff to become Nevada’s all-time leading scorer. He broke Edgar Jones’ 27-year-old record (1,877 points, 1975-79) and now has 2,005 career points, which also ranks 10th on the WAC’s career scoring lists. Fazekas has already set Nevada's career record for blocked shots with 160, overtaking Jones who had 142 in his career, and ranks in the Wolf Pack career top five for rebounding (second-1,018), field goals made (second-729) and free throws made (second-451). With his five rebounds Tuesday vs. Saint Mary’s, he moved past Jones for second on the Nevada career rebounding list (1,016), while his 1,018 rebounds also rank 12th in the WAC career annals.
Fazekas has turned in double-doubles in seven of the first nine games of the 2006-07 season, including 16 points and 17 rebounds Dec. 9 vs. UNLV. He scored 29 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in just 21 minutes in the season opener against Alaska-Anchorage and then 19 points and matched his career bests with 18 rebounds Nov. 15 at Oregon State. He pulled down 17 rebounds to go along with his 20 points in just 21 minutes vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, added 29 points and 14 rebounds Nov. 21 vs. UC Irvine and had 28 points and 15 rebounds Nov. 25 at Santa Clara. He saw that streak of double-doubles come to an end Nov. 29 at Louisiana-Lafayette but turned in a team-best 21 points in the victory, while on Dec. 3 vs. California, he had 12 points and a game-high 16 rebounds despite battling a rib injury. Currently, Fazekas is second in the WAC in scoring at 21.4 points per game, just behind Utah State’s Jaycee Carroll (22.7 ppg). Fazekas leads the nation in rebounding (13.1 boards per game) and has the WAC’s third-best field goal percentage (58.5 percent, 76-130). In addition to leading the nation in rebounding, Fazekas also ranks 16th in scoring and 51st in field goal percentage.
Fazekas turned in one of the finest seasons in school history in 2005-06. A third-team 2006 AP All-America selection, he led the WAC and ranked 16th in the nation in scoring with 21.8 points per game after pacing the conference with 20.7 points per game in 2004-05. With 721 points on the year, he also broke the school single-season scoring record, passing Ken Green’s 697 points in 1982-83. Fazekas finished first on the squad, second in the conference and 15th in the NCAA in rebounding with 10.4 boards per contest. He was one of 21 players in NCAA Division I basketball to average a double-double on the year. He knocked down 52.9 percent of his field goal attempts (268-507), which was good for fourth in the WAC, and finished second in the league and 41st in the nation in free throw shooting at 84.6 percent (154-182). Fazekas added a team-best 49 blocked shots (third in the WAC at 1.48 per game).
In addition to winning the 2006 WAC Player of the Year Award and being named to the All-WAC first team, both for the second straight year, Fazekas was one of 22 finalists on the national ballot for the 2006 John R. Wooden Award and was a finalist for the Adolph Rupp Award. He was recognized on several All-America teams in addition to his AP honor and was named the 2006 United States Basketball Writers Association District VIII Player of the Year and earned National Association of Basketball Coaches All-District 13 first-team accolades.\
FAZEKAS NEARING SOME ELITE COMPANY
With 19 points Tuesday vs. Saint Mary’s, Wolf Pack career-leading scorer Nick Fazekas has become the first player in school history and just the 12th player in the history of the Western Athletic Conference to score 2,000 points. His 17 rebounds Dec. 9 vs. UNLV made the senior forward the third player in school history and the 12th WAC student-athlete to reach the 1,000-rebound plateau. Fazekas is also just the fifth player in the history of the conference to do both, joining Utah’s Keith Van Horn, Arizona’s Bob Elliott, Rice’s Michael Harris and Utah’s Josh Grant on that prestigious list.
According to research done by Jon Teitel of collegehoopsnet.com, Fazekas has a chance to become just the sixth player all time to score 2,000 points, pull down 1,000 rebounds and shoot 50 percent from the field and 80 percent from the line. Accomplishing that feat will put Fazekas in some very elite company, which includes Rick Barry, Larry Bird, Bill Bradley, Christian Laettner and Keith Van Horn.
GOOD STARTS
Nevada turned in a 7-0 record to start the 2006-07 season and opened the year with seven straight wins for just the second time in school history prior to its Dec. 9 loss to UNLV. That marked the team’s best start in 55 years, since 1951-52. That 1951-52 team turned in the best start in school history, winning its first 14 games en route to a 19-3 overall record.
With the team’s Nov. 18 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Nevada won its first three games for the third consecutive season. The Wolf Pack won its first three games in 2004-05, while last year, the team started the season with six consecutive victories and won 10 of its first 11 tilts.
The 6-0 starts by this and last year’s squads also mark the first time in school history that Nevada has opened the year with six straight wins in back-to-back seasons.
Winners of eight of its first nine games, Nevada looks to join last year’s team and the 1978-79 squad in winning 10 of its first 11 games. The 1978-79 Nevada team won 10 of its first 11 games, opening the year with a victory followed by a loss before reeling off victories in its next nine contests, while the Wolf Pack’s only loss in its first 11 games last year was a 67-56 defeat by NCAA runner-up UCLA in the Dec. 10 Wooden Classic in Anaheim, Calif.
WOLF PACK SHOOTING THE BALL WELL
The Wolf Pack has shot the ball well from the field so far this year. After turning in season lows in both field goal (34.7 percent) and three-point percentage (6.7 percent) on Dec. 9 against UNLV, Nevada followed with its best shooting efforts of the year Tuesday vs. Saint Mary’s, knocking down 54.9 percent from the field and 71.4 percent from three-point land (10-14), both season highs.
Nevada ranks among the national and WAC leaders in field goal, free throw and three-point percentage. The Wolf Pack leads the league and ranks 23rd in the NCAA in three-point percentage (44.4 percent, 67-151) and ranks third in the WAC and 29th in the nation in free throw percentage (73.1 percent). The team also is third in the WAC and 52nd in the country in field goal percentage (48.9 percent). Last year, Nevada shot 45.6 percent from the field and 36.0 percent from three-point land and made 71.4 percent of its attempts from the charity stripe.
Nevada has shot 50 percent or better in five of its nine games this year, including a season-high 51.8 percentage Nov. 18 vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The team has made at least seven three-pointers in all but three games so far this year. The Wolf Pack knocked down a season-high 11 treys Nov. 21 vs. UC Irvine (11-19) and turned in a season-best 71.4 effort from beyond the arc Tuesday vs. Saint Mary’s (10-14).
DISHING IT OUT
The Wolf Pack is second in the WAC and ranked 44th in the NCAA in assists so far this season and has three players ranked in the top eight in the league in the category. Nevada is averaging 17.0 assists per game and turned in a season-best 24 assists in the Nov. 10 season opener vs. Alaska-Anchorage.
With 40 assists so far this year, junior Ramon Sessions is ranked third in the WAC with 4.44 assists per game. Sessions turned in a season-high seven assists in the Nov. 21 victory over UC Irvine and matched that with seven (and no turnovers) Nov. 29 at Louisiana-Lafayette. He has also had at least five assists in three other contests so far this year. Sophomore Lyndale Burleson is second on the team and seventh in the WAC at 3.33 assists per contest, while senior Kyle Shiloh trails just behind at 3.0 per game, good for a tie eighth in the league.
On the preseason watch list for the Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award, Sessions has moved into seventh place in the Nevada career record books with 359 assists in just 72 career games (5.0 assists per game). Sessions has led the team in assists in each of his seasons at Nevada, setting both the school’s freshman (166) and sophomore (153) marks for assists. Last year, he ranked second in the WAC with 4.9 assists per game.
All three players are also ranked in the top four in the WAC in assist-to-turnover ratio. Sessions is leading the WAC at 2.86 (40 assists with just 14 turnovers), while Burleson is second (2.31) and Shiloh is sixth (1.59). As a team, Nevada has a league-best 1.14 assist-to-turnover ratio (153 assists to 134 turnovers).
KEMP ON A ROLL
Marcelus Kemp is a great shooter who can get on a roll, and that is just what the junior guard has done so far this season. Kemp has made 50.0 percent of his three-point attempts this season (25-50), good for second in the WAC statistics in percentage (T44th in the NCAA) and first in three-point field goals made (2.78). He tied his career best with five three-pointers made in each of Nevada’s first two victories and made all four of his long-range attempts Tuesday vs. Saint Mary’s. He is second on the team and tied for third in the WAC in scoring at 17.9 points per game, turning in a season-high 29 points, including 5-of-6 three-pointers, Nov. 15 at Oregon State. Kemp added 23 points on 9-of-18 shooting with two three-pointers in the Nov. 21 victory over UC Irvine and had 20 on Dec. 3 vs. Cal and Tuesday vs. Saint Mary’s.
Last season, Kemp finished second on the team and 11th in the WAC with 15.0 points per contest. He led the team with 52 treys made and shot 35.9 percent from beyond the arc.
TOUGH DEFENSE
So far this season, Nevada is holding its opponents to just 63.0 points and 28.7 rebounds per game, including a season-low 45 points and 24 rebounds Nov. 15 by Oregon State. That marked the fewest points since the Wolf Pack held Idaho to just 44 in a 70-44 victory on Jan. 12, 2006, while Nevada has won 43 of its last 45 games when holding its opponent to 60 points or less, including a 13-1 record last season and a 2-1 mark this year.
Nevada ranks second in the league in scoring and rebounding defense this year. The squad is also allowing teams to shoot just 39.6 percent from the field and 28.0 percent from three-point land, marks which both rank second in the WAC. Oregon State made just 29.0 percent of its attempts and 14.3 percent of its three-point attempts on Nov. 15, while Santa Clara knocked down just 14.3 percent of its attempts from beyond the arc (2-14) on Nov. 25.
The Wolf Pack led the WAC in field goal percentage defense and three-point field goal percentage defense, ranked second in scoring defense and ended up third in rebounding defense in 2005-06. Nevada held teams to just 63.7 points per game, including a season-low 44 Jan. 12 by Idaho, and 34.1 rebounds per contest. The Wolf Pack allowed teams to shoot just 30.4 percent from beyond the arc and 40.1 percent from the field. The team also ranked 28th in the nation in field goal percentage defense. Nevada held 20 of its 33 opponents under 40 percent from the field in 2005-06, including a season-low 29.6 percent Jan. 12 by Idaho.
NEWS AND NOTES
- Senior Denis Ikovlev turned in career bests for scoring and rebounding with 10 points and eight rebounds in Tuesday’s victory over Saint Mary’s. He also matched his career best with a pair of three-pointers made in the victory. Ikovlev has started each of the first eight games of this year (his first career starts) and is averaging 6.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per contest (up from averages of 1.8 points and 1.0 rebounds per game last year). He turned in a then career-best nine points and five rebounds Nov. 10 against Alaska-Anchorage, while Nov. 29 vs. Louisiana-Lafayette, he matched that with nine points and pulled down a team-high seven rebounds. Ikovlev has also made a three-pointer in seven of the first nine games this year.
- Nevada has held its last two opponents (UNLV and St. Mary’s) to 58 points, the second-lowest totals by a Wolf Pack opponent this year. Nevada had given up 74.4 points per game in the three contests prior to UNLV after allowing its first four opponents to score just 59.0 points per game.
- Over the last four-plus seasons, Nevada has turned in a 104-37 overall mark (.738), which is the most wins and is the second-best winning percentage of any WAC team during that time (second only to Utah State’s 103-31 record, .767). In conference games, the Wolf Pack has won 53 games, which is the most among league schools in that same time period. The next closest team is Fresno State, which has won 40 league contests.
- After averaging 4.7 points per game last season, junior Ramon Sessions is turning in an average of 12.2 points per contest this year, which ranks 12th in the WAC. He turned in 16 points in the Nov. 25 victory at Santa Clara and scored a season-high 19 Dec. 3 vs. Cal (12 in the second half). Dec. 9 vs. UNLV, he tied with senior Nick Fazekas for the team scoring lead, scoring all 16 of his points in the second half. Sessions is also shooting 50.0 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from three-point land (5-10) this season after turning in a 35.9 percent effort from the field and not making any treys one year ago (0-3).
- Sessions suffered a thigh contussion in a scramble for a loose ball with 15:52 to play Tuesday against Saint Mary’s and may miss Saturday’s game. Sessions played in 31 games last season, missing a pair of games due to a hip injury. He has started all but three of the 72 career games he has played in during his three years at Nevada.
- Sessions is third in the WAC in free throw percentage, knocking down 84.1 percent of his attempts from the charity stripe this season (37-44), including all six of his attempts Nov. 29 at Louisiana-Lafayette and 8-of-9 Dec. 3 vs. Cal. He shot just 56.8 percent from the free throw line last year (25-44). Senior Nick Fazekas ranks second in the WAC at 84.6 percent (33-39).
- The Wolf Pack is scoring 76.8 points per game, including a season-high 86 points Nov. 29 at Louisiana-Lafayette. The team is outscoring its opponents by an average of 13.8 points per game and ranks second in the WAC in both scoring offense and margin.
- Nevada is outrebounding its opponents by a WAC-best average of 10.4 boards per contest, including a 54-24 advantage over Oregon State on Nov. 15. Led by the nation’s rebounding leader, senior Nick Fazekas (13.1 rpg), Nevada ranks in the top five in the WAC in all five rebounding categories so far this season: offense (3rd-39.1 rpg), defense (2nd-28.7), margin (1st-10.4), offensive (T4th-12.00) and defensive rebounds (2nd-27.11).
- The Wolf Pack has won 22 of its last 24 contests, dating back to an 82-79 victory at Boise State on Jan. 26, 2006. The team has lost back-to-back games just five times since the start of 2003-04 season.
- The Wolf Pack’s 2006-07 schedule features 16 home games and contests with four schools that received NCAA Tournament bids one year ago (Cal, Pacific, Gonzaga and Utah State). The team will play in three special events this year: the Dec. 3 Pete Newell Challenge vs. California, the Battle in Seattle vs. Gonzaga on Dec. 30 and the ESPN BracketBusters on Feb. 17.
- Senior Kyle Shiloh is leading the team and tied for fifth in the WAC with an average of 1.56 steals per game so far this year. He had a season-best four steals in the season opener vs. Alaska-Anchorage and matched that Nov. 18 vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff. With 101 career steals, he needs just two more to enter the Wolf Pack career top 10.
- Senior Nick Fazekas and freshman JaVale McGee are both ranked in the top 10 in the WAC in blocked shots. Nevada’s career leader in the category with 160, Fazekas is tied for second in the WAC at 1.78 blocks per game. He tied his career best with four blocks on Tuesday night vs. Saint Mary’s. McGee ranks seventh in the league at 1.22 swats per game with a career-best three Nov. 18 vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
- Third-year head coach Mark Fox won his 60th career game on Tuesday vs. Saint Mary’s. Fox is the first coach in school history to lead his squad to back-to-back 20-win seasons and holds a 60-14 career record in his three seasons at the helm of the Wolf Pack program (.811). Fox has been named the Don Haskins WAC Coach of the Year in each of his first two seasons as Nevada’s head coach.
UP NEXT
Following Saturday’s game with Pacific, the Wolf Pack takes five days off to finish its final exams. The team returns to the road on Friday, Dec. 22, traveling to Akron in a rematch of last year’s BracketBuster game. Nevada will return to Lawlor Events Center for a contest with Maine on Thursday, Dec. 28 and then wraps up the non-conference slate vs. Gonzaga in the Battle in Seattle on Saturday, Dec. 30 at Key Arena.
