University of Nevada Athletics

No. 25/20 NEVADA WOLF PACK (9-1) vs. AKRON ZIPS (6-2)

GAME NO. 11
Fri., Dec. 22, 2006 - 7:05 p.m. ET (4:05 p.m. PT) w Rhodes Arena (5,500) w Akron, Ohio

TELEVISION: KAME-TV 21 (Rich Cellini & Dave Bollwinkel)
RADIO:  Wolf Pack Sports Network (ESPN Radio 630 AM, Reno)
 Don Marchand (play-by-play)
 Pregame, 6:35 p.m. ET (3:35 p.m. PT)
SERIES HISTORY: Nevada leads the series 1-0.
LAST MEETING: Nevada won the only previous meeting between the two teams, turning in an 88-61 victory on Feb. 17, 2006 in Reno in last year’s BracketBuster.

Coming off a 60-53 victory over Pacific on Saturday night, the No. 25/20 Nevada Wolf Pack (9-1)  returns to the road this week, traveling to Akron, Ohio, to take on the Akron Zips (6-2) on Friday, Dec. 22 in a rematch of last year’s BracketBuster game in Reno. Friday’s game will tip off at 7:05 p.m. Eastern Time (4:05 p.m. Pacific) and will be televised locally by KAME-TV 21. Nevada has won its last two games and brings an eight-game road winning streak into Friday’s game with the Zips. The Wolf Pack is ranked 25th and 20th 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 nine of 10 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 the contest with the Zips, Nevada 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 AKRON ZIPS
Akron has turned in a 6-2 record so far this season. The Zips had their six-game winning streak snapped in an 86-80 loss at Illinois-Chicago on Dec. 16 and will take on St. Francis (Pa.) on Tuesday, Dec. 19 before playing host to the Wolf Pack on Friday. Akron has won its last 20 games at Rhodes Arena, the fourth-longest home winning streak in the nation. Under the direction of third-year head coach Keith Dambrot (48-22 record at Akron), the Zips returned four starters and nine letterwinners from last year’s 23-10 team. Akron finished second in the East Division of the Mid-American Conference last season, turning in a 14-4 league mark.

Senior forward Romeo Travis (6-7, 220) is leading four Zips in double figures for scoring at 15.3 points per game. Junior forward Jeremiah Wood (6-6, 245) is averaging 11.0 points per contest, while junior guard Nick Dials (6-1, 175) and junior guard Cedrick Middleton (6-0, 185) are adding 10.6 and 10.5 points per game, respectively. Wood, who missed the UIC game with a hip injury, is also the team’s leading rebounder at 7.4 boards per game, while Travis is pulling down 5.3 rebounds per game. As a team, Akron is averaging 79.8 points per game and shooting 51.2 percent from the field. The team has also made 40.3 percent of its three-point attempts, led by Middleton who has made 45.7 percent of his attempts (16-35).

IN THE SERIES
Friday will mark the second meeting between Akron and Nevada. The Wolf Pack won the first meeting between the two teams, turning in an 88-61 win over the Zips on Feb. 17, 2006 in Reno in last year’s BracketBuster. Nick Fazekas had 24 points and 14 rebounds and Kyle Shiloh scored a career-best 22 points on 6-of-8 three-point shooting in last year’s win. The Wolf Pack shot 53 percent from the field, including a season-high 63.2 percent from three-point land (12-19), in the victory, which gave Nevada its third consecutive 20-win season. Nevada also holds a 3-1 all-time record against teams from the Mid-American Conference.

ROAD WARRIORS
Including a 3-0 record this year, Nevada has won its last eight regular-season road games. The team downed Oregon State 75-47 on Nov. 15 in Corvallis, Ore., edged Santa Clara 78-70 on Nov. 25, snapping an eight-game losing streak in the Broncos’ home gym and most recently, beat Louisiana-Lafayette 86-74 Nov. 29 in the Cajundome. The team also won its first neutral-site game of the season, downing California 77-71 on Dec. 3 in the Pete Newell Challenge.  The Wolf Pack has tallied a 24-5 record in road contests in the last three seasons (since the start of the 2004-05 season), including a 10-3 record on the road last season (6-2 WAC mark). Sunday’s game against Cal in the Pete Newell Challenge ended a stretch of four of seven games away from Lawlor Events Center to start the year. That stretch included road games at Oregon State (Nov. 15), Santa Clara (Nov. 25) and Louisiana-Lafayette (Nov. 29) and the neutral-site contest against the Golden Bears.
 Last year, Nevada opened the year with five of its first six games away from the friendly confines of the Lawlor Events Center (four road wins and a loss on a neutral floor vs. NCAA runner-up UCLA) and saw streaks of 14 straight road wins and 10 consecutive WAC road victories, which dated back to the 2004-05 season, come to an end.

IN THE RANKINGS
Nevada has been featured in the national top 25 in the majority of the preseason polls again this year, checking in at 25th in the Associated Press poll and 20th in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ rankings released on Dec. 18. 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).

LAST TIME OUT
Junior Marcelus Kemp scored 19 points on 4-of-8 shooting from three-point range and senior Nick Fazekas added 13 points and 10 rebounds to lead No. 25/21 Nevada past Pacific 60-53 on Saturday night at Lawlor Events Center.
 Senior Kyle Shiloh had 11 points and junior Ramon Sessions 11 points and eight assists for the Wolf Pack, who opened the second half with an 18-2 run while holding Pacific scoreless over a four-minute stretch.

Steffan Johnson scored 13 points and Solomon HorseChief and Anthony Brown had 10 each for the Tigers.

Nevada shot only 33 percent the first half - 1-of-7 three-pointers - but was 7-of-14 from behind the arc in the second half while shooting 50 percent from the field.

The Wolf Pack trailed 29-22 but opened the second half with the 18-2 run, including two three-pointers each by Kemp and Shiloh and one by Fazekas, to take a 40-31 lead with 14:27 remaining.

Wolfgang Rafferty and Michael White made a pair of three-point goals to cut it to 40-37, but Kemp hit another trey and Fazekas scored inside to make it 51-41 at 7:49.

Pacific followed with a 7-0 run, including Anthony Esparza's 3-pointer and White's breakaway layup to pull to 51-48 with 4:28 left. But Fazekas scored inside off a pass from Sessions and Kemp made his fourth 3-pointer to make it 56-48 at 3:16.

Johnson followed Esparza's two free throws with a 12-footer to cut it to 56-53 at 1:07. But Sessions hit senior Denis Ikovlev with a pass inside for a basket and converted both ends of a one-and-one with 12 seconds left to secure the victory over the Tigers.

Nevada led 6-0 but HorseChief scored 10 points on a 12-2 run, including two 3-pointers, to put Pacific ahead 20-14 with 8:49 left in the half. Nevada answered with an 8-2 run to tie it 22-22 on freshman JaVale McGee's baseline jumper at 2:14, but Brown made a pair of free throws and Johnson hit a bank shot just before the half to give Pacific the lead 26-22.

Casey Neimeyer made a hook in the land on the first possession of the second half, was fouled and made the free throw to give Pacific its biggest lead, 29-22. But Shiloh, Kemp and Fazekas made consecutive treys to start the 18-2 run that put the Pack ahead for good.

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 2,018 career points, which also ranks ninth on the WAC’s career scoring lists. Fazekas has already set Nevada's career record for blocked shots with 163, overtaking Jones who had 142 in his career, and ranks in the Wolf Pack career top five for rebounding (second-1,028), field goals made (second-735) and free throws made (second-451). With his five rebounds Dec. 12 vs. Saint Mary’s, he moved past Jones for second on the Nevada career rebounding list, while his 1,028 rebounds also rank 11th in the WAC career annals.

Fazekas has turned in double-doubles in eight of the first 10 games of the 2006-07 season, most recently adding 13 points and 10 rebounds Saturday vs. Pacific. 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 his season-opening streak of five double-doubles come to an end Nov. 29 at Louisiana-Lafayette but turned in a team-best 21 points in the victory. On Dec. 3 vs. California, he had 12 points and a game-high 16 rebounds despite battling a rib injury, while he added 16 points and 17 rebounds Dec. 9 vs. UNLV.

Currently, Fazekas is second in the WAC in scoring at 20.6 points per game, just behind Utah State’s Jaycee Carroll (22.0 ppg). Fazekas leads the nation in rebounding (12.8 boards per game) and has the WAC’s third-best field goal percentage (57.7 percent, 82-142). In addition to leading the nation in rebounding, Fazekas also ranks 22nd in scoring and 53rd 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 last 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.

WINNINGEST PLAYERS
With Saturday’s win over Pacific, seniors Nick Fazekas and Kyle Shiloh became the winningest players in school history with 86 career victories, passing Kevinn Pinkney (2002-05) for the distinction. 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. 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).

FAZEKAS JOINS SOME ELITE COMPANY
With 19 points Dec. 12 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 just the fifth player in the history of the conference to turn in both 2,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds, 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 nine of its first 10 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 Dec. 12 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 sixth in the NCAA in three-point percentage (43.6 percent, 75-172) and ranks third in the WAC and 46th in the nation in free throw percentage (73.2 percent). The team also is third in the WAC and 57th in the country in field goal percentage (48.1 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 10 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 10 in the league in the category. Nevada is averaging 16.8 assists per game and turned in a season-best 24 assists in the Nov. 10 season opener vs. Alaska-Anchorage.

With 48 assists so far this year, junior Ramon Sessions is ranked third in the WAC with 4.80 assists per game. Sessions turned in a season-high eight assists in Saturday’s win over Pacific. He had seven assists in the Nov. 21 victory over UC Irvine and matched that with seven (and no turnovers) Nov. 29 at Louisiana-Lafayette. Sessions has also dished out 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 3.10 assists per contest, while senior Kyle Shiloh trails just behind at 2.9 per game, good for 10th 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 367 assists in just 73 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.

Sessions and Burleson are also ranked in the top four in the WAC in assist-to-turnover ratio. Sessions is leading the WAC at 2.53 (48 assists with just 19 turnovers), while Burleson is second (2.21). As a team, Nevada has a league-best 1.15 assist-to-turnover ratio (168 assists to 146 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 (29-58), good for second in the WAC statistics in percentage and 18th in the NCAA, and is first in the league in three-point field goals made (2.90, 54th in the nation). 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 Dec. 12 vs. Saint Mary’s. He is second on the team and third in the WAC in scoring at 18.0 points per game and ranks sixth in the WAC in field goal percentage at 46.0 percent. Kemp turned in a season-high 29 points, including 5-of-6 three-pointers, Nov. 15  at Oregon State. He 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 Dec. 12 vs. Saint Mary’s. He also led the team with 19 points Saturday vs. Pacific, knocking down 4-of-8 attempts from beyond the arc.

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 62.0 points and 29.2 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 44 of its last 46 games when holding its opponent to 60 points or less, including a 13-1 record last season and a 3-1 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 39.1 percent from the field and 28.5 percent from three-point land, marks which both rank second in the WAC. Nevada is also ranked 42nd in the nation in field goal percentage defense. 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.

WINNING AT LAWLOR
Including Saturday’s 60-53 victory over Pacific, Nevada has now won 14 of its last 15 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 50-6 record at Lawlor Events Center since the start of the 2003-04 season (.893 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 (253-92 all-time).

Nevada was listed as having the best home-court advantage in the WAC in this year’s Street & Smith’s Basketball Preview.

NEWS AND NOTES

- Nevada has held its last three opponents to just 56.3 points per game and 34.9 percent shooting (61-175). The team's last three opponents have also shot just 25.0 percent from three-point land (13-52). The Wolf Pack held Pacific to just 53 points on Saturday, the second-lowest total by a Wolf Pack opponent this year.

- Over the last four-plus seasons, Nevada has turned in a 105-37 overall mark (.739), 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 103-32 record, .763). 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 12.1 points per contest this year, which is tied for 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 49.4 percent from the field and 45.5 percent from three-point land (5-11) this season after turning in a 35.9 percent effort from the field and not making any treys one year ago (0-3).

- Sessions is fourth in the WAC in free throw percentage, knocking down 83.3 percent of his attempts from the charity stripe this season (40-48), 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 third in the WAC at 84.6 percent (33-39).

- The Wolf Pack is scoring 75.1 points per game, including a season-high 86 points Nov. 29 at Louisiana-Lafayette. The team is outscoring its opponents by an average of 13.1 points per game and ranks second in the WAC in scoring margin and fourth in scoring offense.

- Nevada is outrebounding its opponents by a WAC-best average of 9.6 boards per contest, including a 54-24 advantage over Oregon State on Nov. 15., and ranks 16th in the NCAA in rebound margin. Led by the nation’s rebounding leader, senior Nick Fazekas (12.8 rpg), Nevada ranks in the top five in the WAC in all five rebounding categories so far this season: offense (2nd-38.8 rpg), defense (2nd-29.2), margin (1st-9.6), offensive (5th-11.60) and defensive rebounds (2nd-27.2S0).

- The Wolf Pack has won 23 of its last 25 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.

- With three steals Saturday vs. Pacific, senior Kyle Shiloh has moved into 10th on the Wolf Pack career list with 104 steals. He is leading the team and third in the WAC with an average of 1.70 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.

- 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 163, Fazekas is second in the WAC at 1.90 blocks per game. He tied his career best with four blocks on Dec. 12 vs. Saint Mary’s and has averaged 2.8 blocks per game in the last four contests. McGee ranks seventh in the league at 1.30 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 Dec. 12 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 61-14 career record in his three seasons at the helm of the Wolf Pack program (.813). Fox has been named the Don Haskins WAC Coach of the Year in each of his first two seasons as Nevada’s head coach.

- Senior Denis Ikovlev turned in career bests for scoring and rebounding with 10 points and eight rebounds in the Dec. 12 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 nine games of this year (his first career starts) and is averaging 5.8 points and 4.4 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 10 games this year.

- The Dec. 3 game against Cal in the Pete Newell Challenge marked the second consecutive year that Nevada has played in a prestigious event named after one of the legends of college basketball. Last year, Nevada took on eventual national runner-up UCLA in the Wooden Classic. The then 16th-ranked Bruins handed the Wolf Pack its first loss of the season in the form of a 67-56 decision on Dec. 10, 2005 at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, Calif.

- Five Nevada players made their Wolf Pack regular-season collegiate debuts in the team’s Nov. 10 season opener vs. Alaska-Anchorage, including true freshmen Brandon Fields, Tyrone Hanson, Matt LaGrone and JaVale McGee and redshirt freshman Richie Phillips.

- 2005-06 marked the third straight year that the Wolf Pack took on the eventual national champion or runner-up at some point during the year (UCLA in the Wooden Classic). In 2003-04, the team faced eventual NCAA champion UConn during the regular season and fell to national runner-up Georgia Tech in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen, while in 2004-05, Nevada fell to NCAA runner-up Illinois in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

UP NEXT
Following Friday’s game with Akron, Nevada will take five days off for the holidays before returning to Lawlor Events Center for a contest with Maine on Thursday, Dec. 28. The Wolf Pack then wraps up the non-conference slate with a game vs. Gonzaga in the Battle in Seattle on Saturday, Dec. 30 at Key Arena. Nevada will open Western Athletic Conference play on Jan. 6 and 8 at Lawlor Events Center, playing host to Idaho and Boise State, respectively.