University of Nevada Athletics

April 11, 2006

RENO, Nev. -

2005-06 Season in Review in pdf form

#20 NEVADA WOLF PACK
Overall record: 27-6 WAC Record: 13-3
HOME: 17-1 AWAY: 10-3 NEUTRAL: 0-2

2005-06 WAC Regular-Season Champions 2006 WAC Tournament Champions 2006 NCAA Tournament First Round Third Consecutive WAC Title, NCAA Tournament Appearance and 20-Win Season

Capturing the program's third consecutive Western Athletic Conference championship and NCAA Tournament appearance, the 20th-ranked Nevada Wolf Pack turned in yet another of the finest seasons in school history in 2005-06. The Wolf Pack finished the year with a 27-6 overall record, which was just one victory shy of the school single-season record. The team turned in a 13-3 record in league play to capture the WAC regular-season championship for the third consecutive season and followed that up with the team's second WAC Tournament title in three seasons to earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Nevada earned a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament, which marked the highest seed in school history, and fell to Montana in the first round in Salt Lake City, Utah. With the team's 27-6 overall record, the Wolf Pack turned in its third consecutive 20-win season, while 2006 Don Haskins WAC Coach of the Year Mark Fox became the first coach in school history to lead his team to back-to-back campaigns with 20 or more victories. After spending 11 weeks ranked in one of the two national polls, the Wolf Pack finished 20th in the final Associated Press poll. Nevada won 14 of its last 15 games of the season and took the nation's second-longest active winning streak into the 2006 NCAA Tournament. The team also turned in a 17-1 record at Lawlor Events Center, which marked the most home wins in school history.

   

NEVADA IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
This season marked the fifth all-time NCAA Tournament appearance for the Wolf Pack and its third consecutive trip to the "Big Dance." Including this year's first-round loss to Montana, Nevada holds a 3-5 overall record in NCAA Tournament games. This season, Nevada earned its conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in school history (1984, 1985, 2004 and 2006). The Wolf Pack's No. 5 seed this season also marked the highest seed in school history. Nevada was a No. 9 seed in the Chicago Regional in 2005 and had never been higher than a No. 10 seed in its three previous appearances (11 in 1984, 14 in 1985 and 10 in 2004). Nevada advanced to the NCAA second round in 2005, defeating Texas before falling to eventual national runner-up Illinois in Indianapolis, Ind. In 2004, Nevada made the school's first trip to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen, knocking off Michigan State and Gonzaga in the first and second rounds in Seattle, Wash., before falling to eventual NCAA runner-up Georgia Tech in the regional semifinals in St. Louis, Mo.

WAC CHAMPIONS
With a 13-3 mark in conference action, Nevada captured sole possession of the 2006 Western Athletic Conference regular-season championship by two games. That marked the second straight season that Nevada won the title outright and the third consecutive year that the team has won a share of the regular-season conference crown. In 2004-05, the Wolf Pack won the regular-season WAC title with a 16-2 conference mark, while in 2003-04, Nevada tied for first with UTEP with a 13-5 record in WAC play. The 2004-05 crown marked the Wolf Pack's first outright regular-season title since 1985 and its first since joining the WAC in 2000-01.

The Wolf Pack also won the 2006 WAC Tournament in Reno, capturing its second conference tournament title in three seasons. The team captured its first WAC Tournament title in 2004 in Fresno, Calif.

ALL-WAC SELECTIONS
This year, junior forward Nick Fazekas was named the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, while second-year head coach Mark Fox was honored as the Don Haskins Coach of the Year for the second time in as many years. The 2006 season marked the third straight year that Nevada claimed the WAC Player of the Year as Kirk Snyder won the award in 2004 followed by Fazekas in 2005 and 2006. Fazekas was also named to this season's All-WAC first team for the second year in a row, while senior Mo Charlo earned a spot on the WAC All-Defensive team.

Three members of the Wolf Pack earned recognition for their efforts in leading Nevada to the 2006 WAC Tournament title, including MVP Fazekas and All-Tournament team selections Charlo and sophomore Marcelus Kemp. Junior Seth Taylor also earned WAC All-Academic honors for the third time in his career.

TEAM AWARDS
Most Valuable Player Nick Fazekas headlined the team awards Nevada presented at its season-end Starting Five Dinner on Monday, April 10 at the Silver Legacy in Reno. It marked the second consecutive season that Fazekas was honored as the Wolf Pack's MVP. Seniors Chad Bell and Mo Charlo shared the team's prestigious Rock Award, which is annually presented to the player who represents the identity and foundation of the team. Bell was also honored as the Most Inspirational Player, while Charlo received Nevada's Sixth Man Award. Sophomore Marcelus Kemp was recognized as the Most Improved Player, while junior guard Kyle Shiloh received the team's Defensive Player of the Year honor.

NEVADA NOTCHES THIRD STRAIGHT 20-WIN SEASON
Including this year's 27-6 record, Nevada has won at least 25 games in each of the last three seasons (25-9 in 2003-04, 25-7 in 2004-05 and 27-5 this year). The Wolf Pack's 27 victories marked the second-most wins in school history, just one shy of the single-season record. Head coach Jake Lawlor's 1945-46 squad turned in a school-record 28 victories (28-5 overall record that year). The Wolf Pack earned its 20th victory of the season in its 88-61 win over Akron on Feb. 17 in the BracketBusters presented by eBay. In addition to being the team's third consecutive 20-win campaign, this season also marked the eighth in school history.

Nevada's 20-Win Seasons
Year Record Head Coach
1945-46 28-5 Jake Lawlor
1965-66 21-6 Jack Spencer
1978-79 21-7 Jim Carey
1984-85 21-10 Sonny Allen
1996-97 21-10 Pat Foster
2003-04 25-9 Trent Johnson
2004-05 25-7 Mark Fox
2005-06 27-6 Mark Fox

NEVADA AGAINST THE NCAA FIELD
Nevada played six games against four teams which earned 2006 NCAA Tournament bids (Kansas, UCLA, Utah State and Pacific). The Wolf Pack owned a 4-2 record against those squads, winning at Kansas and Pacific and dropping a game to eventual NCAA runner-up UCLA in the Wooden Classic in Anaheim, Calif. Nevada turned in a 2-1 record against fellow WAC member Utah State.

This season marked the third straight year that the Wolf Pack took on the eventual national champion or runner-up at some point during the year. 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.

IN THE RANKINGS
Nevada spent 11 weeks ranked in one of the two national polls in 2005-06 and ended up ranked 20th in the final Associated Press poll of the season, which was released on March 13. The Wolf Pack was not ranked in the final USA Today/ESPN Coaches' poll, released on April 4, but was receiving votes (27th with 18 points). Nevada was ranked in at least one of the national polls in each of the first seven weeks of the season, climbing as high as 17th in the Dec. 5 AP poll. The team dropped out on Jan. 2 but made its return to the national top 25 on Feb. 20. Nevada was featured in the majority of the preseason polls, ranking as high as eighth in the country by CBS Sportsline. The team was ranked 22nd in the preseason AP poll and 25th in the preseason coaches' poll.

FOX THE FASTEST WOLF PACK COACH TO 50 WINS
This season, second-year head coach Mark Fox became the fastest coach in school history to reach 50 victories. Winner of the WAC's Don Haskins Coach of the Year Award in each of his first two seasons at the helm, Fox holds a 52-13 career coaching record. He earned the 50th win of his young coaching career in Nevada's WAC Tournament quarterfinals victory over Idaho on March 9. Glenn "Jake" Lawlor, Nevada's winningest coach with a 201-159 career record in 15 seasons, did not win his 50th contest until eight games into his third year, while Jim Carey (65-46 record in four years at Nevada) got his 50th win late in his third season as well. Carey, who passed away in February, won over 600 games in five decades and coached Mark Fox at Garden City (Kan.) Community College. Fox has led his Wolf Pack squads to a 23-3 record in the last two months of the season in his two years at the helm, including a perfect 15-0 record in February and an 8-3 mark in March.

FABULOUS FAZEKAS
The 2005 and 2006 Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year, junior forward Nick Fazekas turned in one of the finest seasons in school history this year. A third-team All-America selection by the Associated Press, the 6-11, 235-pound Fazekas 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. He ranked first or second in the WAC in scoring in every week this season. With 721 points on the year, he also broke the school single-season scoring record, passing the mark of 697 points by Ken Green 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) and also turned in 68 assists and 37 steals.

In addition to winning the 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, including ESPN.com (second team), collegeinsider.com, Rivals.com (third team) and Collegehoopsnet.com (third team). Fazekas 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. One of five preseason Basketball Times All-America selections, Fazekas was the preseason WAC Player of the Year and was also a midseason candidate for the Naismith Trophy.

Fazekas turned in 18 double-doubles in 2005-06, including eight in the last 10 games. He had 23 points and 14 rebounds in the WAC Tournament championship game vs. Utah State en route to being named the WAC Tournament MVP and turned in 24 points and 12 rebounds in Nevada's NCAA Tournament game vs. Montana. He led the team in scoring in 23 games and was the Wolf Pack's leading rebounder in 28, including each of the last 17 games.

With a career-best 37-point effort Jan. 5 at Hawai'i, Fazekas surpassed his previous career high of 35 points in Nevada's Dec. 1 victory at Kansas. He made three treys and 12-of-13 free throw attempts to along with a game-high 15 rebounds vs. the Rainbow Warriors. On Dec. 1 against the Jayhawks, Fazekas made 13-of-21 attempts from the field, added a team-best eight rebounds, dished out two assists and defended the potential game-tying shot as time expired.

Fazekas notched the seventh 30-point game of his career March 4 vs. Fresno State with 30 points (fourth this year), while on Feb. 4 at New Mexico State, he scored a game-high 36 points on 12-of-17 shooting (one point shy of his career best). He had a season-high 17 rebounds Jan. 28 vs. Hawai'i. He turned in one of the most complete games of his career on Jan. 12 vs. Idaho, tallying a career-best five assists and tying his career high with four blocks to go along with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while on Jan. 14 against Boise State, he made all nine of his field goal attempts, marking the first time in his career that he has not missed a shot.

With six points Nov. 26 at UNLV, Fazekas, who was still recovering from a bout with food poisoning, had a streak of 34 games in double figures for scoring snapped, while he has scored in double figures in 64 of the last 65 contests, 32 of 33 this season and 84 times in his career. He turned in 20 or more points 24 times this year and has accomplished the feat on 48 occasions in his career (seven career contests with 30 or more points).

Fazekas ranks second on the Nevada career scoring list with 1,812 points and is just 65 points behind Nevada's career leading scorer Edgar Jones (1975-79). Fazekas became Nevada's career leader in blocked shots this season with 144 and also ranks in the Wolf Pack career top five for rebounding, field goals made and free throws made.

TOUGH DEFENSE
This year, 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. Nevada held teams to just 63.7 points per game, including a season-low 44 Jan. 12 by Idaho and 49 by La Tech on Feb. 13, and 34.1 rebounds per contest. The Wolf Pack allowed teams to shoot a league-low 30.4 percent from beyond the arc and a WAC-best 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 this year, including a season-low 29.6 percent Jan. 12 by Idaho.

Nevada's 59-53 loss to Utah State on Jan. 23 snapped the Wolf Pack's streak of 33 straight victories when holding its opponent to 60 points or less, including 17 wins last season and the first five this year. Nevada has now won 41 of its last 42 games when holding its opponent to 60 points or less, including a 68-55 win over Idaho and a 70-59 victory over New Mexico State in the WAC Tournament. In three meetings with Utah State in 2005-06, Nevada held the Aggies (then the league's leading scorer) to just 59.6 points per game, down from the Aggies' average of 72.1. That included Utah State's season-low 57 points Feb. 25 in Logan. Nevada also held the Aggies, which ranked third in the nation in field goal percentage (49.8) and seventh in three-point percentage (40.1) this year, to just 36.4 percent shooting from the field and 28.2 percent from beyond the arc in three games this season.

WINNING AT LAWLOR
With a 17-1 record at Lawlor Events Center this year, Nevada set the school record for wins in a single-season, besting 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 this season (.944), second only to the perfect 15-0 record the team turned in during that 2003-04 campaign. Nevada won its last nine home games this season and has turned in a 45-5 record at home since the start of the 2003-04 season (.900). The Wolf Pack has won 73.2 percent of its games at Lawlor Events Center since the arena opened in 1983-84 (248-91 all-time record).

INSTANT OFFENSE
Sophomore Marcelus Kemp made the most of his return to the court in 2005-06 after missing all of last season with a torn ACL. The 6-5, 210-pound guard ranked second on the team and 11th in the WAC with 15.0 points per game. He led the team in scoring 10 times and scored in double figures in 26 of 33 games. On the year, Kemp shot 46.2 percent from the field (178-385), which was good for sixth in the league. He also led the WAC and ranked 34th in the nation in free throw shooting at 85.1 percent (86-101).

Kemp scored a career-high 34 points in Nevada's NCAA first-round game against Montana, going 14-of-22 from the field, including three three-pointers. That effort bested his previous career high of 26 points in Nevada's Feb. 25 victory at Utah State. Against the Aggies, he knocked down 9-of-12 attempts from the field, including a career-best five three-pointers. He drained four three-pointers and turned in 25 points to lead Nevada to a 70-59 victory over New Mexico State in the semifinals of the WAC Tournament on March 10. Kemp made 4-of-6 attempts from beyond the arc, 8-of-15 from the field and all five of his free throw attempts against the Aggies.

Kemp came off the bench to notch career bests in scoring each of the first three games of the season. He matched his then career high of 15 points in Nevada's Nov. 19 season opener against Sacramento State and shattered that mark with 24 points in Nevada's victories at both Vermont and UNLV. Kemp was named the Xbox Live WAC Player of the Week on Nov. 28 for his efforts. He went 8-of-12 from the field Nov. 23 at Vermont and followed that up with a 9-of-14 effort from the field, including 2-of-2 from three-point land, Nov. 26 at UNLV.

NOTES FROM BEYOND THE ARC
After ranking last in the conference in three-point percentage (.270) and treys made (2.72 per game) in 2004-05, Nevada finished third in the WAC this season, shooting 36.0 percent from beyond the arc (179-497). The team knocked down 179 three-pointers this season (5.42 per game) after making just 87 in all of the 2004-05 campaign. The Wolf Pack made a season-high 63.2 percent of its three-point attempts in its Feb. 17 victory over Akron (12-19) and 52.9 percent March 2 against San Jose State (9-17). The 12 treys vs. the Zips were a season high for the Wolf Pack this year and marked the most three-pointers since Nevada made a dozen in a win over Fresno State on Jan. 31, 2004 in Reno.

Junior Kyle Shiloh led the team in three-point percentage at 46.6 percent (48-103) this year, including two games with a career-best six three-pointers made (6-of-7 effort Jan. 12 vs. Idaho and 6-of-8 Feb. 17 vs. Akron). Sophomore Marcelus Kemp knocked down a team-best 52 treys, while Shiloh was just behind with 48. Kemp made a three-pointer in 26 of 33 games, including 17 contests with two or more. He shot 35.9 percent from beyond the arc, including a career-best 5-of-6 effort Feb. 25 at Utah State and a 4-of-6 effort March 10 in the WAC Tournament semifinals against New Mexico State. Junior Nick Fazekas made 31 three-pointers on the year, while senior Mo Charlo checked in at 33.8 percent (24-71). That was a marked improvement for both Shiloh and Charlo from the previous season with Shiloh shooting just 21.6 percent (16-74) and Charlo knocking down just 28.2 percent of his three-point attempts in 2004-05 (20-71).

In WAC play, Shiloh would have led the conference in three-point percentage at 48.4 percent (30-62) but fell short of the minimum required to appear in the statistics.

SCHOOL IS IN SESSIONS
Sophomore Ramon Sessions dished out a career-best 13 assists with just two turnovers on Feb. 17 against Akron, marking the fifth time in his career that he has had 10 or more assists. He finished second in the WAC with an average of 4.94 assists per game and was also second in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.28). He led the team with 153 assists and just 67 turnovers despite missing two games early in the year to a nagging hip flexor strain. His 153 assists also set the school single-season mark for a sophomore, besting the 152 that Kevin Soares had during his 1990-91 sophomore campaign.

Sessions dished out six or more assists in 12 of Nevada's last 20 games, including nine in WAC Tournament games against both New Mexico State and Utah State. In his two seasons in Reno, Sessions has dished out 319 career assists, which ranks ninth in the Nevada career recordbook. He has averaged 4.9 assists per game so far in his young Wolf Pack career.

The 2004-05 WAC Freshman of the Year, Sessions ranked second in the WAC with an average of 5.31 assists per league contest this year as well as assist-to-turnover ratio (2.50), dishing out 85 assists and turning the ball over just 34 times, including 11 assists and just one turnover Feb. 9 vs. New Mexico State and eight assists with one turnover March 2 vs. San Jose State.

In the last 16 games of the year, Sessions averaged 6.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per game (97 points, 71 rebounds), including a season-high 10 points Feb. 20 at Idaho. He turned in seven points and seven rebounds Jan. 23 vs. Utah State and six points and eight boards Feb. 2 at La Tech. Sessions tallied eight points and three rebounds to go along with his career-best 13 assists Feb. 17 against Akron.

SENIOR FAREWELL
Nevada benefited from the experience of a trio of seniors in 2005-06 in center Chad Bell, forward Mo Charlo and guard Seth Taylor. All three student-athletes are on track to graduate. Bell and Charlo are majoring in general studies, while Taylor is a management major.

A transfer from the University of New Mexico, Bell played in 65 career games with 15 starts in his two seasons on the court, while Diablo Valley College transfer Charlo saw action in 65 games with 30 starts in two years and was named to the 2005 WAC All-Newcomer Team and the 2006 WAC All-Defensive squad. Taylor, a former walk-on who earned a scholarship in each of the last two seasons, has played in 60 career contests. A three-time WAC All-Academic Team selection, Taylor has one year of eligibility remaining but will graduate in May of 2006 and has not decided if he will return next season.

NEVADA NEWS & NOTES
- Over the last five seasons (2001-02 to 2005-06), Nevada has turned in a 112-49 overall mark (.696), the second-best record of any WAC team during that time behind just Utah State (121-38). In conference games, the Wolf Pack has won 62 WAC contests in that same span, which is the most among league schools.

- Nevada won 14 consecutive games heading into the NCAA Tournament, which marked the team's longest winning streak in 40 years. It marked the longest win streak since the 1965-66 season when the Wolf Pack strung together a school-record 17 in a row, including a 10-0 mark in Far Western Conference play. The 14-game stretch was also the second-longest active win streak in the nation heading into the NCAA Tournament.

- The Wolf Pack turned in five of its top seven scoring efforts of the season during that 14-game winning streak, including a season-high 90 points in its Feb. 4 win at New Mexico State and 88 points Feb. 17 vs. Akron.

- Nevada used the same starters in 14 of its last 15 games of the year (Johnson, Fazekas, Kemp, Shiloh, Sessions) with the only different lineup coming in the March 4 regular-season finale vs. Fresno State when Nevada started its seniors (Bell, Charlo, Taylor) on "Senior Night." That starting five turned in a 13-1 record in its 14 collective starts.

- The Wolf Pack pulled down a season-high 51 rebounds in its March 4 win over Fresno State and turned in a season-best 18-rebound advantage on the boards in that game against the Bulldogs (51-33). The Wolf Pack was second in the league statistics in rebounding offense (38.4 rpg) and third in rebounding defense (34.1 rpg). The team led the WAC with 25.7 defensive rebounds per contest and finished second on the offensive glass (12.7 per game). The Wolf Pack turned in a 19-3 record when outrebounding its opponents in 2005-06.

- Led by junior Nick Fazekas (second in the WAC and 15th in the nation at 10.4 rebounds per game) and senior Mo Charlo (14th in the league at 5.3 rpg), the Wolf Pack outrebounded its opponents by 4.4 boards per contest this year, which ranked second in the WAC and 38th in the nation in rebounding margin.

- The Wolf Pack finished second in the WAC in free throw percentage, knocking down 71.8 percent of its attempts from the charity stripe in 2005-06. The team made a season-high 100.0 percent of its free throw attempts (6-6) March 2 vs. San Jose State and 90.0 percent Dec. 7 vs. UC Davis (27-30). In its three WAC Tournament games, Nevada made 78.8 percent of its attempts from the charity stripe (52-66). The Wolf Pack turned in a 22-1 record when making more free throws than its opponents this year.

- Nevada claimed the top two free throw shooters in the league and had three players ranked in the top six in the WAC statistics. Sophomore Marcelus Kemp led the conference and ranked 34th in the nation at 85.1 percent (86-101), while junior Nick Fazekas was second in the WAC and 41st in the nation at 84.6 percent (154-182) and senior Mo Charlo ranked sixth in the league at 77.1 percent (84-109). Fazekas made 93.4 percent of his free throw attempts over the last nine games of the year (43-46), including a 10-of-10 effort vs. Utah State in the WAC Tournament championship game, while the junior forward was third in the WAC in league action at 83.7 percent (77-92).

- With 144 blocked shots, junior Nick Fazekas has become the Wolf Pack career leader in the category, passing the mark of 142 by Edgar Jones (1975-79) in his outstanding career. Fazekas led the team with 49 blocks this year, which is fourth on the Nevada single-season charts, while he ranked third in the WAC with 1.48 blocks per game. Junior Demarshay Johnson was second on the team with 32 blocks and was 10th in the league at 0.97 blocks per game. Fazekas matched his career high with four blocks twice in 2005-06 (Jan. 12 vs. Idaho and March 2 vs. San Jose State), while Johnson turned in a career-high five in that March 2 victory over San Jose State. The Wolf Pack finished second in the league and 32nd in the nation this year with 4.85 blocked shots per game, including a season-best 11 in that March win over the Spartans. In 2004-05, Nevada was second in the WAC and 17th in the nation with 5.2 blocks per tilt.

- Junior forward Demarshay Johnson led the Wolf Pack in field goal percentage this season, shooting 55.4 percent from the field (72-130). He matched his career best with 12 points and added six rebounds Feb. 4 at New Mexico State, while five days later, he shattered that mark with 22 points on 9-of-10 shooting and 4-of-6 free throw attempts in the team's second straight victory over the Aggies. Johnson also tied his career best with seven rebounds Feb. 9 against the Aggies. Johnson averaged 6.1 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in WAC play, up from his overall season averages of 5.0 points and 4.2 rebounds per contest. He also knocked down a team-best 58.9 percent of his attempts from the field in league games.

- With its March 11 WAC Tournament championship game win over Utah State, Nevada snapped a string of six straight overtime losses. This year the team turned in a 1-1 record in overtime games. That six-game skid had dated back to the 2001-02 season. Its previous OT victory had come on Dec. 27, 2001 with a 91-85 decision at San Jose State.

- Nevada turned in a 13-5 record in games decided by 10 points or less this season (3-1 in games decided by five or less). The Wolf Pack won 10 of its last 14 close contests of the year. Nevada is no stranger to close games, winning 14 of 18 decided by 10 points or less in 2004-05.

- The Wolf Pack ranked second in the WAC with 15.58 assists per contest, including a season-best 24 Jan. 12 against Idaho and 23 March 2 vs. San Jose State. With 514 assists this year, the team also finished just three shy of the school single-season record of 517 established by the 1975-76 squad. The Wolf Pack had five players who dished out at least 50 assists this year. Sophomore Ramon Sessions led the team and ranked second in the WAC with 153 assists (4.94 per game), while senior Mo Charlo was second on the team at 2.27 per game (75 total), including a career-best six assists Jan. 28 against Hawai'i. Juniors Kyle Shiloh (73 assists, 2.21) and Nick Fazekas followed (68, 2.06 apg), while redshirt freshman Lyndale Burleson (50, 1.52) rounded out the team's top five.

- Sessions boasted the best assist-to-turnover ratio on the team and finished second in the league in the category at 2.28 (153 assists, 67 turnovers). Junior Kyle Shiloh turned in 73 assists to just 40 turnovers, including five assists with no turnovers in Nevada's Dec. 7 win over UC Davis, while redshirt freshman Lyndale Burleson had 50 assists and 31 turnovers, including a career-best seven assists with no turnovers Dec. 13 vs. Seattle Pacific. Shiloh (1.83) and Burleson (1.61) would have ranked in the top 10 in the WAC in assist-to-turnover ratio but fell short of the minimum of 3.0 assists per game.

- Nevada has won 22 of its last 25 regular-season WAC games, including a 13-3 record this year. In the last two seasons, the team has turned in a 29-5 record in WAC play. A Jan. 5 loss at Hawai'i snapped the team's streak of nine victories in WAC regular-season play. The team's previous regular-season WAC loss had come on Jan. 29, 2005 when Fresno State turned in a 66-63 win over Nevada in Reno. In the last two seasons, the team has turned in streaks of nine straight league wins in 2004-05 and 10 in 2005-06.

NEVADA TAKES HOME A LEAGUE-BEST SIX WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS
Nevada earned a league-best six Xbox Live Western Athletic Conference Player of the Week awards in 2005-06, including four by junior Nick Fazekas.

Fazekas won the last two awards of the regular season, marking the sixth and seventh times in his career that he earned the distinction. He averaged 25.0 points and 11.5 rebounds in wins over San Jose State and Fresno State. Against San Jose State on March 2, Fazekas had 20 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and tied his career-high in blocks with four in just 22 minutes of playing time. In the March 4 regular-season finale against Fresno State, he scored 30 points and pulled down 11 rebounds. For the week, Fazekas was 20-of-37 (.541) from the field, 4-of-9 (.444) from three-point range and made all six of his free throw attempts.

Fazekas averaged 24.5 points and 15.5 rebounds in two road wins over Idaho and Utah State. At Idaho on Feb. 20, he had 26 points, 15 rebounds and three blocked shots. He then added 23 points, 16 rebounds and three more blocks in the Feb. 25 win at Utah State that earned the Wolf Pack at least a share of the WAC's regular season title. For the week, he was 19-of-34 (.559) from the field and 10-of-11 (.909) from the free throw line.

Fazekas also earned the honor for the weeks of Jan. 30-Feb. 5 and Nov. 28-Dec. 4. He averaged 29.5 points and 9.0 rebounds in winning road games at La Tech and New Mexico State. On Feb. 2, he had a double-double at Louisiana Tech with 23 points and 11 rebounds. He then followed that up with 36 points in the Feb. 4 win at NMSU. For the week, he was 20-of-33 from the field (.606) and 3-of-6 from three-point range. He also had four steals and three assists. Fazekas averaging 29.0 points and 9.5 rebounds in Nevada's road wins at Kansas and Pacific. Fazekas scored a career-high 35 points (since broken), including 21 in the second half, in Nevada's 72-70 win over Kansas on Dec. 1. He also defended the potential game-tying shot as time expired. On Dec. 3, Fazekas scored a game-high 23 points and pulled down 11 rebounds in helping to snap Nevada's 20-game losing streak at Pacific, 77-70. For the week, he was 21-of-34 (.618) from the field and 14-of-15 (.933) from the free throw line.

Junior forward Demarshay Johnson was named the Xbox Live Western Athletic Conference player of the week for Feb. 6-12. That marks Johnson's first career WAC Player of the Week award. Johnson scored a career-high 22 points in an 85-63 win over New Mexico State on Feb. 9. Johnson was 9-of-10 from the field and pulled down a career-high seven rebounds.

Sophomore Marcelus Kemp was named the conference player of the week for the first time of his career for the week of Nov. 21-27. He averaged 24.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in Nevada's road wins at Vermont and UNLV. Kemp, who missed all of last year due to a torn ACL, came off the bench to score a career-high 24 points in both games. Against UNLV, he scored 20 points in the second half. For the week, he went 17-of-26 (.654) from the field, 3-of-6 from three-point range, and 11-of-12 (.917) from the free throw line.

ROAD WARRIORS
Nevada turned in a 10-3 record on the road this season, including a 6-2 WAC mark. The Wolf Pack won its last five conference road games, including a Feb. 25 victory at Utah State. In the last two seasons, the Wolf Pack has tallied a 21-5 record in road contests, going 11-2 overall and 9-0 in the WAC last year.

Nevada played three of its first five WAC games on the road, including games at Hawai'i (loss), San Jose State (win) and Fresno State (loss). Including games at La Tech and New Mexico State, the team played three of four and six of its first 10 league contests on the road.

With a Dec. 31 loss at Saint Mary's, Nevada had a 14-game road winning streak snapped, while the team also lost at Hawai'i on Jan. 5, ending a streak of 10 consecutive WAC road victories. The team's 14-game win streak dated back to a 60-51 victory at UC Davis on Dec. 22, 2004.

This season, 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. UCLA). The team turned in a 77-62 win at Vermont on Nov. 23, snapping the Catamounts' 14-game home winning streak, and a 68-61 victory at UNLV on Nov. 26 in front of a crowd of 14,602 on the night the Rebels named their court after former head coach Jerry Tarkanian. The team continued that streak with a 72-70 victory over Kansas on Dec. 1 in front of a sell-out crowd of 16,300 at Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks had won 20 of their 21 previous games at Allen Fieldhouse. The Wolf Pack also snapped a 20-game road losing streak to Pacific with a 77-70 victory on Dec. 3 in Stockton, Calif., on the night the Tigers raised their 2005 Big West title banner.

TOUGH SLATE
Nevada's Dec. 3 game at Pacific marked the third time this season that Nevada defeated a team that won its regular-season league championship the year before with all three of those contests coming on the road. The Wolf Pack downed three-time defending America East champion Vermont 77-62 on Nov. 23 in Burlington, Vt., and edged 2005 Big 12 co-champion Kansas 72-70 Dec. 1 in Lawrence, Kan. On Dec. 3, Nevada turned in a 77-70 win over 2005 Big West champion Pacific in Stockton, Calif. The Tigers ran the table in the Big West last season, turning in a perfect 18-0 record in league action to capture their 12th all-time regular-season conference title.

In all this season, Nevada played eight games against seven opponents that advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2005 (Vermont, Kansas, Pacific, UCLA, Louisiana-Lafayette, Saint Mary's and Utah State) and six against four teams which earned 2006 NCAA Tournament bids (Kansas, UCLA, Utah State and Pacific). The team's five non-conference road trips were all against teams that advanced to the postseason in 2005, including four NCAA teams and one NIT squad (UNLV).