UNLV RUNNIN’ REBELS (6-2) at NEVADA WOLF PACK (3-3)
GAME #7
Saturday, Dec. 6, 2008 - 7:35 p.m. PT - Lawlor Events Center (11,536) - Reno, Nev.
TELEVISION: Live internet streaming at www.nevadawolfpack.com (subscription fee)
RADIO: University of Nevada Sports Network (ESPN Radio 630 AM, Reno;
KELK 1240 AM, Elko; KHWG 750 AM, Fallon & KSVL 92.3 FM, Yerington)
Ryan Radtke (play-by-play), pregame show starts at 7 p.m. PT
SERIES HISTORY: UNLV leads the all-time series with Nevada 50-19.
LAST MEETING: UNLV has won the last two meetings between the two teams, including a 79-67 victory on Nov. 24, 2007 in Las Vegas.
Coming off an 82-76 win at Colorado State on Tuesday, the five-time defending Western Athletic Conference champion Nevada Wolf Pack (3-3) returns home Saturday to open a four-game homestand, its longest of the year, with UNLV (6-2). Saturday night’s game will tip off at 7:35 p.m. at Lawlor Events Center and can be heard on Nevada’s radio flagship, ESPN 630 AM, and affiliates with Ryan Radtke calling the action. The Wolf Pack snapped a two-game overall losing streak with Tuesday’s victory at Colorado State and wrapped up a stretch of four of six on the road to start the year. Nevada heads into Saturday’s game looking to end a two-game slide against its intrastate rival. The Wolf Pack will play seven of its next eight games at Lawlor Events Center, where the team has won 13 of its last 16 contests. Following Saturday’s game with the Rebels, Nevada will play host to Sonoma State (Dec. 9), Southern Illinois (Dec. 14) and Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Dec. 17).
Under the direction of fifth-year head coach Mark Fox, the Wolf Pack returns two starters and a total of seven letterwinners from last year’s 21-12 team, including the coaches’ preseason WAC Player of the Year Armon Johnson who started 32 of 33 games last season as a true freshman. This year’s team also features five new faces (a junior college transfer and four true freshmen). Last season, Nevada turned in its fifth consecutive year with at least 20 wins, won its fifth straight WAC regular-season title and earned the team’s six consecutive postseason appearance with an invitation to the inaugural College Basketball Invitational.
RALLY TOWELS, PERFORMANCE BY ZOOPERSTARS AWAIT FANS SATURDAY
Fans will receive free white Wolf Pack rally towels and will be entertained by halftime and second-half performances by the ZOOperstars at Saturday’s game vs. UNLV. Western Nevada Supply and Rheem Manufacturing Company are sponsoring the game and the towels.
The ZOOperstars, the entertaining group of inflatable characters, will perform at halftime and at the 12-minute timeout in the second half. The ZOOperstars have performed at universities and at NBA, NHL and MLB games across the country and have appeared on America’s Got Talent. Popular characters Mackerel Jordan, Shaquille O-Seal, Whale Gretzky, Dennis Frogman and Dick Flytale will be on hand to entertain Wolf Pack fans on Saturday.
WINNING AT LAWLOR
The Wolf Pack has won 38 of its last 43 contests at Lawlor Events Center, including 13 of its last 16 home games dating back to last season. Including a 13-3 mark in 2007-08, the Wolf Pack has turned in a 74-10 record at Lawlor Events Center since the start of the 2003-04 season (.881 winning percentage). Nevada’s loss to California on Nov. 28, 2008 snapped the team’s 13-game home winning streak. The streak had been the longest active home winning streak in the WAC and the 12th-longest in the nation. Prior to the Cal loss, Nevada had not dropped a home contest since falling to UNLV on Dec. 9, 2006.
Nevada has also captured 20 of its last 21 WAC regular-season home games and 23 of its last 25 home games against WAC opponents counting the 2006 WAC Tournament. A Jan. 19, 2008 loss to Boise State snapped the Wolf Pack’s 14-game winning streak in WAC home games, including a perfect 8-0 mark in 2006-07 and a 2-0 mark to start the 2007-08 season (finished 7-1). That 14-game win streak had dated back to January of 2006.
ABOUT THE UNLV RUNNIN’ REBELS
UNLV has turned in a 6-2 record to open the 2008-09 season. After winning their first five games, the Rebels fell to California 73-55 on Dec. 28 and Cincinnati 67-65 on Nov. 29 in the Global Sports Classic but rebounded with an 82-76 victory at Fresno State on Wednesday. Under the direction of fifth-year head coach Lon Kruger (97-44 record at UNLV), UNLV returns three starters and seven letterwinners from last year’s 27-8 NCAA second round squad. The Rebels finished second in the Mountain West Conference with a 12-4 record last season.
Senior guard Wink Adams (6-0, 200) is leading UNLV in scoring so far this season with 14.1 points per game. Sophomore guard Tre’Von Willis (6-4, 195), a transfer from Memphis, is second on the squad with 10.4 points per contest. Senior guard Rene Rougeau is the Rebels’ top rebounder with 7.8 boards per game. As a team, UNLV is averaging 72.0 points per game and shooting 41.8 percent from the field (32.2 percent from three-point land).
IN THE SERIES
UNLV holds a 50-19 advantage in the series with Nevada, which dates back to the 1961-62 season. The Rebels have won the last two games in the series, including a 79-67 win on Nov. 24, 2007 in Las Vegas. In 2006-07, UNLV turned in a 58-49 victory over the Wolf Pack on Dec. 9, 2006 to snap Nevada’s three-game winning streak in the series. Prior to the last two years, the Wolf Pack had won the last three meetings and four of the last six games between the two teams, including a 68-61 win at UNLV on Nov. 26, 2005 in Las Vegas.
LAST TIME OUT
Sophomore Armon Johnson scored a career-high 23 points as Nevada defeated Colorado State 82-76 Tuesday night in Fort Collins, Colo.
Junior Joey Shaw also reached a career high with 21 points for Nevada. Freshman Luke Babbitt and senior Lyndale Burleson had 13 each for Nevada (career high for Burleson).
Travis Franklin led Colorado State with 18 points. Marcus Walker and Josh Simmons had 17 each for the Rams.
Nevada led 38-31 on Shaw's 12 points in the first half.
The Wolf Pack increased its lead to 45-33 on a short jumper and 3-pointer by Shaw early in the second half. Nevada led 76-63 with 4:32 left, but the Rams got within 78-74 on Walker's layup with 1:08 remaining. Shaw sealed the win with a rebound basket.
BABBITT OPENS ROOKIE CAMPAIGN STRONG
Freshman Luke Babbitt has opened his first season in the Silver and Blue in strong fashion, leading the team in scoring and rebounding through the first month. The McDonald’s High School All-American ranks 10th in the WAC in scoring with 15.3 points per game and is tied for fifth in the league with 7.8 rebounds per contest. He has turned in a pair of career-high 20-point efforts on the season (at Montana State and vs. Oregon State) and has led the team in scoring in four of six games, including three of the last four. He has been in double figures for scoring in all but one contest this year, including 13 points Tuesday at Colorado State.
Babbitt has also paced the team in rebounding three times this season, including eight Nov. 29 at Portland. He turned in his first career double-double in his collegiate debut, tallying 20 points and 12 rebounds Nov. 15 at Montana State.
WOLF PACK NEWS & NOTES
- The Wolf Pack had three players turn in career highs in Tuesday’s game at Colorado State en route to its season-high 82 points as a team. Sophomore Armon Johnson tied his career best with 23 points on 10-of-17 shooting against the Rams. For Johnson, that marked the first time this year that he has paced the team in scoring after doing so four times last season. Junior Joey Shaw had a career-high 21 points, while senior Lyndale Burleson turned in the best game of his career with 13 points.
- Burleson and Shaw also each matched their career bests with three three-pointers made in Tuesday’s victory over the Rams. The two players also drained three treys apiece in the Nov. 22 win over Oregon State. Burleson finished the Colorado State game 5-of-6 from the field, including 3-of-4 from three-point land.
- The Wolf Pack shot a season-best 51.7 percent from the field (30-58) in Tuesday’s win at Colorado State and has made 48.5 percent of its attempts in its last two games (52-107). The team shot just 38.0 percent from the field in its first three games (89-234). For the season, Nevada is shooting 41.3 percent from the field, including 28.1 percent from three-point land. The Wolf Pack shot a season-high 45.0 percent from three-point land Nov. 22 vs. Oregon State (9-20).
- Freshman Luke Babbitt leads three Wolf Pack players in double figures for scoring this season. In addition to Babbitt’s 15.3 points per contest, sophomore Armon Johnson is turning in 12.2 points per game and junior Joey Shaw is at 11.7.
- Freshman Dario Hunt turned in career highs for both scoring and rebounding with nine points and seven rebounds Nov. 29 at Portland. He has started the last two games, earning his first career start Nov. 29 at Portland.
- Hunt is leading the Wolf Pack and ranked sixth in the WAC with 1.5 blocks per game, including a career-best three Tuesday at Colorado State.
- Sophomore Armon Johnson dished out a career-high 11 assists in the Nov. 22 win over Oregon State to lead Nevada’s season-high 20-assist effort. Johnson also added 11 points vs. the Beavers for his first career double-double and the Wolf Pack’s first points-assists double-double since Ramon Sessions had 11 points and 10 assists in an 84-66 victory over Boise State on Jan. 15, 2005.
- Johnson ranks third in the WAC with 5.50 assists per game this year and leads the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.75, 33 assists and just 12 turnovers). He has had just one turnover in three of Nevada’s six games this year, most recently turning in five assists and one miscue Tuesday at Colorado State.
- Nevada ranks third in the WAC in free throw percentage, hitting 70.9 percent of its attempts from the charity stripe so far this season. Junior Ray Kraemer has made all eight of his free throw attempts on the year and would lead the WAC but falls short of the 2.0 minimum per game. Freshman Luke Babbitt is shooting 76.7 percent from the line (23-30) to rank eighth in the WAC, while junior Joey Shaw has made 10-of-14 (.714).
- Nevada is averaging 12.0 offensive rebounds per contest this year, which is tied for third in the WAC this year. The team pulled down a season-high 18 offensive boards in its Nov. 15 season opener at Montana State and had 15 Nov. 26 vs. Pacific. Freshman Luke Babbitt is tied for second in the league with 2.83 offensive rebounds per game, while sophomore Malik Cooke is tied for sixth at 2.67. Overall, Nevada is tied for fourth in the WAC stats with 35.5 rebounds per game.
- The Wolf Pack turned in a season-high 12 steals in its Nov. 22 win over Oregon State with four by junior Joey Shaw and three apiece by freshman Luke Babbitt and sophomore Malik Cooke. Cooke is fourth in the WAC with 1.7 steals per game and Shaw is tied for eighth at 1.5. As a team, Nevada is third in the WAC stats with 7.33 steals per contest.
- The Wolf Pack opened the year with a 2-3 record for the second consecutive season (now 3-3). Last year, Nevada turned in a 2-4 mark to start the year but won its next five games and finished the season with a 21-10 mark and a share of its fifth consecutive WAC regular-season championship. In 2003-04, Nevada also opened the year with a 2-3 mark. That year, the Wolf Pack opened the season with a win over Vermont before falling at then top-ranked Connecticut (both in the Preseason NIT). Nevada then turned in a 74-62 win at UNLV and dropped games at Portland and Pacific before reeling off wins in its next five games and seven of its next eight. The Wolf Pack finished with a 25-9 record that season, winning its first of four WAC regular-season championships and making the first NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearance in school history.
WHO’S BACK
The Wolf Pack returns two starters and seven letterwinners from last year’s 21-12 team, including sophomore guard Armon Johnson. The 2008 WAC Freshman of the Year, Johnson started 32 of 33 games last season and finished fourth on the team with 11.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. He also led the team and ranked sixth in the WAC with 3.4 assists per contest. Other returning letterwinners includer senior guard Lyndale Burleson, junior guards Brandon Fields and Ray Kraemer, junior forward Richie Phillips and sophomore forwards Malik Cooke and Adam Carp.
NEVADA NEWCOMERS
Nevada’s roster features five new faces in junior Joey Shaw and true freshmen Luke Babbitt, London Giles, Dario Hunt and Ahyaro Phillips. Shaw started his collegiate career at Indiana University and comes to Nevada after earning second-team all-conference honors at the College of Southern Idaho last season. Babbitt was named a McDonald's All-American honors at Reno's Galena High School last season, while Giles comes to Nevada from Kimball High School in Dallas, Texas, where he was named the offensive MVP of his district and a second-team all-area selection by the Dallas Morning News. Hunt earned all-league honors at Charis Prep School in Goldsboro, N.C., after averaging a double-double, while Phillips graduated from Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy where he averaged a double-double as a senior.
NEVADA TOP WAC TEAM OVER LAST FIVE YEARS
Over the last five seasons dating back to 2003-04, Nevada has turned in a 130-42 record, the best record of any WAC team during that time (.756 winning percentage).
PACK PICKED TO WIN WAC BY COACHES AND MEDIA
Nevada has been picked to win the Western Athletic Conference in 2008-09 by the league’s coaches and media, while sophomore guard Armon Johnson, freshman forward Luke Babbitt and junior guard Brandon Fields garnered individual recognition.
The Wolf Pack received seven first-place votes and 63 points from the coaches, while in the media poll, Nevada received 255 points and 20 first-place votes.
Johnson was named the WAC Preseason Player of the Year by the league’s nine coaches, while Babbitt was the media’s pick for Preseason Newcomer of the Year. Johnson earned first-team preseason honors from both the media and the coaches, while Babbitt and Fields were second-team selections by the coaches.
FIVE-TIME WAC CHAMPIONS
With a 12-4 mark in conference action, Nevada finished in a tie for first in the WAC in 2007-08, capturing a share of its fifth consecutive WAC regular-season championship. Nevada had captured sole possession of the WAC regular-season crown in each of the three previous seasons (2005, 06, 07) and shared the title with UTEP in 2004. In 2007, the Wolf Pack finished with a 14-2 record in conference play, while the team was 13-3 in 2006. Nevada won the regular-season crown with a WAC-record 16-2 conference mark in 2005, while in 2004, Nevada tied for first with a 13-5 record in WAC play.
NEVADA NOTCHES FIFTH STRAIGHT 20-WIN SEASON
With its March 8, 2008 regular-season finale victory at Fresno State last year, Nevada notched its fifth consecutive season with at least 20 wins. It also marked the 10th 20-win season in school history and the fourth for Mark Fox, who is the only coach in school history to lead more than one team to at least 20 victories. In each of the previous four years, Nevada had won at least 25 games (25-9 in 2003-04, 25-7 in 2004-05, 27-6 in 2005-06 and a school-record 29-5 in 2006-07).
Nevada has also turned in a school-record seven consecutive winning seasons dating back to the 2001-02 campaign (three under former Pack head coach Trent Johnson and four under Fox). The previous long stretch was six from 1986-87 to 1991-92.
FOX RETURNS FOR FIFTH SEASON
Nevada head coach Mark Fox holds a 105-33 career record in four-plus seasons at the helm of the Wolf Pack program (.761 winning percentage) and is already fourth in all-time wins at Nevada. He is the first coach in school history to lead his squad to four consecutive 20-win seasons and three NCAA Tournament appearances.
Nevada’s March 1, 2008 victory over Louisiana Tech gave Fox the 100th win of his career. He tied for 21st on the NCAA's list of fastest coaches to reach 100 wins (among coaches with at least half of their seasons at the Division I level). Duke's Vic Bubas also took 128 wins to reach the milestone, doing it in his fifth season (1964). Fox also became the fastest coach in school history to reach the 100-win plateau. It took Jake Lawlor, the winningest coach in school history, seven seasons (10th game into that season) and 168 games to hit that milestone, while Sonny Allen reached the mark in the first game of his seventh season (100 wins in 174 games). Nevada has seen three of its previous head coaches notch at least 100 wins, including Lawlor (201-159 career record), Allen (114-89) and Jack Spencer (123-199).
Fox’s 81 wins after his first three seasons were tied with Gonzaga's Mark Few for the most victories in Division I history by a coach through three seasons (81-18 record in his first three seasons). Fox was named the Don Haskins Coach of the Year in each of his first three seasons as Nevada’s head coach to become the first coach in WAC history to earn the honor in three consecutive years. He was also one of 15 finalists for the 2007 Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year Award and was named the 2007 National Association of Basketball Coaches District 13 Coach of the Year.
UP NEXT
After Saturday’s game with UNLV, Nevada continues its four-game homestand with Sonoma State on Tuesday, Dec. 9. The Wolf Pack is in a stretch of seven of eight contests at Lawlor Events Center.
