HAWAI’I RAINBOW WARRIORS (10-11, 6-3 WAC) vs. NEVADA WOLF PACK (14-8, 6-3 WAC)
GAME NO. 23
Saturday, Feb. 9, 2008 - 3:05 p.m. PT - Lawlor Events Center (11,536) - Reno, Nev.
TELEVISION: ESPN2
Jon Sciambi (play-by-play) & Mark Adams (color analyst)
RADIO: Wolf Pack Sports Network (ESPN Radio 630 AM, Reno)
Dan Gustin (play-by-play) & Don Marchand (color analyst)
Pregame, 2:35 p.m. PT
SERIES HISTORY: Nevada leads the all-time series 13-9.
LAST MEETING: Nevada has won the last four meetings between the two teams, most recently turning in a 77-59 victory on Jan. 12 in Honolulu.
Coming off an 84-46 victory over San Jose State on Thursday, the four-time defending Western Athletic Conference champion Nevada Wolf Pack (14-8, 6-3 WAC) will play host to the Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors on Saturday afternoon at Lawlor Events Center. The second of three games in five days for the Wolf Pack, Saturday’s game will be televised nationally by ESPN2 with tip-off scheduled for 3:05 p.m. Pacific Time, while all fans in attendance will receive a free silver T-shirt as part of the Wolf Pack’s “Silver Saturday” promotion. Winners of 12 of its last 16 games and four of its last five, Nevada is tied for fourth in the WAC standings with a 6-3 league mark and is in the middle of a stretch of five games in 10 days. The first three games of that stretch will be played in the friendly confines of Lawlor Events Center, where the team has won 16 of its last 17 WAC games. Following Saturday’s game with Hawai’i, Nevada plays host to Utah State on Monday, Feb. 11 in Reno before returning to the road with trips to Boise State and Idaho next week.
Under the direction of fourth-year head coach Mark Fox, the Wolf Pack returned one starter and a total of eight letterwinners from last year’s school-record 29-5 team, including 2007 first-team All-WAC selection Marcelus Kemp. This year’s team also features four new faces (one redshirt freshman, a sophomore transfer and a pair of true freshmen). Last season, Nevada set the school single-season record for victories with 29, turned in its fourth consecutive year with at least 25 wins, won its fourth straight WAC regular-season title and earned the team’s fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.
SILVER SATURDAY
Every fan in attendance will receive a free silver “Stay True” T-shirt on “Silver Saturday” at Lawlor Events Center as the Wolf Pack takes on the Rainbow Warriors.
T-shirts will be handed out as fans enter the arena. Last season, the Wolf Pack hosted a “White Out” with fans being given free white shirts for its sold-out regular-season finale victory over New Mexico State on March 3, 2007.
“Silver Saturday” sponsors include American Family Insurance, Atlantis Casino Spa Resort, Bully's Sports Bar & Grill, John Ascuaga's Nugget, Microsoft, Morrey Distributing, Silver & Blue Outfitters, Tetrus, WEDCO, Wells Fargo and Western Nevada Supply.
NEVADA TOP WAC TEAM OVER LAST FOUR YEARS
Over the last four-plus seasons dating back to 2003-04, Nevada has turned in a 120-35 record, the best record of any WAC team during that time (.774 winning percentage). In conference games, Nevada has won 62 games, the most in that same time period.
WINNING AT LAWLOR
The Wolf Pack has won 33 of its last 36 contests at Lawlor Events Center, including eight of its last nine home games. With its 15-1 home record last year and a 9-2 mark this season, the Wolf Pack has turned in a 69-8 record at Lawlor Events Center since the start of the 2003-04 season (.896 winning percentage). Nevada’s loss to California on Nov. 28 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, had not dropped a home contest since falling to UNLV on Dec. 9, 2006.
Nevada has now won 16 of its last 17 WAC home games. A Jan. 19 loss to Boise State snapped the Wolf Pack’s 14-game winning streak in WAC home games, including a perfect 8-0 mark one year ago and a 2-0 mark to start this season (now 3-1). That 14-game win streak had dated back to January of 2006, while counting Nevada’s three wins in the 2006 WAC Tournament, the team had won its last 17 games against WAC opponents in the friendly confines of Lawlor Events Center prior to the loss to the Broncos.
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 74.4 percent of its games at Lawlor Events Center since it opened in 1983-84 (270-93 all-time).
ABOUT THE HAWAI’I RAINBOW WARRIORS
Hawai’i has turned in a 10-11 record so far this season and is tied with Nevada for fourth in the WAC standings with a 6-3 mark in conference action. The Rainbow Warriors have won five of their last six games, most recently turning in a 94-71 win over New Mexico State on Jan. 31 and a 71-57 victory over Louisiana Tech on Feb. 2 (both games in Honolulu). Under the direction of longtime assistant and first-year head coach Bob Nash (10-11 record at UH), the Rainbow Warriors returned three starters and seven letterwinners from last year’s 18-13 team. Hawai’i finished in a tie for fifth in the WAC last season with an 8-8 mark in league play.
Senior guard Matt Gibson (6-5, 180) is leading three Rainbow Warriors in double figures for scoring with 16.6 points per game (sixth in the WAC). Senior guard Bobby Nash (6-6, 200) is second on the team and ninth in the WAC with 15.1 points per game, while senior guard/forward Riley Luettgerodt (6-5, 210) paces the team with 4.8 rebounds per contest. Nash is ranked second in the WAC in free throw percentage at 87.0 percent (47-54). He has also made a team-best 47 three-pointers this season and ranks fifth in the WAC with 2.24 treys per game, while Gibson is third in the league with 5.12 assists per game.
IN THE SERIES
Nevada holds a 13-9 lead in the series with Hawai'i and has won the last four games between the two schools. The Wolf Pack turned in a 77-59 victory over Hawai’i on Jan. 12 in Honolulu in this year’s first meeting between the two teams, while Nevada swept the series last year, turning in a 68-66 overtime victory on Jan. 13, 2007 in Honolulu and a 69-68 victory on Feb. 3 in Reno. The Wolf Pack has never lost to the Rainbow Warriors in Reno, winning all 10 of the games played at Nevada’s Lawlor Events Center.
LAST TIME OUT VS. HAWAI’I
Senior Marcelus Kemp scored a season-high 29 points to lead Nevada to a 77-59 win over Hawai’i on Jan. 12 in Honolulu.
Sophomore Brandon Fields added 14 points for the Wolf Pack and freshman Armon Johnson had 11 as Nevada notched its first WAC victory of the year. Matt Gibson led Hawai’i with 22 points, the only Rainbow Warrior in double figures for scoring.
Trailing by as much as 12 points in the first half, Nevada fought back late in the first with a 17-2 run to go up 27-24 on Fields' 3-pointer with 1:29 to go in the half. The Wolf Pack led 31-28 at the break.
Nevada opened the second half on an 11-3 run to take a 42-31 lead with 15:01 remaining. Hawaii responded with a 7-0 spurt of its own to pull to within four, 42-38, with 13:15 to go.
But the Wolf Pack answered right back with its own 7-0 spurt and the Rainbows would get no closer the rest of the way.
Hawaii, which averages nearly 20 free throw attempts per game, did not take a single foul shot in the first half. The Rainbows finished the game 8-of-14 from the line.
LAST TIME OUT
Sophomore JaVale McGee scored 19 points to lead Nevada over San Jose State 84-46 on Thursday night at Lawlor Events Center.
Senior Marcelus Kemp had 14 points and sophomores Brandon Fields and Ray Kraemer added 11 each for the Wolf Pack, which never trailed in the game.
DaShawn Wright had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Spartans.
McGee scored three consecutive baskets in the opening run of the second half that put the Wolf Pack up 55-28 with 15:12 left in the game. Nevada's largest lead was 83-43 with 2:47 to play on a free throw by freshman Malik Cooke, who also finished with 10 rebounds.
McGee had 13 points in the first half and keyed a 12-3 run early in the second half that put the game away for the Wolf Pack.
The Spartans fell behind 20-6 early in the first half, but pulled to within 8 points on a 3-pointer by Tim Pierce with 9:12 left. But Nevada closed the half with a 17-5 run, capped by Fields' follow slam at the halftime buzzer that gave the Wolf Pack a 43-23 lead.
KEMP PACING TEAM IN SCORING
A preseason candidate for the Wooden Award and the Naismith Trophy, senior guard Marcelus Kemp is leading the team and ranked third in the WAC in scoring at 19.0 points per game (47th in the NCAA). He has turned in at least 20 points in eight of the last 18 games, including a season-high 29 Jan. 12 at Hawai’i and 28 Jan. 31 vs. Fresno State. He also had 19 points in two other games in that stretch. After leading the team in scoring in 17 games last season, including five of the final six, the sixth-year senior has paced the Wolf Pack in scoring in 13 of 22 games this season, including 11 of the last 18. He turned in a team-high 26 points with a season-best four three-pointers Nov. 28 vs. California and notched his second career double-double with a game-best 20 points and a career-high-tying 12 rebounds Dec. 1 at Pacific. He also turned in 28 points in a Dec. 19 win over Colorado State (22 in the second half).
Kemp holds the team lead and ranks 10th in the WAC with 42 three-pointers made this year (1.91 per game). With four three-pointers Jan. 19 vs. the Broncos, he moved into sole possession of second place on the Nevada career list and now has 199 three-pointers made. He stands just 1. three-pointers behind Nevada’s career leader in the category, Terrance Green (209 treys, 1999-2003).
With his 14 points Thursday vs. San Jose State, Kemp turned in his 32nd consecutive game in double figures for scoring (all 22 this year) and the 84th of his career. Dating back to the latter part of the 2005-06 season, Kemp’s sophomore year, he has scored in double figures in 63 of the last 65 games. With 1,697 career points, he has moved into fourth place on the Nevada career scoring list. With 28 points on Jan. 31 vs. Fresno State, he moved past both Pete Padgett (1,642 points, 1972-76) and Terrance Green (1,646 points, 1999-03) on the all-time scoring list and now needs 34 points to catch Alex Boyd (1,731 points, 1967-70) for third place on the list.
DEALING WITH REJECTION
Sophomore JaVale McGee and the Wolf Pack continue to lead the WAC in blocked shots per game. McGee is averaging a league-best 2.73 blocks per game, 1.25 blocks per game ahead of New Mexico State’s Martin Iti (1.48), and is 11th in the NCAA in the category. He swatted a career-best seven shots Dec. 22 at Northern Iowa and has blocked six in two other games this season (Nov. 18 vs. Cal and Nov. 11 at UCF). He added five blocks Dec. 12 vs. San Diego and has had four in four of the last 10 games (North Carolina, Cal State Stanislaus, Idaho, NMSU). McGee has blocked at least one shot in 19 of 22 games this season (15 with two or more). With 90 career blocks in just 56 games (1.61 per game), McGee has already climbed into sixth on the Nevada career list, moving past Kevinn Pinkney (2001-05, 89 in 110 games) for that spot. McGee has also already moved into second on the Nevada single-season list with 60 and has broken Nick Fazekas’ mark for the single-season mark by a Wolf Pack sophomore (51 in 2004-05). Last season, McGee ranked second on the team and ninth in the WAC with 0.9 blocked shots per game. He finished with 30 blocks on the year and had swatted a previous career best with four vs. Idaho on Jan. 6, 2007.
As a team, Nevada paces the conference and ranks 10th in the nation with an average of 6.00 blocks per game, including a season-best 11 in its Jan. 17 win over Idaho and 10 in the Dec. 19 win over Colorado State. Senior Demarshay Johnson is second on the team and fourth in the league in the category with 1.14 blocks per game, including a career-high six swats in the Dec. 19 victory over Colorado State.
LIGHTING IT UP
Nevada scored a season-high 104 points in its Dec. 31 victory over Cal State Stanislaus and has turned in 11 of its highest scoring outputs of the year in its last 16 games. That win over the Warriors also marked the first time that the team has topped the century mark since turning in a 101-76 win over Rice on Jan. 24, 2004 in Reno. On Jan. 24 at New Mexico State, the Wolf Pack scored 87 points, its second-highest scoring output of the year, while Thursday’s 84-46 win over San Jose State was the team’s seventh 80-point effort of the season.
After averaging 67.5 points in the first six contests of the year, the Wolf Pack has averaged 76.8 points per game in its last 16 (1229 points), including 87 points Jan. 24 at NMSU and 86 points in its Dec. 16 win vs. UCF. Nevada has now moved into third place in the WAC statistics in scoring at 74.3 points per game.
FINDING THEIR TOUCH
Nevada has shot the ball well recently, making 48.4 percent of its attempts from the field in its last 16 outings (440-909). The team has turned in nine 50-percent shooting efforts this season, including four of the last five games. The Wolf Pack holds an 9-0 mark in those contests, most recently knocking down 50.9 percent of its attempts Jan. 31 vs. Fresno State (29-57), a season-high 61.2 percent of its attempts Jan. 26 at Louisiana Tech (30-49), 56.4 percent Jan. 26 at New Mexico State (31-55) and 57.4 percent Thursday vs. San Jose State (35-61). Nevada has also turned in its two best three-point nights of the year recently, including a season-high 61.5 percent Jan. 31 vs. the Bulldogs (8-13) and 53.3 percent of its attempts (8-15) Jan. 24 at New Mexico State. Prior to the last 16 games, Nevada had shot just 37.2 percent from the field in its previous two, while the team now ranks third in the league in field goal percentage this season (47.1 percent).
After leading the WAC and ranking 10th in the nation in three-point shooting at 40.6 percent last year, the Wolf Pack struggled to find its touch from beyond the arc early this season. However, Nevada has now moved into fourth in the WAC at 35.4 percent from three-point land this season (125-353). The Wolf Pack knocked down a season-best nine three-pointers Jan. 19 vs. Boise State and has had eight in three other games (vs. Cal, at NMSU, vs. San Jose State). The team has made at least seven three-pointers in 10 games this year (Pacific, Montana State, San Diego, UCF, Hawai’i and Fresno State are the others).
SPREADING IT AROUND
Four members of the Wolf Pack are averaging in doubles figures for scoring this year, led by senior guard Marcelus Kemp who ranks third in the WAC and 47th in the nation at 19.0 points per game. Kemp has led the team in scoring in 13 of 22 games this year, including 11 of the last 18. Sophomore JaVale McGee is second on the team and 13th in the WAC with 13.1 points per game, while sophomore Brandon Fields and freshman Armon Johnson trail just behind at 12.4 and 11.9 points per contest, respectively. McGee scored a career-high 20 Nov. 19 at UC Irvine, while Fields turned in a career-best 22 Dec. 16 vs. UCF. Johnson has matched his career high with 23 points twice (Dec. 27 at then top-ranked North Carolina and Jan. 17 vs. Idaho).
Nevada saw all five of its starters score in double figures for the first time this year on Dec. 12 vs. the Toreros, while it had five players in double figures again Dec. 31 vs. Cal State Stanislaus and vs. San Jose State on Feb. 7. The team has seen at least four players in double figures in a total of 11 games this year.
Nevada got a season-high 35 points from its bench in its Dec. 31 win over Cal State Stanislaus, including a season-best 19 points from senior Demarshay Johnson. The Wolf Pack bench added 24 in the Dec. 8 win over Montana State, including a season-high seven by senior David Ellis and five from sophomore Ray Kraemer, the first points of Kraemer’s Wolf Pack career. Dec. 12 against San Diego, sophomore Matt LaGrone tallied a career-best 12 points, while true freshman Malik Cooke added a career-high seven, including his first career three-pointer. On Jan. 26 at Louisiana Tech, senior David Ellis scored a career-best 14 points on 7-of-7 shooting to lead the team and pace a 31-point effort from the Wolf Pack bench.
Thursday vs. San Jose State, the Wolf Pack bench turned in 30 points, including a career-best 11 by sophomore Ray Kraemer on 4-of-5 shooting (3-of-3 from three-point land) and a season-high 10 by junior Lyndale Burleson.
FIELDS FROM DOWNTOWN
The Dec. 17 WAC Player of the Week, sophomore Brandon Fields is leading the team and ranked 10th in the WAC in three-point percentage at 39.2 percent (38-97). He is second on the team with 38 three-pointers made this year, four behind senior Marcelus Kemp. Fields has knocked down at least one three-pointer in 18 of 22 games this year (10 with two or more). He made just three three-pointers and shot just 27.3 percent from beyond the arc all of last season (3-11).
Fields turned in career highs for scoring in back-to-back games against San Diego on Dec. 12 and UCF on Dec. 16, including 17 points in the win over the Toreros and a career-best 22 in the victory over the Knights, while Jan. 24 at New Mexico State, he missed his career high by just one point, leading the team with 21 points. Fields notched career highs for three-pointers made in back-to-back games against Cal and Pacific. He made a then career-best 3-of-6 treys Nov. 28 vs. Cal and then bested that mark Dec. 1 at Pacific, knocking down a career-high four three-pointers (4-of-8). He knocked down another trio of three-pointers Dec. 12 vs. San Diego and has matched his career high with four three-pointers in two other games (Dec. 16 vs. UCF and Jan. 19 vs. Boise State). He added another 17 points Jan. 31 vs. Fresno State.
DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Nevada has seen three different players turn in its seven double-doubles this season, led by sophomore JaVale McGee who has five. Most recently, McGee turned in 15 points and a game-high 12 rebounds Feb. 2 at Utah State. He also had 10 points and 12 rebounds Jan. 12 at Hawai’i, 18 points and 11 rebounds Dec. 31 against Cal State Stanislaus and 15 points and a career-best 18 rebounds Dec. 16 vs. UCF. He nabbed his first career double-double Nov. 24 at UNLV, matching his career best with 20 points and pulling down a then career-high 13 rebounds. McGee has just missed two other double-doubles with 19 points and nine rebounds Nov. 28 vs. Cal and 11 points and nine rebounds Dec. 19 vs. Colorado State. Senior Marcelus Kemp tallied his second career double-double with 20 points and a career-high-tying 12 rebounds Dec. 1 at Pacific, while senior Demarshay Johnson turned in his first career double-double with 12 points and a career-high 11 boards Nov. 13 at UC Irvine.
PACK NEWS & NOTES
- The Wolf Pack defense held San Jose State to 46 points on Thursday, a season low for a Wolf Pack opponent. Nevada has won 50 of its last 52 games when holding its opponent to 60 points or less, including a 13-1 record in 2005-06, a 6-1 mark last year and a 4-0 record this season.
- San Jose State also shot just 30.4 percent from the field (17-56), a season low for a Wolf Pack opponent.
- Nevada dished out a season-high 24 assists Thursday vs. the Spartaans, led by freshman Armon Johnson who tied his career high with six. Johnson has turned in his career best with six assists four times this season. He is leading the team and ranked seventh in the WAC with 3.32 assists per game.
- The team also tied its season best with 10 steals with six different players nabbing the ball.
- Freshman Malik Cooke pulled down a career-best and team-high 10 rebounds Thursday vs. the Spartans. That marked the second time this year that the Charlotte, N.C., native has led the team in rebounding. He also pulled down a team-best eight rebounds in the team’s Jan. 26 win at Louisiana Tech.
- Thursday’s win over San Jose State marked the 95th win of fourth-year head coach Mark Fox’s career. He is ranked fourth place on Nevada’s list for all-time coaching victories. Fox now holds a 95-26 record (.785 winning percentage) since becoming Nevada's head coach in 2004-05.
- The WAC leader in blocked shots, Nevada has matched its season low with just two blocks in each of the last two games.
- Nevada has faced six first-year head coaches this season and has turned in a 6-0 mark, downing Santa Clara (Kerry Keating), San Diego (Bill Grier), Colorado State (Tim Miles), Hawai’i (Bob Nash), New Mexico State (Marvin Menzies) and Louisiana Tech (Kerry Rupp). Saturday’s game will mark the second time this year that Nevada will face Hawai’i’s Bob Nash.
- Nevada has topped the 80-point mark in four of its last six games and is 6-1 this year when scoring 80 or more points. Nevada just missed 80 points with 79 scored Jan. 31 against the Bulldogs.
- True freshman Armon Johnson has turned in four 20-point contests this season. He matched his career best with 23 points Jan. 17 vs. Idaho and turned in 20 points Jan. 19 vs. Boise State and Jan. 24 at New Mexico State. Johnson has turned in 14.8 points per game over the last 10 contests (148 points), up from his season average of 12.1 ppg.
- Sophomore Brandon Fields is averaging 12.4 points per game this season, up from 2.0 points per game last season (+10.4), while fellow sophomore JaVale McGee is averaging 13.1 points per contest, up from 3.4 ppg last season (+9.7).
- The Wolf Pack ranks sixth in the WAC in free throw percentage at 70.1 percent and shot a season-high 85.7 percent from the charity stripe Jan. 12 at Hawai’i (18-21). Senior Marcelus Kemp is third in the WAC and 31st in the NCAA at 85.8 percent, including 11-of-13 in Nevada’s Dec. 19 win over Colorado State and 8-of-8 Jan. 12 at Hawai’i, while true freshman Armon Johnson ranks 10th in the WAC at 76.9 percent, including 10-of-12 Jan. 17 vs. Idaho. Nevada has turned in six 80-percent efforts from the free throw line this season.
- Kemp missed a free throw in the first half Jan. 17 against Idaho, ending a stretch of 22 consecutive made free throw attempts, dating back to the second half of the Dec. 22 game at Northern Iowa. Kemp has now converted on 46 of his last 50 free throw attempts. He has made all of his attempts in six of the last 10 games, including 4-of-4 Dec. 27 at top-ranked North Carolina, 6-of-6 Dec. 31 vs. Cal State Stanislaus, 8-of-8 Jan. 12 at Hawai’i, 4-of-4 at New Mexico State and at La Tech and 5-of-5 Jan. 31 vs. Fresno State (he did not attempt any free throws at San Jose State). He has been perfect from the line in 11 games this year.
- Including its 38-35 advantage over San Jose State on Thursday, the Wolf Pack has outrebounded 11 of its 21 opponents this season (10-1 record in those games) and tied one other. Nevada has climbed to second in the WAC in rebounding offense (37.2 rpg) and third in rebounding margin (+3.5) this year. The team pulled down a season-high 57 rebounds and turned in its season best for rebounding margin (+31) Dec. 31 vs. Cal State Stanislaus, outrebounding the Warriors 57-26. Last season, Nevada beat its opponents on the boards in 27 of 34 games (24-3 record) and led the league in rebounding margin (+6.5). Nevada is 3-7 this year when getting outrebounded.
- After averaging 8.2 rebounds per game in the last 13 games (106 rebounds), sophomore JaVale McGee has jumped from ninth to the top of the WAC with 7.7 rebounds per contest. After leading the WAC for several weeks, he now checks in tied for second. McGee pulled down a career-best 18 rebounds Dec. 16 vs. UCF, which marked the most for the Pack since Nick Fazekas had 18 rebounds in Nevada’s Jan. 27, 2007 win over Utah State. McGee has led the team in rebounding in 14 games this season, including 10 of the last 15. Most recently, he led the team with a game-high 12 rebounds Feb. 2 at Utah State. Senior Marcelus Kemp is second on the team at 5.4 rebounds per game.
- Senior Demarshay Johnson has made his return to the starting lineup and responded by leading the team with a career high-tying 11 rebounds Jan. 17 vs. Idaho and turning in 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting Jan. 19 vs. Boise State. He also added nine points and six rebounds Jan. 24 at New Mexico State. Johnson started the first six games of the year but then embraced his role off the bench in the next nine before returning to the starting lineup Jan. 17 vs. the Vandals. He is fifth on the team with 7.1 points per game and third at 4.7 rebounds per contest.
- Nevada opened the year with a 2-4 record for the first time since the 2002-03 season (now 14-8). That season, Nevada played five of its first seven games on the road and turned in a 2-5 mark before winning its next three contests. The 2002-03 team finished with an 18-14 record and made a trip to the postseason NIT, the first of five consecutive postseason appearances for the Wolf Pack (one NIT bid and four NCAA appearances). In 2003-04, Nevada opened the year with a 2-3 mark 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.
- Nevada’s starting lineup in eight games this year has featured just one senior (Marcelus Kemp), three sophomores (Matt LaGrone, JaVale McGee, Brandon Fields) and one true freshman (Armon Johnson). Nevada has turned in a 6-2 record in those games.
- The Dec. 8 victory over Montana State snapped the Wolf Pack’s first three-game losing streak since dropping five straight contests at the end of the 2000-01 season. The Nov. 28 loss to Cal marked Nevada’s first back-to-back losses in the same season since 2005-06. The Wolf Pack lost its second-round NCAA game to Memphis last year and opened this season with a 63-60 loss at UCF on Nov. 11, but the team had not dropped back-to-back losses in the same season since falling to Fresno State and Utah State in January of 2006. Head coach Mark Fox’s squads have dropped back-to-back games just five times in his three-plus seasons and hold a 19-6 record following a loss in his tenure.
- Sophomore forward JaVale McGee, sophomore guard Brandon Fields and true freshman guard Armon Johnson all made their first career starts for the Wolf Pack on Nov. 11 at UCF. Johnson marked the first Wolf Pack true freshman to start a game since Ramon Sessions started 31 of 32 games in 2004-05. Sessions was named the WAC Freshman of the Year that season.
UP NEXT
Following Saturday’s game with Hawai’i, Nevada returns to the road next week, traveling to Boise State on Thursday, Feb. 14 and to Idaho on Saturday, Feb. 16. The following week, the Wolf Pack will travel to Carbondale, Ill., to take on Southern Illinois in the 2008 O’Reilly ES
