FRESNO STATE BULLDOGS (7-10, 0-3 WAC) at NEVADA WOLF PACK (10-7, 3-1 WAC)
GAME #18
Saturday, Jan. 17, 2009 - 7:07 p.m. PT - Lawlor Events Center (11,536) - Reno, Nev.
TELEVISION: Comcast SportsNet California & ESPN Full Court (Ralph Wood & Bob Donawald)
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 6:30 p.m. PT
SERIES HISTORY: Nevada leads the series with Fresno State 43-34.
LAST MEETING: Nevada has won the last six meetings between the two teams, most recently turning in a 64-57 victory over Fresno State on March 13, 2008 in Las Cruces, N.M.
Coming off a 77-63 win over Boise State on Thursday, the five-time defending Western Athletic Conference champion Nevada Wolf Pack (10-7, 3-1 WAC) continues its three-game homestand on Saturday, Jan. 17, playing host to the Fresno State Bulldogs (7-10, 0-3). Saturday night’s game at Lawlor Events Center will tip off at 7:07 p.m. Pacific Time. It will be televised by Comcast SporstNet California and available as part of ESPN Full Court package and also can be heard on Nevada’s radio flagship, ESPN 630 AM, and affiliates throughout the state with Ryan Radtke calling the action. The Wolf Pack has won its last three games, all in conference play, and is tied for second in the WAC with a 3-1 record. The Wolf Pack has won 21 of its last 23 WAC home games and looks to extend a string of six consecutive victories in the series with Fresno State. Following Saturday’s game with Fresno State, Nevada continues WAC action at Lawlor Events Center, playing host to Hawai’i on Thursday, Jan. 22 before returning to the road the following week.
Under the direction of fifth-year head coach Mark Fox, the Wolf Pack returned 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.
WINNING AT LAWLOR
The Wolf Pack has won 43 of its last 51 contests at Lawlor Events Center, including 18 of its last 24 home games dating back to last season. Including a 13-3 mark in 2007-08 and a 6-4 mark this year, the Wolf Pack has turned in a 79-13 record at Lawlor Events Center since the start of the 2003-04 season (.859 winning percentage). Last year, Nevada’s loss to California on Nov. 28, 2007 snapped a 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 21 of its last 23 WAC regular-season home games and 24 of its last 27 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.
BABBITT NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Freshman Luke Babbitt has been named the Western Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for Jan. 5-11. The honor marks the first career WAC Player of the Week award for Babbitt and the second for the Wolf Pack this season after sophomore Armon Johnson was named the WAC Player of the Week for Dec. 15-21.
Babbitt led the Wolf Pack to a pair of come-from-behind road wins against New Mexico State and Louisiana Tech. Babbitt tied career highs with 22 points and 12 rebounds in an overtime win at New Mexico State on Jan. 8 for his second double-double of the year. He scored four points and pulled down three rebounds in the overtime period to help secure the victory. Against NMSU, Babbitt also matched his career bests with three assists and three steals. In Nevada’s win at Louisiana Tech on Jan. 10, Babbitt made the game-winning three-pointer as time expired. He scored 15 points and led the team with nine rebounds against the Bulldogs, connecting on 6-of-12 shots from the field, including a career-best 3-of-3 from beyond the arc.
On the week, Babbitt averaged 18.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He shot 43.3 percent from the field (13-of-30), 57.1 percent from three-point range (4-of-7), and 87.5 percent from the charity stripe (7-of-8).
Johnson was named the Western Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Dec. 15-21. The honor marked his first career WAC Player of the Week award.
Johnson led the Wolf Pack to an 87-58 victory against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Dec. 17 with 17 points and seven assists without a turnover. He followed up that performance with a career-high 33-point, five-rebound effort on the road Dec. 20 against California. Johnson scored 27 of his 33 points in the second half, including 13 in the final 2:26 to keep the game close down the stretch. On the week, Johnson averaged 25.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists.
ABOUT THE FRESNO STATE BULLDOGS
Fresno State brings a 7-10 overall mark and an 0-3 WAC record into Saturday’s game with Nevada. The Bulldogs have dropped their last three games and five of their last six, including a 65-61 defeat at Utah State on Thursday night. Under the direction of fourth-year head coach Steve Cleveland (57-52 record at Fresno State), the Bulldogs returned one starter and three letterwinners from last year’s 13-19 team. Fresno State finished in a tie for sixth in the WAC last season with a 5-11 mark in league play.
Freshman guard Paul George (6-7, 195) is leading Fresno State in scoring and rebounding. He ranks ninth in the WAC with 15.1 points per game and seventh in the league with 6.9 rebounds per contest. Junior forward Sylvester Seay (6-9, 215), a transfer from Arizona State, ranks second on the team and 12th in the WAC with 14.2 points per game, including a career-high 32 points in Thursday’s loss at Utah State. Seay is also adding 5.2 boards per contest. As a team, Fresno State is leading the WAC with 7.12 three-pointers made per game and is shooting 34.2 percent from beyond the arc (121-354).
IN THE SERIES
Nevada holds a 43-34 advantage in the series with Fresno State and has won the last six games between the two teams and 12 of the last 15. Nevada captured all three meetings with Fresno State last year, turning in a 79-67 win on Jan. 31 in Reno and a 76-63 victory on March 8 in Fresno in the regular season as well as a 64-57 win on March 13 in the quarterfinals of the WAC Tournament in Las Cruces, N.M. The Wolf Pack also holds a 23-15 advantage in games played in Reno and has won the last three contests and six of the last seven there.
LAST TIME OUT
Sophomore Armon Johnson scored 25 points and freshman Luke Babbitt added 18 points and 10 rebounds for his third career double-double to help Nevada hold off Boise State 77-63 Thursday night at Lawlor Events Center.
The Wolf Pack used a 9-0 run in the final six minutes to break open the game and win its third consecutive WAC contest.
Anthony Thomas hit a 3-pointer for Boise State to cut Nevada's lead to 59-54 with 6:23 to go. Lyndale Burleson answered with a 3-pointer for Nevada to start the Wolf Pack's run that extended the lead to 14 points.
LaShard Anderson scored 14 points and Thomas added 13 to lead the Broncos, who had won six straight games.
Nevada opened a 27-11 lead with 7:49 to play in the first half with a 10-0 run, including three-point plays by Johnson and sophomore Malik Cooke. Boise State cut the lead to three and Nevada took a 31-27 advantage into the locker room at the half. Johnson had nine points in the first half, while Cooke and junior Joey Shaw had seven apiece.
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. With a career-high 22 points Dec. 31 vs. North Carolina and 22 again Jan. 8 at New Mexico State, he regained the team scoring lead. He is averaging 15.4 points per game and stands just ahead of sophomore Armon Johnson (15.2 ppg). The McDonald’s High School All-American ranks sixth in the WAC and seventh among the nation’s freshmen in scoring. He has turned four 20-point games this season, surpassing a pair of 20-point efforts (at Montana State and vs. Oregon State) with his efforts against North Carolina and New Mexico State, and has led the team in scoring in eight of 17 games, including three of the last six. He has been in double figures for scoring in all but two contests this year, most recently hitting the game-winning three-pointer as time expired for 15 points in the Jan. 10 win at Louisiana Tech and adding 18 Thursday vs. Boise State.
Babbitt also checks in at fifth in the WAC with 7.5 rebounds per contest. He has led the Wolf Pack in rebounding 10 times this season (including the last three), most recently pulling down 10 rebounds Thursday vs. Fresno State. He turned in his first career double-double in his collegiate debut, tallying 20 points and a career-high 12 rebounds Nov. 15 at Montana State. He has three double-doubles this season, turning in 22 points and 12 boards Jan. 8 at NMSU and checking in with 18 points and 10 rebounds Thursday vs. Fresno State.
Babbitt has a chance to become the first Wolf Pack freshman to lead the team in scoring since Terrance Green paced the squad with 13.9 points per game in 1999-2000. He could also become the first freshman to pace the Wolf Pack in rebounding since Nick Fazekas averaged 7.6 boards per game in 2003-04. Since 1972-73, Nevada has never had a freshman lead the team in both categories, while the Wolf Pack has had just two rookies lead the team in scoring (Green & Edgar Jones in 1975-75) and two pace the squad in rebounding (Fazekas and Pete Padgett in 1972-73) in that span.
NATION’S TOP FRESHMEN SCORERS IN 2008-09
Name, School PPG
1. Seth Curry, Liberty 20.1
2. Sylven Landesberg, Virginia 17.3
3. Mike Rosario, Rutgers 17.1
4. Tyreke Evans, Memphis 16.8
5. Keith Gabriel, VMI 15.9
Willie Warren, Oklahoma 15.9
7. Luke Babbitt, Nevada 15.4
8. Afam Muojeke, Wyoming 15.2
7. Paul George, Fresno State 15.1
10. Courtney Fortson, Arkansas 15.0
11. Samardo Samuels, Louisville 13.9
12. Alex Young, IUPUI 13.3
WIPING THE GLASS
The Wolf Pack has outrebounded each of its last six opponents, including a 43-37 advantage Thursday night vs. Boise State. Nevada is now 7-3 on the year when outrebounding its opponents. Nevada was down 27-17 in the rebounding battle at the half but outboarded New Mexico State 34-16 in the final 25 minutes on Jan. 8 (51-43 in the game). The 51 rebounds were one shy of the team's season high of 52 Dec. 9 vs. Sonoma State. In addition to a team-leading and career high-tying 12 rebounds from freshman Luke Babbitt, sophomore Malik Cooke and junior Joey Shaw each tied their career bests with 10 and eight rebounds, respectively, Jan. 8 vs. the Aggies.
As a team, Nevada ranks second in the WAC in overall and offensive rebounding with 37.9 total boards per game and 12.65 offensive boards per contest. In WAC games, Nevada is pulling down a league-best 42.8 rebounds per game.
Freshman Luke Babbitt is the team’s top rebounder, checking in at fifth in the WAC with 7.5 boards per game. He has pulled down a career-high 12 rebounds twice this year (at Montana State and at New Mexico State). Sophomore Malik Cooke ranks second on the team and 12th in the WAC with 6.3 rebounds per contest, while Cooke is Nevada’s best offensive rebounder this season, checking in at second in the WAC with 3.0 offensive rebounds per game this year. Cooke has matched his career best with 10 rebounds twice this year, most recently Jan. 8 at New Mexico State (five offensive boards).
JOHNSON TURNS IT ON
Sophomore Armon Johnson is now second on the team and seventh in the WAC with 15.2 points per contest. The preseason WAC Player of the Year has paced the team in scoring five times this year, including 25 points in Thursday’s win over Boise State and a career-high 33 points on Dec. 20 at California. In the last 12 games, Johnson has turned in 17.3 points per game (208 points).
Johnson has had a knack for big second halves this year, including 27 of his career-high 33 points in the second half at Cal, 14 of 20 in the second half and overtime Jan. 8 at New Mexico State and 16 of 25 in the final 20 minutes Thursday vs. Boise State. Against the Bears, he scored Nevada's first seven points of the half and 13 of its last 15 in the game. Johnson also scored 13 of his points in the second half Dec. 31 vs. top-ranked North Carolina, 14 of his 23 points in the second half Dec. 2 at Colorado State and 14 of 16 in the final 20 minutes Dec. 14 vs. Southern Illinois.
Johnson is also leading the team in assists for the second year in a row. He ranks sixth in the WAC with 4.18 assists per game this year and is third in the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.03, 71 assists and just 35 turnovers). He turned in seven assists with no turnovers in the Dec. 17 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff as well as the Jan. 10 win at La Tech and has had just one turnover in seven other games this season (most recently five assists and one turnover Jan. 15 vs. Boise State). He dished out a career-high 11 assists in the Nov. 22 win over Oregon State. He 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.
SUCCESS AT THE CHARITY STRIPE
Nevada ranks third in the WAC in free throw percentage this season, knocking down 72.2 percent of its attempts from the line (298-413). Nevada made a season-high 87.5 percent of its free throws in its Dec. 14 win over Southern Illinois (21-24), besting its previous high of 87.1 percent Dec. 9 vs. Sonoma State (27-31).
Freshman Luke Babbitt is shooting 81.9 percent from the line (68-83) to tie for third in the WAC, including all eight of his attempts Dec. 14 vs. Southern Illinois and Dec. 27 vs. Idaho State. Junior Ray Kraemer has made 17-of-18 of his free throw attempts on the year (.944) and would lead the WAC, while junior Joey Shaw is shooting 80.0 percent (28-35) which would rank sixth, but both players fall short of the league’s 2.0 minimum per game. Sophomore Armon Johnson checks in at ninth in the WAC at 74.4 percent (64-86).
GETTING DEFENSIVE
Including three games this year (3-0 record), Nevada has won 55 of its last 57 games when holding its opponent to 60 points or less, including a 13-1 record in 2005-06, a 6-1 mark in 2006-07 and a 6-0 record in 2007-08. As a team, Nevada ranks fourth in the WAC in scoring defense, allowing its opponents 65.4 points per game.
Nevada held Sonoma State to a season-low 39 points on Dec. 9, while Southern Illinois came into its Dec. 14 game with the Wolf Pack ranked 14th in the nation in three-point percentage at 42.1 percent but was held to just 26.7 percent (4-15). New Mexico State came into the Jan. 8 game ranked first in the WAC and seventh in the nation in three-point shooting at 41.0 percent but was held to just 12.5 percent by the Wolf Pack (1-8).
WOLF PACK NEWS & NOTES
- Sophomore Armon Johnson leads the team and ranks sixth in the WAC with 15.8 points per game in league play. Freshman Luke Babbitt and sophomore Malik Cooke are the team’s best rebounders in WAC action, checking in at second (8.5 rpg) and tied for third (8.3 rpg), respectively, in the conference-only stats. Babbitt is also tied for seventh in scoring with 15.0 points per WAC contest.
- As a team, Nevada leads the WAC in scoring and rebounding in conference play, averaging 74.0 points and 42.8 rebounds per league game. Those numbers are up from 70.4 ppg and 37.9 rpg in all contests.
- Freshman Dario Hunt blocked a career-best five shots in Nevada’s Jan. 8 win at New Mexico State, besting his previous mark of four Dec. 31 vs. then top-ranked North Carolina. He is leading the WAC with 1.94 blocks per game overall and 2.75 blocks per league game. He has blocked at least one shot in 14 of 17 games this year, including 12 with two or more. Hunt already has 33 blocked shots this season, which is just 11 shy of the school freshman record of 44 set by Nick Fazekas in 2003-04.
- Nevada is getting 65.2 percent of its scoring (780 points) and 62.9 percent of its rebounding (406 rebounds) from its freshmen and sophomores this season.
- Nevada tied its season high with nine three-pointers made and shot 47.4 percent from three-point land in its. Jan. 10 win at Louisiana Tech (9-19). The 47.4 percent effort marked second-best three-point showing of the season, trailing only a 50.0 percent effort Dec. 9 vs. Sonoma State (6-12). Against the Bulldogs, Nevada got a career-high three treys from freshman Luke Babbitt (3-3), including the game-winner as time expired, while junior Brandon Fields made a season-best three (3-6) and senior Lyndale Burleson tied his career best with three (3-4).
- The Wolf Pack rallied from second-half deficits in each of its road wins last weekend and is now 3-5 on the year when trailing at the half. Nevada trailed 40-31 at halftime at New Mexico State before downing the Aggies in overtime. At Louisiana Tech, Nevada was down 35-24 at the half and trailed 45-30 with 16:36 to play in the game before rallying for the victory.
- Junior Brandon Fields led the team in scoring with 17 points (14 in the second half) in the Jan. 10 win at Louisiana Tech. That marked the third time this season that he has paced the team after doing so three times all of last year. He also scored a game- and season-high 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field and 7-of-7 from the free throw line Dec. 17 vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff and had 19 Jan. 3 vs. Idaho. Fields has turned in 11.5 points per game in the last eight contests (92), up from his average of 8.9 points per game this season (fourth on the team).
- The Wolf Pack bench is averaging 21.9 points per game this season (373 points), and Nevada holds a 7-3 record when its bench outscores its opponent’s. In the last 10 games, the reserves have turned in 25.5 points per contest (255). Juniors Brandon Fields and Joey Shaw are Nevada’s leading scorers off the bench this year, averaging 8.9 and 8.1 points per game to rank fourth and fifth on the team, respectively. Nevada got a season-high 48 points from its bench in its Dec. 17 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, including 21 points from Fields, nine from Shaw and a career-best eight from freshman London Giles.
- Sophomore Malik Cooke added a career-high 17 points Jan. 3 vs. the Vandals, the second time in three games that he had turned in a career best in scoring. He had a then career-high 15 points Dec. 27 against Idaho State and followed that up with 13 points Dec. 31 vs. North Carolina. Cooke made 6-of-10 attempts from the field, matching his career high with two three-pointers made, and went 3-of-3 from the free throw line in vs. the Vandals. With 11.8 points per game in the last six contests (71 points), he has moved into third on the team in scoring with 9.8 points per contest.
- Cooke set a career best with six steals Dec. 6 vs. UNLV and is tied for second in the WAC with 1.59 steals 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 Cooke, and matched that with 12 in the Dec. 17 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Cooke also added four steals Dec. 31 vs. No. 1 North Carolina. As a team, Nevada leads the WAC with 7.24 steals per contest.
- Nevada made a season-high 53.4 percent of its attempts from the field Dec. 9 vs. Sonoma State, besting its previous high of 51.7 percent from the field Dec. 2 at Colorado State. Nevada also turned in a season high from three-point land vs. Sonoma State (.500, 6-12).
- All 12 players scored for Nevada en route to the team’s season-high 95 points Dec. 9 vs. Sonoma State, led by freshman Luke Babbitt who had 16 on 6-of-10 shooting. Nevada also notched season bests for field goal percentage (.534), field goals made (31), three-point percentage (.500), free throws made (27) and attempted (31), free throw percentage (.871, 27-31 - since broken), rebounds (52), assists (24) and blocked shots (12) vs. the Seawolves.
- The Wolf Pack opened the year with a 2-3 record for the second consecutive season (now 10-7). 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.
NEVADA TOP WAC TEAM OVER LAST FIVE YEARS
Over the last five seasons dating back to 2003-04, Nevada has turned in a 137-46 record, the most wins of any WAC team during that time (.749 winning percentage). In conference games, Nevada has won 71 games, the most in that same time period.
FOX RETURNS FOR FIFTH SEASON
Nevada head coach Mark Fox holds a 112-37 career record in his five seasons at the helm of the Wolf Pack program (.752 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.
NEVADA’S WINNINGEST COACHES (by wins)
Name (Years) Career Record (Win. Pct.)
1. Jake Lawlor (1942-43, 45-49) 201-159 (.558)
2. Jack Spencer (1959-72) 123-199 (.382)
3. Sonny Allen (1980-87) 114-89 (.562)
4. Mark Fox (2004-pres.) 112-37 (.752)
5. Len Stevens (1987-93) 91-79 (.535)
6. Pat Foster (1993-99) 90-81 (.526)
UP NEXT
Following Saturday’s game with Fresno State, Nevada wraps up its three-game homestand at Lawlor Events Center, playing host to Hawai’i on Thursday, Jan. 22. The team will return to the road the following week, traveling to Utah State on Thursday, Jan. 29 and to Idaho on Saturday, Jan. 31.
