NEVADA WOLF PACK (7-7, 0-1 WAC) at NEW MEXICO STATE AGGIES (8-7, 2-0)
GAME #15
Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009 - 7:05 p.m. MT (6:05 p.m. PT) - Pan American Center (12,482) - Las Cruces, N.M.
TELEVISION: KAME-TV 21, Comcast SportsNet California & ESPN Full Court
Rich Cellini (play-by-play) & Dave Bollwinkel (analyst)
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. MT (5:30 p.m.PT)
SERIES HISTORY: New Mexico State leads the all-time series with Nevada 15-11.
LAST MEETING: New Mexico State won the last meeting between the two teams, turning in an 85-73 victory over Nevada on March 14, 2008 in the WAC Tournament semifinals in Las Cruces, N.M.
Following a 78-73 loss to Idaho in its conference opener Saturday, the five-time defending Western Athletic Conference champion Nevada Wolf Pack (7-7, 0-1 WAC) continues WAC play on the road this week, traveling to New Mexico State (8-7, 2-0) on Thursday, Jan. 8. Thursday’s game at the Pan American Center in Las Cruces, N.M., will tip off at 7:05 p.m. Mountain Time (6:05 p.m. Pacific Time) and will be televised locally by KAME-TV 21 and regionally by Comcast SportsNet California. The game can also be heard on Nevada’s radio flagship, ESPN 630 AM, and affiliates throughout the state with Ryan Radtke calling the action. Nevada heads into Thursday’s game at New Mexico State looking to snap its second two-game losing streak of the season and to pick up its first WAC win of the year. Following Thursday’s game at NMSU, Nevada continues the road trip and travels to Ruston, La., to take on Louisiana Tech on Saturday, Jan. 10. Nevada returns home next week, starting a three-game homestand with Boise State on Thursday, Jan. 15.
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.
NEVADA IN WAC OPENERS
Including Saturday’s loss to Idaho, Nevada now holds a 4-5 record in Western Athletic Conference openers and has won four of its last seven. This season marked just the third time in the last nine years that Nevada opened conference play at home since joining the league in 2000-01. Last year, Nevada was originally set to open WAC play at home on Jan. 5, 2008 vs. Utah State but saw that game postponed due to inclement weather in Reno. Instead, the Wolf Pack dropped a 62-60 decision at San Jose State on Jan. 10 after a nine-day stretch without a game. After that loss, the Wolf Pack won its next two WAC games and five of its first seven en route to a 12-4 league mark and a share of its fifth consecutive WAC regular-season championship.
In 2006-07, Nevada won its first five WAC homes and 14 of its first 15 en route to a 14-2 mark and its fourth consecutive WAC regular-season title. In 2005-06, the team opened league play with a 3-3 mark but won its final 10 WAC games to finish with a 13-3 conference mark and its third consecutive WAC championship. In 2004-05, Nevada opened WAC play with four straight victories and won seven of its first eight league games en route to a WAC-record 16-2 overall mark and sole possession of the WAC championship. The team also won a share of the league title in 2003-04, tying for first with UTEP with a 13-5 mark.
ON THE ROAD
Nevada has won 29 of its last 47 games away from the friendly confines of Lawlor Events Center, including 24 road wins and five neutral-site victories (dating back to midway through the 2005-06 season). In 2006-07, the team turned in a 14-4 record away from home, including a 10-2 road mark and a 4-2 record in neutral-site games. The Wolf Pack has won 12 of its last 24 regular-season road contests and 23 of its last 36 and turned in a 7-9 road mark last season (2-3 this year). In 2006-07, the team saw an 11-game regular-season road winning streak snapped with a Jan. 20, 2007 loss at New Mexico State. Prior to that, the team had not dropped a road contest since falling at Fresno State on Jan. 18, 2006.
In the last five seasons since the start of the 2004-05 campaign, the Wolf Pack has tallied a 40-19 record in road contests (.678 winning percentage). That includes a 26-8 record in WAC road games (.765).
ABOUT THE NEW MEXICO STATE AGGIES
New Mexico State brings an 8-7 overall mark and a 2-0 WAC record into Thursday’s game with Nevada. The Aggies won their first two WAC contests, turning in a 79-66 victory at Fresno State on Saturday and a 75-73 win at San Jose State on Monday. Under the direction of second-year head coach Marvin Menzies (29-21 record at NMSU), the Aggies returned one starter and four letterwinners from last year’s 21-14 team. New Mexico State finished in the four-way tie for first in the WAC last season with a 12-4 league mark.
Sophomore guard Jahmar Young (6-4, 160) is leading NMSU and ranked second in the WAC in scoring with 17.7 points per game, including a game-high 25 points in Saturday’s win at Fresno State. Junior guard Jonathan Gibson (6-2, 180) is second on the squad with 14.6 points per contest, while sophomore forward Wendell McKines (6-6, 224) is adding 13.8 points per game. McKines is leading the WAC with 9.1 rebounds per game this year. Young and Gibson also rank among the league’s best three-point shooters with Young knocking 44.7 percent of his three-point attempts (34-76) and Gibson at 42.5 percent (34-80). As a team, New Mexico State is leading the WAC in scoring (78.5 points per game) and three-point field goal percentage (.410). The Aggies also check in at seventh in the nation in three-point percentage.
IN THE SERIES
New Mexico State leads the all-time series with Nevada 15-11, while the Wolf Pack has won three of the last four games in the series. The Wolf Pack won two of the three meetings with the Aggies last season, turning in an 87-78 victory on Jan. 24 in Las Cruces and a 98-85 win on Feb. 28 in Reno before falling to NMSU 83-75 on March 14 in the semifinals of the 2008 WAC Tournament, also in Las Cruces. Nevada has won two of the last four meetings between the two teams in NMSU’s Pan American Center.
LAST TIME OUT
Mac Hopson and Luciano de Souza each scored 16 points as the Idaho Vandals turned back the Nevada Wolf Pack 78-73 Saturday night in the WAC opener for both teams. Kashif Watson added 13 points as Idaho snapped a nine-game losing streak to Nevada.
Nevada was led by junior Brandon Fields' 19 points. Sophomore Malik Cooke added a career-best 17 for the Wolf Pack.
Idaho trailed 65-62 with 2:48 to play after a three-point play by Cooke. Hopson then drove the lane for a bucket and Watson hit a pair of free throws and a short jumper in the lane for a 66-65 Idaho lead with 1:53 to go.
De Souza had a dunk for a 71-65 Idaho lead with 31 seconds to play.
Idaho led 35-33 at halftime. De Souza led Idaho with 11 points at halftime on the strength of three 3-pointers.
Marvin Jefferson scored eight points inside and De Souza hit a 3-pointer as the Vandals jumped out to a 15-3 lead six minutes into the game. Fields scored 10 of Nevada's first 14 points to keep the game close early.
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, he regained the team scoring lead. He is averaging 14.7 points per game and stands just ahead of sophomore Armon Johnson (14.6 ppg). The McDonald’s High School All-American ranks ninth in the WAC and 11th among the nation’s freshmen in scoring. He has turned three 20-point games this season, surpassing a pair of 20-point efforts (at Montana State and vs. Oregon State) with his effort against North Carolina, and has led the team in scoring in seven of 14 games, including two of the last three. He has been in double figures for scoring in all but two contests this year.
Babbitt also checks in at tied for eighth in the WAC with 6.9 rebounds per contest. He has led the Wolf Pack in rebounding six times this season, including six Dec. 27 vs. Idaho 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.
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 20.3
2. Sylven Landesberg, Virginia 19.6
3. Mike Rosario, Rutgers 17.3
4. Tyreke Evans, Memphis 16.9
5. Keith Gabriel, VMI 16.4
6. Willie Warren, Oklahoma 16.3
7. Afam Muojeke, Wyoming 15.3
Courtney Fortson, Arkansas 15.3
Paul George, Fresno State 15.3
10. Alex Young, IUPUI 15.1
11. Luke Babbitt, Nevada 14.7
12. Samardo Samuels, Louisville 13.8
JOHNSON TURNS IT ON
Sophomore Armon Johnson is now second on the team and 11th in the WAC with 14.6 points per contest. The preseason WAC Player of the Year has paced the team in scoring four times this year, including a career-high 33 points on Dec. 20 at California, 21 points Dec. 6 vs. UNLV and a then career high-tying 23 Dec. 2 at Colorado State. In the last nine games, Johnson has turned in 17.1 points per game (154 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. 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 4.1 assists per game this year and is fourth in the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.87, 58 assists and just 31 turnovers). He turned in seven assists with no turnovers in the Dec. 17 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff and has had just one turnover in six other games this season. 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 and 40th in the nation in free throw percentage this season, knocking down 73.3 percent of its attempts from the line (250-341). 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 81.5 percent from the line (53-65) to rank fourth 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 15-of-16 of his free throw attempts on the year (.893) and would lead the WAC, while junior Joey Shaw is shooting 82.1 percent (23-28) which would rank third, but both players fall short of the league’s 2.0 minimum per game. Sophomore Armon Johnson checks in at 73.2 percent (52-71).
GETTING DEFENSIVE
As a team, Nevada ranks third in the WAC in scoring defense, allowing its opponents 65.3 points per game. 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.
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).
WOLF PACK NEWS & NOTES
- Junior Brandon Fields led the team in scoring with 19 points in Saturday’s loss to Idaho, marking the second time this season that he has paced the team after doing so three times last year. He 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. Fields also added a team-best eight rebounds, his season best and just one board off his career high, and had two assists and a season-high two steals vs. the Golden Lions. Fields has turned in 13.4 points per game in the last five contests (67) - including 12 Dec. 27 vs. Idaho State - up from his average of 9.0 points per game this season (fourth on the team).
- Sophomore Malik Cooke added a career-high 17 points Saturday vs. the Vandals, the second time in three games that he has 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 Saturday’s game. With 15.0 points per game in the last three contests (45 points), he has moved into third on the team in scoring with 10.0 points per contest. He also ranks third in the WAC with 2.93 offensive rebounds per game this year and checks in at 10th in the league in field goal percentage at 53.4 percent. Overall, Cooke ranks second on the team with 5.8 boards per tilt.
- Nevada is getting 64.7 percent of its scoring (630 points) and 62.3 percent of its rebounding (318 rebounds) from its freshmen and sophomores this season.
- The Wolf Pack bench is averaging 22.2 points per game this season (311 points), and Nevada holds a 5-3 record when its bench outscores its opponent’s. In the last seven games, the reserves have turned in 27.8 points per contest (193). Juniors Brandon Fields and Joey Shaw are Nevada’s leading scorers off the bench this year, averaging 9.0 and 8.3 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.
- Freshman Dario Hunt is leading the Wolf Pack and ranked second in the WAC with 1.71 blocks per game, including a career-best four blocks Dec. 31 vs. North Carolina. He has blocked at least one shot in 11 of 14 games this year, including nine with two or more.
- Hunt has also led the team in rebounding in two of the last three games, including a career-best nine rebounds Dec. 31 vs. the top-ranked Tar Heels. The true freshman is third on the squad with 4.1 rebounds per game this season.
- Sophomore Malik Cooke set a career best with six steals Dec. 6 vs. UNLV and ranks second in the WAC with 1.79 steals per game, while sophomore Armon Johnson is tied for seventh in the league with 1.36 thefts per contest. 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 7.71 steals per contest.
- Nevada has had some up and down shooting nights this season and is now shooting 41.6 percent on the year. 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).
- The Wolf Pack trailed 27-24 at the half but outscored Southern Illinois 38-21 in the second half in its Dec. 9 victory. The team shot 52.6 percent in the final 20 minutes (10-19). That marked the first time this year that Nevada has overcome a halftime deficit (1-5 record when trailing at the half this season).
- 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 7-7). 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 134-46 record, the most wins of any WAC team during that time (.744 winning percentage). In conference games, Nevada has won 68 games, the most in that same time period.
WINNING AT LAWLOR
The Wolf Pack has won 42 of its last 50 contests at Lawlor Events Center, including 17 of its last 23 home games dating back to last season. Including a 13-3 mark in 2007-08 and a 5-4 mark this year, the Wolf Pack has turned in a 78-13 record at Lawlor Events Center since the start of the 2003-04 season (.857 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 20 of its last 22 WAC regular-season home games and 23 of its last 26 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.
FOX RETURNS FOR FIFTH SEASON
Nevada head coach Mark Fox holds a 109-37 career record in his five seasons at the helm of the Wolf Pack program (.747 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 Thursday’s game at New Mexico State, Nevada travels to Ruston, La., to take on Louisiana Tech on Saturday, Jan. 10. The Wolf Pack will return to Lawlor Events Center next week, beginning a three-game homestand with Boise State on Thursday, Jan. 15.
