SAN JOSE ST. SPARTANS (13-14, 6-8 WAC) at NEVADA WOLF PACK (17-11, 9-5 WAC)
GAME #29
Thursday, March 5, 2009 - 7:05 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 6:30 p.m. PT
SERIES HISTORY: San Jose State leads the all-time series 47-42.
LAST MEETING: Nevada has won the last two meetings between the two teams, most recently turning in an 80-68 victory on Feb. 12 in San Jose, Calif.
Coming off an 84-71 victory over league leader Utah State on Saturday, the Nevada Wolf Pack (17-11, 9-5 WAC) returns to action on Thursday night, playing host to the San Jose State Spartans (13-14, 6-8 WAC) at Lawlor Events Center. Thursday’s game will tip off at 7:05 p.m. Pacific Time and can be heard on Nevada’s radio flagship, ESPN 630 AM, and affiliates throughout the state with Ryan Radtke calling the action. Nevada will honor its lone senior, guard Lyndale Burleson, prior to Thursday’s game with the Spartans. Heading into the last week of the regular season, Nevada remains in sole possession of second place in the WAC standings with a 9-5 league record and looks to extend a six-game winning streak over San Jose State at home. Following Thursday’s game with the Spartans, Nevada wraps up the WAC regular season at Boise State on Saturday, March 7.
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.
SENIOR SALUTE
Saturday will mark the last regular-season home game for Nevada’s lone senior, Lyndale Burleson. A 6-3, 190-pound guard from Seattle, Wash., Burleson has played in 117 career games with 33 starts and has been a part of three WAC championships and postseason appearances. Nevada will honor Burleson in a pregame ceremony on Thursday evening.
WINNING AT LAWLOR
The Wolf Pack has won 47 of its last 57 contests at Lawlor Events Center, including 22 of its last 30 home games dating back to last season. Including a 13-3 mark in 2007-08 and a 10-6 mark this year, the Wolf Pack has turned in an 83-15 record at Lawlor Events Center since the start of the 2003-04 season (.847 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 24 of its last 28 WAC regular-season home games and 27 of its last 32 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. Nevada’s losses to Louisiana Tech on Feb. 5 and New Mexico State on Feb. 7 marked its first back-to-back WAC home losses since falling to Louisiana Tech and SMU in January of 2002.
ABOUT THE SAN JOSE STATE SPARTANS
San Jose State brings a 13-14 overall mark into Thursday’s game with Nevada and is sixth in the league with a 6-8 WAC record. The Spartans have won their last two games, turning in a 72-64 win over Idaho on Feb. 26 and a 61-59 victory over Hawai’i on Feb. 28, both in San Jose. Under the direction of fourth-year head coach George Nessman (37-83 record at SJSU), the Spartans returned all five starters and eight letterwinners from last year’s 13-19 team. San Jose State finished eighth in the WAC last season with a 4-12 league mark.
Sophomore guard Adrian Oliver (6-4, 210), a transfer from the University of Washington, is leading the Spartans in scoring with 18.2 points per game in 15 contests. He is also pacing the team with 18.8 points per league contest. Senior forward Tim Pierce (6-7, 215) is second on the team and 12th in the WAC with 12.9 points per game. The Spartans also have three players ranked among the league’s top rebounders in junior center Chris Oakes (6-10, 235) who ranks second with 7.5 rebounds per game, junior forward C.J. Webster (6-9, 255) who checks in at eighth with 6.4 boards per game and Pierce who is 13th at 5.9 rebounds per contest.
IN THE SERIES
San Jose State leads the all-time series with Nevada 47-42, while the Wolf Pack has gotten the best of the series recently, winning 12 of the last 13 meetings between the two teams. Nevada took this year’s first meeting, turning in an 80-68 victory on Feb. 12 in San Jose, while the two teams split last year’s games with the Spartans snapping a 10-game Wolf Pack winning streak in the series with a 62-60 victory on Jan. 10, 2008 in San Jose, Calif., and Nevada turning in an 84-46 victory on Feb. 7, 2008 in Reno. The Wolf Pack has also won the last six games played in Reno between the two squads.
LAST TIME VS. SAN JOSE STATE
Junior forward Joey Shaw came off the bench to score 16 of his career-high 23 points in the first half, leading Nevada to an 80-68 victory at San Jose State on Feb. 12.
Shaw nailed his first six shots, four of them from three-point range. He was 6-of-7 from the field and 4-of-5 from long range in the first half. For the game, Shaw was 9-of-13 overall and 5-of-8 from beyond the arc.
Nevada got 17 points from sophomore Malik Cooke and 13 apiece from freshman Luke Babbitt and sophomore Armon Johnson. Robert Owens led San Jose State with 17 points, making 5-of-7 three-pointers. C.J. Webster added 15 points.
Shaw's fourth straight basket from beyond the arc gave Nevada a 30-20 lead with 7:59 left in the first half. His fifth straight, this one a turnaround 15-footer from the right corner, made it 36-21 with 5:10 left. Nevada, which snapped a two-game losing streak, built a 43-23 halftime lead, outshooting the Spartans 66.7 percent to 37.5.
San Jose State, using a pair of three-pointers from Owens, cut the margin to 46-35 with 17:02 left, but Nevada quickly responded.
Babbitt hit a jump-hook from the key, Johnson made two free throws, Shaw made a jumper from the right corner and Babbitt scored on a tip-in. That put Nevada ahead 54-37 with 13:34 left to play.
LAST TIME OUT
Sophomore Armon Johnson scored 28 points and freshman Luke Babbitt 21 as Nevada opened a 23-point lead in the first half Saturday night and then held on to beat Utah State 84-71.
Johnson made 11-of-18 shots from the field and Babbitt hit 10-of-11 free throws while pulling down nine rebounds for the Wolf Pack. Gary Wilkinson had a team-high 16 points and Tai Wesley 10 points and 10 rebounds for Utah State.
Nevada led 47-32 at the half and was ahead by as much as 41-18 thanks mostly to making six of its first shots from 3-point range -- two by Johnson and one each by Babbitt, senior Lyndale Burleson and junior Brandon Fields, who finished with 16 points.
The Aggies cut the lead to seven, 66-59 with 6:59 to play, but Nevada scored the next four points to secure the victory.
BABBITT TURNING IN OUTSTANDING ROOKIE CAMPAIGN
Winner of two WAC Player-of-the-Week awards this season and Nevada’s freshman scoring record holder, freshman Luke Babbitt has opened his career in the Silver and Blue in strong fashion, leading the team in both scoring and rebounding this season. The McDonald’s High School All-American is averaging 16.4 points per game and ranks fifth in the WAC as well as fifth among the nation’s freshmen in scoring. Babbitt is also leading the Pack in both categories in conference play, checking in at fourth in the WAC with 17.4 points and third with 7.7 rebounds per conference contest.
He has turned in eight 20-point games this season, including a career-best 24 points Jan. 31 at Idaho and 23 Feb. 5 vs. La Tech. He has also scored 22 points three times and has led the team in scoring in 13 of 28 games, including eight of the last 17. He has been in double figures for scoring in all but two contests this year and hit the game-winning three-pointer as time expired for 15 points in the Jan. 10 win at Louisiana Tech.
Babbitt checks in at third in the WAC with 7.5 rebounds per contest. He has led the Wolf Pack in rebounding 16 times this season (including nine of the last 14 games), most recently pulling down nine rebounds Saturday vs. Utah State. He has turned in five games with 10 or more rebounds, including a career-best 13 boards Jan. 17 vs. Fresno State. Babbitt also leads the Wolf Pack with five double-doubles, including 24 points and 10 rebounds Jan. 31 at Idaho. 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. With 459 points on the year, he has already broken Nevada’s record for scoring by a Wolf Pack freshman, surpassing the previous mark of 457 points set by Edgar Jones in 1975-76.
NATION’S TOP FRESHMEN SCORERS IN 2008-09
Name, School PPG
1. Seth Curry, Liberty 20.6
2. Sylven Landesberg, Virginia 17.4
3. Mike Rosario, Rutgers 16.9
4. Tyreke Evans, Memphis 16.7
5. Luke Babbitt, Nevada 16.4
6. Willie Warren, Oklahoma 15.1
7. Courtney Fortson, Arkansas 14.8
8. Paul George, Fresno State 14.7
9. Afam Muojeke, Wyoming 14.3
10. Keith Gabriel, VMI 13.8
11. Samardo Samuels, Louisville 12.1
12. Alex Young, IUPUI 11.0
NEVADA’S ALL-TIME TOP FRESHMAN SCORERS
Name, Year Points
1. Luke Babbitt, 2008-09 459
2. Edgar Jones, 1975-76 457
3. Nick Fazekas, 2003-04 429
4. Pete Padgett, 1972-73 416
5. Terrance Green, 1999-00 402
6. Armon Johnson, 2007-08 379
7. Ric Herrin, 1989-90 273
JOHNSON TURNS IT ON
Sophomore Armon Johnson is now second on the team and seventh in the WAC with 15.4 points per contest. The preseason WAC Player of the Year has paced the team in scoring 10 times this year, most recently scoring 28 points Saturday vs. Utah State. He also had 25 of Nevada’s 47 points and hitting the game-winning shot Feb. 14 at Hawai’i, scored 27 points Feb. 5 vs. La Tech and turned in a career-high 33 points on Dec. 20 at California. In the last nine games, Johnson has scored 17.7 points per game (159 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 Jan. 15 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 in the second half Dec. 2 at Colorado State, 14 of 16 in the final 20 minutes Dec. 14 vs. Southern Illinois and 18 of 27 in the second half Feb. 5 vs. Louisiana Tech.
Johnson is also leading the team in assists for the second year in a row. He ranks fifth in the WAC with 4.25 assists per game this year and is fifth in the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.89, 119 assists and just 63 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 nine other games this season (most recently eight assists and one turnover Feb. 20 vs. VCU). 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.
FINDING ITS TOUCH
Nevada appears to be finding its shooting touch over the last few weeks and has shot 44.8 percent from the field in its last seven games (194-433), up from its season percentage of 42.3 percent. The Wolf Pack has shot 50 percent or better from the field four times this season, most recently turning in a 51.0 percent effort Saturday vs. Utah State. Nevada made a season-best 62.3 percent of its field goal attempts Feb. 12 at San Jose State (33-53), including a blazing 66.7 percent in the first half (18-27). That bested its previous high of 53.4 percent Dec. 9 vs. Sonoma State. Sophomore Malik Cooke is leading the squad and ranked eighth in the WAC in field goal percentage, knocking down 54.0 percent of his attempts this season (94-174), including an 8-of-9 effort Feb. 12 at San Jose State and an 8-of-12 showing Feb. 26 at Fresno State.
The Wolf Pack is also shooting well from three-point land in recent games, connecting on 35.8 percent of its attempts (48-134) in the last nine games. On the season, Nevada is shooting 29.5 percent from three-point land. The team has made at least seven three-pointers in four of its last nine games, including an 8-of-14 effort Feb. 12 at San Jose State (.471). Junior Joey Shaw made a career-high 5-of-8 long-range attempts to lead the team vs. the Spartans. Nevada has notched its season high of 50 percent in three-point percentage twice this year with a 6-of-12 effort Dec. 9 vs. Sonoma State and a 7-of-14 showing Jan. 29 at Utah State. 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). 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).
Babbitt is shooting 43.3 percent from three-point land this year (29-67), which would rank among the WAC’s leaders, but he falls short of the league minimum of 2.0 made per game. He has made all three of his attempts Jan. 29 at Utah State, tying his career best for three-pointers made, and was 2-of-2 Feb. 5 vs. Utah State and Feb. 20 vs. VCU. Sophomore Malik Cooke has made 41.2 percent of his three-point attempts (7-17).
HUNT SETS NEVADA ROOKIE RECORD FOR BLOCKED SHOTS
With 62 blocked shots already this season, freshman Dario Hunt has set Nevada’s freshman single-season record, passing the 44 rejections that Wolf Pack great Nick Fazekas had in his rookie campaign in 2003-04. Hunt leads the WAC and ranks 34th in the country with 2.21 blocks per game overall, while he also paces the WAC with 2.71 blocks per league game. He has already climbed into third on Nevada’s single-season chart with his 62 rejections. Hunt blocked a career-best six shots in a Jan. 31 win at Idaho, besting his previous high of five Jan. 8 at New Mexico State and Feb. 7 vs. New Mexico State. He has blocked at least one shot in 25 of 28 games this year, including 20 with two or more.
As a team, Nevada leads the WAC and ranks 26th in the nation with 5.00 blocked shots per game with a season high of 12 Dec. 9 vs. Sonoma State. In conference play, the Wolf Pack leads the league with 5.57 blocks per game. In the last 11 games, Nevada has blocked an average of 5.9 shots per game (65), including nine Feb. 12 vs. the Spartans.
NEVADA SINGLE-SEASON BLOCKS
Name, Year Games Blocks
1. Edgar Jones, 1977-78 27 96 (3.6 per game)
2. JaVale McGee, 2007-08 33 92 (2.8)
3. Dario Hunt, 2008-09 28 62 (2.21)
4. Greg Palm, 1981-82 28 55 (2.0)
5. Nick Fazekas, 2004-05 32 51 (1.6)
6. Nick Fazekas, 2005-06 33 49 (1.5)
7. Nick Fazekas, 2006-07 32 48 (1.5)
Greg Palm, 1980-81 26 48 (1.8)
WIPING THE GLASS
The Wolf Pack has outrebounded 16 of its last 17 opponents, including a 31-30 advantage Saturday vs. Utah State, and is now 13-7 on the year when outrebounding its opponents. Nevada was outrebounded at Hawai’i on Feb. 14 35-30, marking the first time in 13 games that its opponent had won the battle of the boards. Nevada outrebounded Idaho 44-32 on Jan. 31, and the +12 advantage vs. the Vandals was the second-highest rebounding margin for the Wolf Pack this season, surpassed only by a 14-board advantage Dec. 9 vs. Sonoma State (52-38).
On Jan. 8 at New Mexico State, Nevada was down 27-17 in the rebounding battle at the half but outboarded the Aggies 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.
As a team, Nevada leads the WAC in rebounding offense with 36.9 boards per game and ranks third in offensive rebounding with 12.32 offensive boards per contest. In WAC games, Nevada is also pulling down a league-best 37.4 rebounds per game.
Freshman Luke Babbitt is the team’s top rebounder, checking in at third in the WAC with 7.5 boards per game and third with 7.7 rebounds per league tilt. He pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds Jan. 17 vs. Fresno State and has tallied 12 in two other games this year (at Montana State and at New Mexico State). Sophomore Malik Cooke ranks second on the team and 10th in the WAC with 6.0 rebounds per contest, including a career-best 12 boards Jan. 31 at Idaho. Cooke is Nevada’s best offensive rebounder this season, checking in at a tie for second in the WAC with 2.71 offensive rebounds per game this year, and is averaging 6.6 boards per contest in league play (second on the team and seventh in the WAC). Cooke turned in his first career double-double with 12 points and a then career-best 10 rebounds Jan. 22 vs. Hawai’i and has been in double figures for rebounds four times this season.
FOX MOVES INTO THIRD IN ALL-TIME WINS AT NEVADA
With Nevada’s 69-65 win Jan. 31 at Idaho, Nevada head coach Mark Fox moved into sole possession of third on the Wolf Pack’s all-time wins list, passing Sonny Allen (114-89 record in seven seasons from 1980-87). Fox holds a 119-41 career record in his five seasons at the helm of the Wolf Pack program (.744 winning percentage). He is the first coach in school history to lead his squad to four consecutive 20-win seasons and three NCAA Tournament appearances, while his winning percentage ranks first among all of Nevada’s head coaches.
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. Mark Fox (2004-pres.) 119-41 (.744)
4. Sonny Allen (1980-87) 114-89 (.562)
5. Len Stevens (1987-93) 91-79 (.535)
6. Pat Foster (1993-99) 90-81 (.526)
SUCCESS AT THE CHARITY STRIPE
Nevada leads the WAC and ranks 32nd in the nation in free throw percentage this season, knocking down 73.7 percent of its attempts from the line (481-653). Nevada made a season-high 88.9 percent of its free throws in its Feb. 20 win over VCU in the ESPNU BracketBusters (24-27), including a perfect 7-of-7 effort by junior Joey Shaw. The Wolf has been over 80 percent at the line six times this year, most recently 80.0 percent Feb. 26 at Fresno State (16-20). The VCU effort bested Nevada’s previous season high of 87.5 percent in its Dec. 14 win over Southern Illinois (21-24).
Freshman Luke Babbitt is shooting 83.6 percent from the line (112-134) to rank third in the WAC, including all eight of his attempts Dec. 14 vs. Southern Illinois and Dec. 27 vs. Idaho State, a 6-for-6 showing Feb. 26 at Fresno State and a 10-of-11 outing Saturday vs. Utah State. Sophomore Armon Johnson checks in at sixth in the WAC at 78.0 percent (103-132), including a perfect 7-for-7 night Feb. 5 vs. La Tech and 5-of-5 outing Feb. 12 at San Jose State.
Junior Ray Kraemer has made 23-of-26 of his free throw attempts on the year (.885) and would lead the WAC, while junior Joey Shaw is shooting 79.3 percent (46-58) which would rank sixth, but both players fall short of the league’s 2.0 minimum per game.
WOLF PACK NEWS & NOTES
- The Wolf Pack turned the ball over a season-low four times in Saturday’s win over Utah State. Nevada is second in the WAC in turnover margin at +1.36 and ranked 24th in the country with just 12.0 turnovers per game. Senior Lyndale Burleson has the best assist-to-turnover ratio on the squad at 2.39 (55 assists and just 23 turnovers) and would rank third in the WAC but falls short of the minimum of 3.0 assists per game. Burleson has not turned the ball over in 12 of 28 contests this season.
- Freshman Ahyaro Phillips got the first start of his Nevada career as the Wolf Pack changed its starting lineup for the first time in 23 games Saturday vs. Utah State. Phillips was joined by Johnson, Babbitt, sophomore Malik Cooke and senior Lyndale Burleson in the starting lineup.
- Saturday’s win over Utah State marked the fourth time this year that the Wolf Pack has had two players score at least 20 points (Dec. 2 at Colorado State, Jan. 8 at New Mexico State and Feb. 5 vs. La Tech were the other two games). Sophomore Armon Johnson led the team with 28 points vs. Utah State, while freshman Luke Babbitt added 21.
- Nevada has had 11 games this year decided by five points or less, including three of its last four contests. The team is now 6-5 in games decided by five points or less. Of those 11 games, eight have come down to three points or less (4-4 record in those contests).
- Sophomore Malik Cooke scored 16 points on 8-of-12 shooting in Feb. 26 at Fresno State, just one point off his career high. He has tied his career best for scoring twice this year, most recently turning in 17 points on 8-of-9 shooting Feb. 12 at San Jose State. He also scored 17 Jan. 3 vs. Idaho, which was 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 vs. the Vandals. He ranks third on the team in scoring with 9.5 points per tilt.
- The Wolf Pack holds 5-6 mark on the year when trailing at the half. Nevada was down 32-28 to VCU at the half and trailed by as many as 10 points with 10 minutes to play before rallying for the Feb. 20 victory over the Rams. Nevada also trailed 27-24 at the half and 46-39 with 2:48 to play at Hawai’i on Feb. 14 but held the Rainbow Warriors scoreless the rest of the way en route to the 47-46 victory. Sophomore Armon Johnson scored six of Nevada's eight points in the Wolf Pack's 8-0 run over the final 2:48 of that game, including the game-winner with 7.6 seconds left. On Jan. 8 at New Mexico State, Nevada trailed 40-31 at halftime before downing the Aggies 79-71 in overtime, while on Jan. 10 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.
- Freshman Luke Babbitt and junior Brandon Fields led five Wolf Pack players in double figures for scoring with 15 points each in Nevada’s Feb. 20 victory over VCU. That marked the first time this year that Nevada has had five players in double figures for scoring and the sixth time this season that the team has had at least four.
- Fields has led the team in scoring five times this season, most recently tying freshman Luke Babbitt for the squad lead with 15 points in a Feb. 20 BracktBusters win over VCU. He paced the team in scoring three times all of last year. Fields 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.
- Including five games this year (5-0 record), Nevada has won 57 of its last 59 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 Dec. 9, while the team allowed Hawai’i just 46 Feb. 14 in Honolulu.
- The Wolf Pack and head coach Mark Fox have turned in a combined 44-14 record over the final two months of the season (February and March) in the last five years, including a 30-6 record in the month of February and a 14-8 mark in March.
- Freshman Dario Hunt led the team and tied his career high with nine rebounds Feb. 14 at Hawai’i. It marked the fourth time this year that he has paced the team in rebounding and the third consecutive game. Hunt ranks third on the team this season with 4.4 boards per game.
- Nevada now leads the WAC in field goal percentage defense, allowing its opponents to shoot just 41.6 percent from the field.
- Junior Joey Shaw led four Wolf Pack players in double figures for scoring with a career-best 23 points off the bench Feb. 12 at San Jose State, the second time this year that he has led the team in scoring and his second 20-point effort of the season.
- Sophomore Malik Cooke nabbed five of Nevada’s nine steals Jan. 31 at Idaho, one short of his career high of six Dec. 6 vs. UNLV. Cooke ranks third in the WAC with 1.75 steals per game and tied for first with 1.86 thefts per conference game. Cooke has had at least one steal in 21 of 28 games this season, including 13 with two or more. Cooke also added four steals Dec. 31 vs. No. 1 North Carolina and again Jan. 22 vs. Hawai’i. 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. As a team, Nevada is third in the WAC with 6.82 steals per contest.
- In WAC play, Nevada leads the conference in rebounding offense and ranks second in scoring offense, averaging 69.8 points and 37.94rebounds per league game. The Wolf Pack also ranks second in the WAC in offensive rebounds in conference play (12.93).
- The Wolf Pack is getting 67.5 percent of its scoring (1315 points) and 64.2 percent of its rebounding (663 rebounds) from its freshmen and sophomores this season.
- The Wolf Pack bench is averaging 21.4 points per game this season (598 points), and Nevada holds a 13-4 record when its bench outscores its opponent’s. Juniors Brandon Fields and Joey Shaw are Nevada’s leading scorers off the bench this year, averaging 9.1 and 7.8 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.
- Junior Ray Kraemer scored seven points in just five minutes Jan. 22 in the win over Hawai’i, making his only field goal attempt (a three-pointer) and knocking down all four of his free throw attempts.
- 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 17-11). 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 5 YEARS
Over the last five seasons dating back to 2003-04, Nevada has turned in a 144-50 record, tied for the most wins of any WAC team during that time (.742 winning percentage). In conference games, Nevada has won 77 games, the most in that same time period. The top three teams in wins (both overall and WAC) over the last five seasons:
Overall Record (Pct.) WAC Record (Pct.)
1. Nevada 144-50 (.742) 1. Nevada 77-21 (.7846
Utah State 144-46 (.758) 2. Hawaii 48-50 (.490)
3. Hawaii 96-82 (.539) 3. Fresno State 44-52 (.458)
UP NEXT
Following Thursday’s game with San Jose State, Nevada will wrap up the regular season at Boise State on Saturday, March 7. The team then plays host to the WAC Tournament March 10-14 at its own Lawlor Events Center. The winner of the WAC Tournament will earn the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
