NEVADA VS. VALPARAISO PREVIEW
SAINT THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Islands – The University of Nevada (3-3) snapped a two-game losing skid with a 74-60 victory over Fordham on Friday to advance to the semifinals of the Paradise Jam and will face Valparaiso (4-1) on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. PT. The winner will play either Bowling Green or Cincinnati on Monday for the championship with the losers playing in the third place game.
The four-day event is being played at the University of the Virgin Islands' Sports and Fitness Center in Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. The 2019 Paradise Jam is the second trip for the Wolf Pack to event. In 2014 the Pack went 0-3.
Valpo defeated Grand Canyon 78-74 on Friday to advance to the semifinals. The Crusaders have four players averaging double figures led by Javon Freeman-Liberty's 22.2 points per game and he also tops the Crusaders grabbing 7.4 rebounds per game. Ryan Fazekas (13 ppg), Nick Robinson (12.2 ppg) and Daniel Sackey (10.4 ppg) are also scoring in double figures.
Nevada got a game-high 22 points from junior
Jalen Harris in the win over Fordham. Harris was selected as the game MVP as he also had game highs with seven assists and six rebounds. Senior
Jazz Johnson tops the team scoring 18 points per game followed by
Lindsey Drew's 15.2 points per contest. Harris is averaging 13.6 points and
Nisré Zouzoua is also in double figures with his 10.2 points per game.
First-year Nevada head coach
Steve Alford led his then New Mexico squad to the 2014 Paradise Jam title knocking of No. 21/23 UConn 66-60 in the championship game.
THE SERIES
Sunday's game with Valparaiso will be the first meeting of the two teams on the basketball court.
ON THE AIR
HOW TO FOLLOW NEVADA AT THE PARADISE JAM
All games of the Paradise Jam will be streamed by FLOHOOPS. The cost is $29.99 per month as there are no single game options. Pack fans will need to sign up for a one month subscription and decide whether to continue with the subscription at the end of the Paradise Jam. A yearly subscription is $150 which averages $12.50 per month.
The games will be available on 94.5 FM in northern Nevada with Alex Margulies calling the action. Pregame starts 30 minutes prior to tip. Online audio is available at TuneIn.com or with the TuneIn App.
Live stats will be available for all three Wolf Pack games in the Paradise Jam.
Important links to follow the Wolf Pack:
Paradise Jam Online audio:
Paradise Jam online video stream:
Paradise Jam online live stats:
Paradise Jam website
HARRIS HITS HIS STRIDE
Junior
Jalen Harris suffered a foot injury in the season-opener versus Utah and played just 8 minutes. Harris missed the LMU game but has hit his stride the last four games scoring in double figures three times and netting nine points in the other game.
In the UT Arlington game he scored a game-high 24 points, two off his career high of 26 that came during his time at Louisiana Tech. At Davidson he netted 13 points and had a game-high 22 versus Fordham. In the Fordham game he posted game-highs with 22 points, seven assists and six rebounds in 34 minutes while committing just one turnover.
JOHNSON STARTING SENIOR SEASON WITH EXPLOSIVE OFFENSIVE NUMBERS
Wolf Pack senior
Jazz Johnson is starting his senior season with explosive offensive numbers averaging a team-high 18 points per game. The 18 points per game ranks fourth in the Mountain West.
Johnson is the only Pack player to score in double figures in every game this season and has two 20-point games. The first 20-point contest was in the win over LMU and the second was a game-high 26 points in the USC game. The 26 points is one shy of his career-high of 27 points set last season at Air Force. In the other two games he scored 16 points. He made six 3-pointers against the Trojans, one off his career-high of seven that he had in the Air Force game.
He ranks in the top 50 in six NCAA statistical categories. Seventh with 21 made 3-pointers and ninth with 51 attempted. His 3.5 made 3s per game is 17th. Johnson is 29th with 83 attempted field goals, 30 with 108 points and 48th with 36 made field goals. In five of six games he has made three or more 3-pointers.
From behind the arc he is shooting 41.2 percent which ranks third in the MW. Overall he is connecting on 43.4 percent of his field goals to rank 11th in the MW.
He has scored 1,210 points in his career with 740 coming in his two years at Portland.
LAST TIME OUT
HARRIS SCORES 22 TO LIFT NEVADA PAST FORDHAM 74-60
SAINT THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Islands (AP) Jalen Harris had 22 points as Nevada got past Fordham 74-60 in the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam on Friday.
Harris sank 7 of 13 shots from the floor for the Wolf Pack (3-3), including 5 of 9 from 3-point range. Harris added seven assists and six rebounds.
Jazz Johnson hit four 3-pointers and scored 17, while reserves
K.J. Hymes and Nisre Zouzoua scored 11 apiece.
Sophomore Jalen Cobb came off the bench to score a career-high 21 points for the Rams (3-1). He hit 6 of 12 shots from the floor, including 5 of 7 from distance.
Fordham shot 35% overall but sank 10 of 24 from distance (42%). Nevada shot 45% from the floor and 42% from beyond the arc (13 of 31).
UP NEXT: FINAL GAME OF THE PARADISE JAM – FLOHOOPS.COM
Nevada will play its final game of the Paradise Jam on Monday versus either Bowling Green or Cincinnati depending on the results of Sunday games. The Pack will play at either 2:45 p.m. or 5 p.m. PT on Monday.
