Nevada (14-3) vs. San Diego State (12-3)
Tuesday, January 10 - 8 P.M. - Viejas Arena
TV: CBSSN
Radio: ESPN 94.5 FM (John Ramey) // The Varsity Network app
Live Stream: https://bit.ly/3GSwnMN
Live Stats: https://bit.ly/3k4Nfaf
RENO, Nev. - The University of Nevada Men's Basketball team will put their current six-game win streak and unblemished conference record on the line Tuesday evening, as they will travel to face San Diego State at 8 p.m.
The Aztecs are the only other unbeaten team in Mountain West play, as sole possession of first place in the conference standings will be on the line Tuesday evening.
The Pack enters Tuesday's contest on a six-game winning streak after earning a dominant 67-40 victory over San José State this past Saturday.
After falling behind 15-7 in the first nine minutes of the contest, Nevada put on a sensational display of basketball for the remainder of the game, completely shutting down the Spartans on defense, as the Pack dominated all aspects of the game over the final 31 minutes of play.
Nick Davidson had arguably the best performance of his young career, scoring a game-high 15 points on 6-12 shooting from the field, in addition to pulling down a career-high nine rebounds, seven of which came on the offensive glass. Davidson logged a career-high 27 minutes of action, and the redshirt freshman finished the contest with a game-high plus/minus of +36.
Davidson earned Mountain West Freshman of the Week honors for his stellar play this past week, after averaging 13.5 points per game on 52.9 percent shooting from the field and 87.5 percent at the free throw line, as well as 6.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game across Nevada's wins over Colorado State and San José State.
Fellow freshman Darrion Williams also had an outstanding performance in the Pack's win over the Spartans, scoring nine points and pulling down a game-high 10 rebounds, while also dishing out a game-high four assists and recording two steals.
Williams has now reached double figures in rebounding in six games this season, and he has led Nevada in rebounding in 11 of 17 contests this year. Williams currently ranks fourth in the Mountain West in total rebounds this season (124) and fifth in rebounds per game (7.3 RPG). Williams also ranks eighth in the league in steals per game, averaging 1.5 per contest.
Kenan Blackshear had another all-around superb performance, scoring 11 points, pulling down five rebounds, dishing out three assists, and recording a game-high three steals. The senior has now reached double figures in scoring in eight straight contests, and he has tallied at least three assists in 16 of 17 games this year.
Blackshear continues to rank in the top-15 of the Mountain West in an abundance of statistical categories this season. He is currently second in total assists (81) and assists per game (4.8), eighth in free throw percentage (80.4%), 10th in steals per game (1.4 SPG), and 11th in points per game (14.1 PPG) and minutes per game (31.5 MPG).
Jarod Lucas also reached double figures in scoring for the Pack, putting up 12 points, while hitting two 3-pointers in the contest. The senior guard has reached double figures in scoring in 15 straight games, and in 16 of 17 contests this season for Nevada. Lucas has also hit multiple 3-pointers in 15 games this year.
Lucas continues to pace the Wolf Pack offense in scoring, and he ranks second in the Mountain West in total scoring (289 points), and points per game (17.9 PPG). Lucas is also second in made 3-point field goals (47), third in free throw percentage (86.7%), and fourth in 3-point field goal percentage (38.2%).
Nevada's bench had one of their best outings of the season in the win over San José State, outscoring the Spartans bench, 27-18. Outside of Davidson, freshman guard Trey Pettigrew and junior guard Daniel Foster also had strong showings.
Pettigrew scored five points on 2-3 shooting from the field in 15 minutes off the bench for the Pack, while finishing the game with a phenomenal plus/minus of +26.
Foster had one his best games of the season, scoring four points, grabbing two rebounds, dishing out two assists, and recording two steals in 19 minutes of playing time.
After limiting the Spartans to just 40 points on an abysmal 33.3 percent shooting from the field and 25 percent from behind the arc, marking one of their best defensive performances of the season, the Pack's defense continues to rank in the top-five of the league in a multitude of categories.
As a team, Nevada ranks second in opponent field goal percentage (39.7%), third in opponent points per game (63.8 PPG), fifth in opponent 3-point field goal percentage (31.8%), fifth in defensive rebounding (27.2 per game), and fifth in turnovers forced (234).
The Pack will face arguably their toughest challenge yet, as they will take on the number 23 ranked team in the country in San Diego State on the road, seeking to earn their seventh consecutive victory, which would mark Nevada's longest winning streak since the 2018-19 season.
Scouting San Diego State
The Aztecs enter Tuesday's contest with an overall record of 12-3, earning marquee victories over Stanford, Ohio State, and UNLV this season.
SDSU is coming off of a road victory over Wyoming, and they are currently on a five-game winning streak.
Their three losses this season have come to Arizona, Arkansas, and Saint Mary's at neutral sites.
The Aztecs have been impressive on both ends of the court this year, as they currently rank fourth in the conference in scoring (75.5 PPG) and sixth in opponent points per game (65.5 PPG). San Diego State has scored the ball at an efficient rate, as they are shooting 45.9 percent from the field and 36.7 percent from behind the arc, while limiting their opponents to just 40 percent shooting from the field and 31.2 percent from three.
The Aztecs have been incredibly dangerous on the offensive glass this season, as they rank fourth in the conference, averaging 10.1 offensive rebounds per game this year.
Individually, San Diego State has eight different players scoring at least 6.1 points per game, as they have an abundance of contributors on offense.
Senior Matt Bradley has led the way for the Aztecs' offense, scoring 13.3 points per game on 37.9 percent shooting from behind the arc, while also pulling down 4.0 rebounds per game.
Fellow senior Darrion Trammell has also been at the forefront of the San Diego State offense, averaging 12.6 points per game on 37.5 percent shooting from three this season.
Nevada will need to keep the backcourt duo of Bradley and Trammell in check, while having another strong performance on defense and on the glass if they hope to come away with their first victory at Viejas Arena since 1998 on Tuesday night.
Series History
Nevada and San Diego State have faced off 25 times throughout history, with the Aztecs holding a 19-6 advantage in the series. In the most recent matchup between the two squads, SDSU earned a 79-78 victory over Nevada in March of last year.
Single-Game Tickets on Sale Now
Single-game tickets for Nevada men's basketball home contests are available at www.mynevadatickets.com. Fans may also purchase single-game tickets for the season by phone at 775-348-PACK (7225). Those who have questions or need assistance may also contact the ticket office by phone or by emailing wolfpackticketinfo@unr.edu.
Follow The Pack
Follow Nevada Men's Basketball on social media at @NevadaHoops (Twitter), @nevadahoops (Instagram), and on Facebook at @NevadaMBB.
