Nevada (7-0) vs. Drake (8-1)

Saturday, Dec. 9 - 4:30 p.m.

Henderson, Nev. - Dollar Loan Center

TV: NSN/BallerTV

Radio: KNEV 95.5 FM // The Varsity Network App (John Ramey)

Live Stream: https://shorturl.at/hmUX2

RENO, Nev. -  As one of 13 remaining unbeaten teams in the nation, the Nevada Men's Basketball team will put their unblemished record on the line Saturday afternoon, as they face the reigning Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Champions, Drake, at the 2023 Jack Jones Classic.

After earning an 80-68 victory over UC Davis this past Wednesday, Nevada improved to a perfect 7-0 on the season, marking the program's best start since the 2018-19 season. 

For the first time this season, the Pack had to play from behind for more than three minutes and six seconds, as the Aggies held a lead for nearly half of the contest. 

Nevada proved to be too much for UC Davis down the stretch, as Kenan Blackshear was phenomenal over the final 10 minutes, propelling the Pack to their seventh consecutive victory. 

Nevada attempted 44 free throws throughout the game, knocking down 32 of them for a clip of 72.7 percent. The Pack had four different players reach double figures in scoring, and nine different players scored at least two points. 

Nevada was impressive on the glass, pulling down 36 boards throughout the contest, 12 of which came on the offensive glass, marking the most offensive rebounds that the Pack has recorded in a game this season. 

Nevada's bench was exceptional in the contest, scoring 20 points compared to just nine points from UC Davis' bench.

Individually, Blackshear had another masterful performance, scoring 25 points — 17 of which came during the second period — while also pulling down four rebounds and dishing out a team-high three assists. Blackshear was particularly superb in the second half, as the fifth-year senior put up 17 points on 7-8 shooting from the field, including scoring 14 points over the final 10 minutes alone.

Blackshear continues to rank within the Mountain West's top-20 in a plethora of different individual statistical categories this season. Blackshear is currently sixth in the conference in scoring (17.6 PPG), seventh in assists per game (4.7 APG), and 17th in both rebounding (5.7 RPG) and field goal percentage (54.7%). Blackshear has reached double figures in scoring in six of seven games for Nevada this season, including scoring 20+ points on three different occasions. 

Nick Davidson had a stellar outing against UC Davis, scoring 11 points on 3-6 shooting from the field and 5-5 from the free throw line, in addition to pulling down a game-high eight rebounds and recording one block. 

Davidson leads the team and ranks tenth in the Mountain West in rebounds per game (6.6 RPG), while also ranking 11th in the conference in blocks per game (1.0), and 22nd in field goal percentage (53.3%). Davidson is tied for first in the nation in free throw percentage (100.0%), as he is a perfect 22-22 from the free throw line through seven games for the Pack.

Graduate student Hunter McIntosh had arguably his best performance of the season off the bench for the Pack, scoring 13 points while draining a season-high three 3-pointers. A sharpshooter, McIntosh is shooting an exceptional 40.9 percent from behind the arc this season (9-22).

Jarod Lucas did not have his best outing against UC Davis; however, the elite scorer still managed to score 13 points, extending his streak of reaching double figures in scoring in every game this season for the Pack. 

Lucas ranks eighth in the Mountain West in scoring (17.4 PPG), first in made free throws (50), fourth in free throw percentage (92.6%), and tied for 14th in made 3-pointers (1.71 per game). 

Graduate student K.J. Hymes has continued to elevate his play as the season has gone, and he had another formidable performance against UC Davis, scoring eight points on 3-4 shooting from the field. Over the Pack's past three games, Hymes is averaging 9.7 points and 4.0 points per game. 

Senior forward Tre Coleman did not have his best offensive outing against UC Davis; but, he once again made a significant impact on the game through his exceptional play on defense. Coleman is 17th in the Mountain West in steals per game (1.3 SPG). 

As a team, Nevada continues to be one of the premier teams in the nation in terms of taking care of the ball, as the Pack ranks third in the country in fewest turnovers per game (8.3), fifth in assist/turnover ratio (1.9), and tied for 26th in turnover margin (+4.3). 

Nevada's offense also continues to rank as one of the best in the country, as they are 35th in the nation in points per game (83.7 PPG), 43rd in free throw percentage (76.1%), and 72nd in field goal percentage (47.4%). 

The Pack has been sensational at getting to the free throw line, as they are third in the country in free throw attempts per game (30.4), and second in made free throws per game (23.1). 

The Pack has done a considerable portion of their offensive work in the paint, as they are averaging 34.9 points in the paint per game this season, and they are yet to be outscored in the paint by an opponent. 

Nevada will face one of its most difficult challenges yet on Saturday, as they take on the reigning Missouri Valley Tournament champions and 2023-24 preseason favorites in the MVC.

Scouting Drake

Drake enters Saturday's contest with an overall record of 8-1, including a mark of 2-0 in the Missouri Valley Conference. 

The Bulldogs have picked up marquee victories against Saint Louis and Akron, and their only loss came at the hands of Stephen F. Austin in the second round of the Cayman Islands Classic. 

Drake has been one of the more efficient teams in the country, as they rank 55th in the nation in field goal percentage (47.9%) and 37th in free throw percentage (76.7%). 

Individually, they are led by 2022-23 Missouri Valley Conference player of the Year, Tucker DeVries. 

DeVries, a 6-foot-7 junior forward, is averaging 19.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. He is shooting 47.3 percent from the field, 31.0 percent from behind the arc, and 72.1 percent at the free throw line. DeVries has reached double figures in scoring in eight of nine games for Drake, and he has scored 30+ points in two different games, as he is capable of having an offensive explosion at any time.

Drake has three other players scoring in double figures, as Kevin Overton, Atin Wright, and Darnell Brodie are each averaging 13.6 points per game or more. 

Overton, a freshman guard, has had a stellar start to his collegiate career, as he is averaging 14.4 points per game on 51.1 percent shooting from the field and 35.2 percent from behind the arc. 

Wright, a junior who transferred from CSUN after being named All-Big West Honorable Mention in back-to-back seasons, is putting up 14.0 points per game, while shooting 34.1 percent from behind the arc and 90.9 percent at the free throw line.

Brodie is a 6-foot-10, 275-pound forward who was named to the MVC Most Improved Team last season. The graduate student is averaging 13.6 points per game on 66.7 percent shooting, in addition to pulling down a team-high 6.9 boards per game. 

The Pack will need to contain DeVries and limit Drake's success from behind the arc in order to beat the Bulldogs and improve to 8-0 on the season.

Series History

Nevada and Drake have faced off three times throughout history, with Drake owning a 2-1 advantage in the series. The Pack won the most recent matchup against the Bulldogs, a 79-71 victory in 2015.

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