Nevada Wolf Pack
Mountain West (29-4, 15-3)
The Wolf Pack entered the season as a top ten team and for the most part they stayed there after their 14-0 start to the season. That included wins against USC, Arizona State and Utah. The Mountain West as a whole had a decent season, but the Nevada was the clear team to beat and not many had much luck beating them.
Big Wins: 11/6 BYU (86-70), 12/7 vs Arizona State (72-66), 1/2 Utah State (72-49)
Bad Losses: 1/5 at New Mexico (58-85), 2/20 at San Diego State (57-65), 3/2 at Utah State (76-81)
Coach: Eric Musselman
Why They Can Surprise:
Coach Eric Musselman again had to deal with the loss of point guard Lindsey Drew, who missed the entire season. That left 6-7 forward Cody Martin running the point and he has done a great job, averaging 5.1 assists and 11.7 points. His brother, Caleb Martin, averages 19.2 points and has hit over 100 three-pointers this year. But it is Jordan Caroline who is arguably the team’s best player. The 6-7 wing is a consistent shooter and attacks the basket as well as anybody in the country. He is also the team’s top rebounder by a large margin. With that senior trio leading the way and a few other seniors in the regular rotation, the Nevada has the experience and talent to reach the Final Four.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Despite their impressive size, this is not a great rebounding team. With five starters 6-7 or taller, they should be stronger on the glass and that could prove to be problematic against some competition. Nevada does have a couple shorter players in the regular rotation. Jazz Johnson has not been consistent, but he can knock down some three-pointers and it will be important for him to provide an offensive spark off the bench.
Probable Starters:
Cody Martin, Senior, Forward, 11.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 5.1 apg
Jordan Caroline, Senior, Guard, 17.3 ppg, 9.6 rpg
Caleb Martin, Senior, Forward, 19.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg
Tre’Shawn Thurman, Senior, Forward, 8.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg
Trey Porter, Senior, Forward, 7.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg
Key Role Players:
Jordan Brown, Freshman, Forward, 3.1 ppg, 2.2 rpg
Corey Henson, Senior, Guard, 2.8 ppg
Jazz Johnson, Junior, Guard, 11.2 ppg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 81.6 (24th in nation, 1st in conference)
Scoring Defense: 66.6 (54, 1)
Field-Goal Percentage: 46.8 (58, 4)
Field-Goal Defense: 40.7 (34, 2)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 8.9 (61, 3)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 35.3 (128, 4)
Free-Throw Percentage: 71.1 (168, 6)
Rebound Margin: 2.0 (115, 4)
Assists Per Game: 15.3 (50, 2)
Turnovers Per Game: 10.2 (12, 1)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2018 | NCAA | Round of 64 win over Texas |
2018 | NCAA | Round of 32 win over Cincinnati |
2018 | NCAA | Regional Semifinal loss to Loyola (IL) |
2017 | NCAA | Round of 64 loss to Iowa State |
2016 | CBI | First Round win over Montana |
2016 | CBI | Quarterfinal win over Eastern Washington |
2016 | CBI | Semifinal win over Vermont |
2016 | CBI | Championship win over Morehead State |
2012 | NIT | First Round win over Oral Roberts |
2012 | NIT | Second Round win over Bucknell |
2012 | NIT | Quarterfinal loss to Stanford |
2010 | NIT | First Round win over Wichita State |
2010 | NIT | Second Round loss to Rhode Island |
2009 | CBI | First Round loss to UTEP |
2008 | CBI | First Round loss to Houston |
2007 | NCAA | Round of 64 win over Creighton |
2007 | NCAA | Round of 32 loss to Memphis |
2006 | NCAA | Round of 64 loss to Montana |
*all team stats through 3/10