Nevada Wolf Pack
Western Athletic Conference (21-12, 11-5)
RPI: 80
Big Wins: 2/20 VCU (71-70), 2/28 Utah State (84-71), 3/7 at Boise State (69-60)
Bad Losses: 11/18 at San Diego (51-65), 2/5 Louisiana Tech (75-78), 2/26 at Fresno State (66-68)
Coach: Mark Fox
Probable Starters:
Armon Johnson, Sophomore, Guard, 15.4 ppg, 4.2 apg, 3.6 rpg
Lyndale Burleson, Senior, Guard, 3.5 ppg, 2.0 apg
Malik Cooke, Sophomore, Forward, 9.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.8 spg
Dario Hunt, Freshman, Forward, 3.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.0 bpg
Luke Babbitt, Freshman, Forward, 16.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Brandon Fields, Junior, Guard, 9.4 ppg, 1.5 apg
Joey Shaw, Junior, Forward, 7.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg
Why They Can Surprise:
Nevada ranks in the top 40 in the nation in just two major statistical categories. Those two are blocked shots and turnovers. Dario Hunt is the main reason for Nevada’s success in the shot blocking department. The 6-8 freshman is not much of a scorer, but he will get plenty of playing time for his rebounding and shot blocking abilities. Once Hunt starts doing a little scoring, the Wolf Pack will have a great player on their hands, but until then he will do plenty of dirty work for the rest of the scorers.
Armon Johnson is the main reason for the lack of turnovers. The 6-3 sophomore has done a great job running the show and dishes out 4.2 assists per contest. The combo guard is also a great scorer and will do a lot of scoring by getting to the basket. He is second on the team with 15.4 points per game and will occasionally mix up his offensive game with an outside shot.
Why They Can Disappoint:
However, Johnson shoots just 27.1 percent from long range. Brandon Fields, Joey Shaw, Lyndale Burleson and Ray Kraemer all shoot 33 percent or less from long range. Luke Babbitt, a 6-9 forward is actually leading the team in three-pointers and he makes less than one per game.The freshman is a great scorer and his offensive versatility makes the Wolf Pack a difficult team to defend. He is also a great rebounder, but somebody on the perimeter has to start making some outside shots or Nevada’s offense will be very predictable.
Who To Watch:
Babbitt is the star of this team and there will be a lot of pressure on him to perform well during the tournament. How well the freshman can handle that pressure will go a long way determining how far the Wolf Pack can advance. Babbitt has only failed to reach double digits in the scoring column three times this season and not coincidentally, Nevada lost all of those games. When Babbitt has gotten a double-double, the Wolf Pack has not lost a game and that is the effort that this team needs from him. But Babbitt cannot do it on his own and the shooters must take advantage of the open looks created by Babbitt when he is clearing space in the paint.
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 70.2 (136th in nation, 4th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 65.4 (108, 5)
Field-Goal Percentage: 42.6 (227, 8)
Field-Goal Defense: 41.3 (72, 1)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 4.6 (300, 7)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: na
Free-Throw Percentage: 74.0 (28, 1)
Rebound Margin: 2.3 (104, 4)
Assists Per Game: 12.1 (240, 8)
Turnovers Per Game: 11.8 (22, 2)
Joel’s Bracket Says: Final Four loss to Stanford
