Tag: lindsey drew

Notable undrafted free agents eligible for 2021 G League Draft

Among the eligible players for the upcoming 2021 NBA G League Draft are several of the notable undrafted players from the 2020 NBA draft.

The upcoming 2021 NBA G League season may give several players not selected in the recent NBA draft another opportunity in the pros.

The NBA G League is hosting a bubble tournament at the ESPN Wide World of Sport Complex in Florida. Once teams are assembled, they will arrive to the location by January 26 for physicals and onboarding. The first game is set for February 8 and teams are expected to play a “12-to-15 game schedule” before their single-elimination playoffs from March 5-March 9.

While teams may have the majority of their roster spots ready to go, they’ll supplement final spaces with the G League Draft. The event is scheduled for Monday, January 11, at 1:15 PM EST.

Some of the players with the most professional experience: Emeka Okafor, Mario Chalmers, Michael Beasley, Lance Stephenson, Hollis Thompson, Terrence Jones, Quincy Pondexter, Shabazz Muhammad, Tyler Ulis, Festus Ezeli, Allonzo Trier, Antonio Blakeney.

Also among the eligible players for the upcoming 2021 NBA G League Draft are several of the notable undrafted players from the 2020 NBA draft.

Some of the top prospects who did not hear their name called on draft night were signed on two-way deals, which allow the player to be active for 50 of the 72 games for their franchise. Many others were invited to training camps to compete for roster spots via Exhibit-10 contracts.

Typically, players with that type of deal end up playing for the G League affiliate of the squad that signed them. This year, however, eleven of the teams around the league are not sending their affiliate to the bubble:

Atlanta Hawks (College Park Skyhawks)

Boston Celtics (Maine Red Claws)

Chicago Bulls (Windy City Bulls)

Dallas Mavericks (Texas Legends)

Detroit Pistons (Grand Rapids Drive)

Los Angeles Lakers (South Bay Lakers)

Miami Heat (Sioux Falls Skyforce)

Milwaukee  Bucks(Wisconsin Herd)

Phoenix Suns (Northern Arizona Suns)

Sacramento Kings (Stockton Kings)

Washington Wizards (Capital City Go-Go; will utilize Erie)

That means, in addition to those who did not participate in an NBA training camp over the summer, any of the players who signed Exhibit-10 deals with these franchises are also sent into the draft pool for Monday.

While this draft will have three rounds, there will be a max of 26 players selected, though teams are not required to make a selection. All things considered, this is set to be an incredibly deep draft class on Monday.

Among the nearly 200 players who have NBA G League Standard Player Contracts but are not yet on a roster, here are some of the notable undrafted free agents who may have a chance to continue their professional journey:

Nevada Basketball: What Has Gone So Right For The Wolf Pack?

Nevada Basketball: What Has Gone So Right? The Wolf Pack are tied for second with one more regular season game this weekend, how will it end? Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Nevada is poised for a top 3 finish on Saturday, We are nearing the …

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Nevada Basketball: What Has Gone So Right?

The Wolf Pack are tied for second with one more regular season game this weekend, how will it end?

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Nevada is poised for a top 3 finish on Saturday, 

We are nearing the end of February and come Saturday you get an extra day this year to watch basketball, sit and reflect. The end of the regular season in the Mountain West will end with the Utah State Aggies visiting the Lobos in Albuquerque at 8:00 PM MST. But right before that is the game everyone might be tuning in to. 

That game tips off at 6:00 PM MST, and features the first place San Diego State Aztecs as they visit the Nevada Wolf Pack in Reno in the marquee match up of the night.

This game will be well watched for two reasons, one the possibility of the senior night upset of a top-25 ranked opponent and two the conference’s Player of the Year race may be decided in this game. The game features two really good teams, the Aztecs who have sole possession of first place in the conference and have already won the regular season title. And the Wolf Pack who were a little hard to predict coming into the season with so many unknowns and new personnel. But Nevada has proven some folks wrong and in doing so has lived up to that preseason top-5 finish that they were given in October, maybe even exceeding it.

In case you didn’t click the link up above or haven’t been following my coverage of the Wolf Pack all season, I wrote that article. I chose Nevada as one of my two teams who may not live up to expectations this season back in October. For no reason other than, I wasn’t completely sold. I mean the coaching staff change, inexperienced bigs and the little division I experience on the roster had me worried, but alas I was wrong.

The Wolf Pack have pulled it all together and excelled, enough for a current second place tie with the preseason favorite in Utah State. The Aggies didn’t end up winning the conference because of…well you know who. And side from a slight surprise season from UNLV sitting at third place (picked 7th) and a disappointing second half performance by New Mexico currently tied for sixth (picked 3rd), things have shaped up as most predicted.

For Nevada who was predicted to finish fourth and has surpassed that with an amazing batch of performances in the month of February which resulted in a current six game winning streak, the transition between coaching staffs has been relatively smooth. But what has gone so right for Steve Alford in his first season back in the Mountain West? Well let’s take a look.

A slight slow start, 

Something noticeable early on was the apparent talent on the Wolf Pack’s roster. But the lack of chemistry in a group that as a whole, had only been playing together since the arrival of all nine newcomers presumably in the summer.

The team only brought back five players this season that had been on last year’s NCAA tournament roster and only senior guards Jazz Johnson (28.6 MPG in 18-19) and Nisre Zouzoua (6.0 MPG in 18-19) saw playing time. The other three being Lindsey Drew (out entire 18-19 season with injury), Jalen Harris (sitting out 18-19 due to transfer rules) and K.J. Hymes (red shirted 18-19 season as a freshman) sat out for different reasons.

By all means this was a new team that was going to play only three returning letter winners and eight newcomers. The talent was there early on as the Wolf Pack split their first six games 3-3, winning games they may have been expected to in Loyola Marymount, UT-Arlington and Fordham. While losing tougher ones to the likes of Utah, USC and Davidson.

Chemistry takes time to build but for the Wolf Pack maybe the right amount of time had come around the start of conference play where their 12-5 record (0.706 CPCT.) shines bright over a 7-5 non-conference record (0.583 PCT.) where they were still figuring things out. Some of that’s on the players but that doesn’t happen easily without a good coaching staff developing them.

In season development of freshmen bigs, 

Another point of concern as the season began was the team’s lack of experienced big men. The last Wolf Pack team under Musselman relied on incoming division-one transfers to fill out the frontcourt every year. And as the season tipped off in November there were four big men to distribute minutes to but no clear starters out of the gate.

Alford inherited and was able to keep highly touted freshman K.J. Hymes in Reno and brought in Zane Meeks out of the Brewster Academy by way for Prairie Village, KS to complement Hymes in a future Wolf Pack frontcourt. Both players had high major offers in high school and Hymes was even predicted as the freshman of the year in the preseason, but neither had logged a single minute of game time at the college level and were unknowns going into the first game.

Frontcourt depth was added later on in the form of junior college freshman Robby Robinson (San Diego City College) and Johncarlos Reyes (Boston College-ACC). With these additions the coaching staff was able to have at least two actual bigs on the court at all times and didn’t have to play small ball like a lot of teams have been forced to do around the conference, but still both players came with unknowns. Robinson though productive at the junior college level (15.3 PPG & 10.0 RPG in 28 GMS) could have gone either way in year one at the division-one level, we see it all the time, players sometimes need time to get acclimated to greater size, athleticism and speed of the game. While Reyes was transferring in from a team in a bigger and more competitive conference, but one where he only saw 6.1 MPG on a team that finished 11th in the ACC.

Well even though no one is making the all-conference first team from the Nevada frontcourt at the end of this season. All four players have had an impact on the court at one point or another. K.J. Hymes has displayed an elite bounce and length when left open in the post, and like Zane Meeks can stretch the defense with the ability to knock down the occasional long range shot. And even though the freshmen have gotten a fair share of the playing time (almost half), it is Robinson and Reyes who have started 57 of the total 58 games played together.

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Jalen Harris’ 38-Point Performance Leads Nevada Past Air Force, 88-54

Game Recap: Nevada 88, Air Force 54 Jalen Harris and company step up in a bounce back win over Air Force at home. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire The Wolf Pack looked very comfortable behind a solid defensive team effort and solid overall …

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Game Recap: Nevada 88, Air Force 54

Jalen Harris and company step up in a bounce back win over Air Force at home. 

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

The Wolf Pack looked very comfortable behind a solid defensive team effort and solid overall play from Harris. 

The Wolf Pack bounced back in a big way against Air Force at home in Lawlor Events Center Tuesday night in a 88-54 win over the visiting Falcons. Nevada lost both games on the road last week, one in a 91-92 heart breaker against the Rams in Fort Collins on Wednesday and on Saturday in Boise 64-73. The Wolf Pack hasn’t fared well away from home, with a combined 1-7 record

on the road this season. But they knew it would be a different story on Tuesday night, because they were back at home and facing the Air Force Falcons who were in sole possession of seventh place at 3-7 in conference play.

The Wolf Pack have had some success in the Lawlor Events Center going 9-2 at home this season. First year head coach Steve Alford and company had no intention of changing that narrative as the team rallied behind an impressive offensive performance from their star junior guard Jalen Harris. The former Louisiana Tech Bulldog and Musselman import has been the center piece of a relatively young and inexperienced squad this season.

Harris who almost transferred out the program upon learning of former head coach Eric Musselman’s new gig in the SEC ultimately decided to stay in Reno and is looking at a first-team all-Mountain West Conference finish and maybe a run at either player of the year or newcomer of the year.

His performance on Tuesday was phenomenal, finishing with 38 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals in 36 minutes of play. He also got others involved by distributing the basketball while drawing double teams on almost every possession and freeing up his bigs down low.

Harris has been able to do a little bit of everything for Nevada this season, he’s got a terrific motor, can drive the ball, distribute it and shoot it from anywhere. And after his 38-point performance is the only Wolf Pack player in program history with five 30-point plus performances in the same season.

But like I said he got everyone some touches, with a little bit of everyone playing solid minutes on Tuesday night. Senior guard Lindsey drew was a defensive force all night, ending the night with 8 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks while also netting his 900th career point and grabbing his 600th rebound all of which has come in Reno.

While senior guard and the team’s second leading scorer Jazz Johnson sat out his second consecutive game due to injury, others stepped up. Others like fellow senior guard Nisre Zouzoua who played well with 15 points, 5 rebounds and 1 steal on the night.

Last week’s Wolf Pack squad looked out of sorts, plus without one of their top scorers and team leaders on Saturday just survived the week. But this Nevada team looked different, they were confident, knocked down shots and played hard on both sides of the floor. Not only outscoring the Falcons but out rebounding them 49-29. Like most other teams in the Mountain West this season they have enjoyed ups and ridden out downs, but if they can find a rhythm and star guard Jalen Harris continues his current level of play, watch out.

The Falcons looked flat out defeated most of the night. After trailing the Wolf Pack 44-22 at the half didn’t show any more fight in the second half, shooting 19-58 from the field (32.8%) and only knocking down 50% of their free throws. Lavelle Scottie was the only Falcon in double figures last night with 19 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals on the night, while the four other starters combined for only 17 points on 5-23 shooting overall.

Air Force has played like two different teams at times this season, upsetting some teams and losing by thirty-four to others. The team should take advantage of Scottie and Swan’s presence down low for the remainder of the season, as both seniors won’t be around next season and the frontcourt will look a lot different.

Up Next:

Air Force:

The Falcons now turn their attention to the big fish coming into Colorado Springs this weekend. As the No. 4 ranked San Diego State Aztecs make their way west for a 6:00 PM MST showdown in Clune Arena on Saturday. It may seem just a bit repetitive at this point but we all know what’s at stake, the chance to knock off the undefeated Aztecs and on top of that doing it at home! The Falcons enjoy a 6-5 record at home and have upset both Boise State and Utah State at Clune Arena this season.  Let’s see if Dave Pilipovich and company can make it 23-1 for the Aztecs on Saturday.

Nevada:

After tonight’s 34-point win the Wolf Pack get a shot at either redemption or revenge this weekend, your call. As Nevada plays host to the San Jose State Spartans who back on January 8th handed the Wolf Pack their first loss in conference play on the road in San Jose. So a month later there is a bit more up for grabs than meets the eye in Saturday’s game in Reno. Tip-off is at 5:00 PM MST.

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Boise State Gets Up Early, Holds On Late for 73-64 Win over Nevada

Game Recap: Boise St. 73, Nevada 64 Justinian Jessup ties Jimmer Fredette for MW 3-point record Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire Nevada’s furious comeback attempt comes up short in Boise Following a 73-64 home victory over Nevada, Boise …

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Game Recap: Boise St. 73, Nevada 64

Justinian Jessup ties Jimmer Fredette for MW 3-point record

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

Nevada’s furious comeback attempt comes up short in Boise

Following a 73-64 home victory over Nevada, Boise State has moved into a second-place tie in the Mountain West with Colorado State. The Broncos improved to 7-4 in league play, prevailing at ExtraMile Arena behind 24 points from junior guard Derrick Alston, Jr.

Justinian Jessup added 17 points for the Broncos and added a special individual honor in the process.

The loss drops Nevada (13-10, 6-5 MW) into a share of fifth place with Utah State, as the Aggies fell to undefeated San Diego State on Saturday. The Wolf Pack were gifted another memorable offensive performance from Jalen Harris, who dropped 30 points for the third time this season.

Unfortunately for Harris, the rest of the Pack barely managed to outscore him. No other Nevada player reached double digits in scoring.

Nevada’s chances in this contest took a major blow when senior guard Jazz Johnson was announced as a late scratch due to injury. Without Johnson, the team struggled from beyond the arc and were unable to recover from a 32-10 Boise State run to start the game.

The Broncos (15-8, 7-4 MW) proceeded to give back most of that lead, letting Nevada creep back into the game slowly throughout the middle twenty minutes of the contest. With 10:57 to play, a Lindsey Drew layup brought the deficit to just three points, at 48-45.

But Alston, Jessup, and company would not allow the Wolf Pack to bring the game level. The deficit ebbed and flowed over the last few minutes, with Nevada coming within four points of Boise State after a Drew three-pointer with 4:37 left in the second half.

Jessup answered that triple with one of his own—and it was a special one, at that.

The senior’s three-pointer with 4:13 to play was the 296th of his illustrious career in Boise. That number ties the Mountain West record set by former BYU star Jimmer Fredette. Jessup missed his only subsequent attempt from beyond the arc, so Fredette will hold onto at least a share of the record for at least a few more nights.

That record will almost certainly soon be Jessup’s alone.

More important than any individual accolades, however, is how this Boise State team has bounced back from a somewhat shaky start to the season. The additions of Abu Kigab and RayJ Dennis into the starting lineup has provided a spark to Leon Rice’s lineups, and questions about the Broncos’ depth have been answered satisfactorily over the past few games.

For Nevada, this is another disappointing result on the week, following a heartbreaking defeat on Wednesday against Colorado State. Certainly, the absence of Jazz Johnson can explain away some part of this loss to Boise State, but the Wolf Pack have made an unfortunate habit of squandering chances to separate themselves in this league.

Instead, they now slip back in the standings and enter a dangerous zone in which a first-round bye in the Mountain West Tournament is suddenly at risk. The top five schools in the league receive a bye in the first round of the conference tournament.

Still, Nevada faced the difficult task of facing two teams on a positive streak in enemy territory.

Despite taking two losses in rapid succession, the Wolf Pack still boast arguably the best offensive player in the league in Harris. If Johnson returns quickly, and he can join with Drew and Nisre Zouzoua to lend Harris some scoring support, Nevada should be able to stay in the top five.

For Boise State, besides moving up in the Mountain West leaderboard, the win provided some catharsis following an 83-66 loss to Wolf Pack in Reno.

UP NEXT

Boise State travels to Laramie on Tuesday night to face last-place Wyoming (6-17, 1-10 MW). The Cowboys just picked up their first win of the Mountain West season as they snapped an eight-game losing streak with a road victory over San Jose State. The Broncos should hold an advantage over Allen Edwards’ club, but the unfriendly confines of Arena-Auditorium could prove a difficult backdrop for an easy win. Boise State won the first matchup between the schools this season, coming away with a 65-54 victory at home back on New Year’s Day.

Nevada returns home to Lawlor Events Center as Air Force (9-13, 3-7 MW) comes to town on Tuesday night. Just a few weeks ago, the Falcons were feeling good after knocking off Utah State and Boise State over a three-game span. More recently, however, Dave Pilipovich’s squad has sputtered to a four-game losing streak that includes defeats against Fresno State and San Jose State. Still, this team boasts an offense that has the capacity to hang around with Nevada. That was on full display back on December 7, when Nevada cruised to a 100-85 victory in Colorado Springs.

Andrew is a current USBWA member, covering college basketball for multiple outlets, including Mountain West Wire of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Busting Brackets of the FanSided Network. He also runs the Dieckhoff Power Index, a college basketball analytics system, and provides bracketology predictions throughout the season.

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Nevada vs. Boise State: Game Preview, TV & Radio Schedule, Livestream, Odds, More

Boise State vs. Nevada: Game Preview Ascension in the conference standings is up for grabs on Saturday. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Both teams need a win to help break the four-way tie for third place. WHO: Boise State Broncos (14-8, 6-4 …

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Boise State vs. Nevada: Game Preview

Ascension in the conference standings is up for grabs on Saturday.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Both teams need a win to help break the four-way tie for third place.

WHO: Boise State Broncos (14-8, 6-4 Mountain West) At Nevada Wolf Pack (13-9, 6-4 Mountain West)

WHEN: Saturday, February 1st—10:00 PM EST/8:00 PM MST/7:00 PM PST

WHERE: ExtraMile Arena-Boise, ID

TV: ESPNU

STREAM: Get a free trial through FuboTV

RADIO: Tunein

SERIES RECORD: Nevada leads all-time series 48-27

PREVIEW: There is a lot on the line come Saturday night around the Mountain West as really places 2-10 will look very different come Sunday morning. There has been a certain level of parity around the league so far this season, as outside of San Diego State’s claim to the number one spot everyone else could finish literally anywhere this season.

Four example there is a four-way tie for third place that includes the two teams mentioned in this preview, along with Colorado State and Utah State. But whoever comes away with the loss Saturday night will get bumped out of the race for third and join some other weird tie after that. Then there is UNLV who is riding a two-game losing streak and looking for a win on the road Saturday night against Colorado State. So if UNLV happens to lose that game they will loose that second place positioning and be behind another possible three-way tie. But a win for the Rebel’s means a loss for the Rams who would then join in a two-way tie with the loser of the Boise State-Nevada game and possibly a three-way tie if New Mexico breaks their losing streak on the road against Fresno State. Not to mention the possibility of a four-way tie for fourth if Utah State loses to the Aztecs (which is highly likely), or the possibility that everyone who is currently tied for third place loses except for the one person winning in Boise, which would result in a sole third-place finish for (insert winner from Bronco-Wolf Pack game here).

Confused yet? Yeah, I am too.

Point being, there is a lot at stake around the Mountain West over the weekend and these longtime conference mates should make things interesting for fans in ExtraMile Arena.

Both teams are playing some of their best basketball of the season at the onset of February with Boise State riding a three-game winning streak beating teams by an average of 22.3 points a game. While Nevada beat in-state rivals UNLV at home last Wednesday by 14-points, tied a school record 17 threes against New Mexico and is averaging 91 points a game in their last three contests.

And while both teams have struggled on the road this season they have in turn enjoyed great success at home, with Nevada posting a 9-2 record at the Lawlor Events Center and with Boise State garnering a 10-1 record at Taco B…..oops ExtraMile Arena. This bit of information doesn’t really favor the Wolf Pack as the visiting team but nothing gives a team momentum like a high powered road win late in the year.

The players to watch in this one should be the leading scorers of each team as Derrick Alston Jr. and Jalen Harris should both see all-conference accolades at the end of the season. But don’t leave the supporting cast out as Lindsey Drew has overtaken Harris as the leading rebounder (6.3 a game) and assist man (4.4 a game) while rounding out his triple-threat stat sheet status leading the team in steals with 1.3 a game. And for the Broncos  watch out for Justinian Jessup who is chasing the all-time Mountain West three-point field goal leader Jimmer Fredette with 294 career triples, just two shy  of Fredette’s 296 and on the verge of reaching the 300th made triple mark (first in conference history)

Fun Note, 

In the search for an all-time winning total for this series I discovered a shared conference between the two teams dating back to the late 1970’s with the introduction of the Wolf Pack to the Big Sky for the 1979-1980 season after their exit from the West Coast Athletic Conference (Now the WCC).

Shared conferences between the Broncos and Wolf Pack over the years:

Big Sky: 1979-1992

Big West: 1996-2000

WAC: 2001-2011

Mountain West: 2012-Current

Prediction: Nevada 78, Boise State 74

The Wolf Pack won the last meeting they had with Boise State back at home in Reno on Jan. 4th, where with the help of 34 points from a red hot Jazz Johnson Nevada won 83-66. This is going to come down which team has the hotter hand, as each team has a big four scoring for them as of late (Wolf Pack-Harris, Johnson, Drew and Zouzoua vs. Broncos-Alston Jr., Jessup, Williams and Kigab) and should exchange baskets all night. Or a surprise element would be a stronger defensive performance as both teams have really just focused on outscoring their opponents as of late and an influx of turnovers could be the difference. I still think this one will be a close one and keep that 78-74 Wolf Pack win above as my prediction. The Wolf Pack have also won the last eight meetings between the two and would hate to break that streak in need of a win tonight.

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UNLV vs. Nevada: Game Preview, TV & Radio Schedule, Livestream, Odds, More

UNLV vs. Nevada: Game Preview UNLV has a chance at breaking their Silver State Series losing streak to intrastate rival Nevada on the road. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Can a new look Wolf Pack team keep the streak alive? WHO: UNLV …

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UNLV vs. Nevada: Game Preview

UNLV has a chance at breaking their Silver State Series losing streak to intrastate rival Nevada on the road.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Can a new look Wolf Pack team keep the streak alive?

WHO: UNLV Runnin’ Rebels (11-9, 6-1 Mountain West) At Nevada Wolf Pack (11-8, 4-3 Mountain West)

WHEN: Wednesday, January 22nd—11:00 PM EST/8:00 PM PST

WHERE: Lawlor Events Center, Reno, NV

TV: CBS Sports Network 

STREAM: Get a free trial through FuboTV

RADIO: Tunein

SERIES RECORD: UNLV leads all-time series 60-29

PREVIEW: There is something about intrastate rivalries that feel just a bit different than others. Being able to walk around your local grocery store and seeing a T-shirt or encountering the occasional coworker’s mug from your rival school at a work place makes those rivalries a bit more personal and local for most. The best rivalries in College Basketball can be found when two teams from the same state meet and usually meet often being a part of the same conference.

There’s plenty of names on the list but some notable examples are Michigan-Michigan State, Cincinnati-Xavier, Indiana-Purdue, Louisville-Kentucky and maybe the most famous of all North Carolina-Duke.

The Silver State Series has the potential to join the names above as must see T.V. around the country. Even though he is gone now, Eric Musselman helped put the Wolf Pack on the national radar in recent years and UNLV will always have name recognition across the country from their championship runs in the early nineties. But with new faces at the helms in both Reno and Las Vegas, the rivalry seems as up for the taking as ever and each team is looking to establish dominance for years to come with a win tonight.

Some History:

  • UNLV leads the all-time series 60-29
  • While Nevada has won the last four meetings (all under Eric Musselman)

UNLV

The Runnin’ Rebels are 6-1 in Mountain West play and currently sit behind the Aztecs in sole possession of second place. Tj Otzelberger’s squad has adjusted well after the holiday break, riding a three game winning streak while winning seven of their last eight games by an average of 13.8 PPG. This UNLV team looks a lot different than the one who took the court early on and multiple individuals are stepping up to create a much more well rounded attack.

UNLV has four players averaging double figures at this point but it has been sophomore Bryce Hamilton who has brought balance to the Runnin’ Rebel offense, averaging 20.7 PPG in seven conference games so far and getting hotter by the day with a recent 35 point performance against New Mexico at home on Saturday. He isn’t the only sophomore making noise in the new year though as Marvin Coleman posted UNLV’s first triple-double of the century on Saturday night against the Lobos earning his first player of the week honors from the conference in the process.

Their emergence has been key for UNLV thus far and make this team that much more dangerous going on the road in Reno this evening. Things will be interesting, and it’s not just the young guns having an impact either don’t forget about leading scorer Amauri Hardy or leading rebounder Cheikh Mbacke Diong who should look to take advantage of a very young Nevada frontcourt.

Nevada

Now, while the Runnin’ Rebels have the winning streak, the Wolf Pack have the home court tonight, in which they are 28-2 in their last 30 conference home games. Like UNLV Nevada has also proved some naysayers wrong this season, you know those who said a fourth place finish was too high considering a coaching change and lack of experience (check out my first article ever saying just that here). To be fair it has been upperclassman doing most of the heavy lifting this season, guys like Jalen Harris, Jazz Johnson and Lindsey Drew who have helped make the transition in Reno a bit smoother than expected for a new coaching staff who had a lot to live up to coming in (three straight NCAA tournament appearances, three straight regular season conference championships).

With fresh starts at both schools this season, in-state supremacy is up for the taking. For Runnin’ Rebel fans who haven’t had that opportunity in a while, that’s big. And for those wearing blue and silver tonight it’s the chance to keep the title home in a new era under Alford.

Prediction: Nevada 80, UNLV 77

This game will come down to who want’s it more and who is knocking down more shots (like most should). Though while UNLV has a squad that could go about five deep in the scoring column as of recent, Nevada’s big three (i.e. Harris, Johnson, Drew, sometimes Zouzoua) doesn’t receive much help most nights and if one of those Wolf Pack members above isn’t scoring things get a bit trickier for Alford and crew.

Something else to note is the list of most recent opponents for each squad. While Nevada’s slate consisted of Colorado State (W), Boise State (W), Utah State (L) and San Diego State (L). UNLV has faced Utah State (W), Boise State (their one league loss) and New Mexico (not the same Lobos we were used to either) from the top half of the Mountain West standings. Not to say the Rebels’ performance in those games were something to knock, it just seems like their toughest challenges lie ahead.

But the most important thing tonight is,

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It Was Close In Reno, But Nevada Holds Out At Home For 68-67 Win Over Wyoming

Game Recap: Nevada 68, Wyoming 67 Last minute shootout made it close, but Nevada holds out at home. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Jalen Harris’ second half acrobatics put it away against the Cowboys. I’m not sure anyone thought we would …

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Game Recap: Nevada 68, Wyoming 67

Last minute shootout made it close, but Nevada holds out at home. 

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Jalen Harris’ second half acrobatics put it away against the Cowboys.

I’m not sure anyone thought we would get this nail biting treat of a game on a Tuesday in the Mountain West. Wyoming came to the Lawlor Events Center in Reno looking for their first conference win against the third place Wolf Pack on Tuesday night. While Nevada was looking to break a two game losing streak with a win at home.

While it wasn’t exactly a dazzling offensive performance (in terms of a final score) there were alley oops, breakaway steals and big men knocking down threes in Tuesday nights action and it made it exciting.

Although the Cowboys couldn’t pull away with a victory in the late minutes of tonight’s game, you wouldn’t have been able to tell who was going to pull away with the victory in a game that lead changes left and right. There were three in the final seconds alone as both team just seemed to be exchanging buckets until the clock ran out.

Well, that is basically how it ended after a Nisre Zouzoua steal that lead to a dunk that retook the lead with less than twenty seconds to go in the game. That was followed by a Hunter Maldonado field goal which was then followed by a Jalen Harris field goal which essentially sealed the win for the Wolfpack.

It was truely a shootout in the late minutes in Reno and the Wolfpack were kept in the game by junior guard Jalen Harris who had 20 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals along with several acrobatic finishes that sparked Wolfpack runs in the second half. He received some help from Jazz Johnson (16 Points) and Nisre Zouzoua who had 12 points and a game saving steal.

The Cowboys made it close and even though they leave Reno with a loss we thank them, for an exciting night of basketball courtesy of the ever exciting Hunter Maldonado with 17 Points, 6 Rebounds and 10 Assists with help from  the other Hunter, 6-10 sophomore big man Hunter Thompson who had 16 points on 4-7 shooting from deep. The Cowboys had four players in double figures and gave Wolfpack fans a scare, especially if that Maldonado floater with less than five seconds left on the clock goes in, or the proceeding tip in attempt.

Up Next: 

Nevada

The Wolf Pack now focus their sights on Saturday as they head south to San Diego for a Saturday showdown in Viejas Arena. The Aztecs should be the target on everyone’s schedule at this point and a win on the road would go a long way for Nevada trying to regain the momentum they had in their hot 3-0 start.

Wyoming

The Cowboys hope to bounce back at home Saturday for a midday matchup against Fresno State in the dome of doom. Both teams need a win to help get them out of the Mountain West cellar before conference tournament time.

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A Hot Handed Jazz Johnson Leads Nevada Past Boise State, 83-66

Game Recap: Nevada 83, Boise State 66 Wolf Pack handles a cold shooting Bronco team to sit atop the conference standings with San Diego State at 3-0. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire A hot shooting Jazz Johnson had more made field goals than …

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Game Recap: Nevada 83, Boise State 66

Wolf Pack handles a cold shooting Bronco team to sit atop the conference standings with San Diego State at 3-0.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

A hot shooting Jazz Johnson had more made field goals than Boise State’s top three scorers on Saturday. 

The Boise State Broncos came to the Lawlor Events center Saturday hoping to give the Nevada Wolf Pack their first loss in conference play and hopefully keep a four game winning streak alive.

Things turned out a bit differently for the Broncos as shooting woes crept in as the team shot a combined 36.2% from the field and an even worse 19.2% from deep. This wasn’t the performance needed and no one wearing black on Saturday could find the bottom of the net.

Boise State’s top four scorers were a combined 14-40 from the field and 4-19 from behind the arc and without a great performance from senior post RJ Williams at the line (9-9), the deficit would have been worse. Junior guard Derrick Alston Jr. led the team with 15 points, 3 assists and 2 steals on the night. 

Nevada on the other hand created a two game winning streak with their rout of Boise State at home and is now sitting atop the conference standings with San Diego State at 3-0 and one of only three unbeaten teams remaining after an eventful Wednesday.

The momentum inside the program is at a season high and the Wolf Pack will be the team to beat going into next week, but a team that finally has guys catching steam in the new year will be tough to beat.

This has been the Jalen Harris show thus far, as the junior guard to this point is leading the team in scoring (17.4 PPG), rebounding (6.9 RPG) and is neck and neck to lead the team in assists with senior guard Lindsey Drew at 4 assists a contest. The former Louisiana Tech Bulldog took a needed break on Saturday and let a hot handed Jazz Johnson do the heavy lifting.

Johnson ended the night with 34 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists while shooting 8-12 from three point range. The senior guard couldn’t miss and had more made field goals then Boise State’s top three scorers combined. We know he can score and if he can keep this up then he and Harris provide first year head coach Steve Alford one of the most potent scoring duos in the conference.

This means nothing without a little bit of  distribution and play calling and Lindsey Drew did a lot of that today finishing with 14 points, 9 assists and 5 rebounds on the night.

This was a much needed win for either side as this was both teams first matchup against a top-5 conference foe thus far. The Wolf Pack have proven a lot of folks wrong with their conference play and will be a team to watch this week with a key match up this weekend.

Up Next: 

Boise State:

The Broncos take on UNLV at home on Wednesday at 7:00 PM MT and look to bounce back against a Rebels team who handed Utah State their first conference loss of the season just a week prior. This leading up to a challenging road matchup Saturday against conference leaders No. 13 San Diego State.

A win against the Aztecs will have an impact across the college basketball landscape at this point of the season, and this requires Boise State to find it’s shot before the weekend rolls around.

Nevada:

Steve Alford’s squad heads to San Jose on Wednesday to take on a Spartans team with an impressive win against New Mexico within the past week. Tip off is at 8:00 p.m. MT and the Wolf Pack will look to stay undefeated in conference play while gaining momentum for a showdown in Logan against the Utah State Aggies on Saturday the 11th.

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Wolf Pack Hunting for Marquee Victory over Saint Mary’s

Nevada vs. Saint Mary’s: Game Preview, TV, Radio, Live Stream, Odds, More A tale of two tempos as the Wolf Pack travel to the Bay Area Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire Nevada is still in search of its first marquee victory-and the Gaels …

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Nevada vs. Saint Mary’s: Game Preview, TV, Radio, Live Stream, Odds, More

A tale of two tempos as the Wolf Pack travel to the Bay Area

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

Nevada is still in search of its first marquee victory—and the Gaels certainly qualify

GAME DETAILS

WHO: Nevada (8-4, 1-0 MWC) vs. Saint Mary’s (11-2, 0-0 WCC)

WHEN: Saturday, December 21 — 8:59 P.M. PT / 9:59 P.M. MT

WHERE: Lawlor Events Center, Reno, NV

WATCH: ESPNU / ESPNU on WatchESPN (cable subscription required)

LISTEN: TuneIn

ALL-TIME: Saint Mary’s leads the series, 51-33

ODDS: Saint Mary’s -6, per KenPom

GAME NOTES

Nevada got back to their winning ways against Texas Southern on Wednesday, bringing their record to 6-1 over the past seven games. The Tigers came out swinging and led for portions of the first half, but the Wolf Pack eventually pulled away, coasting to a 91-73 victory in Reno.

Especially encouraging for Steve Alford is that the Nevada offense has woken back up after falling asleep at the wheel in their previous game against BYU. That day, the Wolf Pack struggled just to break 40.

But in the five games before that, they averaged 86.6 points per contest.

Sure, those numbers are somewhat inflated because Nevada plays at a high tempo, but this is still a team with a variety of scoring options. It will be interesting to see how the score plays out when the Wolf Pack run up against one of the slowest teams in the country.

Like the Wolf Pack, Saint Mary’s is a team that earns its accolades on the offensive end. Jordan Ford is a bona fide future pro, and fellow veteran Malik Fitts might not be far behind. They are a terrible twosome indeed, but there are experienced players up and down the Gaels’ roster.

Ford launched his All-American campaign pretty much from day one, when he scored 26 in an opening night win over Wisconsin. The senior is averaging 21.5 points per game on the year and is shooting a career-best 44.6% on his three-pointers.

Not only that, but he’s been taking more threes than ever.

And that has been the key for Randy Bennett’s squad in 2019-20. The Gaels rank best in the nation for three-point percentage, shooting a mind-boggling 47.3% on the season. Fitts is shooting right at that average, a clip even better than Ford’s. Tanner Krebs, meanwhile, is shooting over 50% on more than four attempts per game.

These are video game numbers, muted only by the snail’s pace at which the Gaels play their basketball.

Speaking of astronomical numbers, Saint Mary’s hung 96 points on Arizona State earlier this week, while holding the Sun Devils to just 56. It was a drubbing for the ages, one which has set the Gaels’ trajectory back toward the Top 25.

But Nevada could play spoiler on Saturday, while also nabbing a grand feather for their Selection Sunday cap.

GAME PLAN

On THE WOLF PACK’S POSSESSIONS…

Nevada likes to play fast, so expect them to try to get early shots from their guards. Jalen Harris, Lindsey Drew, and Jazz Johnson can all score in buckets. Harris is more an inside threat, while Drew and Johnson will launch three-pointers. Nisre Zouzoua and Zane Meeks can also provide some offense, but don’t expect much scoring punch out of big men Johncarlos Reyes and KJ Hymes.

Despite their frenetic pace, the Pack are remarkably careful with the ball, sporting a Top 30 turnover rate. The Gaels are pretty pedestrian when it comes to forcing turnovers, so Nevada shouldn’t feel too much pressure on the ball.

Saint Mary’s is good at keeping teams off the offensive glass, which certainly won’t help a Nevada squad that has struggled to get those boards all year long. The Gaels don’t foul much, either, so unless Nevada really starts pounding it inside, the Wolf Pack likely won’t be on the line very often.

If the offense shows up—remember, it didn’t against Nevada’s last WCC opponent—then the Wolf Pack should be plenty efficient. But the question remains just how many possessions they’ll end up getting. It should be noted that the Gaels’ defense does allow teams to play a little faster than their own offense’s tempo.

ON THE GAELS’ POSSESSIONS…

Though Nevada is going to try to push the pace, they may be racing to a red light. When the Gaels get the ball, they will look to grind things to a halt. After they make the Wolf Pack wait and wait and wait…they’ll likely score. This is one of the most efficient teams in the nation and they can score from inside as well as out.

That said, it might not be a bad idea to try to work inside a little more with Fitts. Nevada has defended the three-ball well this season, but they’ve been more susceptible to the two-pointer. Still, Reyes and Hymes do well on the defensive boards, even if they don’t get many offensive rebounds.

Saint Mary’s plays an even tighter brand of hoops than Nevada does, ranking in the top 20 in terms of ball security. And if the Gaels’ takeaway game is pedestrian, then the Wolf Pack’s opportunism is next to nonexistent. Nevada forces turnovers at one of the lowest rates in the country, so don’t expect many fast breaks. The Pack also sends opponents to the stripe a bit too often for their own good.

The Gaels are absolutely deadly on offense, but if the tempo gets away from them, it will be telling to see how they respond to being sped up out of their comfort zone.

GAME PREDICTION

SAINT MARY’s 74, NEVADA 72

The DPI projection for this game is very close, with the Gaels prevailing in a one-possession contest. With the game tipping off so late, that kind of exciting contest would be a welcome prize to the fans staying up past their bedtimes. This result would likely close the door on Nevada’s already-slim NCAA Tournament hopes, save for an unexpected romp through league play—or, more likely, a Mountain West Tournament title. But if the Wolf Pack can find their way to victory, it would finally give them the marquee victory that has eluded them throughout the non-conference season.

Andrew is a current USBWA member, covering college basketball for multiple outlets, including Mountain West Wire of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Busting Brackets of the FanSided Network. He also runs the Dieckhoff Power Index, a college basketball analytics system, and provides bracketology predictions throughout the season.

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Week 7 DPI Rankings: Lobos Rising After Six-Game Streak

It was back to non-conference play last week for the Mountain West. Not everybody was in action—and some who were now wish they hadn’t been.

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Week 7 DPI Rankings: Lobos Rising After Six-Game Streak

The top two stand pat, but plenty of movement below

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

New Mexico, Boise State climbing in the latest DPI rankings for Week 7

It was back to non-conference play last week for the league’s affiliate members on the heels of the opening salvo to the long Mountain West season. Not everybody was in action—and some now wish they hadn’t been.

But it wasn’t all misery.

Some teams are making big strides, including one squad trying to make a move into the uppermost echelon of the MWC.

Below are the DPI rankings heading into the heart of Week 7. If you’re new to the rankings or just want a refresher, head here for a rundown of how the DPI is calculated. The ratings below reflect games played through Tuesday, December 17. As always, non-Division I games are not counted in the DPI.

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#1 — SAN DIEGO STATE AZTECS

Last Week: #1

The Aztecs moved to the #1 spot in the Mountain West last week and with no games since their close shave against San Jose State, they haven’t moved much up or down. Brian Dutcher’s team is still undefeated and boasts one of the best defenses in the country. Malachi Flynn’s star turn has propelled SDSU into the national polls, along with the play of Matt Mitchell, Yanni Wetzell, and Jordan Schakel. If KJ Feagin can provide a little more offense, this team could really turn in a special season.

#2 — UTAH STATE AGGIES

Last Week: #2

It’s been a bit of a rough patch for the Aggies over the past few games. They still have one of the two best rosters in the league, but they aren’t quite living up to preseason expectations so far. After losing to Saint Mary’s and looking underwhelming in their first two Mountain West games, Utah State fell to BYU on Saturday in Salt Lake City. It was only their second loss, but it’s a missed opportunity for a good out-of-conference win to put on their NCAA Tournament resume.

#3 — NEW MEXICO LOBOS

Last Week: #4

The Lobos have won six straight after toppling New Mexico State and Grand Canyon since the last DPI rankings were posted here. Though they aren’t playing at the level of SDSU just yet, this patchwork roster of homegrown talent and incoming transfers has performed admirably in the early going. JaQuan Lyle has been everything that Paul Weir could have wanted and more. Oh, and Carlton Bragg is averaging a double-double. So far, so good.

#4 — NEVADA WOLF PACK

Last Week: #3

The Wolf Pack looked like they were starting to turn a corner over the past few weeks, winning five straight games on either side of Thanksgiving. But last week, Nevada was the second casualty of BYU’s surge, along with Utah State and UNLV. The offense had been clicking on all cylinders, but immediately downshifted from a 100-point performance against Air Force to a 42-point outing against the Cougars. That kind of volatility that makes it tough to trust Steve Alford’s club.

#5 — BOISE STATE BRONCOS

Last Week: #6

Leon Rice is getting things back on track in Boise, but outside of their win over BYU—before Yoeli Childs came back, of course—the Broncos haven’t really beaten anybody. It was another rocky showing for Boise State last week, with a midweek loss to Tulsa preceding a blowout win over Alabama State. Derrick Alston is averaging 21 points and Justinian Jessup is finding his form. But the starting five is not the problem here; Rice’s team suffers from a lack of depth.

#6 — COLORADO STATE RAMS

Last Week: #5

The Rams jumped out to a promising start, but they’ve lost three of their past four games, including both of their opening Mountain West bouts. Mixed in there was a 72-68 win over South Dakota State, and while the Jackrabbits are not a bad squad by any means, that they played CSU so closely gives a good indication of where the Rams are right now. Niko Medved’s team gave in-state rivals Colorado a run for their money, but ultimately fell 56-48 over the weekend.

#7 — AIR FORCE FALCONS

Last Week: #8

The defense still leaves a lot to be desired, but recently, the Falcons have been getting better results than they did during a rough November. The new month has been kinder to the cadets, with Air Force winning four of its past five (Note: Tuesday’s 99-42  win over Johnson & Wales is not counted in the DPI). AJ Walker has taken an important step forward as an offensive option. The sophomore was averaging 20 points per game over the past three games coming into Tuesday.

#8 — FRESNO STATE BULLDOGS

Last Week: #10

Justin Huston finally got his team to a second Division I win on Saturday against Cal Poly. But the bigger story here is the seven losses that they have already incurred. Nate Grimes is doing exactly what was expected of him so far, averaging a double-double with 13.5 points and 10.4 rebounds per night. Guards Jarred Hyder and New Williams both have some good performances under their belts, but they haven’t been able to click at the same time. That needs to change.

#9 — UNLV RUNNIN’ REBELS

Last Week: #9

The Rebels didn’t play last week, so the bad taste of the 33-point loss to BYU back has been lingering for a week and a half. There have been a lot of close calls, with UNLV playing in four separate overtime games so far. They are shooting under 42% from the field and turning the ball over 15 times a night. Games against Pacific and Robert Morris this week offer TJ Otzelberger the chance to start making some headway in his first year at the helm.

#10 — WYOMING COWBOYS

Last Week: #7

Allen Edwards got his Cowboys out to a 3-3 start, but they have dropped five straight games, including their most recent defeat at the hands of Northern Colorado. The Bears didn’t just sneak past Wyoming, either—the Big Sky hopefuls handed the home team a 21-point drubbing at Arena-Auditorium. The defense has been fair to middling, but the offense has been dreadful thus far. The Cowboys are shooting under 50% on two-pointers and just over 30% on threes.

#11 — SAN JOSÉ STATE SPARTANS

Last Week: #11

There’s a bit of a running joke around here about which Spartan is most likely to transfer next year, since the sputtering Spartans have seen five double-digit scorers depart in the past three offseasons—including Brandon Clarke, who parlayed his post-SJSU star turn at Gonzaga into a budding NBA career. All jokes aside, Seneca Knight has separated himself as the Spartans’ top option, scoring 12.5 points per game. Hopefully the sophomore can remain an important building block for Jean Prioleau.

That’s it for this week. Check back next week to see who’s rising and falling in the Mountain West and be sure to visit the Dieckhoff Power Index daily for updated rankings on all 353 teams in Division I basketball.

Andrew is a current USBWA member, covering college basketball for multiple outlets, including Mountain West Wire of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Busting Brackets of the FanSided Network. He also runs the Dieckhoff Power Index, a college basketball analytics system, and provides bracketology predictions throughout the season.

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