Tag: Steve Alford

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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Nevada vs. Texas Southern: Game Preview, TV, Radio, Live Stream, Odds, More

Nevada vs. Texas Southern: Game Preview, TV, Radio, Live Stream, Odds, More Wolf Pack should be on high alert against pesky Tigers Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire With a big game this weekend, the Pack can’t afford to look past Texas …

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Nevada vs. Texas Southern: Game Preview, TV, Radio, Live Stream, Odds, More

Wolf Pack should be on high alert against pesky Tigers

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

With a big game this weekend, the Pack can’t afford to look past Texas Southern

GAME DETAILS

WHO: Nevada (7-4, 1-0 MWC) vs. Texas Southern (3-6, 0-0 SWAC)

WHEN: Wednesday, December 18 — 7:00 P.M. PT / 8:00 P.M. MT

WHERE: Lawlor Events Center, Reno, NV

WATCH: Nevada Sports Net

LISTEN: TuneIn

ALL-TIME: This is the first meeting between the two schools.

ODDS: Nevada -15, per KenPom

GAME NOTES

The Wolf Pack’s five-game winning streak ended last week when BYU trounced Nevada in Provo, 75-42. And with another WCC foe on the horizon—a date with Saint Mary’s awaits on Saturday—Steve Alford can’t afford to let his team look past Texas Southern.

The Tigers made quite a name for themselves last year as a giant killer, knocking off Oregon, Baylor, and Texas A&M during the non-conference season. Though this year’s squad isn’t quite as good as last year’s, Johnny Jones is sure to have some tricks up his sleeve for his old employer.

Between his previous head coaching gig at LSU and his current job at Texas Southern, Jones served as associate head coach for Nevada in 2017-18. Despite his team’s headline-stealing upsets, Texas Southern fell short of the NCAA Tournament last season and had to settle for a CIT Semifinals appearance in March.

The Tigers have yet to recreate any of the magic from last season, stumbling out to a 3-6 start, which includes one victory over non-Division I opponent Concordia (TX). Outside of a close call in a 69-63 loss to Wichita State, the average margin in the Tigers’ five other losses is 27 points per game.

Nevada comes into Wednesday with a record of 7-4, though none of the losses are necessarily prohibitive to their longshot NCAA Tournament hopes. The biggest issue for their resume is that they don’t have any good wins. This game against Texas Southern won’t provide that opportunity, but there’s a big juicy chance waiting on Saturday when Nevada travels to San Francisco to take on St. Mary’s.

But even though Texas Southern hasn’t scored their marquee upset yet, that doesn’t put Nevada in the clear. The Wolf Pack’s shooters have to be on target, lest they suffer their first objectively bad loss of 2019-20.

GAME PLAN

On NEVADA’S POSSESSIONS…

The green light is on for the Wolf Pack under Alford. Per Sports-Reference, the team ranks 37th in the nation in three-point attempts—and more importantly, 13th in the country in three-point makes. Jazz Johnson, Lindsey Drew, and Nisre Zouzoua are all shooting over 40% on more than four long-range shots per game. Jalen Harris, meanwhile, leads the team in scoring and does most of his scoring inside the arc.

Nevada takes great care of the ball, averaging just 12 giveaways per game. So they don’t lose many possessions to carelessness, but because they shoot so many threes, there aren’t as many opportunities for second chances on the offensive boards. But if any team is going to let the Wolf Pack crash the glass, it’s Texas Southern, who has one of the worst defensive rebound rates in the nation.

ON TEXAS SOUTHERN’S POSSESSIONS…

The Tigers have really struggled on offense, even in comparison to their lowly defense. If Steve Alford is giving his squad a permanent green light, Johnny Jones has his team stuck on red. Texas Southern shoots a very low number of three-pointers, perhaps because they are connecting on well under 30% of them. Tyrik Armstrong is the team’s leading scorer, but he is going to get a lot of attention from Lindsey Drew and the rest of Nevada’s backcourt.

All that attention will likely expose what is perhaps Texas Southern’s biggest weakness: their turnovers. The Tigers average a giveaway on nearly a quarter of their possessions, which means Nevada might finally have a chance to force a few. The Wolf Pack are near the bottom of the ranks in defensive turnover rate. Nevada has been a good defensive rebounding team, while Texas Southern is nothing special on the offensive glass.

GAME PREDICTION

NEVADA 86, TEXAS SOUTHERN 68

After laying an egg last week, expect the Wolf Pack offense to be back in form at home against Texas Southern. The Tigers may keep up for a while, but Nevada should be able to run away with this one over the full forty minutes. And if they want to hang on to their slim chances at an NCAA Tournament bid, they had better fall prey to this trap game.

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 puts their 5-game winning streak on the line at BYU

Nevada at BYU: Game Preview, Prediction, TV, Radio, Live Stream, Odds, More Wolf Pack look to continue their recent offensive explosion Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire With both teams fielding scorers aplenty, be ready for a shootout in …

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Nevada at BYU: Game Preview, Prediction, TV, Radio, Live Stream, Odds, More

Wolf Pack look to continue their recent offensive explosion

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

With both teams fielding scorers aplenty, be ready for a shootout in Provo

GAME DETAILS

WHO: Nevada (7-3, 1-0 MWC) vs. BYU (7-4, 0-0 WCC)

WHEN: Tuesday, December 10 — 7:00 P.M. MT / 6:00 P.M. PT

WHERE: Marriott Center, Provo, UT

WATCH: ESPNU

LISTEN: TuneIn

ALL-TIME RECORD: BYU leads the series, 13-7

ODDS: BYU -7, per KenPom

GAME PREVIEW

If it feels familiar to see BYU taking on a Mountain West foe, fret not. The Cougars really are on a tour through the conference, with tonight’s game against Nevada being the fourth of five total games against the league for Mark Pope’s side.

While the games against Boise State and San Diego State didn’t break the Cougars’ way, BYU looked like the best version of themselves over the weekend as they took down UNLV, 83-50. The win was a righting of the ship, as BYU was coming off an overtime loss to Utah on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Nevada’s offense went out and had themselves a monster week, scoring 98 against Santa Clara and 100 against Air Force.

The Wolf Pack have bounced back beautifully after a disappointing 2-3 start to the year. The season’s low point so far was a 20-point loss to Davidson. That loss looked—at the time—like it might signal a rough first year for new head coach Steve Alford, but Nevada has now won five straight games.

And though it shouldn’t diminish the accomplishment too much, none of those wins came against likely NCAA Tournament participants. Bowling Green is probably the most likely of the five, to give some context.

But they’ve got a chance to reel in a big fish when they travel to Provo.

The Cougars have had their struggles, to be sure. The losses to Boise State and Utah aren’t great. But BYU has also beaten Houston, Virginia Tech, and UCLA on the year, in addition to the haymaker they landed on UNLV.

Long story short, BYU can play.

Thankfully, so can Nevada.

The combination of Jalen Harris, Jazz Johnson, and Lindsey Drew is starting to mesh really well. They’ve demonstrated the ability to take turns carrying the scoring load, with the trio combining for eleven 20-point games so far.

Most recently, it’s been Harris taking the lead. The former Louisiana Tech guard has been lighting it up. He’s averaging 24 points per game over the last three contests, including a 31-point performance against Air Force on Saturday. Harris is making a very strong case for All-MWC honors in the early going—and could even find his way into the POY conversation.

If you’re a fan of high-scoring basketball, look no further. This game pits two effective offenses and against two pedestrian defenses. BYU has gone for 83 or more points in its last three games. Nevada has scored more than 84 in three of its past four.

This could end up being the most exciting games of the evening.

BY THE NUMBERS

On Nevada’s offensive possessions…

Steve Alford should continue to ride the horse that got him to this five-game winning streak, putting the ball in the hands of his guards early and often. The Wolf Pack have been an excellent shooting team and they protect the ball as well as just about anyone in the country. But their shooters are going to have to get it right on the first try, because BYU has been great at limiting second-chance opportunities by opposing offenses. Also, don’t expect Nevada to get much from the line, as the Cougars don’t foul much.

On BYU’s offensive possessions…

The performance against UNLV was exactly what this BYU offense wants to do night in and night out. We know that the Cougars have shooters galore, but having the dominant interior presence of Yoeli Childs back should take their efficiency into uncharted waters. Johncarlos Reyes and KJ Hymes haven’t been terrible in the low post for the Wolf Pack, but Childs might be the best post player they’ll face all year (apologies to Neemias Queta). Aside from contesting his shots, Nevada will also need to limit second-chance points better than they’ve done so far on the season.

DPI PROJECTION: BYU 79.87, NEVADA 79.56

Normally I would round the scores off, but I think it’s important to show just how close these two are. The system is projecting this to be a wildly even game, with less than half a point separating the two teams. In the end, though, the DPI projects that the Cougars will defend their home court. But Nevada has every chance in the world to win this game.

If the Wolf Pack have any hope at an at-large bid—a slim prospect, most likely— they need to seize this opportunity on the road.

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 Loses Second In A Row On The Road At Davidson: 91, 71

Game Recap: Nevada 71, Davidson 91 Turnovers cost the Wolf Pack against a hot shooting Wildcats team. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Hot handed Davidson gives Nevada it’s second loss in a row. An earlier game then most of us were used to …

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Game Recap: Nevada 71, Davidson 91

Turnovers cost the Wolf Pack against a hot shooting Wildcats team.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Hot handed Davidson gives Nevada it’s second loss in a row.

An earlier game then most of us were used to west of Texas, the Wolf Pack traveled to North Carolina to take on the Davidson Wildcats at home. The Wildcats were picked to finish second in the Atlantic-10 this season and were looking for their second straight win on Tuesday night.

The Wildcats couldn’t miss and went a combined 55% from the field and 46% from behind the three point line. Guessing who would lead the Wildcats in scoring was tricky, and they didn’t disappoint.

But in the end it was junior guard Kellan Grady who ended an impressive night with 24 points, 6 assists and 4 steals. But the all conference guard had help, and that help came from sophomore forward Luka Brajkovic who chipped in 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. The third member of their triple threat scoring attack on Tuesday was reigning A-10 player of the year Jon Axel Gudmundsson who ended the night with 18 points. Those three combined for more than half of the teams final score, but knocking down shots was only half of the battle, the Wildcats also forced 21 turnovers.

Nevada left John M. Belk arena with their second straight loss and the aforementioned turnovers and poor shooting attributed to that. The Wolf Pack managed to knock down over half of their field goals but went 5-15 from three. Making half of your field goals could hardly be looked at as a bad thing but when you turn the ball over 21 times, you forfeit possible scoring opportunities and Davidson took advantage of those turnovers and scored.

Lindsey Drew had maybe the best shooting performance of Nevada’s scoring guards going 5/9 on the night but that only equated to a team high 14 points. Jazz Johnson and Jalen Harris both added 13 points, but Harris had the better night on the stat sheet going 6/10 from the field and grabbing 9 rebounds in the process. We knew this Nevada team would have some growing pains with an almost completely new roster and new coaching staff this year, and forecasted this a bit in an article posted before the season started below.

But the Wolf Pack made shots, they just gave their opponent the ball back more times then they got it back and killed possible scoring possessions in the process. Scoring isn’t the main issue, and one bright spot in this game was senior guard Nisre Zouzoua who had 13 points and went 6/6 from the free throw line.

He has shown some life off of the bench in a couple of games this season. On a team who has very little scoring capability outside of Drew, Harris and Johnson. Now this game had it’s components to work on, but this was also a tough game many of us covering the conference were anticipating and the Wolf Pack just couldn’t come away the win.

What’s next: The Wolf Pack face the Fordham Rams in the first game of the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands on Friday at 3:15 PM EST/12:15 PM PST. The Rams are currently undefeated but the Wolf Pack will be their first real test of the season. The Ram’s have some capable scorers and rebounders in their front court, make sure to check out the summary of this game and more about the Rams and other possible opponents in the Paradise Jam in our Future hoops foes article below.  

 

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Trojan’s Front Court Depth Too Much For Nevada, As Wolf Pack Fall 76-66

Game Recap: USC 76, Nevada 66 26 Points From Jazz Johnson Not Enough As Wolf Pack Loses To USC At Home. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Nevada suffers second loss of the season at home to USC. This game should have been circled on Nevada …

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Game Recap: USC 76, Nevada 66

26 Points From Jazz Johnson Not Enough As Wolf Pack Loses To USC At Home.

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Nevada suffers second loss of the season at home to USC. 

This game should have been circled on Nevada fan’s calendars for a while now. Aside from maybe fellow Pac-12 member Utah’s game to start the season, Saturday’s game against the Trojans of Southern California was one of the tougher games on the Wolf Pack’s schedule.

Jalen Harris went into Saturday’s game pumped up after a 24 point performance in his first full game back in almost two years on Tuesday night. But that three-headed attack turned into a solo scoring effort, as senior guard Jazz Johnson led the team in scoring with 26 points on the night but failed to receive much help.

The Wolf Pack shot about 32% from the field as a team and only one other player besides Johnson scored in double figures. That was senior guard Lindsey Drew who despite having 12 points, 6 rebounds and five assists, has had a bit of an off week compared to week one of the season. Junior guard Jalen Harris scored 9 points going 3/19 from the field and 1/8 from three-point range. Nevada struggled against a larger team with a deeper bench but made it competitive enough to close the gap to ten as time expired.

One big issue for me going into Saturday was USC’s front court dept. Not only is there freshman Isaiah Mobley and Nick Rakocevic, but leading scorer, rebounder and blocker Onyeka Okongwu. Okongwu is a bulldozer at 6’9 245, but even he had a though night against the Wolf Pack. Okongwu finished with 11 rebounds and a block but only scored 6 points on 3/8 shooting.

Senior Nick Rakocevic led the Trojans with 24 points and 11 rebounds followed by graduate transfer Daniel Utomi who had 12 points and 4 rebounds. This was the biggest test of the season so far for Steve Alford‘s squad and they played well against a deeper PAC-12 team, though this was a perfect example of this Wolf Pack team playing through depth and chemistry issues in Alford’s first season.

 Up Next: The Wolf Pack take on the Davidson Wildcats in North Carolina on Tuesday at 7:00PM EST/4:00PM PST. The Wildcats are 1-2 on the season but were predicted to finish 2nd in the Atlantic 10 and bring back reigning Atlantic 10 player of the year Jon Axel Gudmundsson. Look for it to be a battle of the back courts on Tuesday, as Davidson has another two-way threat in junior guard Kellan Grady.

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Nevada Wolf Pack Top UT-Arlington in Jalen Harris’ Return, 80-73

A Jalen Harris Return Was Just What The Doctor Ordered. Recap: Nevada 80, Texas-Arlington 73 Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Jalen Harris’ presence was definitely felt as Nevada gets a win against UT-Arlington. After almost two years away …

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A Jalen Harris Return Was Just What The Doctor Ordered.

Recap: Nevada 80, Texas-Arlington 73

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Jalen Harris’ presence was definitely felt as Nevada gets a win against UT-Arlington.

After almost two years away from the game Jalen Harris got to play his first full game of basketball on Tuesday night in the Lawlor Events center against a scrappy UT-Arlington Mavericks squad, and he didn’t disappoint. The former Louisiana Tech Bulldog has been a heralded transfer sitting on the bench in Reno since back under the last coaching staff. Many have waited to see Harris on the court and for those of us who watched the season opener anxiously against Utah, we felt a bit cheated.

Harris left that game in the first half and didn’t return going scoreless on 0-4 shooting and wore a boot on his right foot the remainder of the night. 

After undergoing X-ray testing last week which came back negative for any kind of broken bones, Harris was scheduled to undergo MRI testing this week. But surprised fans by showing up in the starting line up tonight against the Mavericks.

The junior guard led this Wolf Pack team with 24 points while grabbing 9 rebounds. His scoring provided a much needed break for senior guard Lindsey Drew (7 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists) who was our Mountain West Wire Player of the Week.

Nevada needed another scoring option to go a long with Lindsey Drew and Jazz Johnson, who scored 16 points going 5-11 from the field Tuesday night. Having Harris as a reliable third scoring option changed the offensive dynamic on the court and relieved Johnson and Drew of having to create scoring opportunities for themselves.

Help also came from senior guard Nisre Zouzoua who had a season high 16 points on 6-8 shooting and junior forward Robby Robinson helped out with 8 points and 8 rebounds.

Texas-Arlington looked good in the first half, keeping the game close and exchanging the lead throughout the second half. Radshad Davis led the Mavericks with a double-double, 14 points and 10 rebounds. Big man Jabari Narcis had 11 points on the night, which included 3 three pointers to go a long with 9 rebounds. Sunbelt preseason first-team guard Brian Warren had a tough night going 1-12 from the field ending up with 5 points. 

Steve Alford’s squad still seems to be getting use to each other’s play in live game situations and some guys are getting used to playing at the division one level. But they are doing a great job making adjustments during games and are 2-1 on the season. With Harris back and other players stepping up, it is going to be fun watching this team grow this season.

Next up: The Wolf Pack hosts Southern California on Saturday at home before heading on the road to face Davidson in North Carolina next week. The Trojans boast a fantastic freshmen front court and will be the biggest test of the season for the Wolf Pack thus far. 

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