Issue 12 11/13/2018

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VOLUME 125, ISSUE 12

BASKETBALL PREVIEW ISSUE

A2:

KING MUSS REIGNS OVER RENO

A4&5:

NEVADA’S FAVORITE PLAYER

A6: TOP 5 MUST-SEE GAMES Andrea Wilkinson/Nevada Sagebrush

@SagebrushSports | nevadasagebrush.com

A2 | MUSSELMAN

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2018

Student voice of the University of Nevada, Reno, since 1893.

Volume 125 • Issue 12 Editor-in-Chief • Madeline Purdue mpurdue@sagebrush.unr.edu

News Editor • Olivia Ali oali@sagebrush.unr.edu

Asst. News Editor • Andrew Mendez andrewmendez@sagebrush.unr.edu

Sports Editor • Darion Strugs dstrugs@sagebrush.unr.edu

Opinion Editor • Jacey Gonzalez jaceygonzalez@sagebrush.unr.edu

A&E Editor • Carla Suggs csuggs@sagebrush.unr.edu

Design Editor • Nicole Skarlatos nskarlatos@sagebrush.unr.edu

Photo Editor • Andrea Wilkinson awilkinson@sagebrush.unr.edu

Copy Editor • Robert Roth mpurdue@sagebrush.unr.edu

Copy Editor • Clay Temme ctemme@sagebrush.unr.edu

Multimedia Editor • Bailey MeCey bmecey@sagebrush.unr.edu

Asst. Multimedia Editor • Austin Daly bmecey@sagebrush.unr.edu

Illustrator • Zak Brady mpurdue@sagebrush.unr.edu

Social Media Manager • Jessie Schirrick mpurdue@sagebrush.unr.edu

Staff Writer • Emily Fisher

efisher@sagebrush.unr.edu

Distribution •Jacob Woods mpurdue@sagebrush.unr.edu

Media Adviser • Amy Koeckes amyk@unr.edu

CONTRIBUTING STAFFERS Isaiah Burrows, Ryan Freeberg, Matt Hanifan

DISCLAIMER The Nevada Sagebrush is a newspaper operated by and for the students of the University of Nevada, Reno. The contents of this newspaper do not necessarily reflect those opinions of the university or its students.

It is published by the students of the University of Nevada, Reno, and printed by the Sierra Nevada Media Group.

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CORRECTIONS The Nevada Sagebrush fixes mistakes.

If you find an error, email mpurdue@sagebrush.unr.edu.

SOCIAL MEDIA The Nevada Sagebrush @NevadaSagebrush @SagebrushSports Nevada Sagebrush nvsagebrush nevadasagebrush.com

How one man reigns over Reno

By Darion Strugs Since coming to Nevada in 2015, Eric Musselman has made it his quest to conquer the NCAA. Nevada has dominated the Mountain West landscape, capturing two regular season conference titles and one Mountain West Tournament championship.

Musselman rules with an iron fist. His players are not afraid of him but they do respect him. They are his knights while his coaching staff are the royal court. Musselman isn’t happy with just reigning over the West, he wants to rule the nation.

Musselman has coached at every level of basketball, from the NBA to international circuit to college. Eric Musselman is the son of the late Bill Musselman, a legendary coach in the basketball world.

Bill Musselman was successful in his own right, but his coaching tree is his biggest impact.

Current Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Tom Thibodeau and Washington Wizards head coach Scott Brooks are just two names on the list.

Eric Musselman tried his hand in the NBA coaching ranks but did not see much success. In two seasons with the Golden State Warriors from 2002-04 he won only 75 games. He would get another shot in 2006-07 with the Sacramento Kings but would only win 33 games.

The hiring of Musselman was one that might have come as a surprise to Nevada fans. Although he did have a Reno connection from his one year as the Bighorns head coach, Musselman had no collegiate head coaching experience and had spent the previous three seasons as an assistant at Arizona State and LSU. But

in each of those seasons, the teams would reach postseason tournaments — Arizona State had back-to-back NIT appearances while LSU reached the NCAA tournament.

Nevada basketball was a nine-win team the year before Musselman was hired.

Nevada football was not the spectacle it used to be and Nevada became almost irrelevant in the major college sports world. The city who hadn’t had a big name star since Colin Kaepernick left in 2011, now had one in Musselman.

M u s s e l m a n perfectly fits Reno’s Biggest Little City motto. At just 5’5”, Musselman is the biggest personality in the city. His fiery attitude combined with winning is what led fans to support him over former Nevada football head coach Brian Polian who struggled with the winning part.

After the 2016-17 season, Musselman was a highly-coveted coach on the market.

Cal, a school that has had their eyes on Musselman since 2013 once again tried their hand at him.

Musselman decided to stay with the Wolf Pack, signing a fiveyear extension on May, 9, 2017. Musselman’s deal is the highest in school history for a coach as he gets paid $1 million per year, which can increase if he hits the incentives included.

Musselman is 83-29 in three-plus years as the Nevada head coach. His .741 winning percentage is tied with former head coach Mark Fox for the highest percentage in school history.

Prior to Musselman’s arrival, the Wolf Pack had had zero success since moving to the Mountain West before the 2012-13 season, never winning more than 15 games in a season.

Nevada has won 24 or more games every year under Musselman. Last season, Nevada won a school record 29 games.

This season the Wolf Pack were ranked seventh in the AP preseason poll — the highest ranking in school history until this past week as the Pack moved up one more spot to sixth.

The previous highest ranking was tenth in the 2006-07 season.

Musselman has reached the postseason in each of his first three seasons at the helm and is expected to do that once again with this year’s team. The College Basketball Invitational title in 2016 was Nevada basketball’s first ever postseason title.

Winning in front of the Reno crowd seemed to be the point Musselman engrained himself into the Reno community. Nevada reached the NCAA tourna-

m e n t the following year, getting bounced in a first round matchup with Iowa State.

Nevada reached even greater heights as they not only returned to the NCAA Tournament but advanced to the Sweet 16.

Taking mid-major schools to great heights is nothing new to college basketball. Shaka Smart led VCU of the Atlantic 10 Conference to a CBI championship in his first season in 2010. Smart then continued his success leading his team to the Final Four in 2011 where they would lose to

to our community, he means a lot to our department and he means a lot to our basketball program.”

It looks as if Musselman and his family have found a home in Reno surrounded by a community that ad-

another midmajor in Butler coached by Brad Stevens.

Butler would lose to Duke in the national

championship but Smart and Stevens became big names in the coaching field.

Smart would leave VCU to coach Texas, a team Musselman and Nevada would defeat in last year’s NCAA Tournament.

Stevens would leave Butler to become the head coach of the Boston Celtics in 2013.

Musselman has already tried the NBA circuit with little success. Teams other than Cal have tried to snatch Musselman away from Nevada.

In an interview with the Reno GazetteJournal, Nevada Athletic Director Doug Knuth said in 2017, “We’re doing every-

Design by Nicole Skarlatos

thing we can to make sure Muss stays with us and stays happy here. He means a lot

mires them.

The Musselman name has now become synonymous

with the University of Nevada, Reno, and the city of Reno itself.

Musselman is married to former ESPN reporter Danyelle Sargent Musselman.

The two have a seven year-old daughter together, Mariah.

Mariah became the darling of the 2018 NCAA Tournament as Nevada made their run to the Sweet 16. The three are the unofficial first family of Reno.

Eric Musselman has two sons from a previous marriage.

The eldest, Michael, is in his first year as a graduate assistant for the Wolf Pack.

Adding another branch to the Musselman family coaching tree.

While Muss sits atop his throne, Danyelle is also active in the community.

She has introduced healthy food options to Lawlor Events Center thanks to Nevada’s collaboration with Renown health.

The Musselman clan thrives in Reno, it is their kingdom. Muss is treated as the king of Nevada athletics.

No matter the outcome of this season or if he decides to leave to pursue leading a Power 5 program, Muss will go down in this era of Reno history as the absolute ruler of the city.

Darion Strugs and can be reached at dstrugs@sagebrush. unr.edu and on Twitter @dstrugs.

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2018

COACHING | A3

@SagebrushSports | nevadasagebrush.com

Nevada men’s basketball carries championship coaching staff may differ compared to other programs.

First-year graduate assistant Rob Zewe was introduced to Musselman’s standards early this summer, bringing a fiery intensity in every practice and scrimmage with the team.

“From day one I knew I had to come here and bring a lot of energy,” he said. “You get a feel for how everyone operates from the head coach to the assistants and the guys in-between. It helps to

be thrown into the fire this early and getting the players amped up.”

The Wolf Pack’s run to the Sweet Sixteen during the 2017-18 NCAA Tournament brought a national spotlight and increased expectations this season. The pressure isn’t only on the players to perform on the floor, but on the coaching staff to drawup a solid game plan for every opponent.

“The expectations have been here since coach Muss turned

this team around,” Argenal said. “It’s all about getting this group to play our style of basketball. And with each game, we look to improve and try to raise the bar for ourselves as a staff.”

Zewe is prepared to do whatever it takes in order for Nevada to make it back into the tournament.

“As a staff, we have to focus on the everyday details,” he said.

“We have to focus on the grind in practice, pushing each other

and holding each other accountable in order to make it at the end of the season.”

The Wolf Pack have the players and staff in place to keep Lawlor Events Center buzzing with energy and excitement as they gear up for another tournament appearance.

Isaiah Burrows can be reached at dstrugs@ sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @SagebrushSports.

Andrea Wilkinson/Nevada Sagebrush

Nevada assistant coaches Robert Edwards, Brandon Dunson, Patrick Ackerman, Matt Eck, Gus Argenal, Rex Walters and Rob Zewe stand for the alma mater after a win against Pacific on Friday, Nov. 9. This year’s staff has 17 assistants under Musselman.

By Isaiah Burrows The Wolf Pack men’s basketball coaching staff share more than just the X’s and O’s of the game. Nevada holds 17 coaching staff members under head coach Eric Musselman, including three assistant coaches and six graduate assistants.

They have the highest staff in the Mountain West Conference by a wide margin — with six more assistant coaches than Colorado State — but each member shares a special bond with each other.

“We’re always interacting with or around

each other,” graduate assistant Clinton Tremelling said. “We help each other out a lot and we’ve gotten to know each other as a staff very well and that goes a long way for the team as a whole. It helps to have a positive locker room with the staff and its players.”

The staff is broken up into different groups and positions from player personnel to strength and conditioning. Each is assigned to a different task at hand both on and off the court, but it’s translating to early success for the program.

“Coach (Mussel-

f /nevadaASUN

man) gives us a lot of leeway to do what we want,” assistant coach Gus Argenal said.

“Whether it’s graduate assistants helping the players find their rhythm or assistants sharing their ideas on the game plan, he’s open to suggestions and everyone gets their input in and contributes.”

While the players develop a chemistry on the court, the assistant coaching staff do the same and hold each other accountable on the baselines, that way they’re a well oiled machine heading into conference tournaments and potentially even further.

@nevadaASUN

“We definitely get into a staff groove throughout the season,” Argenal said. “I think Coach helps instill that confidence in us to lead this program in the right direction.

And so far, we’re doing a good job getting our perspective of the game out there.”

For a graduate assistant, it’s more than grabbing rebounds for the players during warmups. They assist the head coach in pregame preparation, participate in offseason conditioning and communicate with the players on the court. But Coach Musselman’s requirements for graduate assistants

Andrea Wilkinson/Nevada Sagebrush

Nevada assistant Gus Argenal talks to Lindsey Drew during a game against Pacific on Friday, Nov. 9 at Lawlor Events Center. The 2-0 Wolf Pack face Arkansas-Little Rock on Friday, Nov. 16.

NevadaASUN.com

“This is Nevada”

@nevadaASUN

Mobile App

Bracket

@SagebrushSports | nevadasagebrush.com

A4 | BRACKET

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2018

1. Caleb Martin 76% - 32 votes

Caleb Martin 83% - 34 votes

16. Wolfie

24% - 10 votes Caleb Martin 70% - 26 votes

8. Jordan Brown

Caleb Martin

85% - 33 votes

21% - 9 votes

Jordan Brown 17% - 7 votes

9. Jalen Townsell 15% - 6 votes

4. Lindsey Drew 83% - 29 votes

Lindsey Drew 70% - 26 votes

13. Vincent Lee 17% - 6 votes

Lindsey Drew 30% - 11 votes

5. Tre’Shawn Thurman 81% - 25 votes Tre’ ShawnThurman 30% - 11 votes

12. Corey Henson 19% - 6 votes

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2018

@SagebrushSports | nevadasagebrush.com

Nevada’s Favorite Player

BRACKET | A5

2. Jordan Caroline 81% - 30 votes

2. Jordan Caroline 98% - 26 votes

15. Alphie 19% - 7 votes

2. Jordan Caroline 98% - 26 votes

7. Trey Porter 72% - 21 votes

7. Trey Porter 2% - 1 vote

10. David Cunningham 18% - 8 votes

3. Cody Martin 90% - 35 votes

Jordan Caroline

2. Jordan Caroline

79% - 33 votes

68% - 26 votes

14. K.J. Hymes 10% - 4 votes

3. Cody Martin 32% - 12 votes

Winner

14. Jazz Johnson

Jordan Caroline Nevada forward Jordan Caroline has been named Mountain West Player of the Week, being a main contributor to Nevada’s first two wins of the season.

In the season opener against BYU, Caroline tallied 28th career double-double, finishing with a game-high 25 points and hauling in 16 rebounds — tying a career-

high.

Caroline scored 16 points, hauling in four rebounds in the 83-61 win over Pacific.

Caroline has averaged a double-double, 20.5 points per game and 10.0 rebounds per game through two games. Caroline is shooting 58.3 percent form the field, and 66.7 percent from deep.

71% - 24 votes

14. Jazz Johnson 8% - 3 votes

11. Nisre Zouzoua 29% - 10 votes

@SagebrushSports | nevadasagebrush.com

A6 | PROFILES

Jordan Brown adds to Nevada men’s basketball potential

By Isaiah Burrows Jordan Brown can help the Nevada Wolf Pack men’s basketball team reach new heights.

The 6’10” power forward headlines a group of new additions to an already loaded Wolf Pack roster. Brown is the first five-star recruit Nevada has signed in program history. He was ESPN’s No. 31 rated prospect during his senior season at Prolific Prep High School, located in Napa, California.

Brown has earned several other accolades and honors.

He was a USA Today All-USA California first-team honoree and a MaxPreps All-America second-team selection.

Brown’s commitment to the university may come as a surprise for some — he was the only McDonald’s All-American this year to commit to a non-power five conference school — but Nevada planted the seeds for his eventual signing all along.

They were the first school to offer Brown a basketball scholarship after his freshman season at Woodcreek High School in 2015, several other prestigious

universities followed soon after.

Fast forward to this season and Brown may just be the final piece for an extended run in the NCAA Tournament for the Wolf Pack.

“It was just the opportunity on the roster they had for me,” he said.

Isaiah Burrows and can be reached at dstrugs@sagebrush. unr.edu and on Twitter @ dstrugs.

Nevada basketball youth ready to step up

By Darion Strugs Jordan Brown, K.J. Hymes and Vincent Lee are the three freshmen Eric Musselman recruited straight out of high school this past year. At 6’11”, 6’10” and 6’8” respectively, the players add height to a Nevada team that lacked that attribute the season prior. Recruiting players straight out of high school is something Musselman rarely does, as he has only had two total true freshmen scholarship players in his previous three

years in Lindsey Drew and Josh Hall. The freshmen know how high the expectations are for them this early in their collegiate careers.

“We’re supposed to come in and not act like freshmen,” Brown said. “We have to act like we’ve been here.”

Brown was the biggest name out of the three as he was the 31st ranked player in the 2018 ESPN 100. He was also a McDonald’s All-American and played for the the USA Men’s Basketball U16 and U17 teams.

The hype around Brown is not just high school accolades.

Brown was named the Mountain West Preseason Freshman of the Year. Hymes and Lee are not to be overlooked though.

Darion Strugs and can be reached at dstrugs@sagebrush. unr.edu and on Twitter @ dstrugs.

Freshman Jalen Townsell brings new meaning to walk on

By Isaiah Burrows It’s 10:17 p.m. in the Virginia Street Gym in Reno, Nevada. But the sounds of swishes through the net still drones on.

Coming off a dominating 8560 exhibition victory for the Nevada Wolf Pack men’s basketball team over San Francisco State, a player stands alone on the court wearing his game shorts and white undershirt shooting high-arching shots behind the three point line.

The player is freshman forward Jalen Townsell, joined by graduate assistant Robert

Edwards, who keeps feeding him shots after Townsell runs to his destined spot on the floor.

They’ve been shooting since the game ended an hour earlier.

The gym is completely empty, what was once a sold out crowd hours before has turned into custodians sweeping the bleachers. Still, Townsell keeps trying to improve with the help of Edwards. One shot at a time.

This has become a routine for Townsell — he and Edwards get shots up after every practice, scrimmage and game. Coming from Spanish Springs high school, nine miles from the university, Townsell has grown ac-

customed to the extra workload.

His competitive drive hasn’t bathed in the spotlight just yet.

“Jalen has gotten a lot better about the grind to make it in the college level,” Edwards said.

“He works out every single day to consistently improve his shot and his overall game and it shows on the court.

Isaiah Burrows and can be reached at dstrugs@sagebrush. unr.edu and on Twitter @SagebrushSports

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Nevada guard Caleb Martin makes compelling case for the NBA

By Isaiah Burrows Nevada Wolf Pack senior shooting guard Caleb Martin is knocking on the door of the NBA. A transfer from North Carolina State, Martin’s standout junior season brought plenty of national attention to him and the team as a whole. Joined by his brother Cody, both Martin twins were among the 69 participants invited to the NBA Draft combine. Caleb got his first look at the competition at the next level through various workouts and drills.

“It was a surreal experience to say the least,” he said. “It showed me the drive it takes to make it into the league.”

The Martin twins decided to return for their senior year. Much of that was thanks to head coach Eric Musselman, who couldn’t help but scream in joy when he heard the news of their return.

Both Caleb and coach Musselman have helped each other heading into their second year together.

“Our relationship has grown tremendously,” he said. “When you have a coach who has that much fire, energy and passion you want to bring that same intensity on the court. It’s our job as players to do the same things he does for us and that’s a big reason we’ve grown by working hard for each other.”

Martin’s ability as a shot creator is a primary reason for garnering a spotlight. His offensive repertoire includes his signature jab step, pull-up three pointer and an advanced handle to drive into the painted area on multiple occasions. Martin also uses screens off the ball to showcase a quick crossover followed by a smooth step-back, mid-range jumpshot.

He’s improved as a playmaker as well, finding open teammates with great court vision.

“I try to be a versatile player,” he said. “I do get some shots off in games but I also space the floor and find open teammates as well, that way we can all find our rhythm.”

Martin’s versatility was a driving force for the Wolf Pack last season. He led the team in scoring at 18.9 points per game shooting 45.5 percent from the field and

Andrea Wilkinson/Nevada Sagebrush

Caleb Martin (left) talks to brother Cody martin (right) after a play against Pacific on Friday, Nov. 9 at Lawlor Events Center. Martin is the first AP preseason All-American in school history.

over 40 percent from three. The reigning Mountain West Player of the Year also dealt with a nagging foot injury last season, but his improved health during the offseason led to crucial adjustments defensively this season.

“It all starts on the defensive side of the floor for me,” he said. “I have to become a better defender in order to make that next step and show I can guard positions one through three. I know I can focus on it more this year.”

Martin has already earned some praise to go along with the team’s high expectations. He’s the first player in school history to earn preseason AP and ESPN All-American honors, adding to the fact that Nevada is ranked No. 7 in the AP preseason poll.

His efficiency from the threepoint line must continue as well.

The departures of senior forwards Kendall Stevens and Hallice Cooke left a combined 169 threes to be replaced, and Martin’s number is called upon as the main contributor on the offensive end.

Despite the increased pressure on himself and the team, he looks as calm and collected as ever.

“It’s going to be another long season,” Martin added. “But I just need to keep improving as a player and a leader on the court.”

Martin’s dreams of making the NBA may come to fruition this upcoming summer, but he’s focused on the challenge this season faces. The Wolf Pack’s schedule features some new faces from the Pac-12, including Arizona State and USC to go along with familiar foes in the Mountain West Conference.

“We just need to take it one game at a time,” he said. “Obviously, it all starts within our own conference and string together some solid wins in order to make the tournament. That’s a whole different level from there, but we have the pieces to make another run at it and improve upon last season’s performance.”

No matter the outcome of this season, Martin has helped transform Nevada men’s basketball for years to come.

Isaiah Burrows and can be reached at dstrugs@sagebrush. unr.edu and on Twitter @SagebrushSports

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2018

GAMES| A7

@SagebrushSports | nevadasagebrush.com

'Muss'-see games this season

By Ryan Freeberg

Expectations are high for Nevada basketball as they open the season ranked seventh in the nation — the highest preseason ranking in school

history — and have climbed to the sixth spot with the first two games in the season. With the return of the Martin twins and senior Jordan Caroline, a run at the NCAA Championship is a possibility. The upcoming

season is highlighted with great matchups against Mountain West rivals, challengers from the PAC-12 and a trip to Chicago to rematch the Sweet Sixteen battle against Loyola.

NEVADA @ LOYOLA CHICAGO, NOVEMBER 27 The first road game for the Pack comes when they travel to Illinois in a rematch against Loyola Chicago.

The Ramblers eliminated the Wolf Pack from the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament in March. Loyola is still on a high after head coach Porter Moser led the team to the Final Four, and they have the depth to compete for a national championship once again.

Loyola’s top two offensive weapons Clayton Cluster and Marques Townes return from last season — Cluster averaged 13.2 points per game, while

Townes was averaging 11.1 ppg. The production of Cluster and Townes helped push the Ramblers to the third highest field-goal percentage in the nation.

Fans should remember Cluster from his clutch shots in multiple games throughout the NCAA Tournament.

Center Cameron Krutwig will be tasked with guarding the paint for the Ramblers. The sophomore was the team leader in rebounds per game with 6.1 per game. He was also a presence at the basket, scoring 10.5 ppg — he led the team in field goal percentage with nearly

60 percent of his shots going in.

The Ramblers will finally be able to lean on New Mexico transfer Aher Uguak. The forward transferred to Loyola last season but had to sit out last season due to NCAA transfer rules.

The forward showed flashes of success during his freshman campaign in New Mexico. Uguak played 7.4 minutes per game during his time with the Lobos and had a field goal proficiency of 35 percent.

Despite the great individual shooters on the team, the Ramblers only averaged 71.6 ppg. The

slack left on offense is picked up by the defense though.

The Ramblers’ defense was ranked sixth in the nation last year. If they want to make another run at the NCAA Tournament or repeat a win over Nevada, the defense will be the backbone to support this team.

NEVADA @ USC, DECEMBER 1 Just four days after traveling to Chicago, Nevada will pack up and head to Los Angeles to battle the USC Trojans. Lead by head coach Andy Enfield, USC will be looking to upset Nevada in this homestand and set up a run at the NCAA Tournament after missing last year, despite going 12-6 in conference play.

USC lost three key athletes over the offseason — forward Chimezie Metu, guard Jordan McLaughlin and guard Elijah Stewart — all of whom were averaging over 11 ppg.

The Trojans will be relying on a mix of upperclassmen and freshmen to help fill the spots left by the departed seniors and junior Metu. One of these potential leaders could be senior forward

Bennie Boatwright.

Boatwright averaged 13.6 ppg last season — second on the team — before going down with a left patella injury against Oregon. He was also second on the team with 6.4 rebounds per game.

In USC’s first game freshman shooting guard Kevin Porter Jr. debuted against Robert Morris University in impressive fashion, finishing his night with 15 points and five rebounds — he only missed one FG during the game. If USC is to make a run at the NCAA Tournament, it may prove to be on the backs of Boatwright and Porter Jr. Senior guard Shaqquan Aaron was elevated to a higher role in Enfield’s offense after the departure of

McLaughlin and Stewart. In 2017, Aaron was averaging 15.9 minutes per game, he saw the court for 33 against RMU. He scored 20 points in USC’s first outing.

Rounding out the Trojans is junior shooting guard Jonah Matthews. Matthews averaged 9.3 ppg — leading the team with 42.3 percent from the three-point line.

If USC is looking to defeat Nevada, they will have to improve in two key categories — free throw percentage and scoring offense.

Southern California was ranked 211th in free throw percentage at the end of last season. The Trojans lost one of their top free throw shooters in Stewart, who had a 84.4 free throw percentage.

USC still holds two of their top performers in Derryck Thornton — a 75 percent free throw shooter — and Jordan Usher, who led the team at 85.2 percent.

The Trojans will also need to improve over last year’s scoring offense, the team finished the season ranked 70th in the nation, averaging 77.7 points per game.

In USC’s first match of the 2018 campaign, they scored 83 points against Robert Morris University.

NEVADA @ NEW MEXICO, JANUARY 5, 2019 With the New Mexico Lobos coming off of a strong season under second-year head coach Paul Weir, Nevada will have their hands full with a roster highlighted by transfer talent. New Mexico has six new players coming from other programs and only one returning starter from a year ago, Wier will be challenged to harmonize a roster of players who haven’t played many minutes together.

Returning forward/ guard Dane Kuiper is the lone starter returning from last year’s roster.

Averaging 6.4 ppg last season, Kuiper will be tasked with helping

guide the young talent on the program. If New Mexico wants to compete in a competitive Mountain West Conference, they will need to build off of their strong offensive performance from a year ago — the Lobo offense ranked 22nd in the country, scoring 82 ppg.

Helping Kuiper lead this young team is guard Anthony Mathis. Mathis is coming off a strong junior campaign that saw him put up 12.7 ppg and led the team in points.

His impressive percentage from beyond the arc is the reason for his high point total. Mathis shot for 47.3 percent

from the three-point line in 207 attempts. If Mathis continues to produce, he could grow into one of the most dangerous perimeter shooters in the NCAA and create a problem for the Wolf Pack come January.

Two of the six transfers to New Mexico are expected to make a very immediate impact on the Lobo roster, UCONN transfer Vance Jackson and Indian Hill Community College transfer Corey Manigault. The pair saw action early in UNM’s first game against Cal State Northridge. Jackson spent 23 minutes on the court,

UNLV @ NEVADA FEBRUARY, 27, 2019

Nevada’s biggest rivalry is without a doubt UNLV. Nevada will play the Rebels two times in the upcoming season, once in January and once in February.

In Marvin Menzies’ second year as UNLV’s head basketball coach, he led the Rebels to a 20 win season. Despite the losses of key players such as Brandon McCoy, Jordan Johnson and Jovan Mooring, the Rebels core squad is still made up of players that have established relationships on the court.

UNLV had four shooters who averaged more than 10 points a game this past season. Three of those shooters have moved on from the program, but senior forward Shakur Juiston remains as the lone player from that group. Juiston was second on the team last year averaging 14.6 ppg and also averaged 10 rebounds per game.

Last season, the Rebels struggled at the three-point line ranking 327th in the country. The backcourt will be built

around senior guard Kris Clyburn. Clyburn is the Rebels most dangerous shooter from beyond the arc as he finished last season with a 32.7 percent from the three-point line.

Akron transfer student Noah Robotham is expected to make an immediate impact for the Rebels. In his last season with the Zips, he averaged 8.9 ppg. Robotham likes to spread the ball to this teammates, recording 3.2 assists per game.

As well as improving on their three-point

proficiency, UNLV will need to tighten up their ball control if they want to compete with other programs in the Mountain West.

Las Vegas was near the bottom the barrel last year with a turnover margin of -2.7 turnovers per game.

ARIZONA STATE @ NEVADA, DECEMBER 7 After traveling for their previous two games, Nevada turns around heads right down to Los Angeles to play Arizona State at Staples Center. The Sun Devils are coming off their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2014 under head coach Bobby Hurley.

ASU started last season 12-0 but fizzled out once conference play began. The Sun Devils relied heavily on the play of guards Tra Holder and Shannon Evans who led the team in points per game with both averaging more

than 16 — both Evans and Holder graduated in spring.

ASU now looks to lean on returning sophomore forward Romello White who has the highest average ppg among returning players. White averaged 10.5 ppg and was second on the team with 62.5 percent shooting from field goal range.

Returning junior forward Mickey Mitchell will also be asked to quickly help the team. He saw limited action last year, only participating in 11 games. Mitchell was on

the court for an average of 22.5 minutes during that span.

In addition, Mitchell recorded 125 rebounds during that stretch — good enough to finish fourth on the team.

Arizona State is hoping their freshman class makes a quick turnaround from high school.

Freshman shooting guard Luguentz Dort is expected to get minutes early. The four-star recruit was named a starter just before week one. He will be asked to help

improve a Sun Devils team who possessed the 254th rebound margin in the NCAA at -1.4. In their first game of the season against Cal State Fullerton, ASU won 102-94. Dort led the Sun Devils with 28 points and also tied with two teammates in rebounds with nine.

Ryan Freeberg can be reached at dstrugs@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @SagebrushSports.

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scoring seven points and recovering eight rebounds per game.

Manigault saw the court a minute less than Jackson, but scored 16 points during his time.

Last season New Mexico struggled heavily to recover shots, with a rebound margin of minus 4.2 per game.

SDSU @ NEVADA, MARCH 9, 2019 Nevada closes out the regular season with a home game against the previous year’s MWC tournament winner, San Diego State University. After punching their ticket to the NCAA Tournament under firstyear head coach Brian Dutcher, the Aztecs are looking to take the next step and get back to the tournament. This will be a challenge for SDSU who lost two key players during the offseason — including top scorer Malik Pope who averaged 12.8 ppg.

Pope went on to play for the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2018 summer league and is currently playing professional basketball in Greece.

Fortunately for the

Aztecs, three starters are returning for another season. Senior guard Devin Watson was one of the top all-around players for the team last year averaging 12.2 ppg, one steal and 3.8 assists per game. He also was the top three-point shooter on the team.

Forward Jalen McDaniels was another standout for SDSU last year, recording 10.5 ppg and 7.5 rebounds per game in route to an impressive freshman season.

McDaniels toyed with the idea of applying for the NBA draft during the offseason but ultimately decided to return for his second year at SDSU. According to ESPN, McDaniels is the ninth best player in the country at

his position.

San Diego State will be relying on a heavy rotation of young talent, with five freshmen being brought in.

These freshmen — in addition to the six returning players — will be tasked with improving an Aztec team that was ranked 79th in the nation last season in scoring offense.

Two of the freshman that were added to the Aztec roster are brothers, Nathan and Joel Mensah from Ghana.

Each brother is both 6-foot10-inches and play the forward position.

The brothers were used sparingly in SDSU’s first game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, only playing for a combined

17 minutes. Watson performed as the Aztecs had hoped, scoring 20 points in 38 minutes.

The Aztecs won the game 76-60, but some of their offensive troubles from last year have continued. San Diego State struggled to knock down shots, only scoring 43 percent of their field goal attempts.

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Court Report

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2018

@SagebrushSports | nevadasagebrush.com

A8

RECENT MEN’S GAMES

BYU

W 86-70

Pacific

ArkansasLittle Rock

W 83-61

11/16 8:00 p.m.

California Baptist

Tulsa

11/19 7:00 p.m.

11/22 12:30 p.m.

WOLF PACK STARTS HIGHLY ANTICPATED SEASON ON RIGHT FOOT

LAST GAME’S SCORE

61-83 Final

Nevada Basketball wins first two games thanks to big second halves

1

2

T

Pacific 25 36 61 Nevada 34 49 83 NEVADA’S 2018-2019 SCHEDULE Date

Opponent

Nov. 16

Little Rock

Result

Nov. 19 California Baptist Nov. 22

Tulsa

Nov. 24

TBD

Nov. 29 @ Loyola Chicago Dec. 1

@ USC

Dec. 7

Arizona State

Dec. 9

Grand Canyon

Dec. 15 South Dakota St

By Matt Hanifan VS BYU Nevada Basketball began their most anticipated season in school history off with an 86-70 victory against Brigham Young University Tuesday, Nov. 6, at Lawlor Events Center.

Three players scored in double figures for the Pack. Caleb Martin scored all 21 of his points in the second half, on 4-13 shooting, making 10-12 free throws.

Jordan Caroline led both teams in scoring, with 25 points on 8-16 shooting, snatching down 16 rebounds — tying his career-high.

Cougar star forward Yoeli Childs tallied 16 points and 12 rebounds. Childs was only limited to 26 minutes on the evening. The 6’8” junior played 17 first half minutes, but picked up his fourth foul with 19:12 left in the second half, fouling out with 2:35 remaining.

Nevada began the intense matchup on a 9-0 run. Senior center Trey Porter — a grad transfer from Old Dominion — converted on six of Nevada’s first nine points. Nevada’s defense was engaged, holding BYU to a 0-8 shooting stretch to begin the game.

Despite the early shooting woes, Nevada offensively continued to draw fouls, getting into double bonus with 9:16 remaining. Nevada converted on 13 of their 34 first half points from the stripe, on 21 attempts.

BYU took their first lead 22-20, but Nevada responded with a

12-6 run, leading 32-26 with 3:11 remaining in the first half. A tenfoot jumper from Childs sparked an 8-2 BYU run to end the first half.

The first half was chaos all around. Both teams committed a combined 27 fouls — six more than the total field goals made.

The Martin twins were a combined 0-5 in the first half with zero points. Caroline notched his 28th career double-double with 5:07 remaining.

Caleb Martin flipped the switch in the second half, scoring a quick nine points — including two back-to-back threes — giving Nevada a 46-45 lead.

Nevada head coach Eric Musselman continued to wave his arms, getting the crowd energetic, bringing them to their feet in an already electric environment.

His players fed off of his energy.

Caroline did what he does best, displaying a physical brand of basketball, taking the ball to the rack in consecutive possessions, giving Nevada a 53-52 lead. The following possessions led to a corner three by senior forward Tre’Shawn Thurman and a three on the opposite corner from senior guard Jazz Johnson giving Nevada a 59-52 lead with under 12 minutes remaining.

Nevada eventually pulled away in the closing stages, sparked by a Caroline layup. Jazz Johnson would nail two corner three pointers, one of which capped off a 17-9 run, giving the Pack an 82-68 lead with 2:11 remaining.

Nevada was sluggish shootingwise, shooting 37.9 percent from

the floor and 28.6 percent from three. The offense will follow their defense, which took a step in the right direction compared to the preseason showcases, as their season goes along.

Nevada’s defense fixed its preseason woes on the defensive end from the perimeter, holding the Cougars to 19.4 percent shooting from deep, surrendering only six makes on 31 attempts. Nevada’s offense didn’t do too much better, draining eight threes on 28 attempts, after going 1-for-12 from deep in the first half.

VS PACIFIC Nevada Basketball has typically been stout the past couple of seasons in the shooting category.

Musselman has brought in two primary marksman in his Nevada tenure; Marcus Marshall — a part of the team in the 201617 season — who broke a 20-year long record in three-point makes in a single season with 113, and Kendall Stephens — who was a part of last year’s team who broke Jimmer Fredette’s Mountain West record in three-point makes in a single season — making 126 threes in the regular season.

Caleb Martin drilled 100 threes last season, making 40 percent from three. But after his slow shooting start in two preseason showings and on opening night — shooting a combined 7-for-30 from deep — questions loomed whether or not Nevada would have the same shooting capability as in past years. As a team

Nevada shot 18-for-76 from deep in those three games, translating to 23.7 percent.

The Pack offense answered that question, at least for now, drilling 15 threes on 31 attempts, a staggering 48.3 percent, in their rout over Pacific Friday night.

The Pack came two threes shy from tying the school-record for most three-point makes in a single game, at 17, which was set last season — also against Pacific.

However, neither team shot well from the free throw line.

Pacific shot 42.9 percent, going 6-for-14, missing their first six from the stripe. Nevada drew 28 fouls, leading to 18 makes on 27 attempts, translating to 66.7 percent.

After a scoreless game against BYU, Cody Martin scored his first points on the season, notching career double-double, dropping 11 points and 10 assists.

Tre’Shawn Thurman produced another productive game on both ends, providing three blocks, adding 14 points and drained 3-of-4 three point attempts. Jordan Caroline tallied 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting, going 2-for-2 from deep.

After seeing only five minutes in the first game, McDonald’s All-American Jordan Brown saw 21 minutes of action, providing three blocks, along with five points and seven rebounds. Jazz Johnson continued his sweet shooting stroke, shooting 3-of-5 from the field — all three buckets were from beyond the arc.

Nevada trailed 12-11 with 11:09

remaining, but went on an 11-2 run in the following four minutes courtesy of three three-point makes — two by Thurman and one by Cody Martin — regaining the lead 22-14. Nevada’s lead got cut to three with under five minutes remaining in the first half, but the Wolf Pack recovered ending the half on a 10-4 run and going into the locker room with a 34-25 lead.

Nevada carried the same momentum from the first half into the second. Caleb Martin, for the second consecutive contest, stuffed the points stat in the second half only — scoring 22 points on 6-of-15 shooting and going 5-of-12 from deep.

Nevada jumped out to a 10-4 run to begin the half, hitting four of their first five shots, including two threes from Caroline and Martin, leading 44-29. Pacific was only able to cut the deficit to 13 points, 53-40, before going on a 19-7 run, commanding a 72-47 lead.

Nevada took control the rest of the game, finishing with a 22 point victory. The Pack defense suffocated the perimeter once again, forcing Pacific to only 25 percent shooting from long range and 41.7 percent from the field only making 25 of 60 shots.

The Pack will continue their home stand this week, playing one game next week against Arkansas-Little Rock on Friday, Nov. 16 at Lawlor Events Center.

Matt Hanifan can be reached at dstrugs@sagebrush.unr and on Twitter @SagebrushSports.

Andrea Wilkinson/Nevada Sagebrush

Basketball banners as they hang on Tuesday, Nov. 6. The banners commemorated their second consectuive regular season conference championship and Sweet 16 appearance during the 2018 NCAA Tournament before their first game against BYU Tuesday, Nov. 6.

Dec. 22

Akrom

Dec. 29

@ Utah

Jan. 2

Utah State

jan. 5

@ New Mexico

Jan. 9

San Jose State

Jan. 12

@ Fresno State

Jan. 15

@ Boise State

Jan. 19

Air Force

Jan. 23

Colorado State

Jan. 29

@ UNLV

Feb. 2

Boise State

Feb. 7

@ Colorado State

Feb. 14

New Mexico

Feb. 17

@ Wyoming

Feb. 21 @ San Diego State Feb. 25

Fresno State

Feb. 28

UNLV

Mar. 3

@ Utah State

Mar. 5

@ Air Force

Mar. 9

San Diego State

AP TOP 25

1. Duke 2. Kansas 3. Gonzaga 4.Virginia 5. Tennessee

2-0 1-0 2-0 2-0 2-0

6. Nevada 7. North Carolina 8. Villanova 9. Auburn 10. Kentucky

2-0 2-0 2-0 2-0 1-1

11. Michigan State 12.Kansas State 13. Oregon 14. Florida State 15. Syracuse

1-1 1-0 1-0 2-0 2-0

16. Virginia Tech 17. Mississippi St. 18. Michigan 19. Clemson 20. UCLA

2-0 2-0 2-0 2-0 2-0

21. TCU 22. LSU 23. Purdue 24. Marquette 25. Buffalo

2-0 2-0 2-0 2-0 2-0

HIGHLIGHTS

NEVADA BASKETBALL MOVES UP TO 6 IN NEW AP POLL Nevada Basketball moved up one spot in this week’s Top 25 Associated Press poll and are now ranked sixth. Nevada came off of an 86-70 win against Brigham Young in their season opener, and an 83-61 win against Pacific on Friday.

After returning four starters, and welcoming in five transfers, the Pack was ranked seventh in the preseason top 25 Associated Press poll — their highest rank in school history and their highest preseason rank since the 2005-06 season when they ranked 22nd. Nevada’s previous highest rank at any point during the season was tenth on Feb. 26, 2007.

Through the first two games, forward Jordan Caroline is averaging a double-double, producing 20.5 points per game and 10.0 rebounds per game. Preseason All-American Caleb Martin leads the team, averaging 21.5 points per game, shooting 35.7 percent from the field and 38.1 percent from three. His twin brother, Cody, is averaging 5.5 points per game, but has accumulated a team-leading 10.5 assists per game, fifth in the nation.

Nevada continues their four-game home stand on Friday as they face Arkansas-Little Rock this Friday on Nov. 16, and California Baptist the following Monday, Nov. 19.

New AP Top 25 out: Ne“ vada moves from No. 7 to a program-best No. 6 after wins over BYU and Pacific.

Only game this week is Friday against Little Rock

”

- @MurrayNSN FOOTBALL Last Game Score:

10-49 Next Game: @ SJSU