RENO, Nev. – The University of Nevada Men’s Basketball team will hit the road this weekend, traveling to face San Jose Staté, as the Pack will look to remain unbeaten in conference play and earn their sixth consecutive victory.
The Pack have claimed victory in five consecutive games, most recently taking down Colorado State 80-69 this past Wednesday night.
Nevada had an exceptional outing on the offensive end of the floor, finishing the contest with outstanding clips of 57.8 percent from the field, 35 percent from behind the arc, and 91.3 percent at the free throw line.
Nevada had five different players reach double-figures in scoring, led by Will Baker and Jarod Lucas, as the duo dropped 16 points apiece in the contest.
Baker had another sensational night on offense for the Pack, reaching 16 points on a perfect 5-5 shooting from the field, 2-2 from behind the arc, and 4-4 at the free throw line, in addition to pulling down six rebounds in the contest. Over the Pack’s past four games, Baker is now averaging 17.0 points per game on 73.5 percent shooting from the field, 60 percent from 3-point range, and 94 percent at the free throw line, while also pulling down 6.0 rebounds per game. Baker has amassed 68 points over the stretch, which marks the most points he has scored over a four-game stretch throughout his career. After hitting all four of his free throw attempts against Colorado State, he now leads the Mountain West in free throw percentage this season, as the redshirt-junior is knocking down 88.7 percent of his attempts this year.
Lucas scored 16 points on 5-11 shooting from the field, 2-7 from behind the arc, and 4-5 at the free throw line against Colorado State. The senior guard also managed to set a new season-high and match his previous career-high by dishing out four assists in the contest. Lucas continues to lead the conference in total scoring this season (277 points), and he ranks second overall in points per game (17.3 PPG). Lucas also ranks second in made 3-point field goals (45), and third in both free throw percentage (87.4%) and 3-point field goal percentage (38.8%). Lucas has reached double figures in scoring in 15 out of Nevada’s 16 games, including 14 straight contests. He has also made multiple 3-pointers in 14 games, including three or more 3-pointers in nine contests.
Kenan Blackshear had a stellar outing in the Pack’s win over Colorado State, scoring 15 points on 6-10 shooting from the field and 2-2 at the free throw line, in addition to dishing out three assists and tallying two steals. Blackshear ranks in the top-15 of the Mountain West in a plethora of statistical categories. He is currently first in total assists (78), second in assists per game (4.9 APG), eighth in free throw percentage (81.3%), 10th in steals per game (1.3 SPG), 10th in minutes per game (31.6 MPG), and 10th in points per game (14.3 PPG).
Blackshear has scored in double figures in seven straight games. Over that stretch, he boasts averages of 17.4 points per game on 50.6 percent shooting from the field, 33.3 percent from behind the arc, and 86.0 percent at the free throw line, as well as 3.7 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game. Blackshear has dished out at least three assists in 15 out of Nevada’s 16 games this season.
Freshman forward Darrion Williams had another strong all-around outing against Colorado State, scoring 10 points, recording two steals, and pulling down a game-high seven rebounds. Williams has now led the Pack in rebounding in 10 out of 16 contests this season, and he currently ranks third in the Mountain West in total rebounds (114 rebounds) and sixth in rebounds per game (7.1 RPG). Williams also ranks ninth in the conference in steals per game (1.5 SPG).
Fellow freshman Nick Davidson also had a solid performance for the Pack against Colorado State, scoring 12 points, including 10 in the first half alone. Davidson now ranks fourth on the team in both scoring (7.6 PPG) and rebounding (4.8 RPG).
Junior forward Tre Coleman continued his exceptional play on the defensive end of the floor against Colorado State, tallying two steals and finishing the contest with a game-high plus/minus of +18 in 35 minutes of action.
As a team, Nevada ranks at the top of the nation in free throw percentage this year, as they have been immaculate at the line. They are currently knocking down 79.9 percent of their attempts this season, marking the seventh-best percentage in the country. The Pack are also second in made free throws (303) and 13th in free throw attempts (379).
Nevada has continued to excel on the defensive end of the court this season, as they currently rank third in the conference in opponent field goal percentage (40.0%), fifth in opponent 3-point field goal percentage (32.2%), fifth in defensive rebounding (27.1), and fifth in turnovers forced (201).
Nevada is 9-0 this season when outrebounding their opponent, and rebounding could prove to be a key factor in Saturday’s contest, as they face a San José State team that ranks second in the Mountain West and 47th in the country in rebounds per game (39.1 RPG). The Pack will need to have one of their best rebounding efforts of the season combined with another strong offensive showing if they hope to take down the Spartans and move to 4-0 in conference play.
Scouting San José State
The Spartans enter Saturday’s contest with an impressive overall record of 11-5, including a mark of 2-1 in conference play.
San José State opened up Mountain West play with an overtime victory over UNLV and a 78-70 win over Colorado State before falling by three points to Boise State.
The Spartans have done an excellent job of rebounding the ball this season, particularly on the offensive glass, as they rank second in the Mountain West in offensive rebounding, pulling down 11.1 per game.
SJSU has also been solid on defense this season, as they rank second in the league in opponent field goal percentage, limiting opposing teams to just 39.9 percent shooting from the field.
Offensively, the Spartans have struggled at times this season, as they currently rank ninth in the conference in scoring, putting up 69.4 points per game; but, they have been fairly efficient on that end of the floor, as they rank fifth in field goal percentage (45.8%).
Individually, the Spartans have been led by junior guard Omari Moore. Moore is currently averaging a team-high 15.4 points per game on 45 percent shooting from the field and 33.3 percent from three, while also dishing out a team-high 4.9 steals per game.
Outside of Moore, San José State has seven different players that are averaging between 5.6 points per game and 9.9 points per contest, as they have a multitude of offensive weapons.
Senior forward Sage Tolbert III has been impressive in the paint all season for the Spartans, as the 6-8 big man leads the Mountain West in rebounds per game (8.1 RPG), while also averaging 9.6 points per game on 54.2 percent shooting from the field and 44.8 percent from behind the arc.
Nevada will need to limit Moore’s production and keep Tolbert III and the rest of the Spartans off the offensive glass to secure the road conference victory.
Series History
Nevada and San José State have faced off 40 times throughout history, with the Pack holding a 34-6 advantage in the all-time series. Nevada is currently on a three-game win streak against the Spartans, and they claimed a 90-60 victory the last time the two teams faced in February of last year.
