SAN JOSE, Calif. ? When a team just won the Western Athletic Conference outright title, what can it do for an encore?
It could try to play a game in Hawaii on Thursday and then close the regular season with a victory this afternoon with a 2,400-mile plane trip sandwiched in between.
And that?s exactly what the Nevada Wolf Pack, 23-5 overall and WAC champion at 15-2, will be trying to do today when it faces the conference?s worst team, San Jose State, at the Event Center at 2:05 p.m.
The Pack will be seeking its 10th win a row as it prepares for the WAC tournament at Lawlor Events Center, which begins Tuesday with Nevada starting on Thursday.
Just in case Nevada coach Mark Fox didn?t know how difficult it is to go to Hawaii and come back and play San Jose State on short rest, legendary coach Jerry Tarkanian let Fox know during an interview on Tarkanian?s radio show Wednesday.
?He said, ?You have no chance to win at San Jose. That?s the most unfair thing in the world. You have no chance playing that game at that time.? I said, ?Don?t tell me that,?? Fox said. ?He said, ?I hope you win. But that?s ridiculous, that is unfair.?
?I hope Tark?s wrong.?
The Pack won its outright title with a 55-47 win at Hawaii on Thursday to go 8-0 on the road in conference and 10-2 overall.
Nevada is trying to become the first WAC team to go undefeated on the road in conference play since Utah went 7-0 in the 1998-99 season.
?I know Utah did it in a 14-game (schedule) format,? Fox said. ?Our kids deserve a lot of credit for what they?ve done on the road. They deserve all the credit.?
Nevada will be trying to sweep the season series against San Jose State after stopping the Spartans, 70-55, at Lawlor Events Center on Dec. 30
It wasn?t easy at Hawaii as Nevada led only 49-47 with less than a minute left on an eve-ning that was a major struggle.
?Really, it looked like we swam here to steal a line from Trent Johnson,? Fox said. ?Offensively, we were struggling the first half. We looked so fatigued. Luckly, defense saved us.?
The Pack held Hawaii to 29 percent shooting from the field, including 14 percent from 3-point range on 3-of-22 shooting. Nevada ran its record to 17-0 when it holds an opponent to 60 or fewer points.
Nick Fazekas, who played wearing a mask to protect the broken nose he suffered a week ago, led the Pack against Hawaii with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Kevinn Pinkney had 14 points and 13 rebounds.
San Jose State is 6-21overall and 3-14 in the WAC after losing at home to Fresno State. 74-55, Thursday. But today?s game is Senior Day for the Spartans? three seniors, including forward Marquin Chandler, who is averaging nearly 20 points and nine rebounds and drew praise from Fox.
?Marquin Chandler might be one of the most talented players in our league,? Fox said.
It could try to play a game in Hawaii on Thursday and then close the regular season with a victory this afternoon with a 2,400-mile plane trip sandwiched in between.
And that?s exactly what the Nevada Wolf Pack, 23-5 overall and WAC champion at 15-2, will be trying to do today when it faces the conference?s worst team, San Jose State, at the Event Center at 2:05 p.m.
The Pack will be seeking its 10th win a row as it prepares for the WAC tournament at Lawlor Events Center, which begins Tuesday with Nevada starting on Thursday.
Just in case Nevada coach Mark Fox didn?t know how difficult it is to go to Hawaii and come back and play San Jose State on short rest, legendary coach Jerry Tarkanian let Fox know during an interview on Tarkanian?s radio show Wednesday.
?He said, ?You have no chance to win at San Jose. That?s the most unfair thing in the world. You have no chance playing that game at that time.? I said, ?Don?t tell me that,?? Fox said. ?He said, ?I hope you win. But that?s ridiculous, that is unfair.?
?I hope Tark?s wrong.?
The Pack won its outright title with a 55-47 win at Hawaii on Thursday to go 8-0 on the road in conference and 10-2 overall.
Nevada is trying to become the first WAC team to go undefeated on the road in conference play since Utah went 7-0 in the 1998-99 season.
?I know Utah did it in a 14-game (schedule) format,? Fox said. ?Our kids deserve a lot of credit for what they?ve done on the road. They deserve all the credit.?
Nevada will be trying to sweep the season series against San Jose State after stopping the Spartans, 70-55, at Lawlor Events Center on Dec. 30
It wasn?t easy at Hawaii as Nevada led only 49-47 with less than a minute left on an eve-ning that was a major struggle.
?Really, it looked like we swam here to steal a line from Trent Johnson,? Fox said. ?Offensively, we were struggling the first half. We looked so fatigued. Luckly, defense saved us.?
The Pack held Hawaii to 29 percent shooting from the field, including 14 percent from 3-point range on 3-of-22 shooting. Nevada ran its record to 17-0 when it holds an opponent to 60 or fewer points.
Nick Fazekas, who played wearing a mask to protect the broken nose he suffered a week ago, led the Pack against Hawaii with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Kevinn Pinkney had 14 points and 13 rebounds.
San Jose State is 6-21overall and 3-14 in the WAC after losing at home to Fresno State. 74-55, Thursday. But today?s game is Senior Day for the Spartans? three seniors, including forward Marquin Chandler, who is averaging nearly 20 points and nine rebounds and drew praise from Fox.
?Marquin Chandler might be one of the most talented players in our league,? Fox said.
