Wolf Pack

General Information

NCAA Division: Division I

Conference: Mountain West

Past Conferences: MWC, WAC, Big West, Big Sky, WCAC, Ind

City: Reno, Nevada

Stadium: Lawlor Events Center

NCAA Tournaments: 1984, 1985, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2017, 2018, 2019

Championships:

• National Championships: 0
• Conference Titles: 5

NCAAB Nevada Wolf Pack Team History

Nevada Wolf Pack men’s basketball took a different route than many other conference teams, as the school had a brief stint in Division II. However, the team started as an intercollegiate team in the 1912-13 season. After a few years, the school would transition to the Division II ranks before joining the West Coast Athletic Conference (Division 1.) 

Transforming against tougher competition isn’t easy, so one would expect the team to go through some unfathomable lows. Still, this would be an important period for the program, as this was an opportunity to build the foundation of the program. Before the school got the opportunity to compete in the NCAA Tournament, the school would go through one more conference shift as they were members of the Big Sky. During their time in the Big Sky, the Nevada Wolf Pack proved why there were better days ahead, as their record and play on the court showed.

Under coach Sonny Allen’s leadership, Nevada would punch their first ticket to the biggest stage. Unfortunately, their first-ever run would end as soon as it started; they were outmatched by the Washington Huskies in the opening round.

The next year also ended in disappointment as they lost to the NC State Wolfpack in the first round. To the school’s surprise, the program would go through a major NCAA Tournament drought; their next chance would come as members of the Western Athletic Conference.

Coach Trent Johnson Ignites the Flame

Coach Trent Johnson would ignite the flame before heading over to coach the Stanford Cardinals two years later. In the 2004 season, the Wolf Pack were allowed to prove their doubters wrong, as the odds were very high due to their solid regular season record.

The squad was able to pull off two major upsets against two prominent programs in back-to-back rounds. They were able to escape with a victory against the Michigan State Spartans in the first round and blew past the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the second round. However, all good things come to an end, and they lost a close one against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

Coach Mark Fox would take over the reins as the push to the Tournament continued for the next three years. The school wouldn’t reach the Sweet 16 during the span but was able to add more wins to its history.

As a precursor to making it back to the dance, the school appeared in the NIT a couple of times, and won the CBI Tournament in 2016, winning three straight tough matches, including an overtime victory in the Final Game 3.

The 2017 season ended in the hands of the Iowa State Cyclones in the opening round, but the 2018 season would be their best season to date. A pair of NC State Wolf Pack twin brothers would get their opportunity with Nevada. No matter what, the twins were always a part of a wolf pack.

As a seventh-seeded team, the Wolf Pack was determined to ruin a plethora of brackets; the Nevada team stats showcased their determination, and they got a huge victory against the Texas Longhorns in the opening round in overtime. They would go through another tough battle against the Cincinnati Bearcats and win a one-possession game in regulation. Sadly, their luck ran out as they lost to the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers by one point in the Sweet 16.

Their 2019 push would end quickly with the Florida Gators winning comfortably against the Wolf Pack in the first round. Steve Alford will be coaching his third season with the team but faces some difficult NCAAB odds to win the Mountain West.

All-Time NCAAB Nevada Wolf Pack Records

Points Scored

• Nick Fazekas 2,464
• Deonte Burton 2,102
• Marcellus Kemp 1,939

Rebounds

• Pete Padgett 1,464
• Nick Fazekas 1,254
• Edgar Jones 1,116

Assists

• Kevin Soares 716
• Deonte Burton 515
• Lindsey Drew 508

Steals

• Kevin Soares 255
• Darryl Owens 200
• Deonte Burton 169

NCAAB Nevada Wolf Pack FAQs