Nevada matchup
UNM, Nevada have stars, need role players
The top two scoring duos in the Mountain West square off in the Pit tonight. Read game preview and roster matchups
The late show featuring the two highest scoring duos in the Mountain West Conference shouldn’t disappoint fans tonight in the Pit.
When Nevada tips off against the New Mexico Lobos at 9:15 p.m. tonight on a nationally broadcast game on ESPN2, fans will get to watch Nevada’s Marcus Marshall and Cameron Oliver (combining to average 35.5 points per game) square off against New Mexico’s Tim Williams and Elijah Brown (averaging a combined 35.2 points per game).
Craig Neal is just hoping the Lobos (9-6, 2-1 MWC) don’t get caught up in standing around and watching the show — something that has gotten the best of the team’s role players at times when others dominate the scoring.
“Yeah, there is (a risk of that happening), and we’ve got to get better at that,” Neal said. “I mean, we’re averaging (74.6 points) a game and we’ve got two guys getting, like, 35. In the last game, they got 47 (Williams scored 30, Brown 17).
“Yeah, we’ve got to find a third and fourth scorer and we’ve got to get more production from other guys, but they also have to step up and make some plays and make some shots.”
Neal would like big outings from the “others” on the Lobos roster, who carried the team to victory down the stretch of Sunday’s road win at San Diego State, but suffered a huge blow Friday when an MRI report confirmed junior forward Xavier Adams suffered a torn ACL in his right knee during Wednesday night’s loss at Utah State.
Adams, a 6-foot-4 guard/forward, didn’t light up any particular statistical category, but was clearly a high-energy, physical presence when needed off the bench.
His absence after eight minutes of play on Wednesday already hit the team hard as the Aggies scored 19 second-chance points off 12 offensive rebounds — something Adams has played a large role in preventing in recent weeks.
The problem for UNM tonight is that Nevada (13-3, 2-1) — in addition to the 6-3 Marshall, a Missouri State transfer who leads the MWC in scoring, and the 6-8 Oliver, who had 26 points, 15 rebounds and four blocked shots in last year’s MWC Tournament win that ended the Lobos’ season — also has the league’s leading offensive rebounder.
Sophomore forward Jordan Caroline (6-7) averages 3.9 offensive rebounds per game and had a career-high eight in Wednesday’s home win over San Diego State in Reno.
Getting caught up in only focusing on Marshall and Oliver could open up big games for Wolf Pack players like Caroline if the Lobos aren’t careful.
“I just think we have to rebound better as a team,” said Neal. “That’s got to be one of our focuses . ... Our guys know they’ve got to rebound better.”
Nevada, which ended UNM’s season in the quarterfinal round of last season’s MWC Tournament, was widely considered the favorite to win the MWC after an 11-2 non-conference record.
But the Lobos have reason for optimism. Not only is the Wolf Pack 0-4 all-time in the Pit, but in two regular season games between the teams last season, with much of the same rosters, the Lobos proved to have a matchup advantage.
UNM led by as many as 18 points in a home win on Dec. 30, 2015, and by as many as 20 in a rematch win March 5 in Reno.
“My philosophy is we match up good with everybody if we play like we did at San Diego State,” Neal said. “If we have a chip on our shoulder or we have something to prove ... if we feel like our backs are against the wall, we play really, really good.” LATE NIGHT WITH THE LOBOS: The 9:15 start time is dictated by the ESPN Family of Networks as part of a contract with the MWC. It is the second of four such ESPN 9 p.m. or later starts for UNM this season. There are also three 8 p.m. or later starts on the CBS Sports Network.
“I’m not a big fan of the 9:15 start, but that’s part of it to get on ESPN, so our guys will be ready,” Neal said.
Unlike in MWC football, where ESPN or ESPN2 games came with a $500,000 payday to help cushion the blow of lower attendance, the basketball deal comes with no such luxury. Instead, it’s all about exposure.
“It’s about the TV contract,” Neal said. “We want to take our brand national. And we want to do some things national, the conference does.
“But I don’t know how many people east of the Mississippi other than my family in Indiana is going to be watching an 11:15, 12 o’clock (ET) tip. But we’re excited to play on ESPN, and they’ve been great partners to us over the years. So it’s great to be on national TV.”