It's official: Nevada more than one-man show
NEW ORLEANS -- As the final seconds ticked away in what was one of the better -- if not the best -- games of this still-young NCAA Tournament, Nevada coach Mark Fox leaned into the ear of his star player and offered words of encouragement.
Nick Fazekas had struggled.
He needed to know it was OK.
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| With players like Marcelus Kemp, Nevada can win if Nick Fazekas struggles. (AP) |
Yes, Nick Fazekas will get to play another day.
That's the byproduct of Friday's 77-71 win over Creighton here at the New Orleans Arena that advanced Nevada to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. It was an overtime thriller with big players making big plays, but the thing most people were talking about afterward is how the West Coast's little secret is a secret no more.
Damn the perception.
Damn the uninformed opinion.
The reality is that contrary to popular belief, Nevada is much more than a one-man show, something other than an off-the-radar team from an off-the-radar league riding an All-American to conference titles and possibly more. Nevada is instead a team capable of coming at opponents from lots of different angles, and though the Wolf Pack would certainly rather beat opponents with their double-double machine getting double-doubles, it's not mandatory nor even always the best route to take.
"They are very balanced," said Creighton coach Dana Altman. "They've put together a nice team there."
Granted, anybody who had watched Nevada closely already knew this wasn't just Fazekas State University. Thing is, not many people had watched Nevada closely because a) most its games start when the country is sleeping and b) it didn't play the type of schedule that demands attention from fans or network executives.
Heading into the NCAA Tournament Nevada had played 32 games. The TV coverage was as follows.
CBS games: Zero.
