Nevada has climbed back into the top 25 polls for this week. Will Wyoming make it a one week stay?
TV schedule: Wednesday, Jan. 24, 11:00 p.m. ET. ESPNU
Arena: Arena-Auditorium in Laramie, Wyoming
Some teams that have been pegged as the “best team” in their respective conferences have fallen short of expectations while others have exceeded them. One of those teams has been Nevada 18-3 (7-0) who just came off a huge win over Boise State, the league’s second place team.
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The Wolf Pack have been climbing both the rankings and in Busting Bracket’s Bracketology, receiving a six seed in the latest edition. Like last year, this team is led by a trio of quality players in Jordan Caroline and the Martin twins, but, unlike last season, this Nevada squad can play very good defense.
That defense wasn’t seen too much in their last battle with Wyoming 12-7 (3-3) with Nevada winning a home shootout, 92-83. The Martins combined for 41 points and 17 rebounds, while Jordan Caroline had 18 points and 16 boards by himself. They survived a career-high 30 points from Justin James and 23 off the bench from Louis Adams. But Hayden Dalton, the team’s leading scorer at 17.2 ppg, scored just five points on the night while being plagued with foul trouble.
The Cowboys have had a rough opening conference schedule, playing all of the top teams in the Mountain West already, The 3-3 record may say that this is an average team, but the competitive loss to Nevada, combined with wins over Boise State and Oregon State, shows the potential of this team.
No matter how much I talk about the rosters or who has the talent advantage, the wildcard in this game is the location of the game. The Mountain West, in general, has some of the most difficult places to play, and the high elevation in Laramie gives the Cowboys a distinct advantage in their games. Many of the Wolf Pack players have just recovered from illnesses and some injuries, so the altitude could play into it.
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This is such a hard game to predict. On one hand, I don’t believe that Nevada will go unbeaten in league play, and this is a perfect spot for them to lose. But the defensive issues for Wyoming plays right into the Wolf Pack’s hands.
I think Dalton struggling last time out was no fluke, as he couldn’t handle the more athletic forwards on the other side. I think he has a good game, but Caroline has a bigger one in a barn burner.
Prediction: Nevada 97- Wyoming 87