NCAA Basketball: The Nevada Wolf Pack are on the rise

After a Cinderella run this past March, the Nevada Wolf Pack have made more noise already with a hot start on the recruiting trail.

Nevada Wolf Pack head coach Eric Musselman led his team to a historic run in the 2017 NCAA Tournament, making it all the way to the Sweet 16 before falling to Loyola-Chicago, 69-68. Musselman led the team to a 29-8 record behind twins Caleb and Cody Martin and wing Jordan Caroline. All three players are currently testing the NBA Draft waters, but that hasn’t stopped Musselman from reloading on the recruiting trail.

On Wednesday, the Wolf Pack got the pledge of 6-foot-10, 235-pound grad transfer Trey Porter, who should make an impact right away as he’s available to play next season. Porter averaged 13.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game last season for the Old Dominion Monarchs. He chose Nevada over Indiana, Maryland and Boston College.

Considering the interest Porter was drawing, it’s a win for the Wolf Pack as he chose Nevada. Adding size and experience on the interior gives this team another shot at a run in the NCAA Tournament next March.

Granted, the dominoes will need to fall in their favor as well. Caleb Martin, last year’s leading scorer (18.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game), still has the potential to return. Jordan Caroline (17.7 points and 8.6 rebounds per game) still has the potential to return. Cody Martin (14.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game) also has the potential to return. Even if they don’t, this team should be nothing short of experience for next season.

A contender is emerging via the transfer market

Transfers have been making it work for the Nevada Wolf Pack for quite some time the past few seasons. Last season, Kendall Stephens, a transfer from Purdue, paid dividends alongside Caleb and Cody Martin, who also transferred in from NC State. Stephens averaged 13.1 points and 2.1 rebounds last season for the Nevada Wolf Pack. Joining Porter next year are four transfers with tons of scoring ability among other qualities.

Jazz Johnson, a 5-foot-10 junior, will have two years of eligibility remaining starting next year. He is a transfer from the University of Portland who averaged 15.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game in 33 starts as a sophomore in 2016-17.

Nisre Zouzoua, a 6-foot-2 transfer from Bryant University, will be eligible next season as well. He averaged 20.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists while shooting 36.7 percent from behind the arc in 2016-17. Zouzoua started in 29-of-31 games that season.

Tre’Shawn Thurman, a 6-foot-7 senior with a year left to play, will be eligible in 2018-19. He averaged 13.8 points and 7.8 rebounds at Omaha in the Summit League in 2016-17 as a junior.

Corey Henson will be the fourth transfer eligible next season. He’s a 6-foot-3 guard who averaged 14.6 points, 2.7 assists and 2.6 rebounds at Wagner University in 2016-17. With depth and experience on the roster for 2018-19, it’s hard not to see Nevada making a deep run next March.

Depth should be no issue

Outside of transfers, one player who should play a big role in 2018-19 is 6-foot-7 sophomore Josh Hall. Hall averaged 13.0 points and 4.6 rebounds in Nevada’s Cinderella run in last year’s tournament. He was the Sixth Man last season for a team that was paper thin in the depth department.

All that should change in 2018-19. Point guard Lindsey Drew returns after missing the latter part of the season due to a torn Achilles’. Lindsey, the son of Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coach Larry Drew, could very well sit out next season with so much depth on this roster. They’re stacked at the guard position and have some quality players coming from the high school circuit.

Two big men K.J. Hymes (Phoenix, AZ) and Vincent Lee (Midlothian, TX) have already signed their letters of intent to play next season at Nevada. Hymes and Lee will be the lone freshman on the roster in 2018-19, so far. Hymes averaged 12.1 points, 10.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game as a senior. Lee put up 19.6 points and 8.7 rebounds per game as a senior.

Another player the Nevada Wolf Pack are actively pursuing is McDonald’s All-American power forward Jordan Brown. After the recent commitment of Trey Porter, this could help or hurt Nevada’s chances depending on how you look at it.

Next: 2018 NBA Mock Draft 1.0

The biggest thing to look at is the Wolf Pack’s lack of size as a ticket to early playing time for Brown. If they get him, a national title could be within grasps for next season.