NCAA Basketball Power Rankings: Michigan, Texas Tech climb further
6. Nevada Wolf Pack
Last Week: No. 5
Nevada has lived up to every ounce of preseason hype to this point in the year. Led by the dynamic duo of Jordan Caroline (18.5 points and 10.0 rebounds) and Caleb Martin (19.9 points), along with a ton of supporting talent, the Wolf Pack have emerged once again as one of the top offensive teams in the nation. Sure, they might still struggle from time to time defensively but Nevada can seemingly always simply outscore their opposition. To this point in the year, the Wolf Pack are averaging 88.0 points per game (8th nationally) and rank tops in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency.
And while Nevada might not have the toughest strength of schedule, they have faced off against a few potential NCAA Tournament teams. The team already holds wins over BYU (H), Tulsa (N), UMass (N), Loyola-Chicago (A), and USC (A). These might not jump out as resume-defining wins but Nevada’s average point differential of +20.0 should not be argued with considering their reasonable NCSOS.
Looking forward, Nevada has a few more tough tests coming on the schedule. Perhaps most notably, their next game will come against another undefeated team in Arizona State (neutral site). The Wolf Pack will also take on Grand Canyon, South Dakota State, and Utah in underrated matchups that will bolster their No. 1 seed potential with victories.