Busting Brackets
Fansided

Mountain West Basketball: 2019-20 takeaways from Thanksgiving week

By Jacob Salcido

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 25: JaQuan Lyle #5 of the New Mexico Lobos drives past Isaac Okoro #23 of the Auburn Tigers during the second half of their game at Barclays Center on November 25, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 25: JaQuan Lyle #5 of the New Mexico Lobos drives past Isaac Okoro #23 of the Auburn Tigers during the second half of their game at Barclays Center on November 25, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) /
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RENO, NEVADA – JANUARY 02: A fan cheers along with friends holding a Nevada Wolf Pack flag during the game between the Nevada Wolf Pack and the Utah State Aggies at Lawlor Events Center on January 02, 2019 in Reno, Nevada. (Photo by Jonathan Devich/Getty Images)
RENO, NEVADA – JANUARY 02: A fan cheers along with friends holding a Nevada Wolf Pack flag during the game between the Nevada Wolf Pack and the Utah State Aggies at Lawlor Events Center on January 02, 2019 in Reno, Nevada. (Photo by Jonathan Devich/Getty Images) /

Nevada looks strong, takes Paradise Jam tournament title with little trouble

The Wolf Pack had a rough stretch to start the season, dropping close games to Pac-12 foes Utah and USC, before being blown out in a loss at Davidson. Coming into this week, fans were curious how Nevada would perform on a neutral court against the teams in the Paradise Jam tournament. So how did they do?

The Pack made short work of Fordham, Valparaiso and Bowling Green (who looked very impressive in an upset win over the Cincinnati Bearcats a day earlier.)

Jalen Harris had a huge performance over the three-game stretch, averaging roughly 22 points, 6 rebounds and five assists per game. Jazz Johnson was equally impressive, averaging around 19 points per game. Leader Lindsey Drew has been quite consistent, and redshirt senior Nisre Zouzoua finally looked comfortable, giving a solid effort throughout the tournament.

For a team lacking depth, having multiple players able to score is huge. This team is still learning how to play together while taking note of their collective strengths and weaknesses. Don’t count the Pack out quite yet.