Jerry Evans will likely go down in history as one of the best rebounders in Nevada Wolf Pack history.
"That's his strength," Wolf Pack coach David Carter said. "It's what he does best."
It is certainly not the only thing Evans can do. The 6-foot-8 junior is one of the most versatile players the Wolf Pack has had in recent years. He can shoot 3-pointers, he can score and he can defend.
He averages 8.2 points a game and has 27 assists and 21 steals this season.
But he's definitely found his niche as the best rebounder on this Wolf Pack team. Evans' 6.0 rebounds a game is nearly two more than anyone else (Kevin Panzer, Devonte Elliott and Jordan Burris all average 4.2) on the team.
Carter said he is not concerned that the 6-8 Evans, who usually plays on the wing, is his team's leading rebounder ahead of post players Panzer and Elliott.
"It's a good thing," Carter said. "That's what he does. It's his strength. Jerry has always been a good rebounder. It's always been part of his game."
It is clearly the part of his game that this Wolf Pack team needs the most.
Evans has led the team in rebounding in five of the last seven games. He had seven boards against San Diego State, eight against Air Force, nine against both New Mexico and UNLV and 11 against Fresno State. It also must be noted, however, that the Pack lost four of the five games that Evans led them in rebounding.
"We need other players to step up," Carter said.
Evans had been the Pack's third best rebounder the last two years behind Dario Hunt and Olek Czyz. Hunt averaged 9.7 boards the last two years while Czyz averaged 5.7 and 6.5 a game. Both Hunt and Czyz, who were seniors in 2011-12, are gone.
Evans has stepped into the void.
But if his 6.0 rebounds leads the team this year, it will be the fewest a Pack leader has had in over 40 years. The fewest rebounds a Wolf Pack season leader has had since the 1972-73 season was 6.3 by Mario Martin in 1987-88. The only other leading rebounders for the Pack to average less than seven a game in the last 40 seasons were Dimitrios Marmarinos in 1998-99 (6.5) and Jimmy Moore in 1994-95 (6.8).
Evans, who had 14 boards against Cal Poly on Dec. 11, could finish his career after next season as one of just 11 Pack players in history with 600 or more career rebounds. Evans currently has 398 rebounds in his 87 career games, an average of 4.6 a game.
Pete Padgett, with 1,464 rebounds, is the Pack's career leader in rebounds. Nick Fazekas (1,254), Hunt (1,032) and Edgar Jones (1,016) are the only other Pack players in history with at least 1,000 rebounds.
