Top 10 Wolf Pack performances in WAC tournament

Nick Fazekas turned in what is likely the most efficient performance by a Wolf Pack player in the WAC tournament on March 9, 2006 in Reno against the Idaho Vandals. The junior center played just 23 minutes against the Vandals as coach Mark Fox elected to play eight Pack players from 21-25 minutes in the tournament-opening victory. Fazekas made the most of his time on the floor, hitting 8-of-9 shots from the floor (1-of-2 3-pointers) and all three of his free throws for 20 points. Fazekas also found the time to pull down nine rebounds, dish off two assists, block two shots and grab one steal in the 13-point win. The Pack would go on to beat New Mexico State and Utah State the next two nights to win the tournament and go to its third straight NCAA tournament. Fazekas was named the WAC tournament Most Valuable Player.Armon Johnson usually played second fiddle to players like Marcelus Kemp and Luke Babbitt during his three-year Wolf Pack career as point guard. But on the night of March 13, 2009, the Pack needed Johnson to score the ball. Down 35-31 to Louisiana Tech on their own floor at Lawlor Events Center at halftime, the Pack needed a shot in the arm. Johnson had just six points at halftime. He tripled that in the second 20 minutes. The sophomore point guard scored 18 points in the second half to finish with 24. He scored eight points in the first 2:43 of the second half and six more in a two-minute stretch midway through the half. His two free throws gave the Pack a 72-63 lead with 2:08 to play. Johnson also had six assists, six rebounds and a steal in the 77-68 win. He was 10-of-16 from the floor and 2-of-3 from 3-point range. The Pack lost in the tournament finals to Utah State the next day but Johnson made the All Tournament team. The Wolf Pack junior had to battle through a frustrating performance the game before. He scored 22 points in the 75-60 win over SMU to open the WAC Tournament in Fresno in 2004 but he ended up missing 11-of-19 shots from the floor and was charged with seven turnovers. Snyder, though, was back to his more familiar efficient self the following night against Rice. And it couldn't have come at a better time. The shooting guard had just six points at halftime but he erupted in the second half for 14 more to finish with 20 on 8-of-11 shooting in the 67-59 victory over Rice to send the Pack to the tournament title game the following night. Snyder also had four rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block against Rice and played 39 grueling minutes. The Pack would beat UTEP the following night to go to its first NCAA Tournament since 1985 and Snyder was named the WAC Tournament Most Valuable Player.View the list »
Todd Okeson simply took his game to a new level in the 2004 postseason. The little point guard was instrumental in the Wolf Pack's opening game in the WAC Tournament, a 75-60 victory over SMU in Fresno. Okeson was second on the Pack with 18 points (Kirk Snyder had 22 despite a rough, 8-for-19 shooting night) and he was very efficient in doing so. Okeson was 5-for-9 from the floor and 4-for-6 on 3-pointers. He was also 4-for-4 from the free throw line as the Pack earned the crucial opening game victory. Okeson hardly ever left the floor, playing 39 minutes. He also finished with eight much-needed rebounds and had three assists and three steals. His performance keyed what turned out to be the first of many outstanding post-season victories for the Pack over the next four seasons.

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The Nevada Wolf Pack men's basketball team will enter its first Mountain West tournament in less than two weeks in Las Vegas.

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That's why this is a good time to look back on the Wolf Pack's 12-year (2000-01 through 20011-12) run in the Western Athletic Conference tournament. The Wolf Pack's dozen years in the WAC tournament produced championships in 2004 in Fresno and 2006 in Reno and a couple other near misses (2003, 2009).

The Pack went 16-10 in the WAC Tournament, winning at least one game in 10 of the 12 years. Just four other schools have ever won more than 16 games in the WAC Tournament: UTEP (27), New Mexico (22), Hawaii (22) and Utah (20).

The Wolf Pack enjoyed a lot of great moments in the WAC Tournament led, of course, by the tournament titles in 2004, beating UTEP 66-60 in Fresno and in 2006, beating Utah State in overtime, 70-63, in Reno.

There was also the first WAC tournament win, 72-66 over SMU in Tulsa in 2002. The biggest win the Pack ever experienced in the WAC postseason was 32 points, 88-56 over Idaho in Las Cruces, N.M., in 2007.

The toughest WAC Tournament losses were, of course, in the championship games of 2003 (75-64 to Tulsa in Tulsa) and in 2009 (72-62 to Utah State in Reno). And the 80-79 loss in Reno in 2010 in the semifinals, in Luke Babbitt's and Armon Johnson's final game at Lawlor Events Center, will also never be forgotten.

The Pack also had many great individual performances in its 26 WAC Tournament games. Two that didn't make our list of the Top 10 were significant and should be noted here because they took place in the Pack's first-ever WAC postseason win in 2002 over SMU. Corey Jackson had 18 rebounds and 10 points and Terrance Green had 23 points in the 72-66 ground-breaking victory.

These, then, are the Top Ten Wolf Pack individual performances in a WAC Tournament game from 2001-12 . . .

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  • Todd Okeson simply took his game to a new level in the 2004 postseason. The little point guard was instrumental in the Wolf Pack's opening game in the WAC Tournament, a 75-60 victory over SMU in Fresno. Okeson was second on the Pack with 18 points (Kirk Snyder had 22 despite a rough, 8-for-19 shooting night) and he was very efficient in doing so. Okeson was 5-for-9 from the floor and 4-for-6 on 3-pointers. He was also 4-for-4 from the free throw line as the Pack earned the crucial opening game victory. Okeson hardly ever left the floor, playing 39 minutes. He also finished with eight much-needed rebounds and had three assists and three steals. His performance keyed what turned out to be the first of many outstanding post-season victories for the Pack over the next four seasons.
  • The Wolf Pack junior had to battle through a frustrating performance the game before. He scored 22 points in the 75-60 win over SMU to open the WAC Tournament in Fresno in 2004 but he ended up missing 11-of-19 shots from the floor and was charged with seven turnovers. Snyder, though, was back to his more familiar efficient self the following night against Rice. And it couldn't have come at a better time. The shooting guard had just six points at halftime but he erupted in the second half for 14 more to finish with 20 on 8-of-11 shooting in the 67-59 victory over Rice to send the Pack to the tournament title game the following night. Snyder also had four rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block against Rice and played 39 grueling minutes. The Pack would beat UTEP the following night to go to its first NCAA Tournament since 1985 and Snyder was named the WAC Tournament Most Valuable Player.
  • Armon Johnson usually played second fiddle to players like Marcelus Kemp and Luke Babbitt during his three-year Wolf Pack career as point guard. But on the night of March 13, 2009, the Pack needed Johnson to score the ball. Down 35-31 to Louisiana Tech on their own floor at Lawlor Events Center at halftime, the Pack needed a shot in the arm. Johnson had just six points at halftime. He tripled that in the second 20 minutes. The sophomore point guard scored 18 points in the second half to finish with 24. He scored eight points in the first 2:43 of the second half and six more in a two-minute stretch midway through the half. His two free throws gave the Pack a 72-63 lead with 2:08 to play. Johnson also had six assists, six rebounds and a steal in the 77-68 win. He was 10-of-16 from the floor and 2-of-3 from 3-point range. The Pack lost in the tournament finals to Utah State the next day but Johnson made the All Tournament team. 
  • Nick Fazekas turned in what is likely the most efficient performance by a Wolf Pack player in the WAC tournament on March 9, 2006 in Reno against the Idaho Vandals. The junior center played just 23 minutes against the Vandals as coach Mark Fox elected to play eight Pack players from 21-25 minutes in the tournament-opening victory. Fazekas made the most of his time on the floor, hitting 8-of-9 shots from the floor (1-of-2 3-pointers) and all three of his free throws for 20 points. Fazekas also found the time to pull down nine rebounds, dish off two assists, block two shots and grab one steal in the 13-point win. The Pack would go on to beat New Mexico State and Utah State the next two nights to win the tournament and go to its third straight NCAA tournament. Fazekas was named the WAC tournament Most Valuable Player.
  • Marcelus Kemp quietly became one of the greatest players to ever put on a Nevada Wolf Pack uniform. Playing in the shadow of Nick Fazekas most of his Pack career, Kemp had to earn every shot he got. On the night of March 10, 2006, though, it was Kemp who stole the spotlight and lifted the Pack to a 70-59 win over New Mexico State in the 2006 WAC Tournament semifinals in Reno. The shooting guard was 8-of-15 from the floor but it was out beyond the 3-point circle where he did his most damage. Kemp made 4-of-6 3-pointers and all five of his free throws to finish with 25 points and carry the Pack into the tournament title game the following night, where they would beat Utah State in overtime. Kemp played 32 minutes and also had an assist against New Mexico State. He was named to the All-Tournament team along with teammates Nick Fazekas and Mo Charlo.
  • The Wolf Pack headed to Tulsa for the 2003 WAC tournament with big dreams. The Pack, which had won just one game in its previous two tournaments combined in 2001 and 2002, actually believed it could win three games in three days. And they almost did it. Kirk Snyder made sure the tournament got off to a flying start on the night of March 13, 2003. Just a sophomore in 2003, Snyder took over the game against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. He hit 7-of-13 shots from the floor and dished out four assists and scored 25 points in the 72-66 victory. No other Pack player had more than a dozen points as Snyder carried his teammates. He also had three steals and 11 rebounds and was 10-of-14 from the free throw line. The Pack would lose in the title game two nights later to Tulsa but Snyder was rewarded by becoming the first Pack player named to a WAC All-Tournament team.
  • This was the JaVale McGee the Wolf Pack had been waiting two years for to emerge. And it emerged in all its glory on March 13, 2008 in Las Cruces, N.M. The 7-foot center dominated the game at both ends of the floor as the Pack beat Fresno State 64-57 to open the tournament. McGee scored 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting and also was 1-for-2 on 3-pointers. He pulled down 10 rebounds and blocked four shots and handed out an assist in his 31 minutes of work. This was the McGee Pack fans knew was going to get them back to the NCAA Tournament. The Pack, though would lose in the WAC semifinals the following night to New Mexico State and McGee would leave the Pack for the NBA after the 2007-2008 season ended four days later after a CBI tournament loss to Houston.
  • The Nevada Wolf Pack simply could not lose the WAC Tournament on its own floor at Lawlor Events Center on March 11, 2006. Nick Fazekas, after all, wouldn't let them. The Wolf Pack and Aggies battled into overtime, tied 55-55, with an automatic NCAA Tournament berth on the line as 9,436 fans looked on at Lawlor. The Wolf Pack then outscored the Aggies 15-8 in the extra period to take a thrilling 70-63 overtime victory and a trip to the big dance. Fazekas was at his best and was the best player on the floor. The junior center led everyone with 23 points and 14 rebounds in 32 minutes. He was 6-of-13 from the floor and a perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw line despite playing late in the game with four fouls. He was named the tournament Most Valuable Player, the second (and last) Pack player to win the award after Kirk Snyder in 2004.
  • Luke Babbitt always seemed to be at his best in the biggest games. Babbitt used the stage of his first career WAC Tournament game to show why he was the best player in the conference despite being just a freshman. Babbitt torched the San Jose Spartans for 30 points, becoming the first Pack player in history to score at least 30 in a WAC Tournament game. The 6-foot-8 forward was 8-of-14 from the floor, draining 2-of-3 3-pointers. He also was his usual near-perfect self from the free throw line, making 12-of-13. Babbitt also had six rebounds and two assists as well as a steal and a block in his 33 action-packed minutes. He scored 11 points in the first five minutes of the game as the Pack cruised to a tournament-opening 78-69 win in their first WAC Tournament game in Reno since 2006. The Pack would lose in the tournament final two days later to Utah State but Babbitt, the WAC Freshman of the Year in 2008-09, was named to the all-tournament team.
  • It was not one of the Wolf Pack's most memorable season as a bunch of freshman battled its way to a 13-19 season in 2010-11. But for one night at least, a sophomore carried them to greatness. Malik Story turned in the greatest individual performance by a Wolf Pack player in the WAC Tournament on March 9, 2011 in Las Vegas. Story, at times, seemed like he was the only Pack player on the floor and the Fresno State Bulldogs still couldn't stop him. An erratic shooter throughout his three seasons in a Wolf Pack uniform, Story was in the greatest zone of his life against the Bulldogs. He made 11-of-14 shots from the floor and was a stunning 6-of-6 from 3-point range to finish with a Wolf Pack WAC tournament-record 34 points. If his free throw shooting was just a bit better -- just 6-of-11 -- he might have scored 40 on the Bulldogs. Story also found the time to pull down three rebounds and hand out two assists and he also had a steal in the 90-80 victory. Story had 19 points in the first half as the Pack built a 45-26 lead at the break. He added 15 in the second half, including a 3-point play with 6:05 left for a 75-60 lead and a 3-pointer with 4:21 to go for an 80-62 lead. The 90 points, thanks to Story, also turned out to be a Wolf Pack record in the WAC tournament. This was the game that gave the Pack confidence to put together its 28-7 season in 2011-12.
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, Nevada Wolf Pack Examiner

Joe Santoro is an award-winning sportswriter with over three decades of experience. Joe is the dean of Northern Nevada sports reporters and has covered University of Nevada Wolf Pack sports as a beat reporter and columnist for more than two decades. His "Friday Fodder" column is the longest...

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