Top Five Wolf Pack rebounders over last decade

Dario Hunt might have been the most under-appreciated player in Wolf Pack history. Hunt did all the dirty work for the Pack for four seasons and he ended up as one of the top rebounders in school history. He led the Pack in rebounding in 2010-11 (9.7) and 2011-12 (also 9.7), was second in 2009-10 (7.) and third as a freshman in 2008-09 (4.4). As a senior he had 17 rebounds in one game at Hawaii. As a sophomore he had nine rebounds at North Carolina. Hunt is third in Wolf Pack history in rebounding with 1,032  He averaged 7.6 rebounds for his career over 135 games. He's also the school's leading shot blocker with 275 for his career.No player in Wolf Pack history packed as many accomplishments into just a two-year career than Luke Babbitt. Babbitt led the Wolf Pack in rebounding in both the 2008-09 season (7.4) and 2009-10 season (8.9). He also led the team in scoring both years (16.9 and 21.9 points a game). Babbitt is one of just three freshmen to lead the Wolf Pack in rebounding over the past 40 seasons. The other two are Nick Fazekas (2003-04) and Pete Padgett (1972-73). Babbitt finished with 554 rebounds, averaging 8.1 a game for his career, and would have no doubt ended up as one of just five players in school history with 1,000 or more if he had stayed four years.Kevinn Pinkney (pictured standing between Kyle Shiloh and Ramon Sessions) was instrumental in helping build the Wolf Pack into a NCAA tournament team last decade. Pinkney never led the team in rebounding but he was second three times. As a freshman in 2001-02 he averaged 3.1 boards a game off the bench. As a sophomore in 2002-03, he averaged 6.2 rebounds a game. As a junior he pulled down 5.7 a game and he averaged 7.7 a game as a senior. The Pack went to the NCAA Tournament his final two seasons and they wouldn't have done it without Pinkney's work on the boards. Pinkney is one of just 10 players in Pack history with 600 or more career rebounds. He had 622 and averaged 5.7 a game over his career. One of his best games in a Pack uniform was against No. 1 Illinois in the 2005 NCAA Tournament when he had 22 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. He averaged 7.2 rebounds a game in five NCAA Tournament games.View the list »
Kirk Snyder, who began the Wolf Pack's early exodus to the NBA in 2004 (he was followed by JaVale McGee, Armon Johnson, Luke Babbitt and Ramon Sessions), is one of the best rebounding guards in school history. Snyder is the last guard to lead the Wolf Pack in rebounding when he averaged 8.1 a game in 2002-03. The following year as a junior he averaged 5.7 a game to tie for second on the team. As a freshman in 2001-02 he averaged 4.6 boards a game. Snyder finished with 537 career rebounds (just 10 Pack players have had 600 or more) and averaged 6.1 boards a game over his 84 games, an outstanding effort for a guard who was also counted on to be one his team's leading scorers.

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Although the Nevada Wolf Pack is experiencing a rebounding shortage this season -- team leader Jerry Evans only averages 6.0 a game -- the Mountain West school has had its fair share of outstanding glass cleaners this past decade.

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There have been so many good rebounders at Nevada since the start of the 2002-03 season that a few good ones did not make our list of the top five, such as:

  • JaVale McGee: The NBA center led the Wolf Pack in rebounding during the 2007-08 season with 7.3 a game. But his freshman year he only played 10 minutes a game in 2006-07 and averaged just 2.2. McGee left the Pack after his sophomore year for the NBA or he would have most certainly made this list.
  • Olek Czyz: Czyz narrowly missed the top five only because he only played two seasons (2010-11 and 2011-12) with the Wolf Pack after transferring from Duke. He was second on the team in rebounding in both his years, averaging 5.7 and 6.5 boards.
  • Malik Cooke: Cooke was an outstanding rebounder his sophomore year in 2008-09, finishing second on the team at 6.2 a game. As a freshman the year before in just 11 minutes a game he averaged 2.9 boards. Cooke though, only played two seasons at Nevada.
  • Marcelus Kemp: Kemp was second on the team in rebounding in 2006-07 (4.6 a game) and in 2007-08 (5.4). He averaged 3.7 boards a game for his career.

Our top five rebounders, though, earned their lofty status. Three of them are among the top 10 rebounders in school history and four of them led the Pack in rebounding at least for one season.

The Top Five Wolf Pack rebounders over the past 10 seasons . . .

View the list
  • Kirk Snyder, who began the Wolf Pack's early exodus to the NBA in 2004 (he was followed by JaVale McGee, Armon Johnson, Luke Babbitt and Ramon Sessions), is one of the best rebounding guards in school history. Snyder is the last guard to lead the Wolf Pack in rebounding when he averaged 8.1 a game in 2002-03. The following year as a junior he averaged 5.7 a game to tie for second on the team. As a freshman in 2001-02 he averaged 4.6 boards a game. Snyder finished with 537 career rebounds (just 10 Pack players have had 600 or more) and averaged 6.1 boards a game over his 84 games, an outstanding effort for a guard who was also counted on to be one his team's leading scorers.
  • Kevinn Pinkney (pictured standing between Kyle Shiloh and Ramon Sessions) was instrumental in helping build the Wolf Pack into a NCAA tournament team last decade. Pinkney never led the team in rebounding but he was second three times. As a freshman in 2001-02 he averaged 3.1 boards a game off the bench. As a sophomore in 2002-03, he averaged 6.2 rebounds a game. As a junior he pulled down 5.7 a game and he averaged 7.7 a game as a senior. The Pack went to the NCAA Tournament his final two seasons and they wouldn't have done it without Pinkney's work on the boards. Pinkney is one of just 10 players in Pack history with 600 or more career rebounds. He had 622 and averaged 5.7 a game over his career. One of his best games in a Pack uniform was against No. 1 Illinois in the 2005 NCAA Tournament when he had 22 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. He averaged 7.2 rebounds a game in five NCAA Tournament games.
  • No player in Wolf Pack history packed as many accomplishments into just a two-year career than Luke Babbitt. Babbitt led the Wolf Pack in rebounding in both the 2008-09 season (7.4) and 2009-10 season (8.9). He also led the team in scoring both years (16.9 and 21.9 points a game). Babbitt is one of just three freshmen to lead the Wolf Pack in rebounding over the past 40 seasons. The other two are Nick Fazekas (2003-04) and Pete Padgett (1972-73). Babbitt finished with 554 rebounds, averaging 8.1 a game for his career, and would have no doubt ended up as one of just five players in school history with 1,000 or more if he had stayed four years.
  • Dario Hunt might have been the most under-appreciated player in Wolf Pack history. Hunt did all the dirty work for the Pack for four seasons and he ended up as one of the top rebounders in school history. He led the Pack in rebounding in 2010-11 (9.7) and 2011-12 (also 9.7), was second in 2009-10 (7.) and third as a freshman in 2008-09 (4.4). As a senior he had 17 rebounds in one game at Hawaii. As a sophomore he had nine rebounds at North Carolina. Hunt is third in Wolf Pack history in rebounding with 1,032  He averaged 7.6 rebounds for his career over 135 games. He's also the school's leading shot blocker with 275 for his career.
  • Nobody did more for the Wolf Pack in his career than Nick Fazekas. The school's all-time leading scorer with 2,464 points is also its second leading rebounder with 1,254. It was not a coincidence that the Pack went to the NCAA Tournament in all four of Fazekas' seasons. Fazekas averaged 9.6 rebounds a game for his 131-game career and many of those games were in high-pressure situations. He averaged 8.9 rebounds a game over eight NCAA Tournament games. He had 13 against Texas in 2005, 12 against Montana in 2006 and 11 against Creighton in 2007. The 13 against Texas is a Wolf Pack record for a NCAA Tournament game and the 12 against Montana is second. Fazekas led the Pack in rebounding all four of his seasons, averaging 10.4 as a junior in 2005-06 and 11.1 as a senior in 2006-07. His 342 boards as a junior and his 354 as a senior are Pack records.
View the list

, 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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