A Brandon Fields feature

Here's a feature on Nevada's Brandon Fields:

Fields grows in the wake of the Scheels fiasco
Dan Hinxman
Reno Gazette-Journal
3/27/20

It’s been nearly 18 months since Brandon Fields found himself in handcuffs trying to make sense of what had just happened.

It was Oct. 15, 2008. Sparks police and Scheels security personnel were talking. The word “shoplifting” came up. His Nevada basketball teammates, London Giles and Ahyaro Phillips, were also being detained. The next day the three of them were supposed to have their first practice of the season.

That’s when Fields began to see his future spin out of control...

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Dan also offers a review of the Wolf Pack season here.

More, more, more

Hey, the regular season actually demonstrated something as each team at or near the top won yesterday.

Sam Wasson offers a WAC semifinals preview here.

Daniel Lyght covers the Paul George 'will he or won't he?' situation. Matt James comes real close to the 'lipstick on a pig' analogy here.

So how many Nevada fans are 'going Fields' in the barbershop today?

Nick Jezierny covers here Greg Graham stating his case for his program. One little cut-n-paste:

"Look at the program the last four years - we've been to the postseason twice and the NCAA Tournament," Graham said. "We've averaged 19 wins a season. We have good kids in the program. We're No. 1 in the conference in academics and No. 1 in the nation in APR this year at 100 percent.

Juan López of the Nevada Sagebrush covered the quarterfinals here. (thanks to Sam Wasson for alerting us to this one)

Scott Reyburn of the Spartan Daily has his SJSU - NMSU game report here, along with a 2+ minute photo slideshow (ditto to Sam)

Dayton Morinaga reports here that Roderick Flemings will smartly participate in the Portsmouth Invitational.

Jeff Portnoy reports on a 'stealth candidate' for the UH head coach position here.

Additional Saturday WAC links

Matt Kamalsky @ the Draft Express site has a nice feature on Jaycee Carroll today. It's the fifth subject in the post so do some scrolling down once you go here.

Will Brandon Fields and Kelvin Lewis be matched up against each other today? Chris Murray/Reno Gazette-Journal has the scoop on the history between these two.

Jason Groves features a walk-on in his Aggie basketball article today along with an update on Tyrone Watson's playing status.

Travis Mason-Bushman is coming at you from Fargo (North Dakota State) today. Our unsolicited advice: stay away from any and all wood chippers.

Chirs Murray with a Brandon Fields feature

It would be too simplistic and incorrect to lay the ups-and-downs of Nevada basketball this season solely at the feet of Brandon Fields -- but it has been a factor. Chris Murray has an article on Fields here:

Big game could turn Fields' season around
Chris Murray
Reno Gazette-Journal
February 22, 2009

Nevada's Brandon Fields has always seen himself as an underdog -- so much so, that when the junior was named to the preseason All-Western Athletic Conference second team, he said he'd rather somebody else get the honor.

"I'd really rather not even know I was on second team because I've always been an underdog my whole life and never got publicity," Fields said back in October. "That just helped me make my game better because it let me know I need to go harder ever day."

Unfortunately for the Wolf Pack, Fields has flown a little too low beneath the radar for much of this season -- first losing his starting spot in the Nevada lineup and then watching his offensive effectiveness plummet.

But in the Wolf Pack's 71-70 victory over Virginia Commonwealth on Friday at Lawlor Events Center, Fields might have found his season's turning point.

After another frustrating first half of basketball -- in which Fields was 0-of-3 from the field with three points -- Nevada coach Mark Fox challenged him.

"He chewed me out at halftime," Fields said, "and I came back with some toughness..."

Go here for the remainder.

An update on the Nevada Three...Two...One

Here's Chris Murray with an update on Mark Fox's thinking about the recent shoplifting imbroglio for a few of Nevada's players:

Pack basketball: Fox says suspended players must face consequences
Chris Murray
Reno Gazette-Journal
October 31, 2008

Nevada coach Mark Fox remains disappointed in the situation three suspended Wolf Pack players put his program in, and on Thursday reiterated each is still suspended indefinitely.

"Whether they did something wrong or did something right, our program is still in a situation that I don't like," Fox told reporters inside Legacy Hall. "Certainly, there's some consequences for the plight that our program has had to deal with.

"Every kid in our program understands that there's a standard of behavior that I expect them to meet. And certainly young people are not going to be perfect, and there's going to be times when they don't meet that standard. But when they don't, there's certainly going to be consequences..."

Go here for the remainder.

Brandon Fields is a free man

Okay, one has pleaded out (London Giles), one remains for adjudication (Ahyaro Phillips) and Brandon Fields is a free man.

Pack basketball: Case against Nevada's Fields dismissed
Chris Murray
Reno Gazette-Journal
October 29, 2008

The petty larceny charge against Nevada basketball player Brandon Fields, a preseason All-Western Athletic Conference second-team selection, was dismissed Tuesday afternoon.

“We’re extremely pleased with the result for Brandon,” his lawyer, Scott Freeman, said Wednesday. “It vindicates him from any allegation that he was involved in any illegal activity...”

Go here for the remainder.