Jason Groves chooses another Aggie at #3 and much more

It's a Tai for the #3 player in the WAC per Jason Groves and our 'guess' is five Aggies will eventually appear -- go here.

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Chris Murray links to a good feature on Mark Fox and the mighty mo he is creating in Athens.

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Cameron Forte, a senior shooting guard out of the Arizona high school ranks, has received an offer from Fresno State. He has a total of four bids extended but is also considering doing a year at Westwind Prep. Go here for Adam Gorney's article (a Rivals sub is required).

Here is a March, 2010 feature on the 6-foot-5 Forte, including a photo.

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Per Rivals' Damon Sayles, 6-foot-6 Dallas wing Jalen Jones has decided on hometown SMU. According to the article, Houston and Boise State also offered. Go here (and a Rivals sub is required).In a six degrees of Nevada basketball element, Jones said his decision was helped by having former teammate London Giles at SMU
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Chris Murray interviews Mark Fox

Chris Murray catches up with Mark Fox and what is happening with the Georgia basketball program:

Culture clash
Chris Murray
Reno Gazette-Journal
February 4, 2010

Former Nevada basketball coach Mark Fox had a few "What the heck?" moments during the first couple of weeks of his first season as the head coach at Georgia.

Maybe it started when a Bulldogs player asked him whether he believed Georgia could actually win this season.

Or, maybe it was when the Bulldogs lost their second game of the season against Wofford of the Southern Conference.

Or, maybe it was when three of Georgia's players actually forgot to bring their basketball shoes on the team's first road trip.

These are not the things you associate with high-level basketball. But, then again, Georgia hasn't consistently played at a high level in a long time...

Go here for the remainder.

Mark Fox talks about Malik Cooke / interview with Zane Johnson

There's not much to it but go here if you are interested in Mark Fox talking about Malik Cooke.

Plus, here's an interview with Arizona transfer Zane Johnson who is sitting out the season at Hawaii,

We didn't know this

We check out Justin Young's blog on a daily basis and today he offered a nugget of information that really surprised us in response to a question posed to him:

"...What's the deal with Shawn Kemp Jr.? Any idea why he re-opened his recruitment? Even though he was recruited by Alabama's previous coach I thought he recently solidified his commitment to Anthony Grant?

JY: Kemp cited that he and the new Alabama staff wanted to feel each other out more.

I would not be shocked to see Georgia recruit Kemp and recruit him hard. Kemp grew up in Georgia. Mark Fox recruited Kemp when he was at Nevada and the Wolfpack were second on his list when he committed to Alabama last year. UGA also has Phillip Pearson on staff. Pearson was at Alabama when Kemp committed to the Tide. There are a lot of over-lapping connections for the Bulldogs..."

Mark Fox is settling in

For those interested, here's a bit of an update on Mark Fox:

New Georgia hoops coach gets settled in
Scott Michaux
Augusta Chronicle
July 15, 2009

NORTH AUGUSTA --- As of July 1, Mark Fox is officially moved out of his hotel room on the Georgia campus and into his new home with his wife and two young children.

That doesn't mean he's not still living out of suitcases.

"I've slept in the house two nights since we moved in," said the first-year Georgia basketball coach from the recruiting road Monday at the Peach Jam.

Fox has been in nonstop rebuilding mode since being hired to replace the fired Dennis Felton on April 3. He had only seven days to lock down his first recruits while releasing any players who opted to leave. With only one senior on his roster, he intentionally left room for staggered growth the next year.

At the Peach Jam, Fox was playing catch-up with recruits who have been on other teams' watch lists for years. What he mines from these emerging young stars will determine the fate of his future and the program's acceptance by fans turned off by seven years of relative failures.

"It has to start with our players and those kids that play basketball," Fox said. "Certainly you're out trying to recruit fans and bring back the energy, but the responsibility starts with our team and our coaches to play basketball in a way that makes it attractive. That's not fair to our fans to say we're going to rebuild but you come back first."

Many Georgia fans probably had never heard of Fox before he was introduced by Athletic Director Damon Evans in the spring. For all of the postseason success he had in five years at the helm of Nevada, he didn't generate a lot of attention in the Southeast. That he's never lived or coached east of the Mississippi River made him a foreign commodity in and around the Southeastern Conference...

Go here for the remainder.

Did Mark Fox have a shadow?

Nick Jezierny/Idaho Statesman has a very interesting column out. Take a read and we'll comment below.

Fox escapes Trent's shadow at Georgia
Nick Jezierny
Idaho Statesman
April 4, 2009

Mark Fox had $1.3 million reasons to take the head coaching job at football-crazy Georgia.

In addition to that irresistible annual salary, here's another reason I think Fox left a comfortable situation at Nevada to take over a program that lacks significant tradition: It gives him a chance to be the architect of what will be a major rebuilding project.

He's no longer in the shadow of his former boss, Trent Johnson, who turned around the Wolf Pack in six years, culminating with a run to the Sweet 16 in 2004...

Go here for the remainder.

We take the position that Fox had no shadow at Nevada. Regardless of who recruiting which players (and Fox certainly had a hand in landing some of the kids he inherited), it was Fox who coached them to 20+ win seasons. What we would love to know is who on Trent Johnson's coaching staff first 'found' Nick Fazekas? Was it Fox or someone else on the staff. Please weigh in if you happen to know. The same with Marcelus Kemp.

Plus, landing JaVale McGee (who was never going to be a four-year college player regardless of who coached him) and Luke Babbitt (more than likely ditto) puts to rest any qualms about Fox's own recruiting prowess. We don't know who initially came across McGee but newspaper reports indicated Fox himself sealed the deal with his wooing of Pam McGee.

We also envision nothing but success for Fox at Georgia, given the opportunity for a couple of seasons of recruiting. Anyone (and there will always be the doubters) who is skeptical of Fox's overall ability to run a successful program is delusional. Some may not enjoy his personality and/or some of his disciplinary decisions and/or a few moments of his personal behavior but there is simply no way to substantiate any form of a shadow.

Have at it.

What did Mark Fox do?

Did Mark Fox run over Dan Hinxman's dog on his way out of Reno? Or maybe Fox took a whiz on a number Nevada fans in some unreported episode? Tell us, what's the scoop?

We know it's human nature to summon the time and energy for lamentation -- to complain that something is wrong or so-and-so is a jerk (often regardless of any validity) -- and to remain silent when it comes to offering praise but the vitriol being offered towards Fox in Hinxman's commentary and in comments to Chris Murray's various articles on Fox's departure is jaw-dropping.

Here's Hinxman's post -- we aren't going to bother with listing any elucidations from the Wolf Pack intelligentsia.

Commentary: Referendum on Fox will come at Georgia
Dan Hinxman
Reno Gazette-Journal
April 3, 2009

Mark Fox leaves Nevada as its greatest basketball coach. That's what the numbers tell us.

We're about to find out if it really is true.

Fox, who led the Wolf Pack to a sterling 123-43 record and five postseason appearances in five seasons, will be announced as the new head coach at Georgia today.

Is it the right move for Georgia? Is it the right move for Fox?

The answer to both seems to be a resounding yes. But when you look beyond the wins and losses and championship trophies, when you look at all the variables that come into play -- the high-profile players who all but landed in his lap, the couple of embarrassing off-the-court incidents and what can only be described as a perceived level of friction between Fox and some of his players -- it's difficult to blindly share that optimism.

Truth be told, in a few years we might come to learn the biggest winner today is the Wolf Pack and its fans...

Go here for the remainder.

Wow -- Mark Fox to Georgia

How did this stay under wraps? Moving ultra-quick helped. Betcha there are Utah State and New Mexico State fans singing "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" tonight.

Count on David Carter to be the new Nevada head coach.

Fox leaves Nevada for Georgia
ESPN.com news services

Nevada's Mark Fox confirmed to ESPN.com he will be Georgia's next basketball coach.

"Yes, it's done." Fox said in a text message to ESPN.com's Andy Katz when asked about being hired by the Bulldogs.

It will be announced at a news conference on Friday morning. Fox replaces Dennis Felton, who was fired Jan. 29 after going 84-91 in six seasons at Georgia...

Go here for the remainder.

Chris Murray, as usual, is on it here and here.

Nevada still sniffing out players

Due to Richie Phillips' departure from the Pack, Nevada has a schollie to award if the 'right' player is located and will sign. Chris Murray has your details:

Fox says team looking to fill scholarship with prep player
Chris Murray
Reno Gazette-Journal
4/1/2009

The silver lining of Richie Phillips’ career-ending injury for the Nevada basketball team is that it opened a scholarship — one that Wolf Pack coach Mark Fox intends to use for the upcoming season.

Fox said Wednesday he is looking to land a player in the spring signing period (which runs April 15-May 20).

“We’re actively pursuing something for this spring,” Fox said. “It’s going to have to be the right kind of guy. We went into the spring not thinking we had a scholarship and obviously that’s changed...”

Go here for the remainder.

Chris Murray is back

We knew he couldn't go cold turkey and that's good news for us. Chris Murray thankfully returns today with some posts on Nevada's incoming recruits.

Scouts' take on incoming Pack player Steven Bjornstad
Chris Murray
Reno Gazette-Journal
3/31/2009

Steven Bjornstad is a 6-foot-10, 220-pound center from Vancouver, Wash., who will bring some much-needed height to the Nevada basketball team next season. He lead his Columbia River Chieftains to the state championship game, where it feel to Franklin High. Here are two perspectives of Bjornstad's game from two people familiar with his game...

Go here for the remainder.

and

Scouts' take on incoming Pack player Devonte Elliott
Chris Murray
Reno Gazette-Journal
3/31/2009

Devonte Elliott is a 6-foot-9, 215-pound combo forwrd from Paramount, Calif., who has been described as an athletic player with a good shooting stroke. Here are three perspectives of Elliott's game from three people familiar with his game...

Go here for the remainder.

and

Scouts' take on incoming Pack player Mark McLaughlin
Chris Murray
Reno Gazette-Journal
3/31/2009

Mark McLaughlin is a 6-foot-5, 175-pound shooting guard from Kenmore, Wash., who was originally in the Wolf Pack's Class of 2008. He spent a semester at New Hampton Prep school last year and is one of the highest-ranked recruits to ever sign with Nevada. Here are two perspectives of McLaughlin's game from two people familiar with his game...

Go here for the remainder.

This is sad

It's always tough to hear the news about a kid having to let go of the sport he loves due to injury. Nevada's Richie Phillips is the one this time. It's good he will remain at Nevada and have the opportunity to earn his degree -- which is the good news that comes out of this.

Injuries end Phillips' career at Nevada
Reno Gazette-Journal staff report
March 28, 2009

Richie Phillips, a junior forward on the Nevada basketball team, was forced to end his career because of recurring tibial stress fractures and chronic pain, coach Mark Fox announced Friday.

"It's always sad when a kid's career ends, but when it is taken from him by reasons out of his control, it's heartbreaking," Fox said in a news release. "This was very difficult news for Richie to receive, and I feel terrible for him. Richie will remain a part of our program and is on track to graduate in December. It's unfortunate that his bones haven't been able to handle the stresses of what we do..."

Go here for the remainder.

Chris Murray features Mark Fox on the Wolf Pack season

Chris Murray has an article today that features Mark Fox talking about Nevada's recently concluded season:

Wolf Pack Basketball Season in Review: Learning on the fly
Chris Murray
Reno Gazette-Journal
March 22, 2009

Moments after his team's season had concluded, Nevada basketball coach Mark Fox found a fitting analogy to describe the year.

He was speaking to reporters about the challenges his three-freshman frontcourt faced this season, when he looked at one of the television cameras focused on him.

"I don't know how complicated it is to run that camera, but if you put me behind it and tell me to run it on the air, we're probably not going to have a good broadcast," Fox said. "That's hard to do."

Fox was speaking specifically about his frontcourt having to learn on the fly without a veteran teammate to teach them about life in the college game. He could have been talking about the team in general.

Despite the youth -- the team had only three upperclassmen average more than 9 minutes per game -- Nevada recorded its sixth straight 20-win season...

Go here for the remainder.

It's the off season in Reno but...

Hey, it's officially the 'off season' at Nevada now but that isn't stopping Chris Murray from producing. He has yet another post up about Nevada hoops:

The 'good' and 'not so good' for the Wolf Pack
Chris Murray
Reno Gazette-Journal
3/18/2009

The Nevada basketball team had plenty of things go right this season, along with plenty that didn't go so well. Below, I will provide three of both. But, first, we will start at the beginning of the season. Before a single ball was put in play during a real game, Nevada had its share of adversity. For example:

Go here for the remainder.

Chris Murray on Nevada basketball recruiting

Saw this item in Chris Murray's blog at the Reno Gazette-Journal:

Rivals says Pack has offered a combo guard in Texas
Chris Murray
Reno Gazette-Journal
3/18/2009

According to Rivals.com, Nevada has offered a scholarship to Rickey Scott, a combo guard from Irving, Texas...

Go here for the remainder.

Looking at the kid's Rivals profile -- at least his list of suitors who have offered -- getting him out of the Lone Star State will be tough.

The scoop on Nevada signee Steven Bjornstad

Inquiring minds wanted to know about Nevada's 6-10 signee Steven Bjornstad out of Columbia River High in Washington so we went to Jim Basnight, our prep/college basketball source in the Northwest.

Jim operates the Husky Digest site and possesses the bona fides similar to the old E.F. Hutton commercial that featured the iconic line "When E. F. Hutton/Jim Basnight talks, people listen."

Here's Jim's take on Bjornstad:

"Thanks for asking for my opinion. I'm happy to help you any way I can.

He really looked soft in the title game against Peyton Siva and Franklin, but that is a very athletic and speedy group of kids. Steven's team beat a Bellevue squad that is pretty good though to get there, but I heard that Bellevue went really cold (I didn't see the game).

My impression overall with Bjornstad is that he can shoot the ball, is legitimately tall and can play a very nice role within the right system, but cannot take over games on his own.

Right now he is a dependent player that needs to be set up, but can get hot and has a couple of shots in his game that should get him a reputation as a solid scorer in Nevada.

Rebounding and defense will be more of an effort than teaching him to pick and pop or score in the mid-range. The thing that impressed me the most was his ability to create his shot in the paint, but there will be tougher defense at the next level and he may have to make some major adjustments.

He looks like a kid that could develop his game into a European pro prospect with the right kind of dedication. An NBA career is very unlikely.

Best wishes,
Jim"

Steven Bjornstad update

Here's the latest on 6-10 Nevada signee Steven Bjornstad -- a report on his final game of the season. He scored 20 points, shooting well, and grabbed seven boards with zero blocked shots but his team lost. It appears Columbia River encountered a Franklin team full of guards, some very talented.

3A Boys Championship | Franklin dashes past Columbia River to title
Top-ranked Franklin was too fast, too athletic and too physical for Columbia River, which joined a not-so-exclusive club of teams completely overmatched by the Quakers in their 51-34 victory for the Class 3A boys basketball state championship.
Tom Wyrwich
Seattle Times
March 15, 2009

TACOMA — Seven Franklin players locked arms, watching and waiting as the last 60 seconds ticked away.

"I was so emotional," Franklin senior Freddy Wilson said. "I was trying to be happy, but it's so sad it's your last high-school game."

The final buzzer was like a starting gun, and the Franklin Quakers sprinted onto the center of the Tacoma Dome court, piling on until they were one huge tumbleweed of joy.

"No words can explain it," said senior Peyton Siva, the tournament MVP. "The last seconds of my Franklin career, I'm going to remember them forever."

On Saturday night, the top-ranked Quakers were too fast, too athletic and too physical for Columbia River, which joined a not-so-exclusive club of teams completely overmatched by Franklin. After one assertive first-quarter run, the Quakers ran away with a 51-34 victory in the Class 3A state championship game...

Go here for the remainder.

Chris Murray with Nevada's preferred opponents

Here's Chris Murray with his take on the 'best' opponent(s) for Nevada to face in the upcoming WAC tourney:

Who does the Wolf Pack want to face in WAC Tournament?
Chris Murray
Reno Gazette-Journal
3/3/2009

In today's paper, we looked at the uncertain seeding possibilities for the WAC Tournament. We do know that Nevada will be seeded second or third, putting the Pack on the opposite side of the bracket as Utah State. Nevada's quarterfinal round opponent could be Idaho, San Jose State, Louisiana Tech or Hawaii. So, there is still quite a bit to be determined. Today, we will look at which teams Nevada matches up against best (from the best matchups to worst matchups)...

Go here for the remainder.

The final of Chris Murray's articles today

Here's yet another piece Chris Murray turned out today:

Surging into WAC Tournament? Maybe not
Chris Murray
Reno Gazette-Journal
February 24, 2009

Reason would suggest that the better you are playing heading into the Western Athletic Conference Tournament, the more success you will have in the tournament. But sometimes reason is wrong.

Utah State coach Stew Morrill said there is little correlation between how you're playing leading up to the tournament and how you fare in it.

"I think any time you can put wins together, it is positive, but as far as relevancy toward the conference tournament I haven't seen any, believe it or not," said Morrill, in his 23rd year as a head coach. "I think you can be struggling going into the conference tournament and all that matters is how you play that week. I think you can be playing really well and all that matters is that week. So, I've seen both."

Morrill's assessment has been proven accurate by the past few WAC Tournament champions...

Go here for the remainder.

Nevada watching a guard

student4ever on the Silver and Blue MB has an item on a junior backcourter Nevada -- among many others -- is eyeing.

student4ever's post is based on this item:

CS8 boys basketball notes: Regional seeds go according to form
Jim Ruppert
The State Journal-Register
February 20, 2009

...Madison in demand

Lanphier junior Karl Madison has made his way onto the national radar as far as recruiting goes.

Shanklin said in the past week that representatives from both UCLA and Vanderbilt have been in town to discuss Madison. Northwestern, Nevada and all of the schools in the Missouri Valley Conference have made recruiting pitches...

Go here for the remainder.

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.