Weber State University Athletics
Weber State University
Nevada
Wildcats head to Reno to take on Nevada Wednesday
12/12/2023 3:42:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Weber State and Nevada will tipoff at 7 p.m. Pacific time (8 p.m. MT) in Reno.
• After a home win, it's on the road for the Weber State men's basketball team as the Wildcats face two Mountain West Conference road games this week, beginning Wednesday night at Nevada.
• The Wildcats and Wolfpack will tipoff at 7 p.m. Pacific time (8 p.m. MT) from the Lawlor Events Center in Reno, Nevada. It will be streamed on the Mountain West Digital Network. The Weber State radio coverage will be on 103.1 FM "The Wave" with Steve Klauke on the call. Live stats and video links will be available at WeberStateSports.com and the Weber State Wildcats app.
• Weber State is 5-3 on the season. The Wildcats are coming off a 78-50 home win over Cal Poly last Saturday. WSU knocked down 10 3-pointers and forced 22 Cal Poly turnovers in the win. The 'Cats had 37 points off turnovers.
• Junior Dyson Koehler had a career-high 17 points and a career-high five steals in the win over Cal Poly. He made three 3-pointers and had two rebounds and one assist in the win. It was his second time in double figures this season and the 11th of his career.
• Wildcat standout Dillon Jones nearly had a triple double in Saturday's win. He scored 15 points, had 10 rebounds and dished out a career-high nine assists. Jones leads Weber State in points, rebounds, assists, and steals this season. He has twice been named Big Sky Player of the Week. He leads the nation in defensive rebounds and is seventh in the country in total rebounds at 10.7 per game. He is also first in the Big Sky and 34th in the nation in scoring, averaging 19.7 points per game. He has five double-doubles in seven games this season.
• Jones was the unanimous selection as the Big Sky Preseason MVP. He is a two-time first-team all-conference selection and a two-time all-district selection. He participated in the G League and NBA Draft combines this summer before returning to school. He has played in 94 career games at Weber State and ranks fourth in school history in career rebounding with 908. He is also 16th in career scoring, fourth in steals, and 9th in free throws made. He has 43 career double-doubles.
• Senior Steven Verplancken tied his career-high with five 3-pointers in Saturday's win and scored 15 points. He has scored in double figures in each of his last five games and is second on the team in scoring at 12.6 points per game. He is also a perfect 19 of 19 from the free throw line this season. He is one of four players in the country with at least 19 attempts that has not missed a free throw this season. Verplancken earned All-Big Sky honors last season and was named to the preseason all-conference team this year.
• Weber State ranks fifth in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 58.5 points per game. The Wildcats have held their opponents under 70 points in seven of eight games and under 60 points four times. WSU is also 13th in the country in free throw percentage at 77.8 percent. The 'Cats are 12th in the country in fouls per game and 13th in turnovers per game.
• WSU leads the Big Sky in scoring defense, scoring margin, and free throw percentage. WSU is also second in 3-point percentage and third in field goal defense.
• Through the first eight games, Weber State is 4-0 when scoring 70 or more points and just 1-3 when scoring less than 70. The Wildcats are also 3-0 when leading in field goal percentage and 2-3 when trailing. WSU is 4-1 when leading at halftime and 1-2 when trailing.
• Weber State has all five starters returning from last year and the Wildcats were picked first in the Big Sky Conference preseason media and coaches polls. WSU had two players named to the Big Sky preseason all-conference team in Jones and senior Steven Verplancken.
• The Wildcats are coached by Eric Duft who returns for his second season as head coach and his 18th season overall at Weber State. He spent 16 seasons as an assistant coach under Randy Rahe before becoming the 10th head coach in WSU history in May 2022. Weber State finished 18-15 overall last season and was third in the Big Sky at 12-6.
• Weber State has one of the most international rosters in the country as the Wildcats have eight players that come from outside of the United States, representing six different countries. Two players are from England (Louie Jordan, Alex Tew), and two from Serbia in cousins Marko and Nemanja Sarenac. WSU also has players from Switzerland (Arnaud Revaz), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Handje Tamba), Finland (Viljami Vartiainen), and the Dominican Republic (Steven Verplancken).
• Nevada enters Wednesday's game at 7-1 overall. The Wolfpack won their first seven games, before losing 72-53 to Drake last Saturday in Henderson, Nevada. This will be the third Big Sky team on Nevada's schedule. They started the year with a win over Sacramento State and also beat Montana on November 29. The Wolfpack rank third in the nation in free throws made and attempted per game. They are also 15th in the nation in defensive rebounds per game and 35th in field goal defense.
• The Wolfpack were 22-11 overall and finished fourth in the Mountain West at 12-6. They lost to Arizona State in the First Four round of the NCAA Tournament. Nevada was picked to finish fourth in the Mountain West preseason media poll this year.
• Nevada is coached by longtime college head coach Steve Alford who is in his fifth season at Nevada where he has a 77-52 record. Alford is in his 33rd season as a head coach and has a 665-350 all-time record. He has been the head coach at Southwest Missouri State, Iowa, New Mexico, and UCLA before going to Nevada. He was an All-American player at Indiana and won an NCAA Championship in 1987 with the Hoosiers. He also played four years in the NBA.
• This will be the 41st all-time meeting between two former conference rivals, and the all-time series is tied 20-20. It's the first meeting since 2014. The last game played was a 59-56 Weber State win in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
• Nevada was a member of the Big Sky Conference from 1979-1992. This is Weber State's first trip to Reno since December 13, 2003, exactly 20 years to the day of Wednesday's game. Nevada won that game 74-62. The Wolfpack lead 10-7 all-time in games in Reno and have won the last six games played.
• After Wednesday, Weber State will face another Mountain West Conference team as the 'Cats play at Wyoming on Saturday, December 16 at 7 p.m. WSU will be back home for a non-conference game against Park Gilbert on Thursday, December 21 in a 2 p.m. tipoff at the Dee Events Center.
