Fresno State vs. Nevada

By Eddie Hughes

Fresno State

Point Guard

Shantay Legans makes the Bulldogs go. And they’ll need that leadership to go in and grab a win at Nevada. The senior transfer from Cal leads the WAC with 5.59 assists per game and averages 12.1 points. Don’t expect to see Legans on the bench very much in this one.

Shooting Guard

Sophomore Terry Pettis has been the go-to scorer since returning from early-season off-the-court problems. Pettis averages 14.5 points per game but is shooting just 39 percent from the field. Coach Ray Lopes is likely to have Pettis on the court in any key situation.

Small Forward

Marcus West has been the WAC’s best 3-point shooter this season, hitting 45 percent of his shots from downtown. But against a talented Nevada team, West may have trouble getting open looks. Renaldo Major coming off the bench gives the Bulldogs another dimension. The senior is capable of leading the team in scoring on any night, averaging 11.2 points.

Power Forward

Jonathan Woods looks to be back at his best. The senior missed six games this season but averages 9.8 points and 6.4 rebounds. His shot might not be the prettiest—well, it’s not pretty at all—but it falls through the net quite often. The Bulldogs will need quality spot minutes from junior Chris Adams to keep Woods rested in what could be a close game until the end.

Center

Mustafa Al-Sayyad might be the best true center in the WAC, averaging 7.8 points and 7.9 rebounds. The senior is capable of going for a double-double on any night. He had 11 points and 14 rebounds against Tulsa. Reserve Jack Marlow didn’t play in the team’s last two road games, but did well in the recent homestand against Rice and Tulsa.

Nevada

Point Guard

You wanna see a 3-point shootout? Marcus West vs. Nevada’s Todd Okeson could be just that. Both players are deadly from outside. Okeson averages 10.1 points and 3.7 assists. But Legans might be his toughest assignment of the season.

Edge: Bulldogs

Shooting Guard

Garry Hill-Thomas provides the Wolf Pack with 9.3 points per game. But Nevada needs Hill-Thomas to step up defensively. He’ll be guarding one of the Bulldogs’ scorers—Pettis or West. Pettis will try to take him off the dribble, West will try to spot up for the jumper.

Edge: Even

Small Forward

Kirk Snyder is the most hyped player in the WAC—and rightfully so. The junior scores 17.9 points per game and grabs 5.5 rebounds. Snyder was the preseason favorite for conference player of the year. Can the Bulldogs stop Snyder? They’ll have to do a better job trying than they did with Tulsa’s Jason Parker last week. If Snyder has a big game, Nevada should win.

Edge: Wolf Pack

Power Forward

Junior Kevinn Pinkney has the height advantage over Fresno State’s Jonathan Woods, but Woods is a tenacious rebounder. Pinkney’s 4.4 rebounds per game aren’t going to be enough for Nevada to limit Woods.

Edge: Bulldogs

Center

The most intriguing match-up might be here. The freshman sensation of Nevada, Nick Fazekas, faces veteran Mustafa Al-Sayyad. Fazekas (6-foot-11, 215 pounds) averages 11.6 points and 7.1 rebounds.

Edge: Even