By Austin Turner – Content Editor
San Jose State had a rough start to conference play last week as it was blown out by rival Fresno State at home. In game two, it only gets tougher for the Spartans.
They will travel to Reno to take on the Nevada Wolf Pack, the No. 10 team in the nation. It is the first, and likely last time the Spartans will play a ranked opponent all year.
Despite the top ten ranking, conference play had a rocky start for the Wolf Pack. After a huge win over Utah State, they were stunned in Albuquerque on Saturday. The New Mexico Lobos upset the then No. 6 Wolf Pack 85-58 in a complete wire-to-wire effort.
Even with the big loss, Nevada is still likely the biggest challenge the Spartans will face this season.
It has a tremendous offense, averaging nearly 83 points per game on 45 percent shooting. It sports one of the better frontcourts in the nation, led by Caleb Martin and Jordan Caroline. The duo make up for what they lack in size with pure driving ability and ball handling. They’re tied for the team lead in scoring with 18 points per game each.
Caroline has become one of the most versatile players in the country. The senior plays a lot of center despite being only 6-foot-7, but he can truly play anywhere on the court. He’s one of the better shooters on the team at 46 percent, and has a strong 3-point shot at 41 percent. He’s also the team’s best rebounder with nearly 10 per game.
A complete team effort will be needed for the Spartans to have a chance to pull off the major upset. Their defense has to be disciplined, since the Pack can punish from the paint as well as beyond the 3-point line.
The bigs, Oumar Barry and Ashtin Chastain, will be key. The only advantage SJSU has is with its size, so they will have to utilize it to its fullest potential. Barry has been playing his best basketball of his college career as of late, and a dominant performance from him on the boards and in the paint will be needed.
The Spartans will take on No. 10 Nevada at 8 p.m. in Reno on Wednesday.
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