UNR eyes guaranteed NCAA bid

Back in November, UNR didn't have the look of a conference championship basketball team, let alone pass the eye test as being NCAA Tournament-worthy.

But things can change from November to March, and the Wolf Pack grew up and became a closer-knit unit. They responded to their coach, and the players began to trust one another.

In 72 hours, UNR can join state rival UNLV in the NCAA Tournament next week. To do so, the Wolf Pack (25-5) will likely have to win the Western Athletic Conference tournament, which starts today at Orleans Arena. Winning the WAC regular-season title might not be enough.

"I think we're going in with the mindset of taking it out of the (selection) committee's hands," coach David Carter said. "We know if we're cutting down the nets (Saturday), we're going."

That means winning three games in as many nights, beginning at 6 p.m. today against eighth-seeded San Jose State, which UNR defeated twice already this season. Should the top-seeded Wolf Pack advance, they would play at 8:30 p.m. Friday against the winner of today's Utah State-Louisiana Tech quarterfinal. The championship game is at 9 p.m. Saturday.

"I think the biggest challenge for us is our mental state," Carter said. "How we handle taking each game as its own and not get caught looking ahead."

UNR is a bit banged up, with Deonte Burton nursing a sprained right middle finger and Kevin Panzer having a high left ankle sprain. Both players have practiced this week, and Carter said both will play tonight.

"Whatever it calls for, we're prepared for it," he said of the three-games-in-three-days grind.

Every team that wins a championship points to a certain moment during its season that defined its success. Carter said his team's moment came in Chicago on Thanksgiving weekend, when the Wolf Pack got rocked by Brigham Young 76-55 to drop to 3-3 on the young season.

"We had to find ourselves," Carter said. "Being a young team that was picked to win the league, it was difficult for our players to understand that while we knew we were good, we had to prove it.

"When we lost to BYU, they finally figured that out. They got together as a group and said, 'You know what? Enough's enough.' "

The Wolf Pack became less selfish on the floor and grew closer off it. They beat Washington at Lawlor Events Center on Dec. 2 and went on a 16-game winning streak. They were dominating the WAC, with the lone hiccup coming Feb. 4 on a horrible shooting night as they lost to Idaho, 72-68.

But UNR regrouped, finished the conference regular season strong and won the title with a 13-1 mark. Carter on Monday was named WAC Coach of the Year, and Burton, a 6-foot-1-inch sophomore guard averaging 15.2 points and 4.3 assists, was named Player of the Year.

As the Wolf Pack prepare to transition from the WAC to the Mountain West next season, Carter is looking for a title Saturday to help smooth the process and ensure a trip to the NCAAs next week.

"This group has come a long way since we were last in Vegas," Carter said, referring to a 71-67 loss to UNLV on Nov. 14. "They've grown up and they've learned to play together, and they've learned how to win."

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.