Nevada Basketball Soars to New Heights in the First Year of the Coach Muss Era
March 26, 2015, and Nevada Wolf Pack Basketball fans eagerly await the naming of the programs 18th head coach in program history. The big question, “Who is going to turn this team around?”. The answer, Coach Eric Musselman. With 25 years of experience coaching and being an analyst in professional and collegiate basketball, his resume does all of the talking.
The Wolf Pack Basketball team ended the 2014–15 season with a record of 9–22. But the offseason of 2015 brought great hope to the team and Wolf Pack fans alike.
Mascot coach and 19 year loyal Pack fan, Mark Ubando said:
“I was expecting at most probably 15–17 win season but the 2015–16 team not only exceeded my expectations, but a lot of Wolf Pack fans too.”
When he talks about exceeding expectations, he is talking about an incredible 24–14 season topped off with a CBI National Championship win. It was a level of success that seemed to surprise every Wolf Pack fan.
The basketball team’s successful season is one of many impressive feats by various sports at Nevada in recent years. The CBI National Championship added to a bowl win from football team and first place finish for baseball in 2015, as well as a Mountain West Championship from the Swimming and Diving team in 2016.
“Our big focus from the day we took the job was establishing a culture.” said Musselman. “Things like commitment to getting better every single day, trusting your teammates and coaching staff, and just developing an overall sense of family.”
In terms of game strategy, defense was the Wolf Pack’s focus this season. Key additions to the team such as Cameron Oliver and Lindsey Drew sparked this great defensive effort.
“It is the lifeblood of our program and was crucial to our success this season… However, it was a team effort with attention to detail on defensive rotations and pick and roll coverage that turned us into a great defensive team.”
-Coach Muss on the team's defensive efforts
There also seemed to be a shift in mentality somewhere in the offseason. This speaks volumes to Coach Muss’s efforts to create that culture and camaraderie that had been lacking from the team in previous years.
“We took trips to Tahoe, had many team meals together, and had a summer boot camp.These were crucial for trust on and off the court.”
-Eric Musselman
Getting a roaring crowd out to Lawlor was a building process for the Wolf Pack. January 23 was the first game where fan support matched the teams dedication to success. That day being the first meeting between the Wolf Pack and in-state rival UNLV Rebels. The fifth largest crowd in Lawlor Events Center history (11,341) came out for the highly anticipated matchup. This turnout being bigger than any other regular or post season game this year. And it appeared as if that night is what brought back an electric atmosphere to an arena that had been quiet for years.
It is safe to say that this program has been revitalized in a big way. It came from everyone on the team, buying into the new culture that Coach Muss wanted to bring to Reno.
It was a small group of seniors, led by Marqueze Coleman, that wanted to leave their mark on the school and the basketball program. Coleman spoke with me about a tough career in terms of team production, his own personal injuries throughout his four years and what his last college season meant to him.
Throughout my tough career here, this year with the help of Cam (Oliver) and all my other teammates, has made bringing a championship win to Nevada a memorable experience.
-Marqueze Coleman
Aside from all the hype, let’s look at some impressive facts from this season:
- Cameron Oliver ended the season in the top three of Mountain West stats for field goal percentage, rebounds, and blocks per game. He also broke the Wolf Pack record for blocks in a season with 99 blocks.
- Tyron Criswell was named MVP of the College Basketball Invitational Championship Series
- Eric Musselman was named BleacherReport.com Mountain West Coach of the Year
- The Wolf Pack Basketball team won their first national post-season tournament in school history
The 2015–16 season was a huge turning point for the Wolf Pack Basketball team. But should we really be surprised? Once Musselman was hired at Nevada many former greats, as well as other legendary coaches, sang his praises to affirm the University's decision.
“He will help each individual player and the entire team reach their maximum potential and go far beyond what they thought possible.”
-Tom Thibodeau, Head Coach, Minnesota Timberwolves
With Musselman under contract keeping him in Reno through the 2019–20 season, Wolf Pack fans are looking forward to the years to come. Though no one will soon forget the sensational basketball story that swept the city of Reno right into Lawlor Events Center every home game.
The family culture that was created in the offseason was a huge driving force behind their rapid progression and improvement. From their warm up routine that gets the crowd going, to their fun-loving social media attempts to get more fans out to a game, the Nevada Wolf Pack Basketball program made a memorable season for themselves and their fans. It will be exciting to see what they add to their game next season.
“But more importantly, we want to get better every single day. As long as we are at our absolute best going into March, the results will follow.”
-Eric Musselman
Be sure to keep up with the Wolf Pack Basketball team on their website and social media
- www.nevadawolfpack.com
- Twitter & Instagram: @NevadaHoops
