Basketball: Nevada plenty motivated ahead of long trip to Wyoming

They are winning big, on a roll and have been ranked in the Top 10 in the nation all season, but that does not make long road trips any easier.

But there are some creative assistant coaches -- and some opposing coaches providing bulletin-board material.

The Nevada men's basketball team is preparing to travel to Laramie, Wyoming to face the Cowboys on Saturday, (7 p.m. ESPNU).

More:The avengers: Wolf Pack hammers New Mexico for ninth straight win

More:Rare honor: Nick Fazekas' No. 22 will be second Nevada basketball number retired

The No. 7/6 ranked Wolf Pack (23-1, 10-1 MW) had a bye this week after defeating New Mexico, 91-62, last Saturday.

The Wolf Pack has some added motivation after a less than complimentary article appeared recently, pointing out the team's weaknesses.

Coach Eric Musselman said a story in 'The Athletic' revealed an opposing coach's opinion on the Wolf Pack, something the team has taken to heart.

Musselman said the article is pinned up on the bulletin board and that it states that the Pack does not have a true point guard and that the team takes too many bad shots, among other things.

"It's awesome. We can pin that up in the locker room and we can try to figure out which coach said that about our team. Thanks for the scouting report," he said. "We love the bulletin-board material."

Musselman said the trip to Wyoming is tough because of the 2-hour flight, followed by a 2-hour bus ride to Laramie, along with the 1-hour time zone change, which means a late night shoot around.

"There's a lot of little things that add up, and then you've got to check into your hotel room. By the time that happens, it's 10:30 at night already," Musselman said. 

He said the assistant coaches try to change up the practice routine every day, to help keep the players sharp and engaged.

He said that staying sharp mentally can be a challenge as the season winds to the end.

"It's important to keep things fresh, people wanting to come to work, people wanting to get better," Musselman said. "We've added a whole bunch of offense this week, I don't know how much we'll use on Saturday."

Musselman said the Pack has embraced its higher profile this season, instead of ignoring it. He said the players are well aware there is a number (ranking) by the team name every week.

"By us pushing it out and embracing it, I actually think it relieved our guys a little bit," Musselman said. "Our guys now, it just kind of bounces off of them. There's so much out there, our guys are just like, 'Whatever.' It's just part of what goes on, on a daily basis."

Saturday's game will be the only time the Pack plays Wyoming (6-17, 2-8) this season and junior Jazz Johnson said the focus this week in practice has been on defense.

Wyoming is coming off a 76-59 loss at Utah State on Wednesday.

Johnson said the elevation at Wyoming (7,220 feet) should not be a factor since Nevada also plays at high elevation (4,500 feet).

He said the Cowboys play at a slower pace than most teams and the Pack will try to force a faster tempo. Nevada has improved its pace of play greatly over the past four weeks.

Johnson said the Wolf Pack has transitioned to an inside-out game instead of relying on 3-pointers.

The Pack has seven games remaining, three at home.

Johnson, who wears No. 22, weighed in on the number being retired at the Pack's game Feb. 27 vs. UNLV, in honor of former Wolf Pack standout Nick Fazekas.

Johnson said he knew of Fazekas from his days in the NBA. Johnson, who has "22" tattooed on his left arm, asked to wear No. 22 because his mother's birthday is Oct. 22 and because his father wore No. 22. 

Musselman coached Fazekas with the Reno Bighorns and said he is the most unique player he has been around.

"He's not fast. He's not athletic, but he's got the softest touch. He understands offensive angles better than anyone I've ever been around," Musselman said. "Not a very good defender, but a really smart player. An incredible person. ... He's as popular as any player who ever played here."

The Wolf Pack has won its last eight games by an average of 20.8 points per game.  The Pack has won its last 15 home games dating back to last season and is 12-0 at Lawlor Events Center this year.

Johnson and Musselman said the Wolf Pack would fare just as well if it played in a stronger basketball conference.

Musselman said the Pack would win the Pac-12 and has already beaten three teams from that conference, Arizona State, Utah and Southern California.