Nevada @ Wyoming preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 24, 2018 ) Nevada 103, Wyoming 104

Sixth-ranked Nevada only lost three games during its run to a Mountain West regular season championship last season. One of those was a wild 104-103 double overtime loss at Wyoming where the Wolf Pack, winners of nine straight games, will try to avoid another slip-up Saturday night when they face the Cowboys in their only meeting of the season in Laramie.

Nevada, which holds a 1.5-game lead in the Mountain West in its quest to become the first school to win three consecutive outright regular season titles, was ranked No. 23 in the nation when they fell to the Cowboys last season as point guard Justin James scored 33 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. The 6-7 James is back and leads the conference in scoring (20.9 per game) while also leading the Pokes in rebounds (8.4), assists (4.4) and steals (1.6). He has scored 21 or more points in four straight games, including a career-high 36 in a 74-66 victory over visiting Colorado State last Saturday. "Justin James. Two words," Nevada coach Eric Musselman answered at his weekly news conference when asked what stands out about the Cowboys. "He's going a great job for them at the point-guard position."

TV: 10 p.m. ET, ESPNU

ABOUT NEVADA (23-1, 10-1 MW): Senior forward Jordan Caroline and senior swingman Caleb Martin were both named to the Wooden Award top-20 watch list last week. Martin leads the team in scoring with an average of 19.3 points while Caroline, who has 15 double-doubles this season and a Mountain West record 42 in his Wolf Pack career, is averaging 19 points and 10.1 rebounds. Caleb's 6-7 twin brother, Cody, was named to the top-10 list for the Bob Cousy Award for the nation's top point guard is averaging 11.2 points and a Mountain West-best 5.4 assists while junior guard Jazz Johnson (11.3 points) also is averaging in double figures.

ABOUT WYOMING (6-18, 2-9): The Cowboys come into the contest in 10th place in the 11-team Mountain West but have won two of their last three home games against San Jose State and Colorado State and led, 47-44, with 13:21 to go at Utah State on Wednesday night before eventually falling, 76-59. James was the only Cowboy to score in double figures in the loss, finishing with 26 points, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range, to go with four rebounds, two assists and two steals. Guard Jake Hendricks (11.3 points) and forward Hunter Thompson (10.7) also are averaging in double digits.

TIP-INS

1. Nevada's 23-1 record after 24 games and 10-1 mark after 11 Mountain West games rank as the best in school history.

2. Since suffering their lone loss, 85-58, at New Mexico on Jan. 5, the Wolf Pack have won nine straight games by an average of 20.8 points per outing.

3. Nevada is 40-2 when Caroline finishes with a double-double.

PREDICTION: Nevada 84, Wyoming 65