Nevada Basketball: Montana State Preview

After starting the season with a win over Coastal Carolina, the Wolf Pack play their second of three games in the Outriggers Resort Rainbow Classic against the Montana State Bobcats.

Montana State has struggled in recent memory, failing to reach the .500 mark in 5 of their last 7 seasons. Last season, the Bobcats finished 13-17, and 3-7 against non-conference opponents.

The Wolf Pack will be Montana State's third game in three days, which could lead to some tired legs. The Bobcats lost their season opener to Hawaii 87-76, but rebounded to beat Hawaii-Hilo 90-85.

MSU have been playing with a very young team, as freshman G Tyler Hall led the team in scoring with 15, and played the most minutes for the Bobcats in the opener against Hawaii. Hall's running mate at guard is sophomore Zach Green. Green is averaging 12.5 points, and is second on the team in minutes per game.

While the Bobcats feature a strong backcourt, they have a glaring weakness in the frontcourt. Their biggest player that plays significant minutes is Tyson Kanseyo, who is only listed at 6-foot-8. Additionally, the Bobcats leading rebounders are all guards. MSU really lacks a strong presence down low, which could really hurt them against Nevada. AJ West had a double-double last game with 12 points and 11 rebounds, against a much stronger Coastal Carolina team. If Montana State can't slow down West, it could be a very long night for the Bobcats.

Prediction:

Nevada played much better than I expected them to, albeit against a Coastal Carolina that was really banged up and dragging. However, a short-handed Chanticleers team is still better than Montana State. I think the Wolf Pack win this one easily, 84-49.