ESPN Men's Basketball

Boise State isn't the only WAC team that's soon to be off to the Mountain West and also getting a recruiting boost from its top-25 football team.

The Reno Gazette-Journal reports that while the Nevada football team has gotten off to a 4-0 start, basketball coach David Carter has been on the recruiting trail finding that people these days are more able to recognize the school.

"When I was in Illinois, all the guys were saying, 'Your team's quarterback (Colin Kaepernick) is awesome! How do you say his name?'" Carter said via telephone from the Seattle airport Thursday afternoon. "I told them, 'We just call him Kap.'"

After beating BYU last weekend, the Nevada football team popped into the national rankings Sunday for the first time in 62 years.

"Being ranked in the Top 25 is huge," Carter said. "I was in Wisconsin after we beat Cal and I go into the gym and all the kids are saying, 'You guys have a really good football team.' We weren't ranked yet, but they knew about us, and that's always a huge advantage. Anytime you can get that kind of attention, it's great for your program."

Carter sent Luke Babbitt and Armon Johnson to the NBA draft and responded by bringing in plenty of newcomers this season to fill the void.

Only entering his second season as coach, Carter also seems to have the momentum going for his program. Anything the football team can do to help is just an added bonus.

Nevada might not have the big-name players next season after Luke Babbitt and Armon Johnson were selected in the NBA draft, but coach David Carter has an exceptionally large number of new faces that could fill the void.

The latest candidate is Devonte Elliott, a power forward who signed a national letter of intent with the program way back in November 2008 but has finally been cleared academically by the NCAA to play, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal. The paper also recently reported that Elliott has grown an inch to 6-foot-10.

"Devonte is a talented, versatile player who can do a lot of things on the court and should help us immediately," Carter said in a statement.

Ellott becomes the second Southern California recruit from that class to recently gain eligibility, as freshman guard Jerry Evans didn't enroll in school until January and gain NCAA clearance until March.

Nevada also will have two high-major transfers available next season with guard Malik Story from Indiana and former Duke forward Olek Czyz expected to be available midseason.

Oh, and then to top it all off, the Wolf Pack has a six-player recruiting class coming into the program headlined by Deonte Burton, ESPNU's No. 44-ranked shooting guard.

A San Jose State player has declared for the NBA draft and is expected to forgo his senior season, according to a team spokesman, and it's not Adrian Oliver.

Forward C.J. Webster, who averaged 8.8 points and 4.8 rebounds and at 6-foot-9, 255 pounds has been a load in the pant, is set to pursue a pro career. That he missed a game in February while his fiancee gave birth to a baby girl was apparently a factor in the decision.

Webster follows Nevada's Luke Babbitt and Armon Johnson, Fresno State's Paul George and New Mexico State's Jahmar Young as the WAC players who have decided to stay in the draft.

Fresno State forward Paul George is staying in the draft after hiring an agent, according to the Fresno Bee. It's no surprise given that when George tweeted his initial decision to declare, he indicated that ending his college career was a likely scenario.

But the final decision does mean that even before the deadline to test the waters has passed, all four players -- George, Nevada's Luke Babbitt and Armon Johnson, and New Mexico State's Jahmar Young (forcibly?) -- have hired or announced their intentions to hire agents.

And for the conference? That means a tremendous loss of talent that certainly won't help in getting the league two NCAA tournament bids once again.

Yes, steady-as-ever Utah State could dominate once again, but beat writer Tony Jones also sees a lack of star power:

There's (Troy) Gillenwater, San Jose's Adrian Oliver, Tai Wesley, and who else? The league was brimming with next level talent this past season. Not so much in the year to come.

Nevada forward Luke Babbitt got emotional cleaning out his locker last week. The decision to leave school after his sophomore season was so excruciating that he slept on it and waited until Tuesday to make a formal announcement.

That's what Tom Maurer, Babbitt's coach at Galena High in Reno, told me today. Maurer wouldn't reveal Babbitt's decision Monday because at that point, the 20-year-old star still could have changed his mind.

"He's way too nervous. He's way too uptight right now," Maurer said yesterday. "I can just read his body language. This is going to be the toughest decision in his life. If he goes to the NBA, that changes dramatically. If he comes back, he’s a hero.

"He's in turmoil with himself emotionally."

The 6-foot-9, 225-pounder, who won the WAC player of the year honors and showed off his polish by averaging 21.9 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, ultimately made a calculated business decision that he was ready to fulfill a lifelong goal and go pro.

"He’s always been very good about working out with different guys, playing on different AAU teams," said Aubrey McCreary, one of Babbitt's long-time, NBA-caliber trainers. "He’s always been good about exploring all the opportunities."

The decision wasn't made without careful consideration of a variety of factors. It was leaving behind the Reno community that was the toughest to take.

Not too long ago, Babbitt had decided that to stick with that comfort zone. As a highly-recruited high school kid who back then kept his hair short, Babbitt had to nervously call Ohio State coach Thad Matta to say he wouldn't be following through on his verbal commitment so he could stay closer to his family and build a hometown program with childhood friend and point guard Armon Johnson.

However, the closest he got to the NCAA tournament was as a freshman when Nevada fell in the WAC title game to Utah State. Now, with former Nevada coach Mark Fox long gone to Georgia and Johnson recently going out for the draft, Babbitt is taking off as well.

He leaves as the Wolf Pack's first All-American (honorable mention from the Associated Press) since Nick Fazekas and with the school record for most points in a single season.

The NBA likes Babbitt, according to ESPN Insider's Chad Ford , who believes the skilled left-handed scorer is a likely first-round pick. The consensus, as Ford himself concedes, is that there really is no consensus on where Babbitt might be picked.

But those who know Babbitt, an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American, say the shy star sticks to listening to those within his tight inner circle. (No conformist, he once skipped out on prom with his girlfriend to play ball instead.) In recent days, Babbitt huddled up with family rather than let in any outside influences.

"Luke doesn’t buy into any of that," Maurer said. "He’s going to buy into his faith. He’ll buy self-reflection."

Finally, nearly a month after Nevada's season-ending loss in the NIT, the school sent out a press release Tuesday afternoon announcing Babbit's decision. It included a prepared statement from Babbitt who said he did a lot of praying and information gathering before coming to his decision.

A second press release sent out an hour later by the team spokeswoman said Babbitt would not be available to the media until "he has a chance to sign with an agent and get a few things squared away."

Weeks of turmoil, it appears, are finally coming to an end.

Back-to-back 35-point games have vaulted San Jose State's Adrian Oliver up to third in the nation in scoring at 23.3 points per game.

NBA scouts are definitely taking notice because it just so happens that during those two games, they've been out in full force at the Event Center checking out Seattle's Charles Garcia on Monday and Nevada's Luke Babbitt and Armon Johnson last night. Even Suns general manager Steve Kerr was watching.

Oliver told me Monday that the presence of scouts hasn't affected him much, but you have to believe there's a part of the junior guard that's thinking, "I'll show you."

Also in San Jose, another player who (kind of) got noticed by scouts on Monday was Seattle's Taylor Olson.

Who?

The 5-foot-10 guard, after hitting the game-winning 3-pointer, runs down to the other end of the floor to give a flying chest bump to Spencer Hawes, a former Seattle-area high school rival who plays for the Sacramento Kings.

Hawes attended the game in part to catch up with his former Washington teammate Oliver, but after celebrating with Olson, he smiles broadly and flashes Olson's jersey number to the NBA officials sitting at the press table.

Check him out.

Scouts, who have the toiling in anonymity thing down, surely got a kick out of that one.

Shortly after a stunning WAC-opening win against defending champion Utah State, New Mexico State forward Wendell McKines went on his blog and called out the team's fans for being "frontrunners" and failing to pack the house.

McKines eventually apologized for that and his arrest on a warrant for unpaid fines, but also wrote, "I really feel like something special is going to happen this year."

Lo and behold, attendance is up in Las Cruces as the Aggies have won seven of eight following McKines' online meltdown, are sitting only a game behind Utah State in the standings and could be the sleeper of the conference tournament.

The Aggies' high-powered offense features five players who average double figures, led by guard Jahmar Young (20.9 ppg). McKines (11.7 ppg) and forward Troy Gillenwater (15 ppg) both began the season academically ineligible, and their returns have sparked the team.

Louisiana Tech started 5-0 in conference play, but eventually fell back when New Mexico State completed the season sweep last week at home in front of 5,549 on an unlikely play -- Hernst Laroche's game-winning jumper with 1.1 seconds left.

That leaves perennial postseason team Utah State at the top and gives New Mexico State at least a shot to make itself heard down the stretch.

Top Players


Paul George, G/F, Fresno State, So. -- How good he George? After missing four games with a severely sprained ankle, he dropped 30 on New Mexico State in his first game back last week.

Luke Babbitt, F, Nevada, So. -- The 6-foot-9 lefty leads the WAC with 9.6 rebounds per game and can score from all over the court, averaging 21.6 points per game.

Armon Johnson, G, Nevada, Jr. -- Johnson is the reigning WAC player of the week after scoring 23, including the game-winning bucket against Idaho, and leads the conference in assists.

Who's Hot

Adrian Oliver, G, San Jose State, Jr. -- The transfer from Washington poured in 28 points on Saturday against Utah State, the most by an Aggies opponent this season.

Mac Hopson, G, Idaho, Sr. -- In the three games since being suspended for a curfew violation, he's scored in double figures and had 20 in Saturday's win at Fresno State.

Magnum Rolle, C/F, Louisiana Tech, Sr. -- The 6-foot-11 transfer from LSU by way of the Bahamas has been especially dominant on the offensive glass.

Who's not

Hawaii -- Second-leading scorer Dwain Williams has been suspended indefinitely, and fourth-leading scorer Jeremy Lay is set to undergo season-ending hernia surgery, as the Warriors have lost seven straight.

Boise State -- The Broncos haven't won this month, but hope they can have better luck with upcoming nonconference opponents Cal State Bakersfield and UC Davis.

Idaho -- The Vandals' one-point loss to Nevada last week left coach Don Verlin declaring his team was no "doormat," complaining about the officiating and earning a reprimand from WAC conference commissioner Karl Benson.

Key games to watch

Feb. 20 -- Louisiana Tech at Northeastern: Utah State lost in Boston in November, so it'll be interesting to see if the Bulldogs can steal a BracketBuster win there.

Feb. 25 -- Nevada at San Jose State: Oliver and Babbitt, the conference's top two scorers, square off in what could be a high-scoring affair three nights after Oliver goes up against Seattle's Charles Garcia.

March 6 -- New Mexico State at Utah State: This could be the deciding game for the regular-season championship, but Utah State is riding a 21-game conference winning streak at the Spectrum.

Idaho coach Don Verlin wasn't in a great mood after Nevada guard Armon Johnson's three-point play with 2.9 seconds left led to a one-point Vandals loss.

Verlin's opening statement to the media after the heartbreaker at home dealt with the officiating, and you can see the video from Vandal Nation:

So Coach, tough loss, huh?

"Brutal. Absolutely brutal. A poorly officiated game. I don't care if the WAC fines me or not. That was a poorly officiated game.

"The WAC office will hear from me tomorrow. Like I told the people on the radio, Idaho is no longer a doormat. We're a contender in this league, and the officials need to figure it out."

Idaho is 3-8 in the WAC, entered the game in seventh place and stayed in seventh after the loss. The Vandals are 11-12 overall.