May 25th is a date that Huntington Beach (Calif.) high school linebacker Nolan Biegel will remember for a long time. Biegel, a hard-hitting, physical and very quick 6-foot-2, 220-pound defender that is especially impressive on film, landed his first scholarship offer from the University of Nevada. Silver and Blue Sports caught up with the Wolf Pack recruiting target after the word came down that he was on the board.
“Something has to give on this issue.” Thus spake Britton Banowsky, Commissioner of Conference-USA, on the smoldering subject of paying Division I student athletes. I agree. The thing that should be given is money, and the student athletes are to whom it should be given. You heard me correctly. The time has come to pay student athletes…in order to avoid professionalizing them.
One of the more enjoyable aspects of covering the future of Nevada athletics is the way that both Wolf Pack football and basketball have appealed to extremely talented, yet often underrated and under-ranked prospects across California. From recent NFL Draft selections like Colin Kaepernick and Virgil Green to the reigning WAC Hoops Freshman of the Year, Deonté Burton, there are numerous recruiting cases where Nevada signed players with elite ability.
Nevada found a recruiting gem in the state of Texas. As they continue to recruit a handful of prospects in the Lone Star state, one player who truly stands out on film is Fort Bend Bush high school defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah. An Associated Press 5A All-State Honorable Mention in 2010, Ogbah stands 6-foot-4, 230-pounds. Silver and Blue Sports recently put together a short highlight film of the Class of 2012 standout.
It had been a mediocre year for Nevada junior reliever Bryan Suarez, posting a 0-0 record with an ERA over 4.00 in just 11 innings up until Nevada’s regular season finale against San Jose State. However, after throwing 4 1/3 scoreless innings in relief of freshman starter Braden Shipley (pictured), Suarez not only picked up his first win of the year but gave Nevada a key win as they head to the WAC Tournament in Arizona.
Playing their final regular season doubleheader, Nevada won one and lost one in the final inning on Saturday in what was a playoff-type atmosphere in San Jose. Nevada stormed back from 5 runs down in both games late to make each contest razor tight, winning the finale by a final score of 7-6. Junior catcher Michael Turay played the hero with a suicide squeeze that ended up plating two runs in the top of the 9th to set-up what should be a thrilling Sunday affair between the Wolf Pack and the Spartans.
Hechuan, China – The REACH USA basketball team lost in its first exhibition game 77-75 to Atletas of Lithuania on a trip to China that is based on religious and educational experiences for 16 members of NCAA Division 1 basketball teams, including Los Angeles (Calif.) natives Malik Story and Devonte Elliott of the Nevada Wolf Pack. For Story, it is his second consecutive trip with the Reach USA team while Elliott is making his first trip to China.
Looking to the close the regular season on a strong note, Pack baseball hit the road for five straight road games to conclude the regular season. The first game, which was a make-up game against the WAC leading Fresno State Bulldogs on Thursday, resulted in a 7-1 loss. However, Nevada bounced back strong in San Jose. They ripped the Spartans to the tune of 11 runs and got 6 terrific innings from starter Tom Jameson. The sophomore hurler allowed just 6 hits, 0 walks and 1 run (0 earned) to move his record to 5-4 on the season.
When you can boast that your program is the only one in college football with over 12,000 rushing yards over the past three seasons and responsible for breaking two significant NCAA rushing records in the process, you are going to appeal to prep rushers across the country. Even if a young man has a handful of offers from major conference schools like Michigan, Arizona State and Utah, Nevada can get on your mind quick. Such is the case for Klein Oak high school running back E.J. Fatu, a sensational talent in the Lone Star state.
With 5 more games on the schedule, Nevada (20-27, 9-10 in the WAC) can’t quite even up their overall record. However, the Pack can rise up the conference standings. San Jose State currently sits just a half game ahead, and Nevada, which concludes their season with four games against the Spartans, could move as high as the No. 3 seed in the upcoming WAC Tournament at Mesa (Ariz.) Hohokam Stadium, which starts on May 25th.
Recent Comments