1,000 Words: My 10 favorite Pack players to cover during my first decade

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After a two-week break for the holiday season, the RGJ's Chris Murray, Duke Ritenhouse and Jim Krajewski discuss Nevada basketball, prep sports and the national cyclocross championships in Reno this week. Chris Murray/RGJ

Reno Gazette-Journal columnist Chris Murray has been known to be a bit wordy, so we're giving him 1,000 words (no more than that) to share his thoughts from the week that was in the world of sports.

* THIS WOLF PACK BASKETBALL SEASON marks my 10th covering the team, a run that started with Luke Babbitt’s freshman season in 2008-09 and includes three head coaches and 65 players. Here are my 10 favorite players to cover during that decade, a list that includes: (a) players whose games I've enjoyed watching; (b) players I’ve enjoyed talking to; or (c) players who have brought something different to the Wolf Pack. This is not a list of the best players I've covered. The players are listed in alphabetical order.

* LUKE BABBITT: You could argue whether or not Babbitt is the best player in school history, but there is little argument over whether he was the best offensive player the Wolf Pack has ever had (he is). Babbitt’s 5.4 offensive win shares his sophomore season is a Wolf Pack record (and he did it as a sophomore). It’s a shame Babbitt didn't play with a stronger supporting cast like Nick Fazekas did. He could have thrived on the national stage in the NCAA Tournament. Watching his offensive versatility was a treat.

* DEONTE BURTON: Pound for pound, Nevada has never had a more exciting player than Burton, who was just 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds but was Mr. Electric during his four seasons at Nevada (he’s another guy who could have used a stronger supporting cast). Some of Burton’s dunks were unbelievable and he hit more game-winning shots in the final minute than any Wolf Pack player ever. I’ll never forget Burton’s 24-point, 11-assist, eight-rebound game in a comeback win over UNLV during his senior night.

* JORDAN CAROLINE: Has any Wolf Pack player played harder than Caroline? Unlikely. He might get tired, but he doesn’t show it. Caroline’s game is “bull in a china shop” to some degree, but it’s still fun to watch. At least once a game he’ll pass the ball off the rim or backboard to himself for a putback. He has an excellent first burst, which gives him an edge against taller players, and Caroline has shown he’s not afraid of the big stage (MVP of last year’s MW Tournament; a big game in the NCAA Tournament). 

* TYRON CRISWELL: You have to love players who get the most out of their talent. That’s what Criswell did during his two seasons at Nevada. He was a 6-4 power forward whose shot developed a weird hitch before his senior season, but he still found a way to be productive. He was the heart and soul of the Wolf Pack’s CBI championship team and showed that, despite some physical and/or skill limitations, you can still achieve big things in college with work ethic, effort and a strong love for your chosen sport.

* DARIO HUNT: It’s pretty cool when your all-time blocks leader is only 6-8 like Hunt (and that was probably a generous listing). Hunt’s 270 career blocks are a school record and as a journalist it was enjoyable to watch Hunt go from somebody who was apprehensive in opening up around media as a freshman get to the point where he was a leader, team captain and unofficial spokesperson for the team by his senior season. There’s growth on the court but also growth in personal development in college.

* CODY MARTIN: Twin brother, Caleb, has typically been the headliner as these two grew up, so let’s give some love to the other (and technically older) brother. Cody Martin’s game is unique in its versatility. He’s averaging better than 13 points, six rebounds, four assists, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 50 percent from the field. Only one player has done that over an entire college season in the last 25 years. I like players who can do more than one thing. Martin epitomizes that.

* CAMERON OLIVER: Here is a list of college players since 1992 to block at least 90 shots and make at least 60 3-pointers in a season: Cameron Oliver. The end. He was a rare talent who, like many rare talents who have passed through Nevada, didn’t make it to his senior season before turning pro. Fans questioned Oliver’s motor, and rightfully so, but his athleticism and dunking ability were unbelievable. He was like a 6-9 version of Burton. He was good for at least one jaw-dropping play a game.

* MALIK STORY: A shooter has to shoot, and Malik Story was a tongue-waging shooter. The school’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made – he made 253 in just three seasons – Story did not discriminate when it came to distance. He would often pull up from 27-plus feet away and let it fly. While shot selection was an issue at times, he could catch fire (he had 25 games with at least four threes made). Nevada has had similar shooters in recent years in Marcus Marshall and Kendall Stephens, but Story’s range was ridiculous.

* CHARLIE TOOLEY: Everybody loves a walk-on, and Tooley has been Nevada’s best during my decade on the job. He’s a solid player who could play regular minutes at a Big Sky, Big West or WCC school. Instead, he fights for scraps (but always gets a big ovation from the home fans) at Nevada. Tooley’s 3-pointer to spark Nevada’s miracle comeback at New Mexico will go down in Wolf Pack lore. He’s only played 49 minutes in his college career, but he’s made 5-of-9 threes, with one that’ll be historically remembered.

* AJ WEST: West only played one full season at Nevada and logged 61 games over three years, but he left his mark in a few ways. He was a crazy offensive rebounder (he averaged 5.9 per game in his one full season) and excellent shot blocker, but he confounded coaches with his lack of attention to detail. From a reporter’s standpoint, it was interesting to watch that tension, which eventually came to a head when West left the team 10 games into the Eric Musselman tenure. He was a complicated player to coach.

* THE FOUR-YEAR GUYS: You might have noticed but only two of the 10 players listed above were four-year players at Nevada. Those have become increasingly rare in college as transfer numbers have sky-rocketed (and Musselman and the Wolf Pack have been smart to capitalize). But, there’s something special about a four-year player, especially as a reporter who gets to cover them from the day they commit as 17-year-olds to the time they have their senior day five years later knowing they stuck through the lean times to enjoy the successes. So, guys like Marqueze Coleman, D.J. Fenner, Jerry Evans Jr. (as well as Burton and Hunt above) and Lindsey Drew down the road hold a special place.

Columnist Chris Murray provides insight on Northern Nevada sports. Contact him at cmurray@rgj.com or follow him on Twitter @MurrayRGJ.