By DARRELL MOODY
Appeal Staff Writer
FRESNO - If the WAC media gave out an award for the best post-game press conference, Nevada coach Trent Johnson would be a runaway winner.
Johnson, who has a dry sense of humor, has been known to poke fun at his own players. Comedians go for the laugh and really don't mean what they say. Johnson doesn't always try to be funny, but he does mean every word he utters even if it's in a joking manner.
When a reporter asked freshman center Nick Fazekas about his performance in his first WAC tournament game, the freshman said, "I felt all right. I felt pretty good."
Johnson looked over at Fazekas, and said to the media, "He's just ticked because he only got up eight shots." The freshman could only blush and grimace.
And then WAC Player of the Year Kirk Snyder came in for a little jousting from Johnson. Snyder was supposed to be involved in the post-game press conference, but was a no show.
A reported asked Johnson if Snyder was getting treatment on a nagging hip injury.
"Yeah, his hip and probably his brain, too," deadpanned Johnson.
The Nevada coach was referring to a play Snyder attempted early in the first half. Snyder, with two SMU defenders in the vicinity, threw the ball off the backboard to himself and was going to try a monster dunk. That attempt failed, but the Wolf Pack did score on the play on a putback by Fazekas for a 19-12 lead.
"It was not a good basketball play," Johnson said. "It's not entertainment to me. It's all about competition. It was not a solid basketball play."
Another thing that got Johnson's dander up was the way the Wolf Pack started the game. Kevinn Pinkney got beat downcourt for a transition dunk by Kris Lowe, and Fazekas either didn't switch when he was supposed to, or didn't allow Okeson to fight through a screen.
Bryan Hopkins missed the shot, and Nevada was near halfcourt when Johnson leaped off the bench and screamed for a timeout with the score tied at 2.
"I had a seizure; a headache," joked Johnson. "We didn't get off to a good start. I didn't like what I was seeing."
TODAY'S GAME:
This will be the third time Rice has played Nevada this year. The teams are tied at one win apiece. Nevada won the first meeting 101-76 at Lawlor back on Jan. 24, and the Owls bounced back with an 87-75 win in Houston on Feb. 18.
"Rice beat us the last time," said Johnson, who was a former Rice assistant. "We're looking forward to tomorrow. We'll watch the game (against Hawaii), make adjustments and be ready to play."
Rice coach Willis Wilson knows his team will have its hands full in the semifinal game.
"Nevada is a very good basketball team," Wilson said. "They are a reflection of their coach in terms of toughness and intensity. Trent is a heckuva coach. They don't waver under intense pressure. They're going to do what they're going to do. They don't change. Carolina and Duke don't change."
Wilson said he's concerned about Snyder and Okeson, both of whom played big roles in the quarterfinal win over SMU.
"We have to find a way to keep those two guys off balance," Wilson said.
"He (Snyder) is a tremendous basketball player all-around," Rice's Jason McKrieth said. "You always want to compete against the best."
HARRICK HAPPY
Jim Harrick Sr., former head coach at UCLA, Pepperdine, Rhode Island and Georgia, is happy with his new job as a scout with the Denver Nuggets.
"it's basketball in its purest form," Harrick said at Nevada's practice on Wednesday.
Harrick was in Fresno to take a close look at Snyder, and he's been impressed with the Wolf Pack junior. He said the Nuggets are looking for a big, athletic guard, and the 6-6 Snyder fills that bill.
Is Harrick interested in returning to the college ranks?
"It would have to be the right job," the veteran coach said.