Dreams do come true. Just ask Curry Lynch, who is living his dream as a member of the University of Nevada men's basketball team.
It doesn't matter that Lynch is a redshirt freshman who rides the bench and rarely plays. For the 2003 Virginia City graduate, he's made it to the promised land.
And Lynch is in rare company. He's really the first player from this area to play for the Wolf Pack since Carson High's Mike Longero was a letter winner between 1975 and 1979.
"It means a lot to me," said Lynch about being a member of the Wolf Pack. "It's been something I wanted to do ever since I could remember. It's a dream come true for me. I'm having a blast."
Lynch was given the chance to be a preferred walk-on, meaning he would be guaranteed a spot on the roster, by former Wolf Pack coach Trent Johnson. Lynch redshirted last year.
While he practiced with the team, he technically wasn't part of the roster and didn't travel with the club as it advanced to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16.
"It was good to watch but also hard because I wasn't there," said Lynch about watching his teammates in the NCAA Tournament.
And Lynch said he still felt like he was a part of last year's tournament run "even though it was minimal. Being part of it was a blast."
Lynch also has no doubt that he was right to redshirt last season. "I have no regrets," he said. "I wasn't ready to play at this level, yet."
But he's on the roster this year and he has a chance to make that trip to the NCAA Tournament that he didn't have last season. The Wolf Pack could be heading to a second straight trip to March Madness.
Going into today's game at Tulsa, the Wolf Pack are 12-4 and tied for first in the Western Athletic Conference at 5-1. Lynch said he takes pride in that record since it's his work at practice that's played at least a little part in making it happen.
Lynch fills the point guard, off guard and small forward spots at practice. He said his job is "just try to make the other guys better. I'm there to do whatever the coaches want me to do."
By his junior or senior year, Lynch said he hopes to "get good enough to where I'm able to play a bigger role. That's my ultimate goal."
So far, Lynch has seen action in eight games, averaging 7.4 minutes a game. His stats are minimal (two points, four assists, one steal, two rebounds for the season), but Lynch said he's happy with where he's come in the program.
"I definitely feel like I played a part of it," said Lynch about the team's success this year. "Even if I'm the 10th guy, I'm still a part of it."
He also still has a soft spot in his heart for Johnson, who left to become Stanford's coach.
"I have nothing but admiration for him," Lynch said. "I think he's a great guy. I completely understand why he would leave."
Lynch said he continues to follow Johnson closely at Stanford. He also said the adjustment to first-year coach Mark Fox has been smooth.
"Coach Fox is great," Lynch said. "We haven't changed much from the coach Johnson days. I respond well to the way he coaches."
Even though Lynch sees little action, Virginia City takes great pride in one of their own being part of the Wolf Pack.
"There's always a bunch of people there," said Lynch about those from Virginia City coming to the games. "I get calls all the time from people checking on me."
The Virginia City boys and girls basketball teams were there to watch when Nevada recently hosted UTEP.
Lynch also takes pride in representing Virginia City. "You just feel good about it," he said.
Charles Whisnand is the Nevada Appeal Sports Editor. Contact him at cwhisnand@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1214.