INDIANAPOLIS - Kevinn Pinkney has always been a favorite of coach Mark Fox, and his play in Nevada's 71-59 loss to Illinois Saturday capped off a tremendous career.
Pinkney scored 22 points and pulled down 11 rebounds, probably one of the best games of his illustrious career.
Despite his personal success, Pinkney was disappointed with the loss, which is typical Pinkney.
"The ups would be that we got here again, and the downs would be losing," Pinkney said. "We practiced so hard for this. I'll remember this loss my whole life.
"Reno has been good to me. I am going to miss Reno. I've had a wonderful career. I'm taking time off from basketball. Everything happens for a reason. If I play somewhere okay. I have my education to fall back on."
Indeed he does, and that's one thing that makes Fox proud.
"Kevinn Pinkney is going to leave with a degree," Fox said. "I hope the University of Nevada has been as good for him as he has been for us. He has won more games than any player in Nevada history.
"He doesn't get much recognition from you guys (the media), but might have been our most valuable player more times than not. He's a beautiful person and he's what this whole experience should be all about. I just wish I could have done a better job for him."
Pinkney has been a member of Nevada teams that have produced 85 wins in the last four years, including 25 in each of the past two years.
PHILOSOPHICAL FAZEKAS
This has probably been the toughest three weeks in Nick Fazekas' basketball career.
After breaking his nose against Fresno State, the talented 6-11 sophomore has had trouble finding the basket. Considering how poorly he shot against Illini, it's a testament to the other players and the Pack's defense that the game was respectable.
"I couldn't get anything going again," he said. "It's frustrating for me, but happens to the best of us. Tonight is over and done with. We will take a few days off and get back at it."
Fazekas did score in double figures in all 31 Nevada games.
GETTING TECHNICAL
Fox was hit with his third technical foul of the season, according to Nevada stats.
It came with 1:34 left in the half, and Nevada trailing 30-25. Nevada had just turned the ball over at the other end of the court, and Fox was barking at John Higgins, who was closest to him at the time. Higgins warned Fox to stop, and then Ken Ditty, who was under the basket, T'd up Fox. James Augustine hit both free throws to make it 32-25.
When Fox was asked what kind of effect the technical had, he hesitated several moments before responding.
"Obviously not the right kind of effect," he said.
SOLID SCREEN
Pinkney knocked Dee Brown to the floor in the second half with a legal screen. Brown hit the deck like he ran into a brick wall.
"I saw it," Illini guard Deron Williams said. "I always get scared in situations like that because of what happened to me last year with my jaw. I always hope for the best, but expect the worst in those situations. Dee's all right."
DEEP UK BENCH
Kentucky used 13 players in the first half of its win over Cincinnati on Saturday. The reserves don't always score a lot, but they contribute in other ways.
"We feel like our bench is pretty critical," UK coach Tubby Smith said. "Even though they didn't score a lot of points, but we got valuable minutes from everybody that played. We like to keep fresh people in the game to keep pressure on, and that is critical to our style of play."
HIGH PRAISE
Cincinnati's Jason Maxiell finished his college career with nine points and four rebounds, as UK's defense did a nice job on him.
Cincy coach Bob Huggins compared Maxiell to former Cincy great and current NBA star Kenyon Martin, who attended Saturday's game.
"Max is a special guy," Huggins said. "I've said many times that he's a guy that I've never found fault with his work ethic. He's much like Kenyon Martin in that he's a great listener. Those are the two greatest listeners that I've ever coached. They listen, they try to do what you ask them to do and they give great effort every single day."
QUICK HITS
Illinois shot 53.1 percent this year, the highest of any Nevada opponent. That 53 percent mark was the 15th time that the Illini shot better than 50 percent from the floor ... The teams tied 32-all in the rebound battle, and the Pack finished 23-5 when tying or winning the battle of the boards ... The Wolf Pack dropped to 1-6 when they give up 70 or more points ... Illinois had 18 assists, improving to 20-0 when it has 15 or more assists in a game... When Cincinnati shot 32.8 percent from the floor, it marked the 63rd time in 64 games that Kentucky has held an opponent under 50 percent from the floor ... Conversely, Kentucky shot 51 percent from the floor, and in Tubby Smith's eight years, the Wildcats are 92-1 when that has happened.
Darrell Moody can be reached at dmoody@nevadaappeal.com, or by calling (775) 881-1281