Nevada basketball is losing a two-time All-Mountain West selection to the transfer portal. The move comes a few days after head coach Steve Alford blasted the state of college basketball with NIL and the portal. The Wolf Pack just finished a trying season, which ended in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament. Now, the program will have to regroup this offseason after showing a ton of progress over the past few years under Alford.
The latest news will make Nevada basketball’s rise back to relevance more difficult than expected. According to National Basketball Reporter for On3Sports, Joe Tipton, forward Nick Davidson is entering the transfer portal. The 6-10 junior put up an average of 15.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game this season and has an offensive skillset that few players his size have. Davidson shot 37.1% from three-point range this season.
Steve Alford should be given the benefit of the doubt as he rebuilds Nevada basketball
Alford just finished up his sixth season coaching the Wolf Pack. Until this year, Nevada basketball was on an upward trajectory that was especially encouraging last year. The Wolf Pack went 26-8 overall in 2023-2024 and received a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament. While this group did suffer a disappointing first-round loss in March, it was clear that the program was trending in the right direction.
The Wolf Pack did lose several players from last year’s roster. However, 17-16 and 8-12 is not the standard Steve Alford set when walking into Reno. That being said, the college basketball legend has rebuilt programs before and has a track record of success as a coach in the Mountain West. Alford had a past tenure with New Mexico, where he led the Lobos to the top of the conference several times. New Mexico earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament twice during this time.
The Mountain West Conference has already established itself as a credible league that can get multiple bids into The Big Dance. But NIL and the transfer portal does have their cons for this program. Schools are in an arms race with one another as they scramble to both recruit and keep elite players. With the lack of regulation, it’s very easy for major programs to poach elite players from mid-majors.
Overall, Nevada basketball is still adjusting to this new era. While Steve Alford is frustrated by these changes, he’s shown his adaptability in the past. Even with Nick Davidson leaving, the Wolf Pack should have a much better season next year than this year.
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