With the 2019 NCAA tourney tipping off next month, we will spend this month taking a walk down memory lane with a choice collection of players/coaches who are celebrating an awesome anniversary this year. From a comeback win to clinch the 1954 tourney title (65th anniversary) through a last-second loss in the 2014 Final 4 (5th anniversary), these legends have all carved out a little piece of history in past Marches. We continue our series with Nick Fazekas, who is a reminder that Nevada was good at basketball long before their run to the Sweet 16 last March. Nick played in Reno from 2003-2007, where he won 3 straight WAC POY awards and helped lead his team to 4 straight NCAA tourney appearances (going 4-4 in his postseason career). 2004 was especially sweet, as Nevada beat a couple of decent coaches in Tom Izzo/Mark Few before losing to Georgia Tech. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Nevada senior associate athletics director/senior woman administrator Rhonda Bennett about the 15th anniversary of the Wolfpack’s 2004 run to the Sweet 16 as well as Nick’s impact on the program.
Nick’s grandfather Albert was a freedom fighter in the 1956 Hungarian Revolution who escaped from prison after pouring gasoline on himself, and his father Joe (who is 6’10”) played professional basketball in Argentina after college ball at Wyoming/Idaho State: what did his grandfather teach him about courage, and what did his father teach him about basketball? You hit the nail on the head! I think that he learned perseverance/courage and got his work ethic from his family. Basketball was very important to him and it prepared him for opportunities after college.
In the 2004 NCAA tourney at Nevada he scored 12 PTS in a 6-PT win over Michigan State and 16 PTS/10 REB in a win over Gonzaga: did you start to get the sense that the team was going to make a deep run in the tourney? I was watching from afar but I knew Coach Mark Fox. We saw that Nick was a special player who had the presence to hit big shots against some of the top teams in the nation.
Take me through the 2005 NCAA tourney:
Despite having a broken nose he had 10 PTS and a tourney-school record 13 REB in a 4-PT win over Texas: how was he able to hit the boards so hard without re-injuring his nose? Just determination and timing and having the all-out effort needed at that time of the year.
He scored 11 PTS (5-20 FG) in a loss to eventual national runner-up Illinois: was he getting tired of running into the 2nd best team in the nation each year (in 2004 they lost to eventual national runner-up Georgia Tech)? The attitude of the team was that they would play anyone/anytime/anywhere.
He declared early for the 2006 NBA draft but did not hire an agent and eventually returned for his senior year: how close did he come to going pro, and why did he decide to go back to school? I know that he got all of the information, talked to his family/coaches, and decided to return. Pro basketball was always his goal but I think that he made the educated decision to return.
Take me through the 2007 NCAA tourney:
He had 17 PTS/11 REB/4 BLK before fouling out in a 6-PT OT win over Creighton: did you think that Nate Funk’s shot was going in at the end of regulation? I remember that game being so intense from opening tip to final buzzer and that anything could happen.
He had 20 PTS/3 BLK in a loss to Memphis: what was the reaction like in your locker room afterwards? Everyone was understandably devastated: it was such a close game for a long time and we played our hearts out. When your expectation is to make the Sweet 16 it is difficult when it finally ends. We had such a fantastic season: top-10 ranking, school record for wins, etc.
He remains the school’s all-time leading scorer: did you realize at the time how prolific a player he was, and do you think that anyone will ever break his record? I think that we both realized that: as SID I recall him doing things that were record-breaking. We have some great players now so I would not be surprised if someone broke his record…but I do not think that having 4 great seasons happens very often these days.
He won 3 straight WAC POY awards from 2005-2007 (a feat only matched by Keith Van Horn), was a 2-time All-American, and became only the 6th college player ever with 2000 PTS/1000 REB/50 FG%/80 FT% (Rick Barry/Larry Bird/Bill Bradley/Christian Laettner/Keith Van Horn): what did it mean to him to receive such outstanding honors and be in such prestigious company? Nick was in a very elite class based on his consistency. It made Nick very proud to have his name on a list with those legends of basketball. He had a sense of history so it was a special thing for him. He is a student of the game and knew a lot about past players.
He shot 43.1 3P% as a 6’11” senior: how did he develop such a good long-range shot despite being so tall? You do not see too many 6”11” players who are that versatile/skilled. He works really hard and has a nice shooting touch/great hands. He prided himself on being able to spot up and make threes. When people crowded him in the paint he could still step outside and produce.
In the summer of 2007 he was drafted in the 2nd round by Dallas (1 spot ahead of Glen “Big Baby” Davis) and has spent the past decade playing pro basketball in the US and overseas: how proud are you of all that he has accomplished? I enjoyed working with Nick a great deal and am very proud of everything that he has been able to accomplish. Pro careers are often short-lived but he has won championships overseas as well as personal accolades. It did not surprise me 1 bit as he is fulfilling his lifelong dream to play pro basketball.
When people look back on his career, how do you think that he should be remembered the most? As 1 of the best and most decorated players in school history, because he was. He helped build the foundation of our program: WAC titles, 4 straight NCAA tourneys, etc. He helped put our program on the map and helped us build our legacy.