Pinkney is leader of the Pack

"Everyone says that about me," Pinkney said recently. "I just don't go around all day with a smile on my face. I'm a laid-back guy. I like to have fun."

Mark Fox, Nevada's first-year head coach, can attest to that.

On Nevada's road trip to Toledo back in December, the bus driver was lost. Fox got a text message on his cell phone. It was Pinkney, who was sitting back in the bus.

"He wanted to make sure we made it in time for Midnight Madness," Fox said, a smile on his face. "He's the team clown, no doubt."

Pinkney said his favorite comedians are Martin Lawrence and Will Smith.

"Everything they do is funny to me," Pinkney said. "The little things they do are extremely funny to me."

His sense of humor is strictly off-the-court stuff.

Between the lines, Pinkney is all business. Save for a four-point effort at Kansas, he's been a model of consistency. He has 10 double-doubles (points and rebounds) this year and has 33 in his career, including a 25-point, 10-rebound effort at Toledo.

"He's played well, but I don't think this is the best he can play," Fox said. "Kevinn Pinkney is a winner. He does a lot of the little things that translate into success."

That's what nearly every coach around the Western Athletic Conference sees when they go against the Wolf Pack. They see his grit, desire and workmanlike effort. He dives for loose balls and hurdles over the baseline to save errant passes. He's blue-collar all the way, and basketball coaches love that.

"He's a combination player," SMU coach Jimmy Tubbs said. "He's blue-collar, and he has skills. He means so much to his basketball team."

Rice's Willis Wilson marvels at Pinkney's rebounding abilities.

"They (Pinkney and Nick Fazekas) know how to stretch themselves," he said. "Kevinn Pinkney does that as well as anybody. It allows them to catch the ball (rebound) with two hands."

The Wolf Pack co-captain came out of nowhere last year and showed the nation what he was all about during Nevada's three-game run in the NCAA Tournament.

Pinkney scored 13 points and grabbed two rebounds against Michigan State, followed that up with 20 points and eight rebounds against Gonzaga and added eight points and eight rebounds in a loss to Georgia Tech. When it was over, he had averaged 13.7 points and shot 69.6 from the field in three tournament games.

"I think, without a doubt, that I opened some eyes," he said. "My confidence level was extremely high. I was doing all I could do to get victory for the team."

Until this season, Pinkney had labored in relative obscurity throughout his career at Nevada. The last couple of years, he's been overshadowed by guys like Kirk Snyder, Todd Okeson and Gary Hill-Thomas. He's a team guy first, but he takes great pride in being one of Nevada's go-to guys.

"It was just like in high school," Pinkney said. "I wasn't highly recruited."

And, make no mistake about it, Pinkney is team first and personal goals after that.

In a recent game against Louisiana Tech, Fox gave him the task of keeping Paul Millsap in check. Millsap did grab nine rebounds (three under his average) and scored 13 points (six under his average), but except for a brief period in the second half, the Bulldog star wasn't a factor in Nevada's 64-51 road win.

Pinkney only had six points and four rebounds, but Fox said the senior co-captain was the MVP of the game.

Pinkney's work ethic is exemplary - even in practice. He doesn't loaf. It's 100 percent effort each and every minute.

"I got that from my dad," Pinkney said. "He was always a hard worker. I got it from Cory Jackson in my freshman year. He told me little things, and told me to be the best player I could be, and that if I did it right in practice I would do it right in games."

Pinkney admitted he has aspirations to play at the next level, whether it be the NBA or internationally. He's put on 15 pounds (up to 245) this year, and that's helped him deal with the bigger players around the WAC. It certainly won't hurt him if he goes beyond Nevada.

"I would love to play at the next level," Pinkney said. "It would be great. You're playing against men at that level.

"I have to be able to make open shots and force people to come out and guard me. I can score with my back to the basket, but I have to show people I can do more than one or two things."

The NBA is in the back of his mind for now. Pinkney is worried about the rest of the season and leading Nevada back into the NCAA Tournament. Still you can't blame him for thinking about the future.

"A lot of people think that he can make it," Fox said. "I know I'd like to have him on my team."

n Darrell Moody can be reached at dmoody@nevadaappeal.com, or by calling 881-1281.