Carp has earned everything at Nevada

RENO - Adam Carp isn't so sure he'll know what to do in the spotlight.

"It's really a weird feeling," said Carp, who will be honored on Saturday night when the Nevada Wolf Pack men's basketball team closes out its home schedule on Senior Night against the Boise State Broncos. "I really wasn't thinking about it too much until my mom called me and said she was coming to the game."

Carp has spent the vast majority of his time in a Wolf Pack uniform sitting at the end of the bench during games. He will, however, likely hear his name announced with the starting lineup on Saturday for the first time since he played at Clayton (Calif.) Valley High School.

"I think that's the plan," Carp smiled. "I hope so. Well see."

Head coach David Carter, who gave sixth man Ray Kraemer his only career start on Senior Night last year, wouldn't commit to the idea of starting Carp.

"We haven't really talked about it," Carter smiled. "But we probably will. Most likely."

A spot in the starting lineup would be a fitting reward for Carp, now in his fifth year in the Pack program. He has made just 35 appearances over the past four years for a total of 104 minutes on the floor, scoring a total of 25 points with 19 rebounds.

"Nothing was given to him," said Carter, whose Wolf Pack also will host Idaho tonight and Boise on Saturday at home. "Everything he's gotten, he's earned."

Carp is the last link to the glory years (2004-07) when the Pack went to four NCAA Tournaments in four years. Carp was a red-shirt freshman in 2006-07 when senior Nick Fazekas and junior Ramon Sessions led the Pack to its last NCAA Tournament in that fabulous run.

"My first year, being on a nationally ranked team and going to the NCAA Tournament, that was a big accomplishment," the 22-year-old northern California native said. "I learned so much from those guys, seeing how they handled themselves."

Carp says he has tried to tell his young teammates of all the great players he has played with at Nevada. He came to Nevada along with fellow freshmen JaVale McGee, Brandon Fields, Matt LaGrone, Richie Phillips and Tyrone Hansen.

"I tell the guys, 'Do you know who I came in here with?'" Carp said. "They just look at me and say, 'Who? Who?' They don't know. It's been so long ago."

Carp, who came to Nevada as a walk-on at 6-foot-7, 188 pounds (he is now 215 pounds), knew right from the start that he wouldn't likely see a ton of playing time in his Wolf Pack career.

"When I came in here I wasn't promised any playing time," he said. "I came in knowing I'd mainly be a practice player. But that was all right. I loved the tradition here. I wanted to be a part of it. I could have gone somewhere else and played more but I wanted to be here.

"And I took my role very seriously."

Curry Lynch, who also rarely came off the bench in his Pack career, was a junior when Carp came to Nevada.

"Curry Lynch taught me so much about my role," Carp said. "He really helped me with the mental side of things. He showed me how my role is very important because I can help make players better.

"It was by no means easy. Everybody wants to play 40 minutes a game if they could. But I was always willing to sacrifice myself for the good of the team. My goal was never greater playing time. My goal was always just to win games."

Carp has taken on the role of elder statesman on this year's young Wolf Pack team.

"My first few years I was real quiet," Carp said. "I didn't say much. But as I've become more comfortable and learned how I can help guys in practice, I've become more vocal. All these guys have been very receptive to me. It's a great group of guys."

The youngsters poke fun at the old guy.

"I think they call him Abe Lincoln," Carter said. "But they all respect him so much. He's been a very positive influence on our young guys."

"Adam has been great," said Pack freshman point guard Deonte Burton. "We all tease him, telling him he's the old guy. But he's really been a great mentor to all of us."

Carp, who is currently working on his Master's degree in educational leadership (he would like to be an athletic director someday), is the only active senior on the roster. Senior Illiwa Baldwin was suspended from the team this year for academic reasons but still practices with the team.

"Adam has been a classic example of the student athlete," Carter said. "He's a model citizen for this program."