Nevada Sports Net’s Chris Murray will break down each of Nevada’s 13 scholarship players prior to the Wolf Pack basketball team’s season opener Nov. 4 against Louisiana Tech. We will count the players down in alphabetical order using their last names. Today’s player: Joel Armotrading.

Joel Armotrading

Class: Senior

Number: 21

Position: Center

Height/weight: 6-10/244

Hometown: London

2024-25 stats: Averaged 5.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg and 1.2 bpg in 21.9 mpg over 33 games (31 starts), shooting 60.2 percent from the field and 73.6 percent from the free throw line (at UC Riverside)

Likely role: Like a couple of Nevada players, Armotrading is only eligible this season because of the NCAA’s temporary one-year exemption for former junior-college players. He spent three seasons at the College of Southern Idaho before one year at Cal Poly and last season at UC Riverside. That makes this the London native’s sixth college season, and he should play a big role for Nevada. Armotrading is one of two potential starters at center for Nevada, the other being Jeriah Coleman, who in four Division I seasons has yet to earn a big role. That seems to make Armotrading the odds-on favorite to start at center for Nevada, with that being a position of weakness since the Warren Washington/Will Baker days. Armotrading is a meat-and-potatoes big who will rebound and protect the rim. His 16.8 total rebound rate last season who have led Nevada rotation players (Justin McBride was first at 14.2 percent). His 6.6 career block rate also would have led the Wolf Pack. Armotrading made 60.2 percent of his shots last season on limited attempts (3.9 per game). He showed good touch outside the paint, making 21-of-46 “far twos” (45.7 percent). While Armotrading won’t be an All-MW player, he should be a key piece for Nevada as an above-average player on defense and offense a season ago, albeit in the Big West.

You can watch our video player preview below.

Sports columnist Chris Murray provides insight on Northern Nevada sports. Contact him at crmurray@sbgtv.com or follow him on Twitter @ByChrisMurray.