The University of Hawai'i men's basketball team just ran the Bulldogs out of town.

Now on to the top dogs.

The Rainbow Warriors will host nationally ranked Nevada tonight in a Western Athletic Conference game shrouded with intrigue.

Hawai'i defeated Fresno State, 83-66, on Thursday to improve to 10-6 overall and 1-2 in the conference. Nevada — ranked No. 19 in the Associated Press Top 25, and No. 15 in the ESPN/USA Today poll — is 15-1 and 3-0. The Wolf Pack is the three-time defending WAC champion.

"This is the best team we'll play all year," Hawai'i head coach Riley Wallace said. "So let's hope we have a good crowd and let's hope he plays."

"He" is Nick Fazekas, Nevada's national player of the year candidate.

Fazekas sprained his left ankle against Boise State on Monday, and did not play in Nevada's 72-63 victory at San Jose State on Thursday.

Nevada head coach Mark Fox squashed any speculation about Fazekas' status by simply stating last night: "Nick's not going to play."

Wallace, however, wasn't so sure, and the 'Bows are preparing as if Fazekas will play tonight.

"We have to be ready for him because we don't know for sure," Hawai'i senior center Ahmet Gueye said.

Fazekas, a 6-foot-11 senior forward, is averaging 20.3 points per game, and is second in NCAA Division I with 12.1 rebounds per game. He was named the WAC Player of the Year as a sophomore and junior.

Hawai'i defeated Nevada, 73-69 in overtime, last season in the Stan Sheriff Center, but Fazekas had 37 points and 15 rebounds in that game.

"If he plays, I'll have to guard him, and I know I have to play my best game," Gueye said. "He improved a lot from last year. He got bigger and he knows the game better."

Fazekas may be the alpha male of the Wolf Pack, but Nevada is still dangerous without him.

"They'd still be top two or three in the WAC," Wallace said.

Marcelus Kemp, a 6-5 junior, is averaging 19.7 points per game, and he scored 33 in the victory over San Jose State.

"Kemp will get more looks if Fazekas isn't there, and he showed that he can light it up, too," Wallace said.

Ramon Sessions, a 6-3 point guard, is contributing 12.9 points and 4.5 assists. David Ellis, a 7-1, 222-pound junior, started in place of Fazekas on Thursday.

Fox said Nevada will run the same schemes with or without Fazekas, in part because today will be the Wolf Pack's fourth game in eight days.

"(Fazekas) got hurt on Monday, and then we traveled to San Jose, so we haven't had time to change anything," Fox said.

Hawai'i is riding its own wave of confidence after dominating Fresno State.

"That was big-time," Gueye said. "Fresno is a great team, but we came out and everybody on the team played with confidence and was hitting shots. We just need to make sure we do it again."

Wallace is hoping Thursday's performance — and tonight's opponent — will encourage fans to participate in "Green and White Night." If all goes according to plan, half the arena will be dressed in green, and the other half will be dressed in white.

Nevada is Hawai'i's first nationally ranked opponent since Michigan State in last season's opener.

"It's an important conference game, and they're nationally ranked and deserving of it," Wallace said. "This is as big a game as there is for us this year."

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.