UNLV Basketball

Anthony Bennett, a top-10 recruit in the class of 2012, has narrowed his list of schools down to UNLV and Oregon after eliminating Kentucky last night. 

The news comes from Adam Zagoria, via Twitter: 

Breaking -- Bennett Eliminates Kentucky; Down to UNLV, Oregon zagsblog.com/2012/05/06/ben…

— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) May 7, 2012

Back in April I wrote that UNLV was the favorite for Bennett, and although I was way off on Florida, Kentucky, and Oregon's potential chances for the star power forward, the Runnin' Rebels are still the favorites.

If I had to put a percentage on it, I would say 75/25 UNLV. Let's take a look at why. 

UNLV

Bennett is originally from Canada, but he currently attends Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nevada, which is about 30 minutes away from Las Vegas. 

If Bennett wants to stay home, UNLV is the clear choice.

And second-of-ly, Bennett's good friend and fellow Canadian Khem Birch just transferred to UNLV. Not only would he get to play with his buddy, but Bennett, along with Birch and Mike Moser, would form the best—and most exciting—frontcourt in the country.

I'm not going to make any direct comparisons, because I might get shot for that, but that's a squad that could conceivably bring UNLV back to the Larry Johnson days in terms of how fun that team was to watch. 

Finally, the Runnin' Rebels play the perfect style for Bennett. Much like their namesake says, UNLV likes to run and get in transition. Bennett is a big boy at 6-foot-7, 230 pounds, and he can certainly bang inside, but his strengths are running the floor, being athletic, and shooting the 3. 

This just seems like a match made in gambling heaven. 

Oregon

Never, ever, underestimate the power of being the Nike capital of colleges, especially on young, impressionable kids. 

These kids love the apparel, and Oregon can provide a lot of it.

What the Ducks also have going for them is Dominic Artis. Bennett's high-school teammate and point guard has already committed to Oregon and is likely in Bennett's ear every day. In fact, I'm sure Artis is the reason Oregon has already made it this far.

Bennett has already made two shockers by dropping Florida early and then Kentucky. He could be setting us up for another shocker when he picks Oregon. 

Just don't bet on it. 

Follow @t_keen

Fresh off a 21-point MVP performance in the McDonald's All-American Game, small forward and ESPNU No. 2 prospect Shabazz Muhammad is an awfully hot commodity. Muhammad is so in demand that he trimmed his list of college choices down to three, but he made a major error in omitting UNLV.

According to Ray Brewer of the Las Vegas Sun, Muhammad, a Las Vegas native, dropped UNLV from consideration and is now trying to decide between Duke, Kentucky and UCLA. It may not have seemed like UNLV was a legitimate candidate from the start, but I ultimately believe it was Muhammad's best option.

Don't get me wrong, Muhammad is going to get more exposure at Duke, Kentucky or UCLA since they are higher-profile programs, but UNLV has a great history as well and is a perennial NCAA tournament team in its own right.

All three of Muhammad's final choices have shown that they are capable of showcasing a freshman, but there wouldn't be any question about Muhammad being the main guy at UNLV. I don't want to speak for Muhammad as I'm not sure of his intentions, but if he plans to be a one-and-done player who enters the NBA after one collegiate season, UNLV would have been a fine choice.

There is also a strong possibility that UNLV could land another top recruit in power forward Anthony Bennett. Although Bennett currently resides in the Las Vegas area, he is originally from Canada and that has given him a strong UNLV connection.

Fellow Canadian Khem Birch is a close friend of Bennett as they played together in Canada, according to Brewer. Birch has transferred from Pittsburgh to UNLV and has regularly tried to recruit Bennett to play for the Rebels. UNLV seems to have a legitimate shot to land Bennett, and that would have given Muhammad an elite running mate.

With Muhammad and Bennett in the fold, the Rebels could easily have been a top-10 team in 2012-13 provided both players lived up to their immense potential. The Rebels were able to beat North Carolina this past season, so they already had a solid group of players to begin with. Unfortunately for UNLV, I feel like its affiliation with the Mountain West Conference clouded that for Muhammad.

Regardless of where Muhammad ends up, NBA scouts are going to take notice, so they most definitely would have been following him as much at UNLV as they will at Duke, Kentucky or UCLA. UNLV also figures to have a much easier schedule than those other teams, so the potential for Muhammad to put up eye-popping statistics were there.

Perhaps Muhammad just feels the need to leave his home base and explore another area of the country like many people his age do, but I have to say that the ideal landing spot was right in his backyard. If Bennett wants to win a National Championship, then he might have made the right choice, but if he wanted to be showcased, then UNLV was the place for him.

Muhammad had an opportunity to make UNLV one of the premier programs in college basketball much like it was in the early 1990s, and while that may not have counted for much, it would have been a really good thing for college basketball.

The Runnin' Rebels of UNLV snagged a No. 6 seed in the South region and will be going head to head against the No.11 seeded Colorado Buffaloes in the opening round of the 2012 NCAA tourney.

A spark has lit the fuse causing the Buffaloes to stampede. After winning four straight games in the PAC-12 tournament, Colorado snatched up the conference title, which earned them a spot in the NCAA tourney. In terms of the win/loss column, the Buffaloes have a respectable record of 23-11.

Two Colorado players to watch out for are Andre Roberson and Carlon Brown. Roberson averages a double-double with 11.6 points per game and 11.1 rebounds per game. Brown chips in with 12.6 points per game for the Buffalo. With this duo competing, Colorado has a shot at taking a swipe at UNLV.

The Runnin' Rebels will have their hands full with Colorado, but should be able to hold off and ease the stampede. With Mike Moser's 14.1 points per game and 10.6 rebounds per game, he will help lead the Rebs. Although don't factor out Chace Stanback (12.7 points per game), Anthony Marshall (12.1 points per game), and Oscar Bellfield (9.8 points and 5.9 assists per game) to help contribute.

Three UNLV Keys to Victory:

• Crash the boards (no more easy offensive rebounds for opponent)
• Consistently knock down the 3 ball
• Speed up the tempo
• Work inside and then out to the perimeter offensively
• Work offense through Moser
• Get Stanback, Marshall, and Bellfield involved in offensive quickly

Prediction:

Colorado will hang for awhile but fade at the end. The Runnin' Rebels have too much talent and will outlast the Buffalo of Colorado.

UNLV 72 Colorado 57

Another action-packed season has been produced from the Mountain West Conference. Last season, had the conference at top notch with the likes of Jimmer Fredette's BYU Cougars, Kawhi Leonard and San Diego State, with UNLV always running with the pack. 

This season has seen the exit of a few teams (BYU and Utah), but certainly has not lacked excitement. With tourney bids at stake, the teams took turns in first place, as it was left for grabs entering the last game of the season. San Diego State eventually gained first place in conference to snag the top seed in the tournament.  

The flashing lights of the Las Vegas strip will welcome the Mountain West teams as the Thomas & Mack Center will host the games.

The Matchups:

1) San Diego State Aztecs vs. 8) Boise State

SDSU should have no problem taking care of the new team into conference. 

4) Colorado State Rams vs. 5) TCU

With a strong season, the Rams are in deep consideration for an at-large tourney bid, but a first round loss would kill hopes. 

2) New Mexico Lobos vs. 7) Air Force Falcons

Air Force will allow the Lobos to fly as New Mexico easily snags a victory.  

3) UNLV vs. 6) Wyoming

UNLV is "on the road" for the whole tournament. The Runnin' Rebels are perfect in the Thomas & Mack Center. 

Semifinals

1) San Diego State vs. 4) Colorado State

Colorado St. has proven the ability to compete. Look for a thrilling game, but slight advantage to the Aztecs. 

2) New Mexico vs. 3) UNLV

Remember UNLV is unbeaten in Las Vegas. They are playing on their home court. Also, the Rebels already beat New Mexico. 

Finals

1) San Diego State vs. 3) UNLV

A tough match between these two is brewing. The two games were split with the advantage going to the home team by a margin of two points. Despite San Diego wearing the home white jerseys, the advantage is in favor of the Runnin' Rebels of Las Vegas on their home court!

The Mountain West certainly is the wild west, and has some sure fire excitement packed in the upcoming days.  Soon, we will see how San Diego, New Mexico, UNLV and Colorado State will shake up in the conference and for the remainder of March!

Cinderella Madness

WhatIfSports.com and CollegeHoops.net have partnered up to bring you Cinderella Madness 2012.

This college basketball simulation tournament features 16 of the most memorable Cinderella stories from the past eight seasons. We invited teams outside the Big Six conferences, seeded 7th or lower that advanced to the Sweet 16 or beyond in their bracket to participate.

Utilizing our award-winning college basketball simulation engine, we "played" each matchup 501 times.

View the 16-team Cinderella Madness bracket

The mere mention of Georgetown's Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje excites college basketball fanatics as he does possess one of the catchiest names of all-time. The seven-foot, 260-pound post player paved the way for two other big men of Cameroonian descent to leave their mark during the 2007 NCAA Tournament.

UCLA's Luc Richard Mbah a Moute may have led his Bruins to the Final Four that season, but on this day and in this game, UNLV's Gaston Essengue experienced his one shining moment.

Held to only two points the entire second half, Essengue connected on a jumper in the game's final seconds to hand his Rebels a 72-70 win and punch their ticket to the Cinderella Madness title game.

Wendell White led the Rebels with 16 points, while Joey Rodriguez finished with 16 for the Rams in the loss.

Player of the game: Kevin Kruger (15 points, 8 assists, 3 steals)

Winning Percentage of 501 Simulations: '07 UNLV 51.9% - '11 VCU 48.1%

The Mountain West Conference has offered an interesting storyline for the men’s basketball season.  Between UNLV, San Diego State and New Mexico (despite the drop in competitiveness compared to last season) the conference still has much to offer.

The gleaming lights of Fremont Street and the strip aren’t the only flashy game from the Las Vegas area.  The UNLV Runnin’ Rebels have shined this season, bringing hope to the Vegas area of making it past the first round of the NCAA tournament and bringing it closer to another championship. 

The Rebels have had a strong season, yet are they truly a contender for a run in March or are they a fluke team no better than previous years?

The Runnin’ Rebels of Las Vegas ripped through the conference play, only dropping two games.  With losses on the road against a strong Wichita State and Wisconsin during non-conference play, the games were outweighed with wins over a No. 1 (at the time) North Carolina, Nevada and No. 19 (at the time) Illinois. The win over the fighting Illini dashed the first mark in the loss column for the Big Ten university.

With a strong run and a record of 16-2, the Rebels entered Mountain West Conference play with a loss to San Diego State.  UNLV snagged the next five games in convincing fashion, even winning over the conference favorite, New Mexico Lobos. 

After the string of victories, a two-point loss to Wyoming started the demise of the Vegas squad.  Despite the two-point victory over San Diego, an overtime loss to TCU and a 20-point blowout to New Mexico followed which shoved the Rebels to second place in the conference.

The next step for the Rebels to regain ground is to win the remaining scheduled conference games.  Only one road game against Colorado State and one home game at the Thomas & Mack Center with Wyoming remains. 

After the last conference games, the task of winning the conference tournament is at stake.  With the Thomas & Mack Center hosting the Mountain West teams, UNLV should remain perfect on the home court. 

With a recent loss for New Mexico, the conference has turned tides going into a three-way tie for first place between UNLV, San Diego State and New Mexico. If everything goes as plan, UNLV could snag the top seed entering the tournament due to a home record.

Unfortunately, with the slide late in the season it is unsure what squad will show up to the games.  Will the team who beat UNC early in the season strike or will the team who lost to TCU and was blown out by New Mexico return to the court? 

Only time will tell, but it is safe to say that the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels will turn it up a notch just in time to compete far in March.

Cinderella Madness

WhatIfSports.com and CollegeHoops.net have partnered up to bring you Cinderella Madness 2012.

This college basketball simulation tournament features 16 of the most memorable Cinderella stories from the past eight seasons. We invited teams outside the Big Six conferences, seeded 7th or lower that advanced to the Sweet 16 or beyond in their bracket to participate.

Utilizing our award-winning college basketball simulation engine, we "played" each match-up 501 times.

View the 16-team Cinderella Madness bracket.

2006-07 UNLV: The three-guard lineup that Lon Kruger was able to rely on was a special trio, made up of his son Kevin, Wink Adams and Wendell White on the wing. All three averaged between 13.5 and 14.4 points per game, and White was also the team's leading rebounder. Gaston Essengue and Joel Anthony were called on for defense and rebounding and reserves such as Curtis Terry and Joe Darger not only understood but carried out their assigned roles. After beating BYU to win the Mountain West's automatic bid, the Runnin' Rebels beat Georgia Tech and Wisconsin before falling to Oregon in the Sweet 16.

2005-06 Wichita State: Mark Turgeon's Shockers went 14-4 in league play to win the Missouri Valley regular season crown, an accomplishment that made them a lock to be one of the four teams from the league to earn NCAA bids. But while the traditionalists and pundits complained, the Shockers went to work, whipping Seton Hall thanks to a three-point barrage and then knocking off Tennessee to reach the Sweet 16. Paul Miller and Sean Ogirri (whose afro gained a lot of attention) led four starters in double figures for Wichita State, with Miller, P.J. Couisnard and Kyle Wilson being the best rebounders as well. Wichita State fell to George Mason in the Sweet 16.

-Raphielle Johnson, CollegeHoops.net

Game Recap

The Missouri Valley Conference has produced its share of fairy tales on the hardwood, but there will be no glass slipper for the Shockers in Cinderella Madness. The vaunted trinity of Adams, Kruger and White blasted the scoreboard for 47 points, and the Runnin' Rebels kept the Wichita State bench at bay in UNLV's first-round 69-62 victory.

Down four at half, the Shockers kept it close in the onset of the second half, trailing by just two with 15 minutes to go. Alas, the Rebels went on a 13-4 run (with six points coming from guard Michael Umeh) that proved too arduous of a task to overcome for Turgeron's squad.

White's versatility as swingman correlated into a game-high 22 points, and his prowess on the glass led to a team-best nine boards. While UNLV let Miller, Ogirri and Karon Bradley stuff the stat sheet (the three combined for 43 points), no other Shocker was able to score more than six, and Wichita State shot less than 24 percent from beyond the arc. Current NBAer Anthony delivered an admirable defensive display in reserve, redirecting the flights of four errant shot attempts.

Player of the game: Wendell White (22 points, nine rebounds, two steals)

Winning Percentage of 501 Simulations: '07 UNLV 78.8% - '06 Wichita State 21.2%