UNLV Basketball

The Rebels are back.

After a long, tumultuous off-season, the UNLV men’s basketball squad finally took the floor recently for a couple of tantalizing displays in a pair of exhibition victories over Grand Canyon and Washburn.

With the first official game of the 2010-2011 season set to tip off tonight, Runnin’ Rebel fever is flaring up locally like a bad rash you just can’t scratch.

It is, therefore, my hope to provide a little soothing ointment to those itching for hoops, to tie a pretty ribbon around a mostly forgettable summer, and to get the sweet, sweet anticipation further percolating.

If you are like me, you probably suffered several sleepless nights in mid-march haunted by the steely glare of Jordan Eglseder and the sideburns of Lucas O’Rear. Perhaps you sat awake in a cold sweat, crying "FAROKHMANESH!!!!" to an empty, indifferent night sky. The first few days were certainly rough, but eventually the grief dripped away. Thoughts turned to the future, and the future, my friends, was bright.

The team was set to return their top nine players. Derrick Jasper would be back and healthy. Quintrell Thomas and Carlos Lopez were set to join the mix. A few impact recruits still had the Rebels on the radar. The fans, myself included, were once again salivating sappily.

Does that count as a marijuana pun? I could have gone with "Three-point shooting goes up in smoke." Anyway, would-be senior Matt Shaw (a plus 40.0 percent shooter from long range) was dismissed from the team after failing a drug test at the NCAA tournament.

Shortly thereafter, another would-be senior, streaky fan-favorite Kendall Wallace, was lost for the year to a knee injury. UNLV would be without its two best shooters for the upcoming campaign.

Every (green) cloud, however, has its silver lining. Both Wallace and Shaw could get scorching hot from outside, but both could be a liability at times at the defensive end. If their more athletic counterparts who gobble up the available minutes can find a consistent stroke, it just might end up a blessing in disguise. Or at least that’s what I’ve decided to force myself to believe.

Sidenote: Get well soon, K Dub. I know there will be about 19,000 fans in Albuquerque who will be glad to see you in street clothes.

In late June, news broke that star guard Tre’Von Willis had been arrested on multiple felony counts for allegedly choking a 28 year old female. Uncertainty, disgust, curiosity, anger, doubt, and general anxiety festered in the pit of Rebel loving stomachs for days. Questions swirled around like raffle tickets being cranked in a wheel of confusion. The effect was a little nauseating.

Why did he do it? Wait, did he really do it? How will the school respond? Will he be able to play? Is he okay? Is she okay? Am I a bad person for caring so much about what really happened at 2:00 am in a Henderson apartment between two people I don’t know?

When the dust settled, Willis agreed to a deal which allowed him to plead no contest to a misdemeanor charge. Head coach Lon Kruger announced that Willis would be suspended for at least three games, including the team’s two exhibitions.

The reaction was as predictable as it was misguided: One regular season game for choking a woman?!? That’s outrageous!!!

Two things need to be said. First, only Tre’Von Willis and Skye Sanders know exactly what happened the night of the incident. All others are left to speculate, hypothesize and assume.

Second, the University allowed the legal system to run its course, then made a decision based on the results. In other words, Willis was not suspended three games for choking a female. Willis was suspended three games for pleading no contest to a misdemeanor domestic battery charge.

I don’t know if Willis actually assaulted anyone, and neither do you. Lon Kruger doesn’t either, and it is not his job to find out.

The suspension was a direct result of the conclusion reached by the courts. Any additional punishment would have been grossly unfair, based exclusively on accusations which, while they may or may not be true, were ultimately dismissed by a judge.

I am very much against domestic violence. Choking another human being is indefensible.

I am, however, very in favor of due process. In this situation, UNLV President Neal Smatresk, Athletic Director Jim Livengood and head coach Lon Kruger, had no choice but to trust it.

Did you know that when North Korea lost to Brazil 2-1 at the World Cup this summer, news organizations in North Korea only showed highlights of the goal scored in defeat without mentioning the final score? And that the squad’s follow up losses to Portugal and the Ivory Coast by a total of 10 goals went unreported?

On a related note, the UNLV football team defeated New Mexico by a score of 45-10 on a warm Saturday night in late September.

(long, uncomfortable silence)

Basketball season can’t start soon enough around here.

This team is criminally underrated. Okay, that’s not true, but they are being slightly undervalued and overlooked. In the past, the Rebels have been downright dangerous when playing with a chip on their shoulder.

Chip or no chip, UNLV is an extremely talented group. On paper, the roster is significantly improved overall. The frontcourt is bigger and stronger. The wings are healthier and more athletic. The guards are more explosive and more experienced.

Last March, the season fizzled out a bit sooner than many had anticipated, but that hasn't stopped a snowball of hype from rolling on all summer.

Nothing left to do now but superglue a big, white mustache to your face, put your trust in Lon, and enjoy the ride.

Tonight, it's official, the Rebels are back.

UNLV guard Tre’Von Willis pleaded no contest to misdemeanor battery-domestic violence on Tuesday.

Both head coach Lon Kruger and the senior star offered the right kind of quotes for the media, but in reality the punishment is light, the crime is significant, and the larger message the whole incident sends about a lack of respect for domestic violence is disturbing.

First, regarding the punishment, Coach Kruger has chosen to describe the suspension as “10 percent of Tre’Von’s senior season.”

The Las Vegas Review-Journal also quotes Kruger as saying, "The program has been damaged by Tre's actions. This is not insignificant."

If I had the chance to describe the punishment, I would not say that Tre'Von will miss 10 percent of his senior season, or even that he will miss three games. He will miss two exhibitions against Division II schools that aren't even counted by the NCAA and one game against a school that was a Division II school only 10 years ago.

If there are UNLV players or fans that consider their games against Grand Canyon, Washburn, and UC Riverside to either be “significant” or “10 percent of their season,” I’d love to hear why they think those games are.

Calling it a 10 percent suspension is an accounting fraud to cover up the fact that Tre’Von will play every meaningful minute for the Runnin’ Rebels this winter.

Secondly, about the crime, while Tre’Von disputes the claim that he choked his girlfriend for three minutes, I’m not sure how forcefully grabbing a 28-year-old's arm, taking her purse, and dumping it out because “she had promised me a little bit of money” is all that much better.

Tre’Von astutely points out that we have no way to ever know for sure. As most domestic disturbance cases are, this one comes down to a he-said, she-said. She said I was pushed and choked, he said I was only trying to steal her money and grabbed her hand.

Finally, what does it say about UNLV that they are so eager to categorize this as a regular misdemeanor crime and stamp a standard 10 percent suspension on it? Are they really going to tell the women buying tickets to see the basketball team play at the Thomas and Mack this year that because the local DA chose to not take a domestic battery case to trial their player made the same kind of mistake as a traffic violation?

Legend says the phrase “rule of thumb” comes from old English common law that allowed a husband to beat his wife as long as the device used was no larger than his thumb. It seems ridiculous to us today that any abuse was tolerated.

However, the message UNLV is sending to its players and fans seems to be that they condone their senior star players beating wives or girlfriends and trying to steal their money, as long as the courts reduce the charges to misdemeanor domestic battery instead of felony domestic battery.

Well, maybe they don’t condone it completely. After all, if their 22-year-old player assaults a woman and tries to steal money from her, they’ll miss at least one regular-season game for it.

Many may have already forgotten the circumstances under which Lon Kruger was hired by the UNLV administration. 

Rick Pitino was the hot choice at the time and the deal was all but done.  Then, someone forgot (allegedly) to pick up Pitino's wife at the airport when she arrived and the deal was blown up.

Next in line was Lon Kruger and the hire was perfect for both—Kruger was looking to settle down, and the UNLV Runnin Rebels needed a coach with a clean reputation.

Unfair To Compare Kruger and Pitino—Kruger Has Class

To compare Lon Kruger to Rick Pitino isn't fair.  Lon Kruger has class, character and fortitude.  To be honest, Rick Pitino has none of the above.

The fact that the UNLV boosters mishandled wining and dining the Pitinos was the best thing to ever happen to the UNLV program. Lon Kruger was hired soon after and the program has been run with integrity and transparency ever since.

Kruger will not let any one person be bigger than the team. The stifling defense Kruger teaches, makes UNLV non-reliant on the overbearing star player. That is why when Beas Hamga committed to UNLV in 2007, it didn't seem to fit. Hamga was being trumpeted as the next great NBA prospect. It just didn't feel right.

Soon after Hamga arrived it was apparent he was not committed to Lon Kruger's style of play and he was out. The best recruit in the country, Kruger did not  give in to the temptation of giving Hamga the star treatment.

On the other side of the equation we have Rick Pitino. A man rivals.yahoo.com refers to as having "slimy recruiting tactics ."  What are they referring to?  Pitino recruited an AAU player named Marcus Teague, a five star rivals-rated recruit from Indianapolis, Indiana.

Previous to Pitino landing Teague as a recruit, he hired an assistant, Shabaka Lands who just happened to be the AAU coach of Marcus Teague. Is the move above board?  Whatever makes you sleep at night Mr Pitino.

Lon Kruger and Rick Pitino are similar in one aspect: they both talk about the good of the team. Kruger backs his words with actions. Pitino at least claims to make decisions for the good of the team. Pitino should have three I's in his last name because he thinks of himself first so much. Ask the bitter fans in Kentucky.

UNLV Has Beaten Louisville in Freedom Hall and at the Thomas and Mack

Last New Years Eve, when the UNLV Runnin Rebels beat Pitino's Cardinals on his home court, Pitino left the court at Freedom Hall without shaking Lon Kruger's hand. Pitino later would say he was arguing with the official and it was unintentional. He never did make a public apology.

For his part, Lon Kruger shrugged it off and let it go. The difference between the two is condensed in that one act of immaturity by Pitino.  When Kruger defeated Pitino on UNLV's home floor, Pitino did acquiesce and shake Kruger's hand.

Pitino's character vs Lon Kruger's character

Next is the issue of character and trust. Yes, I had to go there. UNLV could not have withstood the humiliation that Pitino put the Louisville fans and administration through. If this had happened at UNLV it would have been devastating.

Pitino had claimed during an impromptu news conference that Karen Syphers claims of rape and physical abuse were "total fabrication" on a day "when Ted Kennedy died." The entire news conference can be viewed on espn.go.com. If you want to see him try to shove the issue under the rug look here .

What Pitino is Going Through Now Would Have Destroyed UNLV

If you view the video of Karen Syphers , she accuses him of much more than an indiscretion. The police did not press charges against Pitino for any of the claims Syphers made.

Syphers did attempt to blackmail Pitino and in all likelihood embellished her story, but the fact remains, Pitino did have sex with Syphers , admitted it and did bring disgrace to Louisville.

The facts are clear, UNLV has made the right choice. It is great that now Kruger and the Rebels are nationally ranked but the fact that Kruger has done this the right way, with character and the fortitude to run a clean program, is the greatest accomplishment of all.

Todd Jacobs is featured on many websites you may contact him through Suite 101 , Associated Content or view his handicapping picks on www.lasvegasinsideinfo.com . 

I don’t usually play the role of a “homer” in my columns.  I try to write about what I know and what I’m passionate about.  Often times that ends up being the Mountain West Conference.  For the record, I live in Las Vegas, went to UNLV, have a wife who went to BYU and have a rooting interest in those two teams and the MWC.  Even in columns like ones where I stick up for the MWC getting squeezed by ESPN (see HERE), observe the Pac-10’s decline at the hands of the Mountain West (see HERE) or make predictions on the outcome of the NCAA tournament (see HERE), I keep the Rebels and UNLV out of it.  But one thing I will not do, is stand by and watch the Rebel basketball program and coach Lon Kruger get criticized by a national columnist at CBS, especially when the Mountain West and UNLV are of the best stories of the year in NCAA basketball.  So, please allow me this one opportunity to act as a “homer” and defend the program I know best.

Last night, CBS Sportsline posted a column by Gregg Doyel, one of the network’s national columnists working NCAA basketball.  The article titled “UNLV’s choice not to call timeout ends its season” can be read HERE and I encourage all to do so.

In the column, Doyel rehashes the final minute of the UNLV-Northern Iowa game.  In a nutshell, here is what happened in that first round matchup’s final moments:

-UNLV’s Oscar Bellfield hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 66 with 37 seconds left.

-Northern Iowa brings the ball up and runs clock with tight pressure and trapping defense from UNLV.

-With about five seconds left, the ball makes it to Ali Farokhmanesh who hits a three to put UNI up 69-66.

-Bellfield runs the ball up court and has it knocked out-of-bounds with about two seconds left.

-UNLV’s Tre’von Willis misses a three-pointer at the buzzer that wasn’t even that close and UNI wins it to advance to round two against Kansas.

Doyel identifies the fatal flaw of the Rebels to be Kruger’s ignorance in not calling at timeout following Bellfield’s converted three-point field goal.  He proposes that had this been done, the Rebels would have been in better shape to win the game by setting up their defense.  The Rebels played frantic defense in those final seconds, sending double teams at point guard Kwadzo Ahelegbe, trying to force him to give up the ball (Ahelegbe had scored UNI’s last eight points).  Several passes went around the court, some good, some bad and some nearly forced into a turnover.  Eventually the ball swung to Farokhmanesh who made the improbable three with nary a defender in sight.

Was the ball rotation poor on UNLV’s part?  Yes.  Did the kid make an amazing shot.  Absolutely.  If you told Kruger that the shot to put UNI ahead would be from 35-feet away as opposed to a drive to the hoop where a foul could be called or a mid-range jumper, I’m sure the coach would have taken those odds.  And that’s what UNLV got.  A frantic scramble, that Doyel infers Northern Iowa intended to have happen, followed by a crazy deep shot that went in.

Doyel postulates that had a timeout been called where Kruger and staff could set up the team’s defense, they would have undoubtedly known to get a hand in Farokhmanesh’s face.  I contend that the team may have played a similar defense with or without a timeout.  If pressure wasn’t thrown in the face of Ahelegbe, he would have held his dribble at midcourt until the shot clock was exhausted to five or ten seconds and then drove the basket.  The Rebels’ defense got the ball moving, gave them a couple of opportunities at a turnover and forced Northern Iowa to take a shot from just inside the parking lot.  I don’t see what’s wrong with that.

Furthermore, UNI had no timeouts.  Had Kruger taken his final timeout it would have given him an opportunity to set up a defense but would also have given UNI the chance to design a play and get their offense ready for the final 37 seconds. 

Would Doyel have criticized Kruger and the Rebs if they called a timeout and that led to a great set of back picks and an open shot?  Would he declare that UNLV handed Northern Iowa the win because Kruger put the time in their hands to design a play?

Would Doyel praise UNLV for letting the flow of the game come to them had the shot from Farokhmanesh clanged off iron and been rebounded by the Rebels, leading to a game-winning shot from Willis or Bellfield? 

Basketball is a game of inches and the Rebels poured their heart into a game where the last few inches belonged to the other team.

Perhaps the worst part about Doyel’s attack on the Rebels yesterday were the words he had about the UNLV program in general. He wrote:

“[UNLV] does silly stuff like let Tre’Von Willis and Chace Stanback jack 3-pointers when they can’t make them. It has defensive lapses. It loses focus, and boom! Trouble. I don’t know who to blame for it. Maybe nobody. Maybe Kruger’s choice of personnel.

Kruger has made UNLV relevant again, but he has done it by turning UNLV into Transfer U. The best three or four players on roster are from somewhere else, including leading scorer Willis (from Memphis) and No. 2 scorer Stanback (UCLA) and versatile, but injured, wing Derrick Jasper (Kentucky). Kansas transfer Quintrell Thomas will become eligible next season. Terrific. More people from elsewhere. It’s not the most stable way to run a program, and when games come down to a final play, a final second, building on such an unstable foundation might be a problem.”

Wow. An “unstable” program with unstable players. Does this guy not know Lon Kruger and his track record? Kruger has won Big 10 (with Illinois), SEC (Florida) and MWC (UNLV) conference championships and finished second in the Big 12 at Kansas State in a year where he took the Wildcats to the Elite Eight. Kruger took Florida to the Final Four in 1994 and has revitalized a UNLV program where they were left for dead after Jerry Tarkanian left town, being coached by cast-offs like Rollie Massimino and Charlie Spoonhour. Kruger’s overall record at the collegiate level is 455-295.

The fact that UNLV takes transfers from other schools is both common in NCAA schools and a testimony to the type of program Kruger runs. Willis came from John Calipari’s Memphis program where he averaged 2.6 points a game as a freshman and wanted a fresh start where he could play more. He red-shirted one year and has started for the Rebels for the past two, putting him in the UNLV program for a total of three years. Stanback has a similar story. He was a freshman on the 2007-2008 UCLA Final Four team that lost to Memphis in the national semifinals. After his freshman year he too opted for a fresh start and landed in Vegas, red-shirting the 2008-09 season and playing his first year with UNLV this season. Jasper came from Kentucky the same year Stanback did, though he hadn’t played since a mid-season knee injury.

What did all these players have in common? They wanted to play basketball in a system they could excel in for a coach that has had success everywhere he’s been. The fact that they left top programs shows that the common denominator here is playing time. They wanted to be at a school where they got some run. How horrible is that?

As Doyel puts it, UNLV is now “Transfer U.” That connotation makes it a negative thing, but one could also see it as a positive since so many good players gravitate to a program where their talents can be used and they feel at home. Do we cheapen the draw of a New England Patriots squad because they get players through free agency that want to play for Bill Belichick? Do we downgrade a San Antonio Spurs team that attracts free agents for the chance to be on a contender where the players put team first? So why knock UNLV for accepting transfers that want to play ball?

An even more asinine comment is that the Rebels’ perceived erratic and “unstable” play at the end of the UNI game was a by-product of there being so many (two) transfers on the floor. Does Doyel really believe that the reason this miracle shot connected was because Chace Stanback and Tre’von Willis are transfers? Come on. Kruger runs a well-prepared team in which where you come from matters very little. Any team that makes the tournament plays smart enough and is well-coached enough to maintain a defensive set in a close game.  Can we really blame this on transfer players at this point in a season?  Besides, Stanback was on the bench in defensive sets because of foul trouble against UNI late in the game.  So the one transfer, Willis, cost his team the game because -wait for it- he’s a transfer?

What Doyel overlooks is that UNLV also recruits players out of high school. The other three starters in the first round game against Northern Iowa (Bellfield, Anthony Marshall and Brice Massamba) were all Kruger recruits. Bench players Justin Hawkins, Kendall Wallace and Matt Shaw were also recruits brought in by the UNLV program.

I challenge Doyel to find successful programs in NCAA basketball that don’t accept top transfers from other programs. Is it better to have players that come to your school for one year prior to jolting the NBA?

Ask UCLA, USC and North Carolina how they feel about that strategy.

Doyel surely knows that NCAA tournament time is tough and that games are decided in an instant and often by plays of supernatural legend.  UNLV was beaten by uch a play.  They didn’t lose because of a timeout that wasn’t called or for having too many transfer players on their roster.  The Rebels and the MWC are two of the biggest stories in the NCAA this year and Doyel would know that had he covered them for more than just a single game.

Tre'Von Willis, junior forward and UNLV's team leader, put it best:

“Losing in the first round is a little disappointing. But overall, we had a good season. We’re definitely going to have our good days ahead of us.”

That is exactly what this Rebels fan and reporter will focus on within the scope of this report.

Yes, surely the 69-66 loss to a very good Northern Iowa team was disappointing. And yes, there were enough flaws in the Rebels' performance that the outcome was anticipated early enough in the game, when the Runnin' Rebels jumped out to an eight-point lead, despite some very erratic shooting, and couldn't continue the onslaught.

Let's give the Northern Iowa Panthers credit.

They played a very smart defensive game, which is their signature, and when it came down to the last 11 seconds in a tie game with no timeouts remaining, they were able to find an open man 26 feet from the basket. Ali Farokhmanesh—try saying that name five times fast—simply fired away to put the Panthers up by three.

The Rebels then got two tries to tie the game with 4.9 seconds left. After the inbounds pass, the ball was knocked away from Oscar Bellfield, going out of bounds leaving the Rebels with 1.6 seconds left. They were never able to get off the shot when time expired.

So ends the 2009-2010 season for UNLV.

This year, just like for the entire Mountain West Conference, was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Runnin' Rebels. They lost three key seniors, including a four-year starter and one of the most exciting players I have ever seen step out on Jerry Tarkanian Court. That, of course, was Wink Adams, who will always be one of my top five Runnin' Rebels of all time.

With Wink gone, as well as Joe Darger and Rene Rougeau, this Rebel team was made up of underclassmen and junior college transfers, trying, under the able leadership of coach Lon Kruger, to blend into a well-run machine capable of causing havoc on the defensive side of the ball.

Their overall record of 25-9 speaks volumes of their success. Their two wins over BYU, their victory over New Mexico, as well as defeating Arizona and Louisville, are a tribute to the fine job Kruger has done. With most UNLV home games being close to sellout crowds at the Thomas and Mack center, Kruger has pumped the life back into this town's love for Jerry Tarkanian's legendary teams.

The future is extremely bright for the Rebels for the 2010-2011 campaign. They bring back their starting five, as well as their key players off the bench. This year's freshman class of Anthony Marshall and Justin Hawkins will only get better, and they will still be backups for Tre'Von Willis and Oscar Bellfield.

With a healthy Derrick Jasper back in the lineup and an excellent recruiting class, plus a couple of redshirts from this year, things are definitely looking up for the Rebels.

The emergence of Chace Stanback and Matt Shaw, along with the stellar play of Willis plus the ever improving Brice Massamba, will make the UNLV a force to be reckoned with, not only in the Mountain West Conference but also nationally as they continue on their path to return to the elite of men's college basketball.

I will continue to cover the two remaining teams from the MWC (BYU and New Mexico) throughout the NCAA Tournament and wish them success. Now that the entire country has witnessed the amazing Jimmer Fredette, let's hope for a Sweet 16 or more from our two remaining teams. This has been a great year for the Mountain West Conference, and it will only be getting better in the years to come.

The time has arrived in both football and basketball for the Mountain West Conference to be part of the BCS and be recognized nationally as a major conference.

Of course there is a conspiracy but more on that in a little bit.

First off I am not what you call a "conspiracy theorist". Well maybe a little bit. Like, sure there wasn't another shooter on the grassy knoll. Like, Amelia Earhart really lost her way. Like all the disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle can be explained. Like Elvis is really dead. Now that one I know is not true. Here in Vegas I see Elvis at least three to four times a day, sometimes even in two places at once.

You tell me what dead person could do that. Oh and by the way here's two more I'll let you in on but don't spread the word or I might be found just outside of town in an area called The Valley of Fire. Tupac's alive for sure plus sports players never bet on games and know that Jeb Bush had nothing to do with the results of the 2000 election results in Florida. Duh, the guy with most votes lost.

With the 2010 NCAA Tournament on the verge of sending sports fans everywhere into March Madness, my 20-year-old nagging conspiracy that the powers that be in the NCAA land continues it's life long vengeance against the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

This body of old, decrepit individuals really can hold a grudge. Geez!

Lets go back a little more than a generation ago. If you think of the city of Las Vegas to be "Sin City" now try to imagine when the town was run by the Mob, known in some circles as the Cosa Nostra, the Mafia, the Godfathers, that thing of ours, and my favorite, the Little Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Hell our current Mayor, Oscar "I was not a mob lawyer" Goodman was THE mob lawyer for Meyer Lansky and Bugsy Seigel. No he wasn't, but it sounds good, doesn't it?

The last thing the NCAA old farts wanted to see were the criminals in waiting, those UNLV students to become a perennial power and dominate the little sisters of the poor on the hardwood.

Remember in the 90s when the University of Miami ruled the college football world and when they played Notre Dame it was billed as the Catholics vs. the Convicts. The press loved it but the NCAA called in the special opts unit of the CIA to find some dirt to discredit the Hurricanes.

They tried to do the same thing to the Runnin' Rebels. They were coached at that time by one of the most beloved and well liked men to ever coach a group of players. Jerry Tarkanian was given the moniker "Tark The Shark", not because he could coach a hell of a basketball game but because his teams were winners and the NCAA just couldn't have that. Tark took his team to three Final Fours and won it all 20 years ago this month by destroying the Dukies by a mere 30 points in the most lopsided, decisive win in a final championship game in NCAA basketball history.

For years the NCAA went after Tarkanian in the worst way. He was accused of recruitment violations, payoffs to players, and other scandalous activities. Nothing to this day has ever been proven about UNLV and the so called infractions, and they have never been sanctioned by that sanctimonious, holy institution called the NCAA.

It, like most conspiracies never end. Over the past six years that Lon Kruger has taken over the coaching duties the Rebels have put themselves back in the national spotlight by having 20+ game win seasons and making it to the Big Dance, along with this year's bid, three times in the last four years.

Keep in mind that for their previous two appearances, UNLV won the Mountain West Conference Tournament earning the automatic bid that comes with that victory. This year they make to the final game of the Mountain West Tournament only to lose at home to NCAA tourney bound San Diego State.

So what then is the conspiracy you say? OK, here it is. In 2007 the Rebels upset it's first two opponents and found themselves in the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1991. If some Oregon demon possessed player, whose name escapes me for the moment, didn't  hit about 25 three-pointers the Rebels could have easily found themselves in the Elite Eight or even the Final Four.

The 2008 team was better still but the NCAA had a plan that surely couldn't fail. If you think top rated Kansas is a great team today and will surely be playing this year in Indianapolis, I'm telling you the 2008 version was even better and when they cut down the nets in the final it was certainly no surprise for me.

You know what the "death seed" is in the NCAA tournament. It's not 15 or 16. They are expected to be one and done and that has held fast with very few exceptions over the years. In fact, in case you didn't know, a 16 has never defeated a No. 1 seed ever in this tournament. It's the eight or nine seed that has the coaches leaving lambs blood on the lockers doors after they've won their opener only to have to face certain defeat less than two days later.

Now you know how the Christians felt like going into the arena against the Lions and I don't mean the Detroit Lions either. Back to my conspiracy. I could make a very respectable argument in 2008 that UNLV was a far better team than an eight seed. They had a better record than most of the six and seven seeds, a higher RPI, with wins over top 25 and top 50 teams, and they won a tournament championship already. So what did the NCAA Selection Committee do? They put them in the same bracket as Kansas and waited for the slaughter to begin.

The Rebels, to their credit, played them pretty evenly through the first half but with Kansas playing it's game so close to home they could hitch a ride and be back on campus by nightfall, the Jayhawks pulled away to a relatively easy victory. They then went on to win the National Championship.

So here we are. It's 2010 and UNLV with five wins against ranked teams this year gets an invite to the Big Dance. Yea! They are once again placed in the Midwest Region. They are given an eight seed again despite yadie yadie yada, and if they should win against another ranked team this year, Northern Iowa, who has about as much to complain at their nine seed with 28 wins and a championship in the Missouri Valley Conferenc,e plus winning their conference tournament as well, guess who the Rebels will have to get by to advance?

If you said the overall number one seeded team in the tournament,the Kansas Jayhawks, you'd win a Kewpie doll. I'd prefer a naked Barbie, and be the winner of the "conspiracy tournament".

No Rebels fans, the NCAA will never forgive the Runnin' Rebels, Jerry Tarkanian, Grandmama Larry Johnson, and the fine students and faculty at UNLV. It's a conspiracy, I tell you, a conspiracy.

When a team comes out on the floor and misses its first seven shots and after 10 minutes they are shooting a dismal 2-12 you just have to know it's going to be a very long afternoon.

That it was for the UNLV Runnin' Rebels as they lost their chance for an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with a 55-45 loss to San Diego State.

Both teams showed the wear and tear of their previous nights victory against nationally ranked BYU and New Mexico. While both those teams have no doubts about playing this upcoming Thursday or Friday, it still remains to be seen where or if the Aztecs and the Rebels would wind up after this championship was decided.

Now that San Diego State gets their automatic bid, it still appears that four teams will represent the Mountain West Conference for the first time in it's 11 year history. The only questions remaining for the four teams are what seeds they shall receive, who their opponents will be and where will the games be played?

Those questions will all be answered on the Tournament Selection Show on Sunday at 3:00 PM here in the West.

Just for the fun of it, I'm giving New Mexico a three seed, BYU a six, UNLV a seven, and San Diego State an eight. Your comments and picks would be appreciated.

As far a the game, for the most part it was a stinker. Only one player on both sides stood out and Kawhi Leonard, freshman player of the year in the Mountain West Conference, certainly did not look like or play like any freshman I've seen in recent years.

He scored a game-high 16 points and had an incredible record setting performance grabbing 21 rebounds including seven off the offensive end. He was a monster out there and the Rebels who put three different men on him couldn't find the answer.

Most impressive was his play in the last four to five minutes of the game. It was here that he calmly dropped in six straight foul line attempts ultimately finishing 8-9. He was without any doubt the difference maker in the game.

After it was over, Rebels coach Lon Kruger had nothing but praise for the young man and I know the thought of having to face him twice a year or more for the next years will give any coach a lot of sleepless nights.

UNLV's emotional and best player Tre'Von Willis looked like the ankle injury he sustained at the conclusion of the BYU game was affecting his game. He was short on his jumpers and had difficulty driving in the paint.

He still led the Rebels scoring along with Oscar Bellfield with 11 points while Chase Stanback chipped in with 10.

The Aztecs blew the Rebels away on the boards thanks to Leonard out-rebounding them 36-24.

So, the Rebels end their season with a 24-8 record and wait in anticipation for the expected NCAA bid. Regardless of how they do in the big dance I think it's fair to say that this has been a very good season for the Runnin'Rebels. With only two graduating seniors the Rebels brings back it's starting five plus a host of players that have seen plenty of game time this year.

If all goes as planned next year should be even better, but right now the Rebels, Coach Kruger, and yours truly have only one thing in mind and that's what will tomorrow bring.

I can't wait.

Wow, and people wonder why the Mountain West Conference Tournament is played at the Thomas and Mack Center here in Las Vegas. 18,500 screaming college basketball fans, that's why. I am constantly hearing that it's unfair to have the tournament here each year because it gives the UNLV Runnin' Rebels the home court advantage.

Nonsense.

Last year in 2009 the Rebels were bounced out of the tournament in the first round by San Diego State. In fact the Aztecs beat the Rebels, who went 21-11, three times, twice at the T&M and literally knock them out of the NCAA Tournament consideration.

Frankly winning this tournament basically comes down to which team is playing their best at this time of the year. The other factor in this tournament is whether the team has already secured a bid to the big dance before the first tip off even happens.

For New Mexico and BYU, they are both nationally ranked in the top 15 teams and will receive a bid regardless of the outcome of the tournament. As much as both teams wanted to win their games they certainly were not under the gun and clearly their overall goal is to make the NCAA Tournament and do well there.

For UNLV and even more so for San Diego State the further they advanced in the tournament the better their chances are to go dancing. The Aztecs were clearly "on the bubble" before the start of the MWC Tournament but now, after beating top ranked New Mexico to reach the final, they are a lock to receive their invitation to continue their season.

For the UNLV Runnin' Rebels, BYU despite their high ranking was just what the doctor ordered. UNLV had won their previous seven meetings against the Cougars on their home court and last night was no exception.

The Rebels had already blown the Cougars out of the building earlier in February in what was the finest first half of basketball I have ever seen in my 55+ years following this game.

Last night both teams were red hot right out of the gate and it looked like Jimmer Fredette just might repeat his 45 point performance from the previous night. After scoring 10 points in the first six minutes of the game, the vaunted Rebels defense shut down the BYU star.

He went over 20 minutes before he scored again and brought the Cougars back from a 13 point deficit to tie the game late. The Rebels, particularly with Tre'Von Willis and Anthony Marshall sticking to Fredette like glue he had to work extremely hard for every shot. At times he appeared totally out of control.With that said, he still managed to finish with 30 points on 7-20 shooting.

The Rebels were led by their top two season scorers, Tre'Von Willis and Chase Stanback but the difference maker last night was the 6'10" Sophomore Center/Forward Brice Massamba. In 24 minutes, the most time he has spent on the court this year, Massamba dominated inside the lane throwing up 13 points on 5-6 from the field. He added six rebounds and moved around the paint like a point guard.

If last night was Massamba's coming out party it couldn't have come at a better time. His team is made up of mostly Sophomores and Juniors so the next two years at least, are looking very fine for the Rebels.

Willis finished with 18 points while Stanback chipped in with 17. This was the first win of the year for the Rebels where they were out rebounded by their opponent.

In today's final against San Diego State the Rebels must continue their defensive intensity that has brought them to this point. The teams split their two previous meetings this year with each team prevailing on their home court. The winner gets an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and the Mountain West Conference appears most likely to put four teams in the tournament for the first time.

In an earlier article I said that it wouldn't surprise if any or perhaps all of these teams were to make it to the Sweet Sixteen and frankly after last nights doubleheader I wouldn't be surprised to find one of these teams in the Elite Eight or the Final Four. Remember, nobody ever heard of George Mason a few years back and each of these four teams are equal if not better than that Final Four team.

Today's game should be a classic. I give the edge to UNLV not because they are on their home court but because they have a much deeper bench and have the capability to play at this high level in their third game in three days.

Go Rebels.

Defense wins championships. That's true in NCAA Men's Basketball as it is in the NFL, NBA, and Major League Baseball. Never was it more apparent than it was in last nights quarterfinal game between the UNLV Runnin' Rebels and the Runnin' Utes of the University of Utah.

Both teams known for their defense put on a display of full court press, trapping, double teaming and an overall pressure that would stop or least certainly slow down any team in the country.

The Rebels were relentless holding the Ute's to eight points in the first 10 minutes. Coach Lon Kruger who has been using between nine and 11 players each game, substituted freely in the first half bringing in fresh players every few minutes.

The only drawback was they couldn't establish a consistent offensive flow and saw an 11-point lead cut to four at halftime.

The Rebels came storming out in the second half and after a 10-0 run they never looked back as they finally turned the tables on the Runnin' Utes, who had defeated the Rebels the last three times they faced each other.

Junior guard and first team all conference player Tre'Von Willis led three Rebels in double figures with game high 13 points. He was joined by guard Anthony Marshall who had a double-double in his first conference tournament game. Along with his 13 points, the 6'3" freshman had a game high 12 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and a blocked shot.

Chase Stanback added to the Rebels attack with 10 points, six rebounds, and three steals. The Rebels out-rebounded the Utes 36-25 and caused 15 turnovers.

With the win here the Rebels move on to the semifinals where they will meet 14th ranked BYU for the third time this year. Each team won on it's home court and the Rebels have been very successful against the Cougars at the Thomas and Mack Center winning the last seven times they've met here.

Top seeded New Mexico meets San Diego State in the other semi final. Both teams were pushed to the limit in their opening round appearances as the Lobos defeated the Air Force Academy 75-69 and the Aztecs squeaked by the Colorado State Rams 72-71 increasing their chances for an NCAA bid.

Regardless of the results of the tournament it now appears that for the first time in their history four teams look like they will all be invited to the NCAA Tournament. In what was called a rebuilding year for the Mountain West at the beginning of the season the future is certainly looking very nice for the conference who have excelled on the gridiron and now on the hardwood as well.

The semi finals have the promise of some classic games tonight and the sellout Thomas and Mack Center crowd will be the place to be in Vegas. Tomorrows final is set for 2:00 PM local time and can be seen on the Mountain West Network part of CBS's coverage of College Basketball.

Go Rebels.

The Mountain West Conference tournament gets underway this week, and it promises to be memorable. Talent, intrigue, momentum, hatred, redemption, pride; it will all be on display and on the line.

It will be awesome. I guarantee it.

The following are a few key storylines to keep in mind to maximize viewing enjoyment.

Alford’s Personal Mascot

New Mexico has had a brilliant season. After being picked to finish fifth in the MWC, head coach Steve Alford has led the Lobos to their first outright regular season conference championship since 1994. 

Alford deserves nothing but praise for his team’s achievements this year.

This week, however, Alford will lead his squad into the tournament with a good sized monkey clinging to his back.

Tattooed on the monkey’s forehead: Postseason Flop

Alford coached at Southwest Missouri State in the late 90s, made one NCAA tournament appearance, and coached his team to a Cinderella Sweet 16 run.

It’s been all downhill from there.

In his eight years as a head coach at Iowa, Alford’s teams had many successful runs through the Big Ten tournament and many quick exits from the NCAA tournament.

Iowa won just one NCAA tournament game in his eight years with the Hawkeyes. In 2006, Iowa earned a No. 3 seed, but was bounced from the first round by Northwestern State, a No. 14 seed.

Since arriving at New Mexico, Alford has averaged nearly 25 wins a season and has earned MWC Coach of the Year in two of the last three seasons.

Unfortunately, the Lobos have lost in the first round of the MWC tournament in each of his first two years.

Alford needs to lead New Mexico to a string of postseason victories to shake the stigma of past letdowns.

 

Bad Blood

Speaking of Alford, most are well aware of his involvement in the post-game festivities following the Lobos’ win over BYU in Provo.

Alford was reprimanded for his failure to conduct himself as a professional and his use of inappropriate language toward Jonathan Tavernari and those fans of the Cougars lucky enough to be within earshot.

The venom has subsided as both teams have moved on with their schedules, but it certainly isn’t gone for good.  

The Lobos and Cougars could potentially collide in the championship game. With the conference title on the line and thousands of ravenous fans from both schools sure to be in attendance, the intensity would be harrowing.

Of course, to reach the title game New Mexico would have to get past either Wyoming or Air Force and then defeat San Diego State or Colorado State.

The Aztecs have given the Lobos fits this year, earning a 10 point home victory in San Diego and playing neck-and-neck before falling in overtime in Albuquerque.

BYU faces an even more daunting challenge in their path to the final, as hometown UNLV could be lurking in the semifinals.  The Rebels and Cougars also have a checkered recent history.

BYU and UNLV met in the conference championship game in 2007 and 2008. The Rebels won both times.

The postgame celebration turned ugly in 2008 as a number of altercations broke out between fans of the rival schools.

One can only hope the mutual dislike is kept under control this weekend.

The Toughness of Jimmer

BYU guard Jimmer Fredette has had his share of struggles this year with his health. An early bout with mononucleosis forced Fredette into limited action early in conference play.

Late in the season, Fredette couldn’t get his insides to cooperate once again and was relegated to the role of spectator for much of the Cougars’ loss to New Mexico.

Some have called Fredette’s toughness into question.

Only Jimmer Fredette knows exactly what he was going through physically. Strange as it seemed for Fredette to be present on the sidelines but unable to play, any conclusions drawn are nothing more than speculation.

That being said, speculation is rampant that Fredette lacks grit.

Some have even thrown around the "S" word:

Soft.

The MWC tournament and the ensuing NCAA tournament will provide Jimmer Fredette an opportunity to silence the critics.

If he steps up and leads his team to a conference title, his naysayers will have nothing to do but whine stupidly about officiating.

If he struggles at all, and the Cougars fall short, it will only add fuel to a fire of reasonable doubt and increasingly legitimate speculation.

Cougar Kryptonite

BYU and UNLV are each one game away from what would be an epic showdown in the MWC tournament semifinals. The Cougars are nationally ranked, a lock to make the NCAA tournament, and would enter with a record of 29-4.

The Rebels are licking their chops.

For whatever reason, BYU hasn’t been able to achieve any measure of success against the Rebels in Las Vegas. The last time the Cougars defeated UNLV in Las Vegas was Feb. 5, 2005.

Seven consecutive losses followed.

BYU appeared poised to end that streak earlier this year. They had been playing very well and entered the Thomas and Mack Center supremely confident.

The Rebels jumped out to a 47-18 lead and cruised to an easy victory over a dumbfounded Cougar squad.

BYU has the talent to exercise their Vegas demons this weekend, but history is most definitely against them.

Rebel Kryptonite

The Cougars might not need to worry about facing the Rebels in the semifinals.

UNLV has some history of its own to worry about.

The Rebels will take on the Utah Utes in the first round. The Utes enter with a losing record, both in conference and overall.

UNLV still can’t feel too comfortable.

The Rebels struggled this year to matchup with Utah, leading to a pair of losses for UNLV when the two teams squared off. The Utes’ size bothered the Rebels all game, specifically shot-blocking gigantosaur (and MWC Defensive Player of the Year) David Foster.

Foster suffered a recent ankle injury and will be a game time decision. Without him, Utah’s chances at a third victory over UNLV shrink.

Bubble-icious

For the second consecutive year, San Diego State enters the MWC tournament hovering right around the at-large cut line for the NCAA tournament.

As of right now, most experts have the Aztecs in the field, but among the last few to make the list. With all the bid-stealing and bubble-bursting sure to take place all over the country this week, San Diego State needs to improve their position or likely suffer the same fate they were dealt a season ago.

San Diego State must get by Colorado State in the opening round to earn a likely date with New Mexico in the semifinals.

A win there would put the Aztecs in decent shape heading into Selection Sunday.

A loss would probably spell N-I-T.

The MWC has never placed more than three teams in the NCAA tournament.

San Diego State could change that this year with a deep run in Las Vegas.

The Finish Line

It has been a banner year for the MWC, but it means very little in the long run if the conference cannot punctuate a memorable season with postseason success.

The MWC tournament serves as a tune-up for the big dance, the NCAA Tournament.

As a whole, the MWC has experienced only moderate success on the biggest stage amidst the madness of March.

This year, that has to change.

Fair or not, the conference is ultimately regarded on the national level according to its performance in the big dance. A run to the Elite Eight would do wonders for the credibility of the entire MWC.

A two team scamper to the Sweet Sixteen would go a long way toward further establishing the reputation of the conference.

What the Mountain West cannot afford is another season ending in the disappointment of postseason under-performance.

The table is set. The opportunity is there. A little momentum never hurts.

This weekend, they’ll try to get the ball rolling.

Las Vegas is the place to be.