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UNLV will play a team fighting for a spot in the NCAA tournament Tuesday night at 6 when it faces New Mexico before what should be a raucous crowd at The Pit.
The Lobos (22-7, 9-5 in the Mountain West Conference) have a Ratings Percentage Index, which the NCAA tournament selection committee uses to pick its teams, of 53.
That’s on the fringe of the madness.
New Mexico took a shot in the stomach last Tuesday when Brigham Young upended it, 70-69, in overtime before a rabid, sold-out crowd of 18,018 at The Pit, ending the Lobos’ five-game home winning streak.
The Rebels (22-6, 11-3) own a solid RPI of 27 and can clinch second place in the league by beating New Mexico. Since the inception of the Mountain West, UNLV is 4-4 in Albuquerque, N.M.
Senior guard Rene Rougeau, one of the surprises of the conference, told me after Saturday’s victory over TCU that each of the Rebels is aware that the calendar just flipped to March.
“We know what it takes,” he said. “Coach (Lon) Kruger is on us all the time about staying tough. You have to stay on us so we don’t have a letdown. Him being tough on us is good.”
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