Lady Rebels get No. 6 rank

Thursday, Oct. 31, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

When the WAC released its women's basketball preseason coaches poll and UNLV was ranked sixth in the eight-team Pacific Division, Lady Rebels head coach LaDonna McClain didn't quite know how to react.

"I was surprised -- I thought we would be picked eighth," McClain said.

"We're coming off a four-win season and to be honest with you, I was quite pleased with the sixth ranking ... and also quite surprised. I didn't expect to be that high -- that's how much work we have to do."

But that's not to say that McClain expects her Lady Rebels to finish in the lower half of the division.

"I've been in practice enough for the past two weeks and I have my own conclusions," McClain said. "But at the same time, any time you're coming off a four-win season, there are perceptions out there. I guess what I expected was not what I got. I think that's a positive thing -- at least it's something we're going to turn into a positive thing."

The Lady Rebels received 43 points in the poll of the conference head coaches and finished ahead of San Jose State (30) and Air Force (18) in the Pacific Division. Defending WAC Tournament champion Colorado State was picked to win the Pacific Division and the conference tournament, while Utah was the overwhelming favorite to win the Mountain Division.

McClain, who is in her first year at UNLV after guiding Austin Peay to the NCAA Tournament last season, said the Lady Rebels have their work cut out if they are to meet or exceed their sixth ranking in the conference.

"We have a lot of question marks right now as far as who we're going to put on the floor," McClain said. "We've got a lot of work to do; I am optimistic, but cautiously so.

"We play eight ranked teams -- and that's just our preseason -- then we enter the WAC. We're going to compete the best way we know how and the positive way to look at (the preseason schedule) is that it will prepare us for the WAC conference. I think it raises the level of play, from the players' perspective, any time you take the floor against a nationally ranked team. It's difficult but at the same time I think it's going to help us somewhere down the line."

The Lady Rebels open the 1996-97 season on Friday, Nov. 8 with an exhibition game against Ruzomberok at South Gym.

LaDonna McClain