Rebels don’t fret over expectations

Wednesday, May 28, 1997 | 10:48 a.m.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- It doesn't have the same intensity as, say, the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament. But the NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships which began today at Conway Farms Golf Club is about as pressure-packed an event as golf has to offer.

The top 30 teams in the nation, including No. 1-ranked UNLV, are battling for the national championship on a course that is as tough as any of the teams have played all season.

Despite being ranked first in all three major polls and the top seed in this 72-hole event, UNLV may not be under as much pressure as one would think.

"I think what's happened is that we've been ranked number one for so long ... I think we've gotten pretty comfortable with the expectations -- and we have high expectations ourselves," said Rebels head coach Dwaine Knight. "It's not as overwhelming as one might think.

"I'm grateful that we've had the opportunity to have that (top ranking) all year long instead of coming in at the end and all of a sudden being ranked number one -- that would be a little different."

While the Rebels have been the team every other school has been shooting at since October (when they took over the top spot in the polls), defending national champion Arizona State may be the team that is really feeling the pressure.

"There is pressure (to defend the title), but I think it's going to be in a good, positive way," said Sun Devils head coach Randy Lein. "I think pressure is self-imposed and pressure is good -- it makes you work harder."

Whether it's merely a coach's posturing or reaction to the Rebels' dominance of ASU this season, Lein said UNLV will be the team to beat this week on the 7,014-yard Conway Farms course.

"UNLV has had the better end of our matchups this year, but we're saving our best for this week," Lein said, referring to the Rebels' 6-1 record against the Sun Devils this season. "I know Dwaine has his team prepared and I think we're going to see the better team at the top of the leaderboard at the end of the week."

The Rebels beat ASU by three strokes two weeks ago to capture the NCAA West Regional and earn the No. 1 seed in the national championships.

UNLV sophomore Ted Oh, the 14th-ranked college player in the nation, acknowledged there will be pressure on the Rebels. But he said the players are used to being the team everyone else is looking to knock off.

"We're always under pressure because we're ranked number one and we always have to play good -- and we've been coming through," Oh said.

Freshman Jeremy Anderson, making his first appearance in the national championship, said the Rebels are approaching this tournament as if it were any other tournament -- up to a point.

"I'm sure there will be a little pressure -- there's always pressure in every tournament -- but we've been groomed to handle it," Anderson said. "But, obviously, this is what we've been working toward the whole year so there is some pressure here.

"In my opinion, this is what the whole year is based on. I'm not saying it's national championship or bust but, really, we'll kind of feel like we haven't had a great year unless we win this."

The lineup UNLV is fielding this week has played together only seven times this year, as Knight was toying with different player combinations during the fall season and earlier this spring. But the five -- Oh, Anderson, Bill Lunde, Gilberto Morales and Mike Ruiz -- have earned two tournament titles and four runner-up showings in seven starts.

"I think the nice thing about this team is that we've had good play out of all five players," Knight said. "Our scoring averages from our first player to our fifth player are within a stroke of each other."

And by playing a demanding schedule in which UNLV has faced ranked teams each outing, Knight said his team is ready to contend for its first-ever national championship.

"The biggest thing we try to do is prepare our guys as much as possible with a great schedule and playing as many different teams across the country during the season," Knight said. "I think that helps set you up for postseason play.

"We've pretty much faced everybody who's going to be here this week. I think preparation is the key going into the national championships and we feel very comfortable with where we are right now."