Columnist Dean Juipe: It’s deja vu as showtime grips Mack

Dean Juipe

Monday, Dec. 21, 1998 | 11:39 a.m.

It was a magnificent sight and a series of wonderful memories rose easily to the surface.

Here was the Thomas & Mack Center all but jampacked for UNLV basketball and the crowd was in a festive mood. People were loud and hungry for action.

On the court, a tremendously athletic team was showing off while simultaneously taking care of business. Its fancy plays were lighting up the crowd and resulting in highlight-reel baskets.

The imagination didn't have to be stretched too far to feel as if it was 1985 or '86 or '90 or '91 or almost any year from that euphoric era when the Rebels were widely heralded.

Those were strong teams that played here and this was one, too.

You couldn't help but marvel at that collective height. Even without a dominant 7-footer or two, there were tall players everywhere. Lanky players. Muscular players. Players with finesse. Players with brute strength.

They all seem so sinewy and versatile, and they keep the ball moving and the pace brisk. Add in a couple of guards who seemingly control the tempo to their own liking, as if it's simply a matter of will.

And, geez, there's just one guy after another coming off the bench who looks as if he can really play. And as each gets in the game, it's obvious that these looks are not deceiving.

Isn't it almost unfair for one team to have this type of weaponry?

Another thing: They're having fun. They come across as confident without being obnoxious, and serious while able to smile and enjoy their good fortune.

On top of that, those snazzy uniforms are killer.

As it all begins to sink in, the utter collection of pluses overwhelms the thought processes. Here's a team having a good time, in the midst of prosperity and with designs on reaching the Final Four if not winning the 1999 national championship.

What a combination. What never-ending talent. What excellent coaching. What fantastic promise.

What a team!

Yes, the Cincinnati Bearcats are loaded.

They proved it again Saturday at the T&M, defeating UNLV 86-73 before 15,424 pairs of envious eyes.

Anyone in the audience who saw the Rebels in the program's heyday made the mental link to the present-day Bearcats. They're more than just similar to those old UNLV teams, they're a perfect likeness.

From ability to attitude to appearance, this Cincinnati team not only has the complete package of athletic tricks but the persona and the chutzpah to back it up. The Bearcats are just like the Rebels used to be.

Seeing them dismantle a game if overmatched UNLV team over the weekend brought back some joyous memories, even if the shoe was on the other foot and it was the visitors with all the prized assets.

Like the Rebels of old, these Bearcats can flow freely with the game's tide or run plays right by the textbook. They have a little swagger and some spunk. They're a marketer's dream, able to conquer and look sharp while doing it.

They have an image and it's very distinct. They're great while acting "bad."

They're everything the Rebels once were.