UNLV beefs up hoops schedule

Steve Addy

Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2000 | 10:23 a.m.

Last season, UNLV coach Bill Bayno finally admitted that the Rebels' schedule was a little soft, but said, "It served its purpose."

With six newcomers on the roster, Bayno felt his team would benefit from a few chemistry-building wins over spongy opponents. Considering the Rebels' 23-8 record and NCAA Tournament berth, scheduling the likes of Fairfield, Eastern Kentucky, Austin Peay and High Point paid off.

But Bayno does not feel any need to defend this season's 29-game schedule. The Rebels will play at least eight games against fellow NCAA qualifiers, depending on the bracket for the Maui Classic, which features seven NCAA Tournament teams.

"I think our schedule is in the top 20 (toughest) in the country," Bayno said. "We have some very tough stretches and very tough opponents."

The Rebels will play four NCAA qualifiers at the Thomas & Mack Center: Northern Arizona on Nov. 17 in the regular-season opener, Cincinnati on Dec. 16 in the Las Vegas Shootout (on ESPN), Pepperdine on Dec. 22 and Utah on Feb. 12 (ESPN Big Monday).

Cincinnati is one opponent the Rebels will surely circle on their calendars, eager to soothe the embarrassment of last season's 106-66 loss at Cincy on January 2. But UNLV went 1-5 against Top 25 teams, so they'll welcome any win over a high-profile team.

The Northern Arizona game will be a homecoming for Lumberjacks coach Mike Adras, who coached at Bishop Gorman High in the late 1980s and early '90s. The 'Jacks (20-11) won the Big Sky tournament last season, then closed with a first-round NCAA loss to St. Johns.

UNLV's other games against Tournament qualifiers are Dec. 2 at Oklahoma State (in Oklahoma City) and Jan. 13 at Utah.

On Nov. 20-22 in the Maui Classic, whose pairings will be announced this month, the Rebels will play three games and the field includes six other NCAA Tournament teams: Connecticut, Arizona, Maryland, Illinois, Louisville and Dayton.

ESPN plans to air UNLV on four Big Monday telecasts, all in the Mountain West: Jan. 15 at BYU, Jan. 22 vs. New Mexico, Feb. 5 at Wyoming and Feb. 12 vs. Utah. Two others will be ESPN regional games, and other TV games will be announced.

The Mountain West has changed to a mostly Saturday-Monday schedule, dumping the Thursday games that led to travel headaches and long layoffs for some teams.

"I don't think there's a lot of difference," Bayno said. "No matter how you look at it, two games in three days is tough."

There are some light touches on the Rebels' schedule, such as Alaska-Anchorage on Dec. 18 and Chicago State on Dec. 20, but they're sandwiched between Cincinnati and Pepperdine, as UNLV will play four games from Dec. 16-22.

"That isn't going to be an easy stretch," Bayno said. "We'll be on our fourth game in (seven) days, and Pepperdine will have a whole week to prepare for us."

Alaska-Anchorage is in Division II, but the Rebels agreed to play the Seawolves in exchange for UNLV's entry to the 2002 Great Alaska Shootout.

Like last season, when they played Sidney Green's Florida Atlantic team midway through the Mountain West schedule, the Rebels have another non-conference game during the MWC season: Jan. 25 at Georgetown. That was the Hoyas' only available date.

Single-game tickets will go on sale October 15, costing $25 for the lower bowl and $12 and $10 for the balcony.

The student ticket system has changed. Students will still get in free, but no longer will receive actual tickets. A student ID, validated with a sticker at the student government office, will allow free entry to the arena and seating in student sections.