Hula hoops

Steve Addy

Monday, Nov. 20, 2000 | 11:08 a.m.

Who: UNLV vs. No. 8 Illinois in Maui Invitational

When: 8:30 tonight

TV: ESPN2 (Ch. 31)

Radio: KBAD 920-AM

LAHAINA, Hawaii -- It will require more than tenuous confidence for UNLV to beat No. 8 Illinois tonight in the Maui Invitational.

You don't upset highly ranked teams with just a puffy chest and a jaunty step.

But there's no question that the Rebels will enter the game feeling good about themselves, a byproduct of their 81-60 opening victory over Northern Arizona on Friday, a solid performance from top to bottom.

It might not sound like much, but it's all the Rebels can cling to at the moment. Given their recent history against Top 25 opponents and Illinois' clear talent edge, UNLV's fresh confidence sure can't hurt, provided it's accompanied by a well-executed game plan and rugged physical effort.

The Rebels will need all of that in their favor against an Illini lineup packed with McDonald's All-Americans (three), a team tabbed by the media to end Michigan State's three-year hold on the Big Ten title. The rest of the eight-team Maui field, including No. 1 Arizona, is not shabby either.

Even if Northern Arizona isn't the same team that made the NCAA Tournament last March, at least the Rebels emerged feeling like they can compete with the powerhouses gathered here.

For a team that absorbed blowouts of 44, 40 and 27 points last season, that's a big step after one game, come what may tonight.

"Hopefully, Friday's game prepared us for what we're going to face," coach Bill Bayno said. "Looking back on it, playing Northern (Arizona) was better for us than playing a weaker team. I'm just glad we won it. We wanted to get one game in before we came here, and I'd much rather come in after a win than a loss."

"I've been around here for four years, so it didn't change my confidence one way or another," center Kaspars Kambala said. "But with the new guys, being their first game, I'm sure it helped their confidence."

If nothing else, the Rebels learned that freshman point guard Lafonte Johnson can get them into their offense, transfer point guard Jevon Banks is a solid backup, and JC transfer Jermaine Lewis can shoot against Division I competition.

"If somebody would've had a bad game or shot bad, their confidence would be down," senior guard Trevor Diggs said. "You don't want to lose confidence before a game like Illinois. But I think everyone is feeling pretty good."

Whether that confidence will matter tonight, or the next two days, is a mystery. There won't be any soft touches for UNLV, not in a field featuring seven NCAA Tournament teams from last season.

But Bayno is also looking at the long-term benefits, especially considering how poorly his team played against quality opponents last season, all the way to an 89-62 first-round loss to Tulsa in the NCAA Tournament.

"From a competition standpoint, I think this is going to help us," Bayno said. "It will help us in our league, and hopefully we can get back to the NCAAs. If we do, there is no question we will look back upon these games and say, 'We've been here, we've played this type of talent and this is what we need to do.' "

If the Rebels upset Illinois, they will play in Tuesday's 4 p.m. PST semifinal against the winner between No. 6 Maryland and Louisville. If the Rebels lose, they'll play the Maryland-Louisville loser at 1 p.m. Tuesday.

Like the Rebels, the Illini have one game under their belts, having pounded Maine 86-57 on Friday. Small forward Sergio McClain compiled 16 points and nine rebounds off the bench, so he will move into the starting lineup tonight in place of Lucas Johnson.

Coach Bill Self, freshly hired away from Tulsa, has taken over a talented club, led by junior shooting guard Cory Bradford, a Wooden Award candidate like Kambala. Bradford has made a 3-pointer in 65 straight games, every game in his Illinois career, only eight shy of the NCAA record.

But it's not a one-man show. The Illini have four starters back, though Self is trying to downplay his club's talent and experience.

"I didn't think we could score or guard anyone until Friday, though we played fairly well against Maine," he said. "I'm so new to the team, I feel like I'm coaching 13 freshmen. We're confident we'll play well in the tournament, but you can be confident and still go home sad."

The Rebels hope their confidence isn't dashed quite that quickly.