Columnist Dean Juipe: Don’t write the Rebels off just yet

Dean Juipe

Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2001 | 10:18 a.m.

Dean Juipe's column appears Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. His boxing notebook appears Thursday. Reach him at juipe@lasvegassun.com or 259-4084.

It has been somewhat difficult to do of late, but allow yourself to think positively about the UNLV basketball team and its situation for what remains of the current season.

This may come across as a distant voice from the wilderness, but I, for one, give the school a 50-50 chance at having its postseason ban lifted when the case appears before the NCAA Infraction Appeals Committee next month.

The reason for such optimism: By barring UNLV from the Mountain West Conference tournament, which will be held at the Thomas & Mack Center in March, the NCAA is not only penalizing the Rebels but the entire league, which needs and derives the gate money from the three-day event. Infraction Committee members could easily find that arrangement patently unfair at face value, particularly when you also consider the fact that UNLV administrators believe last month's penalties were stiffer than expected or warranted.

Factor in the firing of head coach Bill Bayno, which does work to the school's advantage on its appeal even if it can't admit as much, and that 2001 postseason ban could be exorcised.

Now look at what is going on in the Mountain West: Mediocrity is the league's prevalent trait.

Although the Rebels' 65-54 victory Monday night at the Mack over a typically unimpressive Air Force team is hardly reason for celebration, it did underscore the belief that the league's defending champions could repeat in spite of their up-and-down campaign thus far.

Not only is no Mountain West team currently in either major poll, none of its eight members received so much as a single vote in the writers' poll this week and only two members (BYU and Wyoming) garnered a mention in the coaches' poll.

Go a little further and examine this week's Sagarin ratings. BYU is No. 62; Wyoming 63; New Mexico 75; San Diego State 92; UNLV 97; Utah 99; Colorado State 118; and Air Force 241. The summation: None of these teams is too tough, as proven by their cumulative record of 0-6 against ranked opponents.

Remember that UNLV was projected as a top-25 team when the season began -- at least it was in Las Vegas -- and it's easy to think the Rebels may yet be the best team of the Mountain West lot. (UNLV is also the only team in the league with a winning record against each of its conference rivals.)

By now the skeptics among you must be saying "Get a grip and come back to reality," particularly with the Rebels having looked less than superlative against an Air Force team that was very much smaller and less athletic than the home club. UNLV had trouble hitting its 3's and it didn't protect the ball in the second half yet it defeated the Falcons for the 11th straight time.

More to the point, there's a very real fear among the UNLV faithful that the team's lack of cohesion will emerge anytime it is on the road. But the team with the most talent is expected to win in the long run, and UNLV -- with its long bench -- might still be that team.

Now, if the Infraction Committee closes the door on UNLV's appeal, that's it, the season is, in effect, over.

Until then, all is not hopeless.