Homebound Rebels can’t afford to ignore hot SDSU

Steve Addy

Friday, Feb. 22, 2002 | 10:12 a.m.

WHAT: San Diego State (16-10, 5-6 MWC) at UNLV (15-9, 6-5)

WHEN: Saturday, 7:35 p.m.

WHERE: Thomas & Mack Center

TV: Las Vegas ONE (Ch. 1 and 39)

RADIO: KBAD 920-AM

It is an intriguing and increasingly plausible scenario: UNLV wins its final three regular-season games, all at home, enters the Mountain West tournament with a full head of steam and sweeps three more at home to snag an automatic NCAA Tournament bid.

The Rebels admit to pondering such a possibility. No more road trips are required. If they can win six more games at the Thomas & Mack Center -- or just the final three from March 7-9 -- they will have accomplished something that seemed farfetched three months ago.

Especially after the tumult of last season, when the Rebels went on probation, went through two head coaches and were ruled ineligible for the postseason, earning an NCAA Tournament spot in coach Charlie Spoonhour's first season would be a stunning achievement.

But reality bites. Instead of daydreaming about fantasy fulfillment, the Rebels can't even look past Saturday night when San Diego State visits. The Aztecs are the MWC's hottest team after their 68-64 upset victory Monday at Wyoming, knocking the Cowboys out of first place. SDSU hadn't won in Laramie since 1991 and has won three straight MWC games for the first time.

For now UNLV's postseason aspirations will keep. Though the Rebels are 11-2 at home, 15-9 overall, San Diego State (16-10) should provide instant insurance against overconfidence as UNLV starts its closing homestand, which also includes Air Force and New Mexico.

"You hope we won't be overconfident. You try to fight that," Spoonhour said. "Saying it is one thing and believing it is another. Hopefully we'll be smart enough to approach the game in the proper mind-set, because San Diego State is playing very well.

"I'm sure our guys know the opportunity we have and I don't think it serves much purpose for (the coaches) to belabor it. The worst thing you can do is get in a mind-set where you feel you have to do something and you start playing tight. We just have to play."

Spoonhour is right. His players have discussed the possibilities of the next three weekends, but they vow to pay the present more attention than the future.

"We'll be at home the rest of the way and we have a chance to do some big things," Dalron Johnson said. "But we can't overlook any one step. We'll take the schedule as it comes and see how it goes."

"We all understand what's at stake," guard Vince Booker said. "We've talked among ourselves. We're keeping track of the standings. We are conscious of all that. But we're not taking anything for granted because we're at home. It actually gets harder for us because we're supposed to win here."

If the Rebels are feeling any haughtiness after escaping with a 96-91 overtime win Monday night at CSU, San Diego State's rising stature ought to eliminate it. The Aztecs have won three MWC road games, their 16 wins are their most since 1985 and they are lobbying for NIT consideration.

"We beat the best team in the league on their floor. That's significant," Aztecs coach Steve Fisher told the San Diego Union-Tribune. "(The NIT) should look at us as a team that is very appealing, if we continue to play well and win games. Yet, the way we are playing, I'm not so sure any team in our league would say, 'We want to play them first,' in the conference tournament."

In the teams' first meeting Jan. 26 at San Diego, UNLV got past SDSU 80-79 in overtime. Like that game, this one will again feature the top four scorers in the conference: Aztecs forward Randy Holcomb (17.3), UNLV's Johnson (17.1) and Aztecs guards Tony Bland (17.0) and Al Faux (16.7).

"We could play a very good game and still not win," Spoonhour said. "We have to make sure San Diego doesn't have one of their 'A' games. If they do they're probably as good or better than anyone in the league."

Next Saturday's game against New Mexico has been changed to 7 p.m. (from 7:30) and will be aired by Channel 8.