Friday, Feb. 14, 2003 | 9:55 a.m.
NEXT UP
What: BYU at UNLV
When: Today, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Thomas & Mack Center
TV: Las Vegas ONE, Ch. 1 and 39
Radio: KBAD 920-AM
Line: Game is pick 'em
Just call them Team Schizo. Or maybe the Bounceback Kids.
UNLV's basketball team has suffered embarassing losses to Air Force, Wyoming and USC in the last three weeks. But each time the Rebels (14-7, 3-4) have rebounded with impressive victories over New Mexico, Colorado State and, on Tuesday night, at San Diego State.
However, for Charlie Spoonhour's squad to reach its ultimate goal, a spot in the NCAA Tournament, it will need to put together a strong finish in the second half of Mountain West Conference play, starting tonight with a rare Friday night home game against MWC co-leader BYU (17-5, 6-1).
"We've got seven (MWC) games remaining," Spoonhour said. "What we have to do is come out and play hard and as well as we can in all of them."
Going by the Rebels' recent feast or famine pattern, headline writers may want to sharpen their "Valentine's Day Massacre" headlines.
Even though they lost a hard-fought 85-77 decision to the Cougars in Provo to start league play last month, the Rebels believe they can turn that tide tonight against arguably the most talented team in the MWC.
"We lost that game by eight points even though we felt we played a bad game," senior forward Dalron Johnson said. "We've done a lot of things different since that game. We're coming out with a different lineup and a different scheme -- we may mix in some (2-3) zone. That last game is no indication of what is going to happen (tonight)."
The Rebels played almost half of the San Diego State victory in the 2-3 zone. That move helped Spoonhour shorten his bench to seven players with injured guard Demetrius Hunter limited to just four minutes because of his chronic Achilles' injury.
Forward Omari Pearson (27 minutes) was the only sub to see any real game action. The zone also helped keep point guard Marcus Banks and Johnson out of early foul trouble, enabling them to play the entire 40 minutes.
Playing the zone against BYU could be helpful in defending against 6-foot-11, 270-pound Cougar Rafael Araujo, who finished with 22 points and 15 rebounds in the first meeting and presents a major mismatch inside. But it also opens up the perimeter for some of the conference's best 3-point shooters.
BYU swingman Mark Bigelow is connecting on 47.6 percent of his treys and had four in the first half alone against the Rebels last month. Hard-nosed senior shooting guard Travis Hansen (39.1 percent), a conference player of the year candidate, is averaging 16.4 points and 4.8 rebounds.
"I'm sure we'll zone them some," Spoonhour said. "The thing you have to understand is when you're in your zone, when you play against someone like Hansen or Bigelow, they're going to get some baskets. But you want them to have to work hard to get those baskets."
Despite the up-and-down first half of Mountain West play, the Rebels still believe they can bounce back and earn an NCAA berth. They only have to look no farther than the team they just defeated, San Diego State, to know that it can be done.
The Aztecs went just 2-5 in the first half of league play a year ago, rebounded to finish 7-7 and then carried that momentum and confidence into the MWC Tournament. They garnered an automatic NCAA bid by edging the Rebels, 78-75, in the championship game.
"We've got more than hope," Johnson said. "We have a mission. Our mission is to win out in this league and then come into the tournament with homecourt advantage and show why they call it a homecourt advantage."
BYU's main mission this week may be guarding against overconfidence.
The Cougars, who went 0-7 in conference road games last season, are coming off a impressive Front Range sweep of Wyoming and Colorado State and are a perfect 3-0 in MWC road contests. A headline on the Provo Daily Herald's website on Tuesday read, "BYU appears headed to the NCAA Tourney."
"You can make your plans for Thursday, March 20," the story read. "The Cougars will be playing in Oklahoma City, Indianapolis, Spokane or Salt Lake City."
During this week's media conference call, Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson, a former member of the NCAA men's basketball tournament selection committee, said he felt both the Cougars and Utah are all but set for March Madness.
"BYU and Utah are in solid shape and playing for a seed at this point," Thompson said, noting the Cougars' lofty No. 15 RPI ranking. UNLV is still a respectable 58th.
"I would say that Wyoming and UNLV are borderline situations right now but haven't been eliminated," Thompson said. "It would behoove Wyoming and UNLV to come on strong and finish with RPIs in the 50s or better for at-large bids."
An upset of the Cougars certainly wouldn't hurt in that regard.
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