Columnist Ron Kantowski: Lady Rebels not only ones to benefit

Thursday, April 1, 2004 | 9:33 a.m.

Ron Kantowski is a Las Vegas Sun sports writer. Reach him at ron@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4088.

From the moment the Lady Rebels enthusiastically accepted a bid to play in it, UNLV coach Regina Miller talked ad nauseam and infinitum about how a nice run in the Women's National Invitation Tournament would benefit a young team such as hers.

Now, with the mission accomplished, it raises the question of whether it also will benefit a relatively young coach such as Miller.

Like those of her players, Miller's star is shining a little brighter as a result of UNLV's 4-1 showing in that other tournament, which ended just shy of the ultimate goal with a 72-53 defeat at Creighton in the championship game Tuesday night.

While waiting for the complimentary pizza to arrive to the Omaha Civic Auditorium media room before the game, I managed to eavesdrop on two conversations, one frivolous and one, I think, not so frivolous.

The Omaha media was wondering whether the teams would have the option to kick free throws through the goal posts rather than shoot them through the hoops, as the towering yellow stanchions used by the Omaha Beef arena football team were conspiculously left in place at the Kansas City-Omaha Kings' old stomping grounds.

Somehow, I don't think Tiny Archibald would have approved.

Every time the Lady Rebels stepped to the foul line, the rabid Creighton fans seated behind the basket/in front of the goal posts chanted "Block that Kick!"

That takes care of the ridiculous. Now for the sublime.

After the media was through cracking wise -- "Where's the Beef? We need those goal posts outta here " -- I also overheard Miller's name being mentioned in context with the head coach opening at Southern Cal. The vacancy developed last week when Chris Gobrecht was fired by John Robinson's least favorite person in the whole wide world, Trojans athletic director Mike Garrett.

In that the intriguing nugget seems to have originated within the Lady Rebels' inner circle, it most likely is based on speculation rather than substance. UNLV athletic director Mike Hamrick said Wednesday he hasn't heard from S.C. or anybody else about Miller.

Of course, that doesn't mean it couldn't happen. On the plausibility meter, this one certainly has the potential to register right of center.

Miller already has shown the ability to recruit, and based on the past two weeks, she deserves credit for being able to coach the talented players she has brought in.

Perhaps the 22 wins the Lady Rebels accumulated during the regular season should be affixed with an asterisk, because the second division of the Mountain West was mostly third-rate this year. That's probably why the conference received only one NCAA tournament bid, rather than its usual three or four.

But there was nothing tainted about UNLV's WNIT effort. Had the games against Arizona State, Rice, Western Kentucky, Iowa State and Creighton been played on asphalt rather than hardwood, it's doubtful the Lady Rebels would have been favored in any of them.

After the Creighton game, Miller deflected questions about the Southern Cal rumor as if they were one of Jason Thomas' passes. She said her total focus has been on the WNIT.

Miller has one year remaining on a contract that pays her a modest -- at least by Lon Kruger standards -- $109,000 base salary. When I brought up the idea of an early contract extension, she joked that 10 years sounded about right.

At least I think it was a joke.

Hamrick has a policy of not discussing his coaches' contracts until they are set in stone, and he refused to be drawn into a discussion about Miller's future. He said he wasn't even sure how many years were left on her current deal.

"We're very happy with the way the season turned out," Hamrick said. "But Regina and I agree that we need to be in the NCAA tournament."

Well, that doesn't sound like a raise is forthcoming.

But it's not hard to make a case for Miller getting one.

As for the argument against tossing Miller a financial bone, well, as Hamrick indicated, it was just the WNIT. And he does have a business to run with limited funds in the kitty.

But if winning all those games in the Little Dance wasn't such a big deal, then why did UNLV hold a reception in the Lady Rebels' honor when they returned from Omaha on Tuesday?