Kruger prefers fastbreak when it comes to the road

Steve Guiremand

Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2004 | 9:48 a.m.

The UNLV Rebels will visit two of the top vacation areas on the West Coast in the next eight days when they travel to the Bay Area to face Cal on Wednesday and then head down the coast to Malibu to face Pepperdine the following Wednesday night.

But don't expect head coach Lon Kruger to take the troops to Fisherman's Wharf or the beach for some sight-seeing during those trips.

In fact, the Rebels will have little time to do anything but play basketball.

The reason is simple. Unlike past years when the Rebels would arrive at those cities a day early and practice at least one night in the opposing gym, UNLV this year is flying in the morning of those games.

The Rebels are chartering seven trips on Allegiant Airlines this season, which will allow them the flexibility of leaving the morning of the game and then returning home that same night. It's a practice Kruger said he took part in during his Big Ten coaching days at Illinois and one he says is common in other parts of the country.

"It's a win-win all the way across the board," Kruger said. "Our players will miss one day less of class this way. They get to sleep in their own bed the night before. And some of our fans can come along and watch the game (who) might not have been able to otherwise."

Yes, fans can also join the team on the 150-seat charters. The team has formed the "Runnin' Rebel Travel Squad" and boosters can purchase seats on the charter for $250 per trip or get the entire seven-game package for $1,500. The package also includes ground transportation, hotel accommodations, a ticket to the game and a pregame reception with Kruger.

Besides the games at Cal and Pepperdine, the Rebels will also fly to Reno on Saturday morning for Saturday night's game against the Wolf Pack. Because of Mountain West Conference rules requiring the team to arrive the day before a game, the other four games will be overnight trips to New Mexico, Air Force, Wyoming and Colorado State.

What makes those conference games unique is that instead of flying directly from Albuquerque after a Saturday night game to Colorado Springs for a Monday night contest, the Rebels instead will board a charter back to Las Vegas after their game with the Lobos, practice at home on Sunday afternoon, then fly all the way back to Colorado on Sunday night. They'll repeat the same scenario for their Feb. 19-21 Front Range trip to Wyoming and Colorado State.

Kruger believes it's worth it for his team to get a good night's sleep at home rather than spend an extra night at a hotel.

"I think over the course of a year, the more times you can sleep in your own bed the better," Kruger said. "There's less wear and tear. I think over the course of the year it will keep us fresher."

What about jet lag?

"No problem," Kruger said. "NBA people fly and get in at 3 in the morning and play 12 hours later all the time."

And what about bad weather? After all, the airport in Reno was shut down Saturday morning because of a blizzard.

"The weather forecast is such that if we can anticipate something we'll reconsider (the departure time)," Kruger said. "But that is the way with any travel. We'll just rely on Allegiant Airlines. If they suggest to go in earlier, we'll go in earlier."

Senior guard Romel Beck said of the in-and-out one-day trips: "That's new. We never did that last year. I think it's going to be tough but we've just got to be mentally tough about it."

Seats are still available on the charters. To reserve a seat, contact Allison Shepherd in the athletics development office at 895-0292.