Rebels have score to settle with Utes

Steve Guiremand

Monday, Jan. 10, 2005 | 9:25 a.m.

SALT LAKE CITY --- Even under normal circumstances, tonight's game against Utah would be a big one for the UNLV men's basketball team.

It's the Mountain West Conference opener for the teams projected in most preseason polls to finish 1-2 in the race.

It's nationally televised by ESPN on its Big Monday package. And the Utes have perhaps the top NBA prospect in college basketball in 7-foot sophomore forward Andrew Bogut.

But the Rebels (7-5) have even more incentive for playing well tonight against the Utes (12-3).

It was Utah that crushed UNLV's NCAA tournament hopes last March in the championship game of the Mountain West tournament.

Guard Nick Jacobson hit a 3-pointer with 1.8 seconds left to gave the Utes a 73-70 win and send the Rebels to March Dullness, a k a the NIT, instead of a coveted spot in March Madness.

"I'm quite sure when we see their jerseys we're going to think about it," said senior point guard Jerel Blassingame, who had 22 points and six assists in that bitter loss. "It's always in the back of my mind. They took something away from us. Hopefully we can go up there and get a win."

Senior guard Romel Beck said: "It does bring back some bad memories. Anytime you can go out and get revenge on a team like Utah ... it would be big for us."

Junior forward Louis Amundson added: "Definitely a bad memory."

UNLV coach Lon Kruger tried to low-key the revenge angle for his squad, however.

"I watched the game last year and saw how hard-fought it was and what a disappointing loss it was," Kruger said. "I'm sure the guys are thinking about it. But once the game starts, you're playing each possession, so that stuff becomes secondary."

Besides, Jacobson, who finished with 22 points in that game, has graduated and forward Richard Chaney, who added 18 points, will be watching from the bench in street clothes with a broken hand.

The bad news is that Bogut, who had 17 points and 14 rebounds in that contest, decided to turn down professional offers to play in Europe after starring for Australia in the Summer Olympics and is even more dominating in college this year.

Bogut has had double-doubles in 11 of the Utes' 15 games this season.

He is averaging 20.2 points per game and is shooting 63.4 percent from the field.

He also is averaging a conference-best 11.5 rebounds per game.

"He's a terrific player," Kruger said. "He's playing with great confidence and great awareness. He's a big, big factor."

Amundson, who guarded him at times last year, will get the defensive assignment tonight. But look for him to get plenty of help.

"You've got to limit him as best you can, which is easier said than done," Kruger said. "You've just got to battle him hard each possession and make him earn what he gets."

Amundson said: "We'll be doing some different things (defensively). You've got to be tough with him. He's a good player. You've got to 'D' him up as best as we can. I think it helps that I've guarded him before because I know what he likes to do."

But Utah is hardly a one-man team.

Senior point guard Marc Jackson, a second-team all-Mountain West Conference pick two years ago as a sophomore when he got the best of his head-to-head matchups with former Rebels star Marcus Banks, is back and playing better than ever after sitting out the 2003-04 campaign following a rift with then-Utah head coach Rick Majerus.

Jackson leads the MWC in 3-point shooting (56.1 percent) and is a smart floor general for the Utes.

"He's a tough player, a hard-nosed player," Blassingame said. "I've watched him play on film a few times. I'm looking forward to the matchup."

Utah swept three games from UNLV last season, including the heartbreaking MWC tourney finale.

"It's a different year and a different team and a different coach," Rebels forward Odartey Blankson said. "We're just going to go out and try and execute our game plan and try and come out with a victory."

Blassingame added: "That's behind us. It's a new year. It's the start of a new conference. And everything that happened last year has nothing to do with this year."