Kruger could notch 100th win tonight with Rebels

Sam Morris

UNLV coach Lon Kruger talks to guards Wink Adams, left, and Oscar Bellfield during the second half of their game against San Diego on Nov. 15 at the Thomas & Mack Center. UNLV won 65-60.

By Rob Miech (contact)

Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2008 | 2:10 a.m.

Lon Kruger is the same guy he was as a freshman starting on the Silver Lake (Kan.) High varsity squad, when Greg Grensing as a fifth-grader watched him play.

Silver Lake and Council Grove were in the same small-school Class 1A. When Silver Lake traveled 45 miles to Grensing’s hometown, Grensing sat perched on the bleachers, watching Kruger.

By then, Kruger was becoming a household name in the Sunflower State.

That’s what Grensing recalled about Kruger, who's on the verge of becoming only the second UNLV basketball coach to win 100 games.

“Back there at that point in time, he was getting quite a bit of attention in football, basketball and baseball,” said Grensing, who got his first job on a Kruger staff in 1984 at Texas-Pan American.

“He was well-known at a young age, which might make it more impressive that he’s so humble. He has remained true to himself and has enjoyed a lot of success.”

When Kruger took over at Kansas State in 1986, he brought Grensing with him.

“Probably the most important thing about him, because it shows his security, is win or lose, 15 minutes after a game he’s the same guy,” Grensing said. “Win or lose.

“Kids come up to him and he talks to them, he asks how they’re doing … he’s so much more as a person than about wins and losses as a coach.”

Mike Shepherd, UNLV’s director of basketball operations, is in his fourth stint working for Kruger.

Shepherd assisted Kruger at Florida and Illinois, and he served as a scout for the Atlanta Hawks when Kruger coached that NBA team.

“Whether it’s players or a director of operations or assistant coaches, he gets people to buy into and understand what their roles are to be successful,” Shepherd said.

“That’s on a day-to-day, game-to-game or practice-to-practice basis. That’s as significant as anything, I think. A lot goes into that, including an ability to communicate and being as genuine as he is.”

Neither the 51-year-old Grensing nor the 42-year-old Shepherd said they knew Kruger, 56, is a victory away from No. 100 as the boss of the Rebels.

The fifth-year coach is 99-44 at UNLV.

“I’m sure he hasn’t given it any thought, knowing him,” Grensing said.

“Just another number,” said Shepherd. “I think it means we’ve made progress. I guess it’s better to get to 100 in the middle of year five than in the middle of year seven.

“If we have the opportunity to do so sometime this week or sometime next week, that would be good.”

UNLV (8-2) plays host to Santa Clara (5-4) tonight at the Thomas & Mack Center before Arizona (7-2), which upended fourth-ranked Gonzaga on Monday, visits Las Vegas on Saturday.

Southern Utah comes to the Mack on Tuesday before the Rebels head to Louisville for a big New Year’s Eve game at Freedom Hall.

As his two lieutenants predicted, Kruger could not care less about having triple figures in victories at UNLV.

“Honestly, didn’t even realize it,” Kruger said after practice Tuesday afternoon in the Cox Pavilion auxiliary gym. “Obviously, it’s not a big deal.”

He smiled when pressed.

“Never thought about it at all,” Kruger said. “It represents guys who won some ball games over the last couple years, especially. It’s a credit to them.”

Kruger’s versatility on all athletic fields in his youth has been widely documented. On the basketball court, he was known for his fearlessness, especially on defense.

Grensing often traveled 25 miles from Council Grove, to Manhattan, to watch Kruger play hoops as a freshman for Kansas State.

That was one of the last seasons that freshmen were ineligible, so Grensing and his mother, a Kansas State graduate, watched the Wildcats’ frosh team play before the varsity game.

When a friend of Grensing’s left his post as one of Kruger’s assistants at Texas-Pan American, in Edinburg, Texas, Grensing was hired and became much closer to Kruger.

In their four seasons together at Kansas State, the Wildcats went to the NCAA tournament each season. Current UNLV assistant coach Steve Henson played the point on those teams.

In 1988, with Mitch Richmond on the squad, Kansas State made it to the East Regional final in the NCAAs and lost to Danny Manning-led Kansas for a spot in the Final Four in Kansas City, Mo.

The Jayhawks won the national championship.

“If you’d have said to me that he’d leave Kansas State,” Grensing said, “I would have thought, ‘Hmmmmm.’ He thinks of things differently, as far as what’s the right thing in business, the whole bit. He has a pretty good perspective.”

The victory at Fresno State two weeks ago gave Kruger 97 at UNLV, passing Rolland Todd for second place on the program’s career coaching chart.

Next up, at 509, is Jerry Tarkanian.

“I’d say it’s fairly safe,” Grensing said. “That’s a lot of wins over a lot of years. I think Tark can go to sleep at night and not worry about that happening.

“I simply think (Kruger) will be here until he’s through coaching. I do believe that his roots are tied in pretty good (in Las Vegas).”

Shepherd doesn’t believe Kruger will become the Joe Paterno of UNLV basketball.

“He likes coaching basketball, but that’s a lotta years,” Shepherd said. “I don’t think Tark will stay up late at night worrying.”

Kruger himself said Tarkanian should not worry.

“We don’t have to worry about that one,” said Kruger, smiling. “No.”