Kruger’s quiet milestone

By Rob Miech

Saturday, Feb. 9, 2008 | 2 a.m.

It’s just a number, UNLV basketball coach Lon Kruger says of career victory No. 400, which could come this afternoon against Colorado State at the Thomas & Mack Center. No big deal.

Legendary former Rebels coach Jerry Tarkanian, like most everybody else in the profession, knows the feeling.

“When I won my 700th game — or 600th, heck, I don’t remember — I didn’t even know it,” Tarkanian says. “They made a big deal about it at Fresno State, gave me the ball.

“But you don’t pay attention to that when you’re coaching. You’re worried about the next game. No time to look back. When you’re retired, that’s when you look back.”

Kruger is within a victory of the milestone sooner than most might have expected — he lost five seniors, including four starters, from last season’s Sweet 16 team.

At 17-5, however, the Rebels are only a game off last season’s pace. Here’s the anatomy of a career, a milestone and, so far, another improbable season:

1. Stellar company

Kruger is in an exclusive fraternity of coaches who have guided four schools to NCAA tournament victories. Kansas State, Florida, Illinois and UNLV have benefited from his guidance. Jim Harrick and Eddie Sutton are the only other coaches who have pulled off the feat.

2. Thirty

Quick, in Kruger’s long career, how many times has he won 30 games in a season? Did he do it at Kansas State, his alma mater? At Florida, which he led to a Final Four? Twice at Illinois? Guess again. His only 30-victory campaign was last season’s, when he steered UNLV back to national prominence.

3. Defense

Tarkanian has always been a fan of Kruger, and the Rebels have impressed The Shark with their defense. “The past two years, the defense has been really good,” he says. “Excellent. It’s a very solid team. Lon is a tremendous coach.”

4. As he sees it

Tark doesn’t mince his words. UNLV has taken advantage of a league that lost more than half its coaches and an abundance of talent. Indeed, it is a down season in the Mountain West. “Way down,” Tark says. And what about the Rams, UNLV’s opponents today, who are winless in the conference? Tark says, “They’re just horrible.”

5. Kruger owns the Rams

CSU fans hide their eyes when UNLV is the foe. Since Kruger landed in Las Vegas, he’s 8-0 against the Rams. Without 7-foot senior center Stuart Creason, shelved by a foot injury, the Rams have lost eight in a row and 12 of their past 13 games.