By Rob Miech

Mon, Mar 17, 2008 (2 a.m.)

A year ago UNLV’s basketball team couldn’t hide its disappointment during a few seconds of national television time about being seeded seventh in the NCAA Tournament.

Sunday, the Rebels didn’t seem to care whom, or where, they played after it was revealed that they’ll start the NCAAs this week as an eight seed against Kent State in Omaha, Neb.

“What other people didn’t know, these guys never doubted,” UNLV coach Lon Kruger told a crowd of a few hundred at the team’s banquet inside the Cox Pavilion.

The improbability of returning to the NCAAs was not lost on a few Rebels who were part of last season’s run to the Sweet 16.

That was a textbook team, with a true point guard (Kevin Kruger), a real center (Gaston Essengue) and even a genuine backup post player who made drivers tremble with his shot-blocking ability (Joel Anthony).

This one is a jumble of shooting guards whose playground style is predicated on taking care of the ball, the 3-point shot, and a helter-skelter trapping and rotating defense.

“We get after it the unorthodox way,” senior guard Curtis Terry said. “We don’t have anyone over 6-feet-8, but we scrap around, get into people, play loose but play disciplined.”

Four starters, and five seniors, departed from that Sweet 16 squad, leaving this one thin on experience. It became thinner, on ability, when the coach booted three players for various indiscretions.

He showed sterling confidence when he relegated the tallest Rebel, 6-8 sophomore Matt Shaw, to the bench in favor of the blossoming Rene Rougeau.

Rougeau proved that he’s the most versatile player in the Mountain West Conference. UNLV dominated the boards in its victory against much-taller BYU on Saturday, and Rougeau yanked down six of his 10 rebounds under his own glass.

“It’s not the biggest team or fastest team that always wins,” Terry said. “It’s the team that plays the hardest and wants it the most.”

Junior guard Wink Adams entered Sunday’s celebration with a deep cough from a bad flu bug, and he walked a bit gingerly from a hard fall he took against BYU. Throw in the right index finger that he thinks is broken, and he’s a hobbling warrior.

Discount his abilities now, though, and he has you right where he wants you. “It’s all heart and defense,” Adams said.

His mother, Reandre, wore a white T-shirt with a big “Wink” written at an angle Saturday night and disclosed where her son gets his relentless motor.

“From his mama,” she said. “I told him, just because everyone’s gone, don’t you give up. Keep playing hard. He’s a strong kid. Size don’t mean anything.”

On the eve of the season, Terry promised that the Rebels would have fun. Just watch, Terry said, when critics predicted gloom.

Keep watching, he said Sunday, because there’s more fun to come.

“All we can do is trust in Coach and each other,” Terry said. “We knew we could do this, and we know we can do more. Hopefully, people will see that. But we’re ready to go out there and keep proving people wrong.”