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StumbleKNOW THE FOE:
Miners trying to keep Rebels from Runnin’
Monday, Nov. 24, 2008 | 2 a.m.
Scoring alerts
UNLV Rebels (3-0) at Texas-El Paso (2-0)
- Where: Don Haskins Center
- When: 6 p.m.
- Coaches: Lon Kruger is 95-42 in five seasons at UNLV and 413-275 in 23 overall seasons; Tony Barbee is 35-31 in three seasons at UTEP and overall.
- Series: UNLV leads, 7-3
- Last time: The Rebels won, 84-71, last season in Las Vegas
- TV/Radio: CBS College Sports/Fox Sports Radio 920-AM
THE REBELS
- G Oscar Bellfield (6-2, 175) 7.5 ppg, 4.3 apg
- G Wink Adams (6-0, 200) 15.3 ppg, 5 rpg, 3.3 apg
- F Rene Rougeau (6-6, 210) 8.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 2 bpg
- F Joe Darger (6-7, 225) 11 ppg, 5 rpg
- C Darris Santee (6-8, 225) 6.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg
- Bench: G Tre’Von Willis (6-4, 195) 5.3 ppg, 3.8 apg; F DeShawn Mitchell (6-5, 205) 7 ppg, 2.7 rpg; G Kendall Wallace (6-4, 190) 5.5 ppg; F Mo Rutledge (6-3, 225) 5.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg; C Beas Hamga (7-0, 225) 1.7 ppg; C Brice Massamba (6-10, 255) 2.5 ppg.
- What to watch: Darger led the Rebels with 23 points in the victory over UTEP last season. He hit four 3-pointers and was 7-for-7 at the line. Adams chipped in with 14 despite sinking only two shots. Curtis Terry had 20 at the point, so the combo of Bellfield and Willis has a standard to meet. Kruger’s new trio of centers will have its hands full with new UTEP center Kareem Cooper.
THE MINERS
- G Stefon Jackson (6-5, 185) 20.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3 apg
- G Randy Culpepper (6-0, 165) 25.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg
- G Julyan Stone (6-6, 195) 13.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 8 apg
- F Arnett Moultrie (6-11, 225) 4 ppg, 9 rpg
- C Kareem Cooper (7-0, 285) 12 ppg, 5 rpg
- Bench: C Claude Britten (6-11, 270) 5 ppg; G/F Jason Jones (6-6, 200) 1.5 ppg; G/F Gabriel McCulley (6-7, 225) 1 ppg, 4.5 rpg.
- What to watch: Texas Southern and Georgia Southern were sieves for Jackson and Culpepper. Cooper, the new 7-footer who transferred from Memphis (where Barbee was an assistant), is shooting 80 percent from the floor and averages 25 1/2 minutes a game. The three guards, however, like to penetrate the lane more than just about any other team UNLV will play, according to Adams. The Rebels’ sliding and defensive help will be tested.
If the Rebels live up to the unofficial 'Runnin' tag that has preceded their nickname Monday night, Texas-El Paso coach Tony Barbee probably won't be the happiest man in the world.
Defending the transition game has been a major focus for the Miners (2-0) since they last played on Nov. 18. Despite beating Georgia Southern, 96-79, 38 of Southern’s points came in transition.
"A team that wants to run like that, you want to hold them under 10 points in transition," Barbee told the El Paso Times. "I want our (big) men to attack the boards, but our 1-2-3 men have to do a better job not getting caught in no-man's land."
One thing the Miner guards will do tonight against UNLV in El Paso, if history repeats itself, is score.
The unquestioned backcourt leader is 6-foot-5 senior Stefon Jackson, the reigning Conference USA Player of the Year. Through two games this season, he's averaging 20.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists.
He'll create matchup problems for just about anyone this season, and UNLV (4-0) should be no different.
Jackson won’t draw all of the focus. One of the pleasant surprises early on for Barbee is 6-foot sophomore guard Randy Culpepper, one of four Miners who hail from Memphis.
Culpepper has avoided any early signs of a sophomore slump after being named the C-USA Sixth Man of the Year in 2007, averaging 12.8 points per game. This season, he's averaging 25 through two games. A chunk of that came from a career-best 35 points against Georgia Southern.
Rounding out UTEP's list of top early producers are sophomore swingman Julyan Stone (13.5 ppg, 8.0 apg, 6.5 rpg) and junior center Kareem Cooper.
Cooper has more of a tie to UNLV than anyone on the UTEP roster. The 7-footer sat out last season after transferring from Memphis, where he was a teammate of current Rebel Tre'Von Willis in 2006-07.
UNLV will be UTEP's first real test of the non-conference season, but hardly their only one. Before the Miners open the C-USA slate against SMU on Jan. 10 in Dallas, they will face St. Mary's, New Mexico State (twice), Texas Tech and New Mexico.
They could also wind up facing Wake Forest if they beat St. Mary's on Thursday night in the opener of the 76 Classic in Anaheim, Calif.
"I would like them to circle every game on the schedule as a big game," Barbee said. "We have a unique team with special talent. We have Stefon Jackson, who is one of only 50 players in the nation nominated for the Wooden Award.
“Stefon is a senior and he is one of the best players ever to play in this program, and this year is the last chance for our fans to see him play. That alone is worth it."
The Miners will probably have their best crowd so far at the Don Haskins Center tonight. A sellout (12,000) might be likely after crowds of 6,471 against Texas Southern and 7,822 against Georgia Southern.
Tip-off is set for 6:05 p.m., with the game airing on CBS College Sports. Former Rebels star Greg Anthony will be doing commentary.
Never can get enough UNLV analysis and chatter? Then this is the stop for you. Join the Sun sports staff in The Rebel Room for your fix.
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