Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Notebook: Rebels getting accustomed early on to Orleans

No. 18 UNLV practicing this week at Orleans Arena, adjusting to parameters and conditions

UNLV Basketball

Justin M. Bowen

Fans take their seats at the Orleans Arena before last December’s UNLV victory over Western Michigan.

The Rebel Room

No games this week? Lets talk rankings ... and K-State

Ryan Greene, Christine Killimayer and Ray Brewer discuss UNLV's latest ranking, which has the 7-0 Rebels 18th in the AP poll and 17th in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll. Is Lon Kruger's club the 18th-best team in the country? The crew discusses that, plus takes a look at Kansas State coming up on Saturday at the Orleans Arena.

Click to enlarge photo

A view of the wall at one end of the Orleans Arena, which can cause depth perception problems for shooters

Despite the fact that the Orleans Arena is located just a couple of miles down the road from the Thomas & Mack Center, it's still not home for the No. 18 UNLV men's basketball team.

As the Rebels get set for their third contest in the last three seasons at the Orleans, they're taking new measures in preparation this time around.

They're actually practicing there.

"Hopefully it'll help a bit," said UNLV coach Lon Kruger, whose club takes on Kansas State at 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon. "It's hard to measure how much of a difference it makes. We haven't shot the ball well from 3-point range anyway, so we'd like to think that'll be a solution, but I don't think that's it.

"Hopefully it makes us a little more comfortable with three or four days of practice under our belt."

At the ground level, there are a few key differences to playing at the Orleans as opposed to the Mack.

For starters, at one end, instead of inclining seats behind the basket, not too far off in the distance there's a large, white wall featuring a sizable video board. It can make depth perception a bit tricky for first-time visitors.

The other noticeable difference on the floor is the temperature, as a slab of hockey ice underneath the hardwood can make things a bit chilly.

"It's cold, but in the Mack, it's pretty cold, too," sophomore guard Oscar Bellfield said. "I think this has got the Mack (beat) a little bit.

"It's cool just to get a taste of how it is and get ready for Saturday. You have to get ready for it, but it's still just basketball."

The extra shots in the Orleans certainly can't hurt the Rebels.

While it's hard to nitpick too much at a 7-0 record, UNLV's bugaboo has been shooting from long range. The Rebels are hitting threes at a 26.2 percent clip, and while their 20.7 attempts per contest aren't an outrageous number, they're simply not falling through.

If history tells us anything, getting that trend to change in the Orleans might be difficult.

In their trips to the neutral venue over the past two seasons — which included a 70-61 victory over Western Michigan last December and an 84-71 triumph over Fresno State in 2007— the Rebels are 14-of-46 from deep.

Still, while several outside onlookers are freaking out a bit over UNLV's shooting woes, the players themselves feel that no panic is needed.

"It's just a matter of time," Bellfield calmly said. "We're going to get better."

UNLV coaches impressed by K-State's recent results

If you thought there was a chance Kansas State would look ahead to the bells and whistles of a road trip to Las Vegas this week, that theory was proved wrong on Tuesday night.

The Wildcats followed up an 86-69 thrashing of Washington State on Saturday night by physically overwhelming Xavier in a home tilt, 71-56.

The Cats shot ahead early and led by double digits almost the entire way, using sticky defense to hold the Musketeers to 29.4 percent shooting and winning the rebounding battle, 39-30.

UNLV has been out-rebounded in three of its last four games, coming to a 41-41 deadlock in a victory over Louisville on Nov. 28.

For K-State, which enters at 8-1, a victory over UNLV would surely vault the Wildcats into next week's top 25 polls.

"Two good opponents, and they did it handily," Kruger said. "They physically manhandled both teams and knocked them around, and that's what they'll try to do here. They're a very physical team."

Kruger said he received the Xavier game tape on Wednesday afternoon and would spend the hours after practice diving into it.

Kruger's thoughts on the AD search

Obviously, the first order of business for UNLV's new athletic director will be hiring a football coach — quickly.

University President Neal Smatresk revealed on Wednesday that the three finalists for the position are former Oregon AD Bill Moos, Arizona AD Jim Livengood and Washington State senior associate AD John Johnson. The new head of UNLV athletics could be named as early as next Tuesday evening.

Meanwhile, the school's men's hoops coach weighed in.

"I don't know any of them personally," Kruger said. "I met them, but I don't know them. In athletics you know everyone, you've met everyone. I don't know any more than that.

"At this point, Steve (Stallworth) and Jerry (Koloskie), who were the local candidates, we know them very well. But I'm impressed by the list of finalists, too."

Join the Discussion:

Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.

Full comments policy