After USC loss, UNLV unranked in both polls

By Ryan Greene

Monday, Dec. 28, 2009 | 12:32 p.m.

Following a nationally televised loss Friday to Southern Cal in the championship game at the Diamond Head Classic, the 12-2 UNLV men's basketball team is now unranked in both major polls.

The Rebels won their first two games in Honolulu in resounding fashion, thumping SMU on Tuesday, 67-53, then routing host Hawaii on Wednesday, 77-53.

However, Lon Kruger's club was out-muscled in a 67-56 loss to the surging Trojans (8-4), who are one slot ahead of the Rebels in the 'Others receiving votes' portion of the AP Top 25 poll.

UNLV is listed at 36th in that poll with 26 votes, while USC garnered 27.

In the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll, which had the Rebels ranked 20th a week ago, UNLV is just second off the list with 51 votes, behind only Florida, who got 60 votes. USC in that poll is ranked 36th with 12 votes.

The Rebels don't play again until their Jan. 6 Mountain West Conference opener at BYU.

UNLV's other loss this season came Dec. 12 to Kansas State, who is ranked 12th in both polls at 11-1.

The lone Mountain West team in both polls is New Mexico, which suffered its first loss of the season Wednesday at Oral Roberts, falling 75-66. The 12-1 Lobos are 19th in the AP poll and 17th among the coaches.

Meanwhile, BYU is listed 32nd in the AP poll and 29th in the ESPN/USA Today poll.

The top 15 spots are consistent this week in both polls, with undefeated teams taking up the top six slots. Kansas (11-0) remained No.1, followed by Texas, Kentucky, Purdue, Syracuse and West Virginia.

Purdue and West Virginia, two of the nation's six remaining unbeatens, meet Friday in West Lafayette, Ind.

The biggest splash in this week's rankings was made by Northwestern, which at 10-1 is ranked 25th in the AP poll. It is the program's first time in the Top 25 since 1969.