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Despite rough exit last year, Willis welcomes challenge at BYU
Junior guard left Marriott Center last season with scraped shins, but savors return trip Wednesday
UNLV guard Tre’Von Willis brings the ball up court on Dec. 15 against Southern Utah at the Centrum Arena in Cedar City, Utah. UNLV dominated the second half and came out with a 77-59 win.
Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2010 | 2:30 a.m.
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Tre'Von Willis's exit from Provo following UNLV's 76-70 victory over BYU last season was anything but memorable.
The then-sophomore guard slipped on a patch of ice by the team bus and slid under the vehicle, scraping each of his shins nearly to the bone.
"It was hurting," he said with a grin.
That, however, pretty much was his lone slip-up of the night, as he scored 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting, and had five rebounds and three assists in what turned out to be UNLV's signature win during Mountain West Conference play.
A repeat performance not only might be necessary for UNLV (12-2) to win Wednesday on the road against No. 25 BYU (14-1), but the Rebels will need Willis to rediscover his touch and flow on the offensive end.
The Cougars are enjoying a nine-game winning streak and have scored at least 88 points in each of their last five outings.
Willis, on the other hand, is coming off his worst offensive performance of the season.
In a 67-56 loss to Southern Cal on Christmas Day in Honolulu, Willis not only was bothered by lingering back and ankle pain but also was stymied by the Trojans' suffocating defensive scheme. The team's leading scorer was held to four points on 0-for-6 shooting.
It marked just the second time in his UNLV career that the Fresno native was held without a field goal.
"That was horrible, especially because I couldn't maneuver how I would have liked to and my shot wasn't falling — it was awful," he said. "They did a good job, though. They made you do more than sit there and get a wide open shot or something like that. They made us work. They definitely caught me at the right time."
The bright side for Willis, however, was the impending 11-day layoff for the Rebels between the end of non-conference play and Wednesday's showdown at 7 p.m. in what is sure to be a wild and crazy atmosphere at the Marriott Center.
Willis said his pains have subsided somewhat, and a week with two games against ranked opponents to open league play — UNLV faces No. 15 New Mexico on Saturday — is just what he wants to come back against.
"I love those types of environments," he said. "It's one of the hardest places to play in the NCAA. I just love games like that, where the crowd is rowdy and you've just got each other. It's you against them and you have to fight them and the 20,000 people in the stands."
The strong showing on the road against BYU was just one instance in what has become a trend for Willis while at UNLV. This season, especially, he's saved his best for the crowds away from the Thomas & Mack Center.
Take away his anomaly of a performance in Honolulu against USC, and Willis is averaging 16 points per game and shooting 49.3 percent from the floor in six road games.
Willis's presence on the defensive end will be just as important as anything else Wednesday. One of the league's biggest games early in the conference season could come down to whomever can force their style on the other.
While UNLV likes to play a tough, in-your-face defensive style combined with efficient offensive possessions, BYU has run at a breakneck speed this season, even scoring in triple digits twice.
"I don't think you can go into BYU and win 110-105," UNLV coach Lon Kruger said. "The priority of every team playing BYU — in Provo, especially — is to limit their transition opportunities. But, still, they do it very well.
"I think any time you go on the road and win any place it's a confidence builder for sure. To go into BYU, a place where not a lot of people go into and win, would be an even greater boost. But that's easier said than done, for sure."
The UNLV coaching staff made a point of waking up its squad Monday afternoon during a spirited practice at the Mack, practicing with full-court drills for a good portion of the session. The scout team emulated BYU by executing lengthy outlet passes on inbounds plays.
Crashing the defensive glass was imperative, too, as running suicides was a punishment for not grabbing boards efficiently.
On the offensive end, UNLV's regulars worked on attacking a 2-3 zone, among other drills.
"If we can just make them a half-court team, work together and help each other, then we can try to dictate a little bit and we feel like we have a great chance," Willis said. "We don't want them to get any easy buckets. We want them to have to work for everything in the half-court."
Added Kruger, "You go up there wanting to slow them down. We'll always want to get ours if we can in transition, but always when you go up to Provo, you want to limit their opportunities to get out in transition."
While UNLV hasn't given much thought yet to Saturday's trip to Albuquerque, a fringe benefit of performing well in Provo would be building momentum for the clash with the Lobos, who to date have been the league's most impressive team.
And though the results from the first week of Mountain West play will hardly dictate how UNLV's season plays out the rest of the way, the Rebels have a golden opportunity to get themselves a more prominent spot on the national radar after a brief stumble from the limelight.
"I think we're ready — it's a challenge for us," Willis said. "Those are probably the two toughest road games in conference. If we can go out there, take on the challenge and play like we want to play, we should feel pretty good about the result."
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Tre'Von Willis will be fine and if you know ANYTHING about him or his attitude, you know that he wants nothing more than to hear the crowd screaming at him while he is knocking down shot after shot (which I see happening)
We will see a glimpse of next season tomorrow with Tre and Chace leading the way. I say both get 15+ while O chips in 12 and DJ has 8 pts 11 rbs, and 5 assists.
Anthony Marshall will come up big on defense against Jimmer Fredette. I say he gets 3+ steals and atleast 1 block. Anthony Marshall is another guy who could have a career night with BYU's lack of athleticism (to match AMs).
UNLV beats BYU 86-79.
Bellfield is good for picking up slack when Tre'Von isn't on, but it's the other guys who need to step up if needed, Stanback and Jasper especially. Hopefully the refs don't call it to close here,it benefits the Rebs attacking D when the refs let them play, which they will need at full force to take down BYU for the 2nd straight year in Provo. I have a good feeling about this game, go Rebs!!!
yes a balanced attack would be the key to victory, that is for sure!
How about Jonathon Tavernari? That kid doesn't even start anymore and every time he goes in the game he shoots stupid shots...haha serves him right! Never liked him anyways!!
Time for the guys to step and make a statement. we'll see what this team is made of this week.
This game is very important and I agree with rebelwithacause because these next two games will be gauges for UNLV's potential in the MWC. Come on REBELS get it together you guys have all the pieces of the puzzle and it's time for you to step it UP and REPRESENT!!!!
Much more upside to these two games than downside. Good luck with the big challenge fellas! Go Rebels!
you sound like you're bitter about something. obviously you haven't watched Rebel basketball for the last four years, making moronic predictions. somebody save this post ^^^
done and doner.
SoccerFan=Succotash?
It's sad when a team can get its bulletin board motivation from its own blog. The next two games aren't going to be easy but can be won by making other team turn the ball over and playing suffocating D. Can't wait to stuff some of your comments down your throat after REBELS win
Winning both would be very nice. But splitting the upcoming two games at two of the hardest places to play in all of the NCCAs would be fine. As long as they put a 100% effort into both games, there should be nothing to worry about.
I don't have a great feeling about the next 2 games. I do think we will win tomorrow night, but very close, say, 78-76. Saturday I don't see happening unless they blow BYU out. Losing is contagious once you lose 3 in a row, so I hope that will not be the case. If they play hard, GET BOARDS, and stout defense, they will be fine.
By the way, is the game televised? Channel?
the game is on The Mtn
Thx Jerry
I think that is likely as well suff. Hope I'm wrong, I really do.
If we were to actually get both games, could you imagine what that would do for our program?
FYI... all of our remaining games will be televised on The Mtn, VS, or CBS College Sports.
The excitement of 'Phsycho Sarah' is not there this year and already I can feel it. Where's the BYU bashing? Come on guys! Let's get pumped up!
the last 2 seasons that UNLV went to the NCAA Tournament, we lost to both UNM & BYU on the road in both seasons (06-07 & 07-08). Starting 0-2 would really suck, but I do not think it will happen.
If we start 0-2, it does not take us out of tourney contention. We can still go on a long run in conference play and the tourney is @ the Mack..and this team is built to play 3 games in 3 days IMO.
I don't see how anyone can predict a byu blow out after UNLV outplated them twice last year would have been 3 if we had played them in the tourney these guys just have to show heart from the opening tip and the results will be good I still don't beliene jimmers that good hell get 15 to 18 no way in hell he does a zona on us
Seeing that SDSU just handed New Mexico a 10 point loss, UNLV has a golden opportunity to catch them in a lull at home on Saturday... First they gotta keep BYU their sole focus and we could have a 3 way tie atop the Mountain West come Saturday night.
Ahhhh I knew this RebelSoccerFanatic punk would show who his real team was sooner or later. So, you're a BYU fan, hahahahahahha. How about you losers win a post season game or any big game that matters and then you can come here and talk smack. Until then, keep a lid on that garbage coming out of your mouth, it stinks!
I hate some of these sky-is-falling type UNLV fans who only come out to spew negativity after a rebels loss or rough patch of games. Closet UNLV haters posing as UNLV fans.
Hopefully Tre is close to 100%. If he scores 20+ points UNLV has a great chance of winning.
I'm not to worried about UNM either, they almost lost to Creighton and Dayton at the Pit.
And SDSU at home without Billy White should amount to a W as well.
SDSU WITH Billy White would be a win, let alone without him. And you accuse others of being sky-is-falling? Sheesh!
Lenny, Im sure many of us thought sdsu would be an easy win last yr too. That team has some very good players. they have 3 frontcourt players that are probably in the top 5 most athletic frontcourt players in the conference this year..and a very solid backcourt too..
I think we should knock them off but it wouldn't be an upset if they beat us.
Lenny I said we should win that game, meaning I think we will win that game. Are you dense?
I was referring to sufferin succotash and fast cameron saying they think we will start 1-3. and rebel soccer fanatic saying we have 100% chance of starting 0-2.
Reeeeeeeeeebels!
Dense? LOL. Are we in the '50s? Old dbag.