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StumbleMWC TOURNAMENT:
UNLV playing with the attitude that one more win is needed against Utah
Rebels regarded by many as NCAA tournament-bound, but aren’t complacent in facing Utes for third time
Sam Morris / Las Vegas Sun
UNLV guard Tre’Von Willis is guarded by Utah center David Foster during a Jan. 16 Mountain West Conference game. Utah won the game, 73-69, at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Thursday, March 11, 2010 | 2:15 a.m.
UNLV vs. Utah
UNLV Rebels (23-7, 11-5) vs. Utah Utes (14-16, 7-9)
Where: Thomas & Mack Center
When: 8:30 p.m.
Coaches: Lon Kruger is 135-60 in his six seasons at UNLV and 452-293 in 24 overall seasons; Jim Boylen is 56-41 in his three seasons at Utah, which is his first head coaching job.
Series: Utah leads 22-21
Last time: Utah won, 66-61, on Feb. 17 in Salt Lake City.
Line: UNLV by 12
TV/Radio: The Mtn./CBS-C/ESPN Radio 1100-AM
THE REBELS
G Oscar Bellfield (6-2, 180) 9.3 ppg, 4.6 apg, 2.5 rpg
G Anthony Marshall (6-3, 200) 5.1 ppg, 2.6 rpg
G Tre'Von Willis (6-4, 195) 17.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.6 apg
F Chace Stanback (6-8, 210) 10.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg
F Darris Santee (6-8, 225) 4.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg
Bench: F Brice Massamba (6-10, 240) 4.5 ppg, 2.4 rpg; G Justin Hawkins (6-3, 190) 3.5 ppg, 1.5 rpg; G Kendall Wallace (6-4, 190) 7.1 ppg, 1.6 rpg; F Matt Shaw (6-8, 240) 7.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg; G Derrick Jasper (6-6, 215) 6.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.9 apg; G Steve Jones (6-1, 220) 1.7 ppg, 1.2 rpg.
What to watch: Chace Stanback will be relied upon heavily to be a strong second scoring option behind Tre'Von Willis, who had 32 points the last time these two met. If anyone else had stepped up that night, the Rebels probably wouldn't have lost in SLC.
THE UTES
G Luka Drca (6-5, 205) 10.0 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.2 apg
G Marshall Henderson (6-2, 175) 12.0 ppg, 2.6 rpg
G Shawn Glover (6-6, 190) 3.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg
F Jace Tavita (6-4, 205) 1.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg
C Jason Washburn (7-0, 220) 5.1 ppg, 2.9 rpg
Bench: G Carlon Brown (6-5, 205) 12.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.5 apg; F Jay Watkins (6-7, 210) 9.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg; G Chris Hines (6-1, 180) 3.0 ppg; F Kim Tillie (6-11, 230) 7.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg; C David Foster (7-3, 255) 4.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 4.0 bpg.
What to watch: If Foster and Tillie don't play — both are nursing ankle injuries — Carlon Brown will have to be as effective this time as he was against UNLV last game, when he used repeated dribble-drives to score 18 points. Plus, if Marshall Henderson isn't hitting threes, the Utes could suffer.
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Last season, as UNLV got together to watch the NCAA tournament selection show after losing four of its last six games, it was a foregone conclusion for the Rebels not to get their hopes up too much.
Entering today's quarterfinal round of the Mountain West tournament, Lon Kruger's club has a chance to watch this year's selection show with the same definitive feeling, except from the other perspective.
While many experts seem to think that UNLV is in the field of 65 regardless of the outcome of their third meeting this season with Utah at 8:30 p.m. tonight at the Thomas & Mack Center in the first round of the Mountain West Conference tournament, a win or two this weekend does nothing but cement things.
"I think we want to win the tournament and put ourselves in a position where we don't have to sweat it out," junior guard Tre'Von Willis said. "But in order to do that, we have to win Thursday. The team we play Thursday has beaten us both times, so we definitely know Thursday's game is the focal point right now."
The Rebels (23-7 overall, 11-5 MWC) enter the league tournament carrying an RPI of 48, a good load of quality wins on their résumé and a 7-3 record against teams in the RPI top-100.
Still, those numbers have yet to matter much to Utah (14-16, 7-9) this season.
In the first meeting — a 73-69 Utah triumph Jan. 16 at the Thomas & Mack Center — the Rebels were just 1-of-12 from 3-point range. Utah freshman guard Marshall Henderson alone hit five shots from deep, and 7-foot-3 sophomore center David Foster enjoyed a career night with 13 points, six rebounds and six blocks.
The next time around — a 66-61 Utes upset in Salt Lake City — the only Rebel to do much of anything was Willis, who scored 32 points but couldn't get his team over the hump at the end. Meanwhile, Utah junior Carlon Brown repeatedly punished UNLV by finishing off hard drives to the bucket.
"We knew him so well, and I don't know why guys wouldn't step in front of him and make him shoot a contested three or a long, contested jumper," Willis recalled. "Things like that are what we're going to be more focused on this time.
"I think that game was the turning point for us to become better as a team and to realize how much we've got to stay together. Everybody has to be on the same page as far as swarming around and sticking together."
Clearly, the Rebels got the message.
Against struggling opponents in their final four regular season games, Willis & Co. made a point of establishing themselves early on the defensive end, forcing a bevy of miscues and creating easy offense as a result of it.
UNLV went 4-0 after the second loss to Utah, winning by an average margin of 23.8 points and forcing 16.3 turnovers per game.
"Our guys have had good focus to open up the last few games, and we need to continue that," Kruger said.
The X-factor heading into the third meeting will be Utah's health.
Utah's injuries hit two of their four big men, as both Foster and 6-foot-11 senior forward Kim Tillie are questionable while nursing ankle sprains.
The Rebels have said going in that they're preparing as if both will play.
At the same time, UNLV is preparing as if this game will make or break its NCAA tournament fate.
Every little bit helps the Rebels separate themselves from the crowded pack on the proverbial bubble, which includes teams such as San Diego State, Illinois, Seton Hall and several others.
The Aztecs play in the day's second quarterfinal against Colorado State at approximately 2:30 p.m.
Should Steve Fisher's club advance, they'd face the winner of the noon game between top-seeded New Mexico and Air Force, which knocked off Wyoming in the opening round game on Wednesday at the Mack, 59-40.
The UNLV/Utah winner faces either TCU or BYU. The Horned Frogs and Cougars do battle at 6 p.m.
"Several teams are playing this one with the attitude that they need one more," Kruger said. "And if we get that one on Thursday, we'll play one on Friday with exactly the same attitude. I think that's the only healthy way to do it.
"Given our body of work, you feel good about where you're at, but (what I think) doesn't mean anything."
Note: For the Rebels, junior guard Derrick Jasper, who missed the final nine games of the regular season with a partially torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee, will be a game-time decision.
He practiced each day this week and could return to the floor in a small reserve role.
Discussion: 25 comments so far…
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This is a brand new season now and we cant afford to loose our first game or all these haters on this forum may get their wish. We got the right attitude and i'm just praying that Jasper will be ready to go @ 100% sometime this post season. Lets go boys and lets get this city into a frezy!!!!!RREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEbeeeelsssss!!!!!!!
Hey RebelsRTerrible- I will take the side of the men posting the line in the sportsbook (-12)which is plus 10. SDSU was a better team than us last year. I cant wait to see what you write tomorrow before we play BYU. Bet the house on UNLV -12
Your negative attitude clouds your mind...You can't see what this team has been through. injuries can hit any program and if we wern't so deep we would not be in the position we have now mr. suffrin.. All we got to do is win and were in suka!!
REBELS B!@tChe$!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So is the game on the MTN or CBSC? Or Both?
I'm callin it right now the Rebels win the MWC tourney. URTerrible = Sufferin they wont have to worry about the selection commitee. I'll be back to say I told ya so...
URTerrible, stop using the term "we". That is reserved for fans of "our" team.
I know that many have said that UNLV is in regardless, but winning the tourney or getting to the finals might get us a 7 seed as opposed to an 8 or 9. Really do not want to see Kansas, Syracuse, or Kentucky in a 2nd round match up. Duke however is a different story. Still would feel like a run could be made if we catch a 10 seed then a 2. A lot on the line Rebels, time to strap it on!
BTW it says game time is 8:30 PST but the coverage on CBSC does not show it starting until 9:00PST. What is the scoop?
Why would someone who supports UNLV (by posting "us" when talking about the team) have their name as rebelsrterrible?
Go back to BYU suff.
Hey RebelsRTerrible....what's this "we" you're talking about? If you're talking about UNLV in first-person, why would your moniker be RebelsRTerrible?!?!?!?!?!?!??!
I'm pretty sure I know who this is over at Rebelnet and gotta say you've become one angry, jaded guy over the years. Has to be a reflection of your life, and you use UNLV as your outlet.
Get over yourself and just cheer on YOUR team....and YOU CAN hope for the best without overly preparing for the worst....but you seem to spend all your time preparing for the worst!
Hey I put my money where my mouth is... I cant make it tonight but I bought tickets to Friday and Saturday... Yup that's right we are winning this thing...
Rebs need to either win 1 game, or 3 games. This gives them either a 10/11 seed, or a 7 seed. I agree that they don't want an 8-9 seed.
just want someone to punk henderson.... he ran his mouth way too much after utah's first win at the mack.
This is going to be a really difficult game to win.
Hopefully Kruger doesn't get out coached again.
Rebels can win but it's going to be tough
william AKA clown AKA D-bag AKA smart as a box of rocks AKA smart as a bag of hammers
stop spewing your stupidity.
I've got UNLV 73 Utah 55
Color me an imbecile, but I'll take the Rebels in a revenge beatdown.
Better team, playing at home, with much more to play for...this has blowout written all over it.
im with you wispy... hopefully we've woken up and smell the blood in the water. fridays game is going to be a doozy.
Even if Foster and Tillie play, I doubt they'll be 100%. If we guard Henderson well, we'll win this thing by double-digits.
I just don't see the Rebels losing a third time to Utah. I think the game that they beat us at the Mack was a situation in which we probably came in a little overconfident, especially after starting off the conference season 2-1 with the BS schedule we had laid down this year.
The game we lost at Utah I think was just a bad situation for us. We got manhandled physically in the previous two games against UNM and @SDSU, it was the 2nd straight road game, and to top it off, Matt Shaw, who was a big part of our strategy that night, goes down before the game even starts. I think you can blame the really bad first half on that.
Going into this one, we're a different team. We're playing with a lot more confidence, playing a lot better on defense and the secondary scorers (mainly Chace) have found a rhythm and are hitting shots. I'm not saying we're going to blow Utah away, and I know the two big guys are going to play, but they WILL be a less than 100%. A 7'3" guy with a bum ankle is not a good thing for Utah.
I also was unable to go to the game against Utah, but bought tickets for Friday and Saturday in anticipation of what is to come. I'd love to win this thing and pull a 7 seed to get out of that 8/9 situation. That being said, one of Syracuse's better players just went down and it didn't look good, so I think we can compete with anyone (save maybe Kentucky or Kansas). We'll see how it goes. Go Rebels!
Hey RebelsRTerrible,
You shouldn't refer to the Rebels as "we". You obviously don't support the program. Go Rebs.
I hope I have voice left over from tonight for tomorrow and Saturday!!!
GO REBELS!!!
I'm frankly stunned by the comments here. UNLV is the favorite to not only beat Utah but to win the tournament. It's right there for them, at the T&M. At least that's how 8 other schools feel.
boo hoo Bleeds Blue, you know for sure it's not gonna be you, unless your arch-rivals pull off the upset tonight.
This will be a great confidence booster when we win, I cant see us losing to Utah a third time. Rebels win by 10 pts. 79-69.