Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
StumbleNCAA TOURNAMENT:
Breaking down the rest of UNLV’s pod in Oklahoma City
Taking a closer look at Northern Iowa, Kansas and Lehigh
AP FILE PHOTO
Northern Iowa center Jordan Eglseder
Monday, March 15, 2010 | 2:15 a.m.
Rebels Head to the NCAA Tournament
Viewing video requires the latest version of Adobe's Flash Player
del.icio.usFor the first time in 10 years, UNLV received an at-large berth into the NCAA tournament, drawing the 8-seed in the Midwest Region. The Rebels will face 9-seed Northern Iowa in Oklahoma City at 4:10 p.m. on Thursday.
Related Content
Reader poll
Players and coaches at UNLV will tell you that, until Thursday at 4:10 p.m. Las Vegas time, all of their focus is directed solely toward Northern Iowa.
The Rebels, who drew a No. 8 seed in the Midwest region, will face the Missouri Valley Conference champs at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City, with the winner advancing to Saturday's second round.
While Lon Kruger, his staff and his players don't want to look past Thursday, it's natural for everyone else to.
That said, here's a team-by-team breakdown of UNLV's pod coming up in OKC.
No. 9 Northern Iowa
Record: 28-4 overall, 15-3 Missouri Valley Conference (MVC regular-season and tournament champions)
RPI: 17
Strength of schedule: 112
Quality wins: Siena, Old Dominion
Bad losses: DePaul, Evansville
Who to watch for
• F Jordan Eglseder (Sr., 7-0, 280) 12.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg: A monster inside who averaged 12 points and 7.3 boards per game. He hasn't put up any big numbers since returning from a three-game suspension late in the season following a drunk-driving arrest, but had five blocks against Wichita State in the MVC title game.
• F Adam Koch (Sr., 6-8, 255) 11.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg: A senior who's steadily improved each year, Koch averaged 11.8 points and 4.9 boards this season and is a 36.4 percent 3-point shooter.
• G Ali Farokhmanesh (Sr., 6-0, 190) 9.3 ppg: Try saying that name five times fast, right? Well, get used to it, because you might hear it a lot Thursday. The team's most productive 3-point gunner has averaged almost six attempts from deep in his two seasons at UNI.
• G Kwadzo Ahelegbe (Jr., 6-2, 200) 10.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.7 apg: A strong, steady, bull of a point guard, Ahelegbe had one of his finest performances in the MVC title tilt against WSU with 24 points and five boards. He scored 32 points off 14-of-17 shooting against Boston College earlier this season.
Why they're dangerous for UNLV: UNI plays a deliberate style, and while they're not quite as slowed down as what UNLV sees twice a year with Air Force, the Panthers will try to take the air out of the ball and make teams patient on defense. In three MVC tournament games, they allowed an average of only 44 points per game. They have the ability to demoralize you, too, by bleeding 20 to 30 seconds off the shot clock per possession and finishing it with a 3-pointer. If they force their pace on UNLV, the Rebels could be made uncomfortable if they're not hitting shots on the other end. Plus, this is a senior-laden group which has been to the tournament before.
Why UNLV is dangerous for them: Athletically, the matchup favors the Rebels. UNLV can make UNI's guards work harder than just about anyone else has this year. While the Panthers' two big men are good, they're not of the über-athletic variety that has given the Rebels fits this season, such as San Diego State's post players. Also, while both teams will be well-rested heading in, if UNLV can turn it into a fast-paced, up-and-down game, UNI's lack of backcourt depth could be an issue if Farokhmanesh and Ahelegbe get tired down the stretch.
Kansas guard Sherron Collins
No. 1 Kansas
Record: 32-2 overall, 15-1 Big 12 (Big 12 regular-season and tournament champions)
RPI: 1
Strength of schedule: 5
Quality wins: Cal, Temple, Cornell, Baylor, Kansas State (x3), Texas, Texas A&M (x2), Missouri (x2)
Bad losses: None
Who to watch for
• G Sherron Collins (Sr., 5-11, 205) 15.6 ppg, 4.4 apg: Maybe the nation's most decorated senior, there's pretty much nothing that frazzles him. Collins helped key a late-game comeback in the national title game two years ago against Memphis as a sophomore and has only grown from there. He can score from wherever he wants whenever he wants.
• G Xavier Henry (Fr., 6-6, 220) 13.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg: The freshman guard has been very up and down this season, but there's a reason the Oklahoma City native likely will be a first-round pick in June's NBA Draft. At his size, there are few who can score in the variety of ways Henry can.
• F Marcus Morris (So., 6-8, 225) 12.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg: Morris is maybe one of the nation's most improved players this season, putting up better numbers than last year across the board. Also, his range on the offensive end has stretched out beyond the 3-point arc.
• C Cole Aldrich (Jr., 6-11, 245) 11.2 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 3.5 bpg: Like Henry, consistency has been the biggest issue with Aldrich. Despite that, he's found a way to post All-American numbers. He registered a triple-double in last year's NCAA tournament, and if his motor is going he's more than capable of doing so again as a junior. Along with Henry, he's a likely first-rounder this June.
Why they're dangerous for UNLV: In this pod, no one matches up better with UNLV in the depth department than KU. In terms of guard play, the Rebels might be able to handle the Jayhawks when it comes to quality, but quantity is another story. Also, KU has the exact type of big men which UNLV has yet to figure out how to handle this season. If Bill Self's team is playing with fire — which they've been prone not to do this season — the Rebels could have a tough time matching them blow for blow.
Why UNLV is dangerous for them: KU has struggled this season against teams that have a power forward who is really more of a small forward and can stretch out its defense. That was the case in losses to Tennessee and Oklahoma State, and Chace Stanback certainly fits that bill for UNLV. Plus, as KU has shown often this season, there's a 50-50 chance they might not put up the most inspired effort. That was the case the last time these two met in the 2008 NCAA tournament second round, but UNLV was thin on bodies, while KU had four future NBA draft picks in its starting lineup. This time, the Rebels not only have more depth, but more quality depth.
Lehigh guard C.J. McCollum
No. 16 Lehigh Mountain Hawks
Record: 22-10 overall, 10-4 Patriot League (Patriot League regular season and tournament champions)
RPI: 152
Strength of schedule: 300
Quality wins: Quinnipiac
Bad losses: Columbia, Navy (x2)
Who to watch for
• G C.J. McCollum (Fr., 6-3, 165) 18.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.4 apg: An absolute scoring machine, the freshman has scored in double figures in 21 consecutive games, including three 30-plus-point performances. Also, based on his numbers, he uses his size on the boards, too.
• G Marquis Hall (Sr., 6-0, 190) 11.0 ppg, 5.7 apg, 3.6 rpg: A heady, veteran point guard, Hall has 29 assists and just eight turnovers in the Mountain Hawks' last four games combined.
• F Zahir Carrington (Sr., 6-7, 220) 10.8 ppg, 6.7 rpg: Carrington is by far Lehigh's most efficient low-post threat, with 18 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks in the Patriot League title game against Lafayette. But his 48.8 percent free throw shooting is, um, unsightly.
• F Gabe Knutson (Fr., 6-9, 215) 9.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg: The frosh forward has had an up-and-down year, and of late has struggled. In Lehigh's last four games, he's combined for just 21 points and 11 rebounds.
Why they're dangerous for UNLV: Well, there's not much point in getting too in-depth here, since Lehigh doesn't appear to be well-equipped enough to be the first ever 16-seed to knock off a 1-seed. But, you'd have to figure if they pull it off against the top team in the land, the Mountain Hawks are some sort of threat for UNLV.
Why UNLV is dangerous for them: See above. Don't expect to see this matchup come to fruition. But, if by some chance it does, expect Lehigh to be much more worn down from a game with Kansas than UNLV would from a game with Northern Iowa.
Discussion: 24 comments so far…
Comments are moderated by Las Vegas Sun editors. Our goal is not to limit the discussion, but rather to elevate it. Comments should be relevant and contain no abusive language. Comments that are off-topic, vulgar, profane or include personal attacks will be removed. Full comments policy.
Post a comment
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.
Rebels down San Diego State in final minute
Follow the Rebels
Widgets
Jerry Tarkanian: Mike Moser impresses yet again on a day to remember former Rebel greats
Email Newsletters
To view/update your newsletter subscriptions and interests, please visit our Preference Center.
The Sun
Locally owned and independent for more than 50 years.
I'm worried about the experience factor. Northern Iowa plays all juniors and seniors that played in the NCAA Tourney last year (where they lost a close game to Purdue). UNLV's only player with NCAA Tourney experience is Matt Shaw. I sure hope the Reb's are making their 3's, or we could be in trouble!
Not going to be a easy game guys, but I think if our D is on, they are going to be frantic and turn the ball over quite a bit. UNLV is much faster than they are, and we gotta keep the pressure so they can't slow the game down too much.
Good luck Rebs, I wish I could make the trip. UNLV by 6.
Have to press, press and press. This is all about who forces their game the best. I think the Rebs will wear down NI with their depth, and NI's big guys are not real athletic so we should be able to handle them. Vegas by 8.
think its time to start massamba again... although brice had way too many turnovers, santee killed us. sure would be nice to have a consistent big. guess that is next year. did Q have anything to say about potentially facing his old team?
GO rebs......WIN
sportsarefun
see below
rebels with tourney experience.
derrick jasper
tre'von willis
chase stanback
kendall wallace
matt shaw
quintrell thomas (redshirt)
sportsguy702, I know all those guys were on the roster of teams that went to the tourney, but how many of them actually played in a tourney game?
I knew Shaw did, I forgot about Wallace, so that makes 2.
Thomas played 1 minute against Dayton last year for Kansas, but he's not playing so that won't help much.
I know Jasper played for Kentucky, and I'm hoping he'll get some minutes on Thursday, but its looking like he won't.
Willis was on the Roster, but did not play for Memphis during the Tourney (I checked the box score)
Stanback got mop-up duty in UCLA's first round blowout win.
So yes technically we have 6 guys with Tourney experience, but only 2 have played meaningful mintues(Jasper would make 3, but I highly doubt he's playing).
Northern Iowa on the other hand, has the same starting 5 this year that they started against Purdue in the tourney last year. And that was the point I was trying to make. They have A LOT more experience then our guys do and that worries me...
Has anyone taken a look at Nothern Iowa's schedule? What big names have they played this year?
GO REBELS!
I think it is really important to get Jasper playing against Northern Iowa. He is a big key for us to have any chance of knocking off Kansas. It is a big time long shot but having a 6'6" guy with athleticism, play making ability and a good rebounder and defender would be invaluable against KU. Need to get him a little run against UNI to get his legs back. The wings are where KU has a huge advantage and having Jasper is crucial. Runnin Rebels!
The three toughest teams they've played are Old Dominion, Siena, and Wichita State (x3). They lost only to Wichita State once.
Rebels have done a better than expected job, as far as I'm concerned. A #8 seed is a lot better than I expected. I thought this team was NIT bound for most of the year. I admit that. The #8 seed is due in part to the weakest at-large field ever, as well as the pretty good run the Rebels had at the end of the season. Anyone who thinks Northern Iowa is a cupcake needs to do some research. This team has a 7 footer, they play a style of play that bothers us and they have experience playing together. I think it will be a very low scoring game but the Rebels will pull it out. The game will probably be won by less than 5 points.
Ryan,
Why UNLV is dangerous for Kansas?
They aren't. The answer is NONE. Kansas has a tougher time in practice against each other than they will if they ever meet UNLV. Kansas is big time basketball and we are a nice story out of the MWC.
They are elite and seeing that's your school, you know it. They beat Kansas St 3 times and Kansas St scored 95 on us. If we play them, there will be a spanking of epic proportions handed down.
I don't agree, Bill Self said himself today that his team has trouble when they play 4 guards.
We happen to specialize in that type of lineup! ;-)
A "spanking of epic proportions" - I disagree. But first things first!
Letsgo - UNLV is definitely not in Kansas's league of course neither was Villanova against GTown, Duke against UNLV etc. Crazy stuff happens. I am usually a large pessimist but in my book if the Rebs beat UNI, they are playing with house money. No sense in burying them yet, they shoot threes like they did against BYU in Feb and they can certainly hang with Kansas. Keep it close until the 5 minute mark of the 2nd half and see what shakes.
Totally right gumby, we could have played with any team in the country that day against BYU. Just gotta get hot! I remember Shaw being an integral part of that BYU beatdown, we're going to need him to get going again if we're going to have a shot if we make it into the second round.
No Masamba please He's not ready for this kind of game.
Next year for Brice if he's still going to school
I don't think you guys are giving Northern Iowa the respect they deserve. They are a very solid club that plays 10 guys every game. They had the same top 7 last year and nearly beat a very good Purdue team in the dance. 3 of their starters were point guards in high school and switch up playing the point throughout the game in addition to two others off the bench. In their conference tournament they gave up just 40 points each of the first two games.
The SOS was weaker this year, but partly due to the poor seasons by Iowa and Iowa State, both of which they beat. Also they beat Boston College which started strong only to have a poor season.
I think the guards match up well with UNLV, the inside game will decide the game.
Ali Farokmanesh is one of the purest shooters in the game. If he gets hot, look out.
I'm a bit of an optimist, but I believe the time off will give the Rebels back their legs, and NIU will have difficulty handling their defense.
Regarding Massamba, if he plays like he did against BYU, he'll be fine. Yeah, he sucked against SDSU, but so did pretty much the rest of the team.
If KU plays as hard as it did the last time these two met, UNLV is deeper and more talented this time around and can compete better. If you remember, that was a close game until mid-way through the second half, I believe. KU has had a tough time going at full speed this year, winning a lot of games on talent alone.
I hear you Gambler, I am not taking anything for granted. We have all seen UNLV look great and then turn around and look hapless. I know UNI is a quality team and it will be a competitive game. It is just fun to speculate what we might do if matched up with the best team in college basketball in round two.
Hey Ryan, any update of Jasper? Will he play on Thursday, and has he been going full speed and contact at practice?
@ unlvrunninrebels
Coach K said this morning on afternoon gridlock that he doubts that Jasper will be ready to play. He said even if he feels ready to go, there is still the fact that he has been off the court for 8 weeks. The big dance is a bad time for a player to get his feet wet for the first time in 8 weeks.
I'm not sure the Rebels can handle McCollum. I heard he's a scoring machine.
Did anyone else notice on the selection show that cbs announced UNLV as MWC champs? Shows how much they pay attention.
The MWC is going to surprise alot of people starting thursday, i can't wait !!