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Sam Morris / Las Vegas Sun
UNLV guard Anthony Marshall drives to the basket against New Mexico during their Mountain West Conference Tournament championship game Saturday, March 16, 2013 at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Saturday, March 16, 2013 | 5:25 p.m.
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The first instinct is to assign blame.
If they didn’t make just 33 percent of their shots, or if a few of the 22 3-pointers they missed would have fallen, then the UNLV basketball team might not have lost 63-56 to New Mexico on Saturday in the Mountain West tournament championship game.
But instead of rushing to find faults with the Rebels, let’s first give credit where credit is due. New Mexico is good — maybe the best all-around team since the Mountain West’s inception in 1999.
The Lobos are relentless and can beat opponents in several ways, showing their No. 15 national ranking and 29-win season is no fluke by humbling a UNLV team that, despite what its skeptics say, is talented and still equipped to make noise in next week’s NCAA Tournament. Seriously, Rebel fans, they are.
UNLV did a good job of containing Kendall Williams, the league Player of the Year, who made just 1 of 6 shots in the first half and was limited to 12 points. Also, big man Alex Kirk was bothered most of the game on the inside, scoring only five points on 2-of-9 shooting.
But New Mexico showed it is more than a one-trick pony.
Tony Snell drained 3-pointers on consecutive possessions in the second half to give New Mexico the lead for good, Hugh Greenwood was perfect on a trio of 3-point attempts in the first half and finished with seven rebounds and five assists, and New Mexico committed just seven turnovers.
It's tough to beat a team with that much balance – even when you play your best game, which UNLV didn’t.
But UNLV wasn’t out-hustled, and the outcome had nothing to do with desire. In fact, the Rebels put up a great fight and were the first team in three tournament games to have a lead against New Mexico. UNLV trailed by nine points with less than three minutes remaining, then cut its deficit to three points on a pair of Bryce Dejean-Jones 3-pointers. Then, New Mexico flexed its muscles in again showing the rest of the league who the best team is.
Here is the simple truth: New Mexico was the better than UNLV in the preseason, during the season and in the league tournament.
However, UNLV isn’t that far behind. Sure, second place is the first loser, and the Rebels are playing for championship rings and not participation medals.
But the Rebels learned something about themselves Saturday, and in its other two tournament games, that will make them better next week in the most important tournament.
The Rebels are playing with a chip on their shoulder. They are tough, aggressive and challenge most shots at the rim. They don’t back down — which wasn’t the case earlier in the season. No matter what the score, they kept fighting until the final seconds.
Since their season is already classified by most as a disappointment, the Rebels can play next week with nothing to lose. If they are knocked out of the NCAAs in their first game for the fourth straight season, so what? That, unfortunately, is where the season that started with predictions of a Sweet 16 run has taken us.
It surely wasn’t fun watching the annoying New Mexico fans — everyone is a Lobo, right? — storm the Rebels’ home court in celebration. But they earned it.
Moving forward, UNLV can’t fall into the trap of heaving from the outside; it has to continue setting the tone with its physical style of play, and it has to get lucky. I’ve written this several times before — navigating through the NCAA Tournament is as much matchups and luck as it is the best team winning.
Fortunately, UNLV won’t have to play New Mexico next week.
Ray Brewer can be reached at 990-2662 or ray.brewer@lasvegassun.com. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21.
Comment removed by moderator. Inappropriate
Wasn't UNLV supposed to be a top 10 team? Wait till next yr when UNLV recruits even more. I wish their education would be top notch. I just want to know when u graduate UNLV if u have a chance for a job?
There are very few "Rebel fans" among those who read and comment here, and I don't think complaining, anti-UNLV, anti-Rice "skeptics" qualify as fans.
The Lobos, a better team? Today, perhaps. If UNM earns a 1 seed, the Rebels are a solid 5. If UNM gets a 2, the Rebels are a 6.
Go out and celebrate tonight, Lobos fans. We own this town, you just pay our income taxes. See you in the tournament.
Whomever the Rebels play in the tournament, the focus needs to be on getting the ball inside to Anthony Bennett first, Mike Moser second, and Khem Birch third. That will open up the defense. The Rebels played outside basketball, hoisted up jump shots, and they lost. This is the worst offensive performance since Oregon in my opinion. However, the Rebels can learn from this game and play much better in the opening round game. I don't think this year's team will come out flat. Also, I think they've been battle tested, and they should be able to win a hard fought, physical game.
I agree the Lobos are the better team for today. Anyone who watched the 2nd game of the series will have a hard time saying UNM is the better team and leave it at that. Rebels left too many easy shots on the floor, New Mexico did not, they win by 7. It's not rocket science. UNLV fell in love with the outside shot and that was a mistake, but when you have wide open looks you need to take those and if you miss you miss. Congrats to the Lobos. They were the better team. Today.
They played hard and unfortunately lost. Can't miss that many shots down the stretch. Big thanks to anthony marshall, quintrell thomas and j Hawk for the awesome players and gentleman that they are.
I think the Rebels played with great heart and their defense was better than at the season's beginning.
However, Rice should have played Khem Birch much more than he did. He can shoot from underneath and block and is a gifted athlete. I understand the old loyalties to Moser but he is not yet 100% and should not have been kept in so much.
Bryce DeJean-Jones is a terrific player. Without him Snell would have hurt us even worse than he did. Quintrell Thomas also did great.
Too bad we couldn't connect on our shots.
Comment removed by moderator. Personal Attack
Rebels need to do some retooling of their offensive sets in half court. Rice is not going to out Coach another team.
They do not have a point guard - great teams have Senior PG that make a difference yet - Marshall has become one dimensional. This team sets NO screens, except for big men wandering to the top. WILD SHOOTING - Is anyone paying attention to a kid who is 0-8 shooting who continues to jack up shots? New Mexico says - let him keep shooting it - and it rains misses. UNLV Coaches do not say - look for better shots than off balance 3 pointers. Freshman might be good one night, but when they are off - set up others who are on or get a high percentage shot in the paint? Why is there this - I have to be like Jimmer attitude, assists are not there and good shots were not there.
Jones - He wants to feel it, so he gets the one on one game going. This is Coaching? Just let them play one one one - clear out sets on offense? The Rebels might think they are NBA guys - but they are not ranked for a reason.
The simple thought that taking shots close the to the rim are more likely to go in - New Mexico can go cold and punch a couple lay ups to a team that plays one on one basketball. Rebels run into guys, give up a 3 ft runner to kick it out for a 3 pointer? Coaching????
Get a good bench Coach against Rice - it will be one and done for UNLV. The talent is there, for the exception of a true point guard - Pierre Jackson from Desert Pines goes to Baylor.
New Mexico plays smarter, watch how they stack screens up for Snell - Dave Rice might want to take a clue at copying this as it was NO WHERE today on offense for UNLV. Lobos get a smarter team against them with athletic ability - they go down. Better for them to be the Dog instead of favorite heading into the tourney. UNLV better think the same way quickly - as they are not and should never have been a favorite today.
I remember Moser missing two point blank layups unguarded in one possession, then another point blank miss in transition. Goodman missed a layup, even Marshall and Thomas, BDJ all had at least one missed layup. that's fuve missed layups. We drop those and win by 2, forget the fact Snell and Greenwood were making everything. Just one of those days. BDj was going one-on-one when he thought he had an advantage. If you're wide open, you need to take the shot. We just couldn't hit em today. If youre going to call a player out, call out Mike Moser, who basically no showed today
Another poorly coached game by Rice. I don't know why he gives Kaitin Reinhardt the green light to shoot it every time he touches the ball and never punishes him for it on nights like this. Sure Reinhardt went off the night before and can be a good shooter at times, but as you've seen all season he is arguably the most streaky player in the Mountain West. Reinhardt was a pathetic 4-16 from the field tonight and 2-8 from 3 point range. But he just kept chucking it up and Rice refused to sit him on the bench or just tell him to take smarter shots. Every time Kaitin sees an opportunity he launches a shot. For the season Kaitin is 36% from the field and 35% from 3pt range. Those are not good numbers yet Rice gives him the green light. There was a lot of bad shots taken down the stretch and the Rebels just couldn't score but Reinhardt's shots were probably the ones that killed the momentum the most. I don't doubt Kaitin will be a great player when he is a Junior or Senior but he is still a freshman and Rice treats him as if he is Jimmer during his senior year. I think Rice thinks he has the magic touch and that he can turn anyone into Jimmer. Bennett is a freshman too but he is shooting 53% from the field and 39% from 3pt land, better than Reinhardt.
On top of that how does the best defensive player on the team and in the league only get 8 minutes in the championship game and 10 minutes against Colorado St? Was he injured? The previous two games against New Mexico Birch played 29 minutes each. Another bad decision by Rice. It's pretty sad that at this point in the season Rice is still tinkering with his starting lineup and thinks that he needs to change up his rotations every game. You don't see that with other teams or even NBA teams. Most teams have a set starting five and a certain rotation that they go with almost every game. You never know what to expect with Rice. Every game is different with lineups and players minutes.
@kirkland - I think you're pretty spot on, with two exceptions. Lon Kruger didn't even recruit Pierre Jackson out of high school. Also, it could've destroyed team chemistry last season to bring in Pierre Jackson to start at point guard when Bellfield was a 3 year starter at the position. Also, Rice has shown the ability to make adjustments, such as the San Diego State game. Finally, I think the offensive diversity will come next season when he has a true point guard, as Anthony Marshall is pretty one dimensional.
@mj20 - I completely agree with you about Khem Birch. He should have played around 25 minutes tonight. I still think New Mexico wins, but he's the best defender on the team and in the Mountain West. Also, I'd like to see Coach Rice try and force the other team to match up to him as opposed to the other way around.
Since according to some commenters we apparently have to be either a homer or a hater to be able to post here, I share this in the interest of full disclosure: I am a LV-born-and-raised, Augmon-autograph-hanging-on-my-wall-from-when-I-was-16-having, watched-grown-men-cry-when-we-lost-to-Duke, bleed-rebel-red, UNLV-alum-homer. There I said it.
Also, the Sun refuses to verify me which is weird, so I am "untrusted", but oh well, maybe someday...
Anyhow, as a homer it's it especially frustrating to watch us beat ourselves again. New Mexico was not the better team (--cough-- first half vs. SDSU night before --cough--), but they are the winners and that's what matters. Is NM 15th in the nation? Do they have #2 RPI? Are they a good, tough, respectable team? Yes on all. But were they the better team yesterday? No. No they weren't. We were the worse team and there's a difference.
In a nutshell, that's what has been most frustrating this year; knowing that we have the ability to win the game and not doing it, like the bright kid who doesn't apply herself and gets C's. I'm not saying we didn't play in arguably the toughest conference against some of the most talented teams in the nation (we did), or that those teams don't deserve their wins against us (they do), but when we go into a game that's ours to lose and decide to do just that, well, what can I say, that sucks. That really sucks.
I sincerely hope the NBA passes on Benett this year, so that he's forced to work on those apparent entitlement issues and gets a chip on his shoulder for next year. Not likely, I know, but he just needs a little more time in the oven.
So oh well, NCAA tourney here we come again. One and done? Maybe, we'll see. I sure hope not, but if we don't play like the scary talented, dangerous TEAM that we can be (at SDSU, MWT AF, etc.) then, well, you know. It's ours to lose.
All that said, Like most of you, I still love my Runnin' Rebels, always will. I believe in Coach Rice and Augmon and our players and our fans. Always will.
Go Rebs.
You UNLV fans crack me up. Many of you making comments that Rebels are the better team. Seriously? In what way? UNM easily won the conference, won the conference tournament (On your home floor) (imagine if tournament was in the PIT, wouldn't even be close) UNM has a #2 RPI, better record, etc.... I just don't see where UNLV is the "better" team as many of you say. But hey, if that helps you sleep at night.
"Many of you making comments that Rebels are the better team. Seriously? In what way?"
Ok, I'll play:
--------------------
http://statsheet.com/mcb/teams/compare?t...
This year's Rebels are better than this year's Lobos in the following ways:
1) Wins against top 25 teams
2) Pts Per Game
3) Games won by more than 19 (blowouts)
4) Poss Per Game
5) Pts Per Poss
6) Floor Pct
7) FG Pct
8) 3FG Made Per Game
9) Effective FG Pct
10) 2pt FG Point Pct
11) Rebounds per Game
12) Off Rebs Per Game
13) Off Reb Pct
14) Def Rebs Per Game
15) Def Reb Pct
16) Assist Pct
17) Steals Per Game
18) Steal Pct
19) Blocks Per Game
20) Block Pct
21) TOPG
Yet New Mexico still won, and I am rooting for them to run deep in the NCAA tourney, unless of course we end up playing them again.