UNLV Men's Basketball

Two Rebels off to great starts on USA Elite Under-23 team in France

Sam Morris

UNLV forwards Khem Birch, left, and Roscoe Smith joke around on the bench during their exhibition game against Dixie State Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012 at the Thomas & Mack. UNLV won in overtime 81-80.

Two Rebels off to great starts on USA Elite Under-23 team in France: UNLV quick hits: Juniors-to-be Roscoe Smith and Jelan Kendrick combined for 53 points in a friendly victory leading into pool play; Fri, Mar 29, 2013 (11 a.m.); By Taylor Bern; Roscoe Smith and Jelan Kendrick have yet to play an official minute for UNLV. In the mean time they’re logging time together on the USA Elite Under-23 team, including combining for 53 points in a friendly game.

UNLV head coach Dave Rice talks to the media before practice for their second round NCAA Tournament game against Cal Wednesday, March 20, 2013 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.

Improvement in full-court pressure an important piece of Rebels' 2013-14 puzzle: UNLV basketball:; Friday, March 29, 2013; By Taylor Bern; The wheels are still turning and the pieces aren’t yet all in place but that can’t stop UNLV coach Dave Rice from getting excited about the 2013-14 season.

Class of 2014 recruit Dwayne Morgan and his mother Tabitha Chambers watch UNLV take on New Mexico Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013 at the Thomas & Mack Center. UNLV beat New Mexico 64-55.

Video: UNLV commit Dwayne Morgan on visit, 'I felt like I was at home': unlv quick hits:; Thursday, March 28, 2013; By Ray Brewer; When five-star 2014 basketball recruit Dwayne Morgan visited UNLV in early February for a home game against New Mexico, the fans at the Thomas & Mack Center won him over. Here's a video from Youtube of the announcement.

Five-star forward in the class of 2014 commits to UNLV: Dwayne Morgan, who visited campus in February, goes to the same high school as current UNLV freshman Daquan Cook; Wednesday, March 27, 2013; By Taylor Bern; Less than a week after UNLV suffered another early loss in the NCAA Tournament it notched another victory on the recruiting trail. Five-star forward Dwayne Morgan had an event at his high school Wednesday and committed to the Rebels.

UNLV players cheer during their second round game against Cal at the NCAA Basketball Tournament Thursday, March 21, 2013 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.

Rebels could have lineup options for different styles of play next season: Analysis:; Wednesday, March 27, 2013; By Taylor Bern; As long as you go in understanding that they could be completely moot by the time the season starts, projecting lineups can be a lot of fun. We look ahead to some possible UNLV lineup configurations for 2013-14.

Former UNLV and current Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger watches a tournament at Rancho High in Las Vegas. Kruger says he has been keeping an eye on the progress of his former team. "We're huge fans of what they're doing and expect them to continue to do well."

Want to live like a college basketball coach? It’ll cost you $5 million: UNLV quick hits:; Tuesday, March 26, 2013; By Taylor Bern; Three years after it was built and two years after he left for Oklahoma, former UNLV basketball coach Lon Kruger’s Las Vegas home is up for sale. And for most people it would cost more than a few parlays to meet the price tag.

As the Cal flag waves in the background, UNLV coach Dave Rice walks off the floor with his team after falling to Cal 64-62 in their NCAA Tournament game in the Round of 64 on Thursday, March 21, 2013, in San Jose, Calif.

Take 5: Looking at the issues UNLV will face in 2013-14: Whose style will UNLV play next year? Who's playing point guard? Those are a couple of questions the Rebels must address in the offseason; Monday, March 25, 2013; By Taylor Bern; Offseason changes, storylines and questions come for every college basketball team. The Rebels just hoped theirs hadn’t come so soon. So what’s the team going to look like next year? What needs to change? Who’s coming in?

UNLV Extras: Cal loss will be the takeaway from Rebels' 2012-13 season: Analysis:; Friday, March 22, 2013; By Taylor Bern; Dave Rice calls it the proliferation of the NCAA Tournament, and it’s about to make this a difficult offseason

UNLV forward Quintrell Thomas rests his head in his hand in the locker room after their 64-61 loss to Cal during their second round game at the NCAA Basketball Tournament Thursday, March 21, 2013 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.

Run as one and done: Rebels bounced in first tourney game for the fourth straight year: UNLV has plenty of chances and doesn't capitalize in 64-61 loss to Cal that leaves team with familiar feeling; Thursday, March 21, 2013; By Taylor Bern; There’s no glory for teams that go more than 11 minutes without making a field goal in the NCAA Tournament. There’s no parade coming, no more extra attention that comes with playing on the sport’s biggest stage. And there’s not much sympathy, either.

Blog: Rebels one and done for the fourth straight year after loss to Cal: Rebels basketball:; Thursday, March 21, 2013; By Taylor Bern; UNLV is out of the NCAA Tournament in the Round of 64 for the fourth consecutive season after losing 64-61 to Cal on Thursday evening in the HP Pavilion. The Rebels finished the year 25-10.

UNLV forward Anthony Bennett laughs during practice for their second round NCAA Tournament game against Cal Wednesday, March 20, 2013 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.

Bennett the key to Rebels' bid to finally move on in NCAA Tournament: UNLV basketball: A great game from the freshman forward should be enough to get UNLV into the Round of 32, where it hasn't been since 2008; Thursday, March 21, 2013; By Taylor Bern; March is the time college stars take over and carry their team into the next round. Anthony Bennett, a freshman in his first and likely only collegiate postseason, can be that guy.

UNLV trainer Dave Tomchek leads forward Mike Moser off the floor after a Cal player fell on his arm during the first half of their game Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012 at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley, Calif.

Trainer's diligence, Moser's dedication have star player ready for rematch: UNLV basketball:; Thursday, March 21, 2013; By Carl Winder; When UNLV forward Mike Moser dislocated his elbow Dec. 9 in a game against the California Golden Bears, trainer Dave Tomchek was the guy on the floor kneeling over him, assessing the basketball injury as the crowd held its breath. It was Tomchek who, over the next 20 days, would put Moser’s arm in a sling, apply ice, help him stretch it, get him to slam a punching bag, to make layups, dunks, free throws and outside shots.

Members of the UNLV men's basketball team applaud as they learn their selection while watching the NCAA Tournament's Selection Show at the Mendenhall Center Sunday, March 17, 2013. UNLV will play Golden Bears in its NCAA tournament opener on Thursday at HP Pavilion in San Jose.

Tourney Treats: Mountain West officially back in the ESPN family: College: ESPN and CBS Sports Network will take turns picking league football and men's basketball games to put on their platforms; Wednesday, March 20, 2013; By Taylor Bern; The Mountain West is officially back on ESPN, the network and the league jointly announced Wednesday afternoon.

Syracuse players and coaches take part in practice for their second round NCAA Tournament game against Montana Wednesday, March 20, 2013 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.

Tourney Treats: Stories and trends to watch for in the Syracuse-Montana game: If the Rebels advance, they would play Saturday against the winner between the No. 4 Orange and the No. 13 Grizzlies; Wednesday, March 20, 2013; By Taylor Bern; UNLV’s priority is to take care of itself and snap a four-game NCAA Tournament losing streak. The rest of us, though, are free to look ahead on the bracket, and that’s exactly what we’re doing here.

UNLV forwards Khem Birch, left, and Roscoe Smith joke around on the bench during their exhibition game against Dixie State Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012 at the Thomas & Mack. UNLV won in overtime 81-80.

Tourney Treats: NCAA champ stays behind as Rebels prepare for tournament: Wednesday, March 20, 2013; By Taylor Bern; Roscoe Smith is the last player in the gym. Not in the typical show-up-early-and-stay-late way you usually hear about with athletes, though the UNLV sophomore does plenty of that, too.