Rebel Quick Hits

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.

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.

UNLV junior Buddy Borden pitches against New Mexico on Saturday, March 16, at Earl E. Wilson Stadium. The Rebels would go on to win 8-7, one of only three victories in the last two weeks after a 14-3 start to the season.

14 questions with ... UNLV junior pitcher Buddy Borden: Rebels baseball: The Arbor View grad currently leads the league in ERA while ranking fourth in strikeouts. He'll pitch Saturday at home against Air Force; Thursday, March 28, 2013; By Taylor Bern; Saturday afternoon belongs to junior right-hander Buddy Borden (3-1), an Arbor View grad with a league-leading 1.31 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 41 1/3 innings.

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.

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.

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.

UNLV forward Anthony Bennett laughs after scoring the team's first 11 points against New Mexico during their Mountain West Conference Tournament championship game Saturday, March 16, 2013 at the Thomas & Mack Center. Checking Bennett is Lobos forward Alex Kirk.

Tourney Treats: Special prop bets available for UNLV-Cal game: Rebels quick hits: Plus a look at what the statistical models from Nate Silver and Ken Pomeroy say about the Rebels' chances in the tournament; Wednesday, March 20, 2013; By Taylor Bern; Will Anthony Bennett go over or under 25.5 combined points and rebounds in UNLV’s Round of 64 game against Cal?

UNLV's Anthony Marshall takes a photo with a young Rebel fan before boarding a bus to Albuquerque for the NCAA Tournament, Tuesday March, 13 2012.

Tourney Treats: Fans invited to Rebels send-off this evening: Also, fans can watch UNLV practice at HP Pavilion on Wednesday, and there are still plenty of options to get game tickets; Tuesday, March 19, 2013; By Taylor Bern; UNLV basketball fans are invited to a team send-off for the NCAA Tournament today on campus at about 4:45 p.m. The Rebels will board a bus in the white lot of the Thomas & Mack Center parking lot and then leave for the McCarran International Airport.

UNLV forward Anthony Bennett reacts after a dunk on San Diego State during their game Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013. UNLV won the game 72-70 to sweep the regular season series.

UNLV's Bennett day-to-day with nerve pain in his left shoulder: Rebels basketball: Trainer Dave Tomchek said after an MRI revealed no structural damage he's treating Bennett like he has brachial neuritis; Wednesday, February 27, 2013; By Taylor Bern; Anthony Bennett’s current diagnosis on his left shoulder injury provides a possible answer that comes with even more uncertainty.

UNLV football coach Bobby Hauck, gestures to reporters in the audience as he announces the Rebels' 2013 recruiting class during a news conference at the Thomas & Mack Center Wednesday, February 6, 2013.

UNLV football releases its spring practice schedule: unlv quick hits:; Tuesday, February 26, 2013; By Sun Staff; The UNLV football team will return to the field March 4 to start its 15-session spring practice at Rebel Park. Spring ball concludes at 5:30 p.m. April 12 with the Spring Showcase, which is the Rebels’ version of the spring gam

Former UNLV linebacker John Lotulelei runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Monday, Feb. 25, 2013.

Former Rebel linebacker fares well at NFL scouting combine: UNLV football:; Monday, February 25, 2013; By Taylor Bern; Former Rebel linebacker John Lotulelei struggled in the 40-yard dash but placed in the top four of his position in two of the six drills players went through in Indianapolis at the NFL scouting combine.

New Mexico head coach Steve Alford cuts down the net after the Lobos defeated San Diego State in the Mountain West Conference tournament championship game 68-59 Saturday, March 10, 2012 at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Annual conversation about Mountain West tournament at the Mack commences: UNLV quick hits: League coaches seem to agree that while Las Vegas is the best league destination, they would prefer to move the games away from the Thomas & Mack Center; Monday, February 18, 2013; By Taylor Bern; March is almost here, which means it’s time to once again address UNLV basketball getting to play the Mountain West tournament in its home arena.

This is the court for the 2013 men's and women's Mountain West basketball tournament, which will be played at the Thomas & Mack Center on March 12-16. The league announced Friday, Feb. 15 that the tournament will stay in Las Vegas at least through 2016.

Mountain West basketball tournament to stay in Las Vegas through 2016: unlv quick hits:; Friday, February 15, 2013; By Ray Brewer; The Mountain West Conference will continue holding its postseason basketball tournaments in Las Vegas. The league announced Friday that its board of directors approved a three-year deal with Las Vegas Events to hold the men’s and women’s championships at the Thomas & Mack Center through the 2016 season.

Former NFL player and coach Tim Hauck was announced Wednesday as the UNLV football team's defensive coordinator. He is the brother of Rebels head coach Bobby Hauck.

Former NFL player and coach to become UNLV's new defensive coordinator: Rebels quick hits: Rebels coach Bobby Hauck's younger brother, Tim, will run the defense and coach the cornerbacks this season; Wednesday, February 13, 2013; By Taylor Bern; UNLV football’s latest hire stays within the family as Rebels coach Bobby Hauck on Wednesday announced younger brother Tim Hauck as the team’s new defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach.

The UNLV Rebels take the field for their game against New Mexico at Sam Boyd Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012.

Mountain West releases interdivision matchups in new 12-team format: UNLV football: In addition to playing its five West Division games, UNLV will travel to Air Force and New Mexico and host Utah State in 2013; Tuesday, February 12, 2013; By Taylor Bern; UNLV won’t see Boise State in football again until 2015, the Mountain West announced Tuesday.