Month: December 2014

by Jake Runyon (@Jakerunyon)

Before the season started, I decided that I wasn’t ready to give any sort of predictions about UNLV’s season since there were too many unknowns. Today, I am dusting off the old crystal ball to take look into the future the rest of UNLV’s regular season.

December 31, @ Wyoming: I think it is pretty messed up that the Mountain West Conference scheduled us to be in Laramie, Wyoming on New Years Eve. What kind of joke is this? UNLV will have their hands full in this one. Wyoming is a very experienced team, and arguably the most athletic team in the conference. The Cowboys will want to slow down tempo, and make UNLV play at a slow pace. To beat Wyoming, you have to beat Larry Nance, Jr. Much easier said than done, but with the way UNLV has been defending the post lately, I think they should do it. Expect Wood and Vaughn to provide the offense again. UNLV 66 Wyoming 58.

PS: Never forget

January 7, vs UNR: Deonte Burton is gone. This SHOULD be easy. UNR is shooting a disgusting .388 from the field (319th in the country). Hopefully this one is a cakewalk. UNLV 80- UNR 63

January 10, vs SJSU: Does SJSU even have a basketball team? Against Washington state last week, they added football players to their team to give them enough bodies to play. 5 players were suspended indefinitely on December 14. If this isn’t a win…. heaven help us. UNLV 82-50

Janury 13, at Boise State: The Broncos looked like they were a legit contender in the MWC until they lost to Loyola Chicago, and announced that second leading scorer, Anthony Drmic would miss the rest of the season with an ankle injury. They still have a terrific player in Derrick Marks, and there is no such thing as an easy road win in the Mountain West. UNLV 72, Boise St 67

January 17, at SDSU: Steve Fisher is an evil wizard. However, his team has shown some major flaws this season. They can’t score. They make up for that with a swarming defense. I think if any team in the conference can beat SDSU, it is UNLV. I don’t think that will happen at the Viejas Arena. SDSU 70 UNLV 66

January 21, vs New Mexico: It is unfair to judge New Mexico this year after they lost Kendall Williams, Cameron Bairstow, and Alex Kirk. That kind of productivity is difficult to replace. Plus the Lobos have been dealing with injuries. However, this is a team that is well coached, and aren’t intimidated in the Thomas and Mack. UNLV wins, but it won’t as easy as people think. UNLV 75, New Mexico 70

PS: What is up with how Cullen Neal wears his shorts?

January 24, vs Utah State: This is a special game for me, because it marks the return of the best hair in college basketball….

But his tremendous hair isn’t enough to come into the Thomas and Mack Center pull off the upset. UNLV 80, USU 66

January 27, @ UNR: Chris Murray, beat writer for UNR at the Reno Gazette said it best:

Biggest problem with only 1,000 fans being at Lawlor right now is when a player yells "F@ck" after missing a shot, everybody can hear it.

— Chris Murray (@MurrayRGJ) December 29, 2014

UNLV 70, UNR 58.

January 31, vs Air Force: There is no such thing as “easy” game against Air Force. The Dave Rice era has its share of embarrassing results, but one of the worst was in February of 2013 in Colorado Springs, when the Falcons took a team with Anthony Bennett, and Mike Moser, and made it look like they had never played basketball before. I happened to at the Thomas and Mack that same night watching the Harlem Globetrotters. I followed the game on game cast, and I remember thinking to myself. “This Harlem Globetrotter game is more competitive than UNLV at Air Force.” They aren’t as talented as the Rebels, but they will make our freshmen look like freshmen. UNLV 72, Air Force 70.

February 7, @ Colorado State: Last year was a massacre. Our team is better this year, but that still doesn’t inspire too much confidence. I expect a better showing, but the same result. Colorado State 72, UNLV 65.

February 10, vs Fresno State: The Bulldogs are the one team that I know nothing about besides their current W-L record. It should be an easy win for UNLV as long as they don’t fall asleep at the wheel. UNLV 77, Fresno St 68

February 14, @ Air Force: See above (January 31), but instead of it being played at home, it being played in a frozen arena surrounded by a bunch of dudes who could fly a drone into your living room. Air Force 68, UNLV 62

February 18, vs Boise State: We’ll know a lot more about every team in the conference by the time that February comes along. Will Derrick Marks be able to make up for Drmic’s absence? Will UNLV  suffer a late season morale collapse like last year? I’m hoping for a team that is healthy, happy, and hungry. UNLV 73, Boise State 65

February 21, @ New Mexico: Can UNLV win at the pit? Yes. Will they do it? Probably not. But this is my blogpost, and if I want to be a homer, than I will. UNLV 71, New Mexico 70.

February 24, @ USU: It is kind of sad that in their first few seasons in the MWC, Utah State hasn’t had a great basketball team. When they have  a good team, the Utah State student section is as good as anyone in the country. UNLV 74 Utah State 70

February 28, vs Wyoming: I don’t remember the last time that Wyoming beat UNLV in the Thomas and Mack? Anyone know? I don’t get paid to write for Runnin Ramble, so I’m not going to look it up. UNLV 75, Wyoming 60

March 4, vs SDSU: As I mentioned earlier. We’ll know a lot more about how the conference is going to shake up once we are in the middle of it. San Diego State has had UNLV’s number for a long time, with the exception one year where we swept them. Until I see evidence that year will be any different, I’m sticking with SDSU. SDSU65- UNLV 62

March 7 vs SJSU: It will be interesting to see if San Jose State even has a team by the time March rolls along. For a team though that is not allowed to play in the post-season, this game could be their biggest of the year. If so, expect them to be up for it. UNLV 75 SJSU 66.

Final record: 21-7, (14-4). That should be good enough to be first or second in the conference.

The best thing about this prediction is I know I’m wrong. I know I’m biased. I only hope that I am right.

by Jake Runyon (@jakerunyon)

Lets just get the one bad grade out of the way.

Cody Doolin, D+: So Cody didn’t have his best game, big deal. He still was an important leader for UNLV last night. Arizona’s length, and half court pressure gave him some trouble, but we won’t run into very many teams even capable to defend like that. Cody is, and will continue to be the rebels’ floor General.

Jelan Kendrick, B: If you look at the stat sheet, it wouldn’t seem like Kendrick had any impact on the game. (0 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists), but in the second half, when UNLV was using the zone defense, his length frustrated Arizona’s Stanley Johnson. Kendrick has done a great job identifying ways he can help UNLV, even if it means he doesn’t fill up the stat sheet.

Christian Wood, A+: Christian Wood used to be “young KD”, but last night he looked like “young Kareem”. He hijacked the game from Arizona, and he wasn’t going to give it back.  Key stat for wood? 4/4 from the charity stripe.

Goodluck Okonoboh, A-: The best thing about Goodluck’s defense is that he isn’t just a shot blocker. He is strong and has good feet. Arizona’s bigs could not get anything going all night because he flat-out would not let them. His offensive game might have been more important than his defense. His aggressive play forced Rondae Hollis-Jefferson into foul trouble.

Rashad Vaughn, A-: Some players at UNLV have their trademark moves. Carlos Lopez Sosa had the pass fake. Anthony Bennett had those thunderous dunks. Wendell White had that baseline jumper. Rashad Vaughn has the floater in the lane. It is a beautiful shot, and it displays why he should be in the NBA next year. He can also attack the rim, has a midrange game, and can knock down contested 3s.

Pat McCaw, A-: The freshman continues to surprise. With Doolin struggling, McCaw was able to step into the PG role, and really control the game when it mattered most. In the postgame interview, Rice talked about how clutch McCaw was running the pick and roll in the second half; making the right read on almost every single play.

Dwayne Morgan, B: He didn’t play that many minutes but he was a key figure in a call that changed the game. Kaleb Tarczewski pulled down a rebound, and in effort to create space, he elbowed Morgan hard in the face. Hope he is alright, and ready to go against SUU on Saturday.

Jordan Cornish, B+: What Jordan Cornish did last night will never be seen on a stat sheet, but it was as important in this game as anything. After Stanley Johnson picked off a pass and was going the other way for an easy bucket, Cornish raced to the defend the rim, and in doing so, committed a hard foul on Johnson. Cornish didn’t back down, and let Johnson know that he had to earn his points. Refs had to separate the two, and handed out double-technicals. Cornish set the tone of the game on that play, and in the process, got into the head of Arizona’s elite freshman.

Coach Rice, A: Everyone associated with UNLV is happy about last night’s win, but I doubt anyone is more pleased than Dave Rice. Beating a top ranked team is always a good thing. When that team is regional recruiting rival, it is even better. I know a lot of Dave Rice skeptics who will still find ways to point out Dave Rice’s flaws, but a result like last night will keep the critics quiet at least for a little while. Rice had a gameplan for tonight, and it was executed well by the players.

 

by Jake Runyon (@jakerunyon)

Who hasn’t seen Miracle on 34th street? The beloved Christmas classic where Santa Clause gets put on trial being accused of being a fraud, but his savvy attorney proves that he really is Santa Clause by convincing the jury that he isn’t not Santa Clause.

Segway into to UNLV Basketball…..

Tonight UNLV proved that they aren’t not a great team.

Up until tonight, there have been a lot of naysayers about this program and this team. In some ways it felt similar to last year’s team all over again. Too much inexperience, and not enough coaching. It has been the same song and dance for Dave Rice now for 3 years but tonight, even if it may be short-lived, there is no criticism stirring, not even a mouse (Another Christmas reference!)

In case you live under a rock, and don’t know what I’m talking about:

UNLV upset #3 Arizona tonight. The Thomas & Mack Center was loud, and to my surprise, relatively full of UNLV support.

The game got off to fast-paced start. Both teams played wanted to get out and run on offense. The Wildcats were able to grab an early lead, but credit UNLV for never letting  UofA get out of reach. When they needed a basket, they got a basket… When they needed a stop, they got a stop.

In the second half both teams traded blows to start. The message at halftime appeared to be the same for both teams… Feed the post.

UNLV switched to a zone, and with the length of Vaughn, McCaw and Kendrick, Arizona wasn’t able to get very many clean looks.

Christian Wood and Rashad Vaughn were in attack mode offensively. They weren’t afraid to put the ball on the floor and attack the rim. It paid off, as the two players combined for 27 points in the second half.

When the dust settled, UNLV walked away the victors; handing Arizona their first non-conference regular season loss since 2011. Recap and highlights here.

Notes:

-Jordan Cornish plays a very important role on this team. He is the dude that dances in the players huddle right before the game. A very understated role, but an important one nonetheless. Not to mention, his hard foul, and stare down rattled Stanley Johnson. The play resulted in a double-technical foul. We can’t know for sure, but that play may have been the most important play of the night. Cornish set the tone, and was able to get a reaction out of Arizona’s elite freshman.

-I don’t know who gave Patrick McCaw his nickname, but whoever did, deserves some sort of prize. “Inspector Gadget” continued to be UNLV’s “do it all” reserve off the bench. 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists. If you count his swarming defense, it really is becoming clear why he is quickly becoming a UNLV fan favorite.

-Christian Wood has been scapegoat lately for UNLV. Fans seem to love to criticize him, but they only do that because they see so much potential in him. Tonight he met those lofty expectations of him.

-Speaking of Christian Wood. He spent most the evening matched up against his former Findlay Prep teammate, Brandon Ashley. Remember how skinny Christian was as an in-coming freshman last year? Look at him this year… He is bigger than Ashley. Jason Kabo deserves a Christmas bonus.

-Cody Doolin had rough night, but before we throw him to the wolves like UNLV fans tend to do from time to time, lets remind ourselves that Arizona is a great defensive team who loves to put pressure on the ball handler. Even when he isn’t playing well, he still seems to be a key leader for UNLV.

-Stanley Johnson vs Rashad Vaughn. Both players were the most highly sought players from the west coast. They ranked Johnson ahead of Vaughn, and I have slightest feeling that maybe Vaughn remembered, and didn’t like that. If you were an NBA scout, and tonight was your only body of work in observing the two future-NBA talents, you walked away talking about Vaughn, not Johnson. Not only did Johnson go 3/11 from the field, but he also turned the ball over on Arizona’s final possession, down by 2 points. Not clutch Stanley. Classic Mater Dei.

-The dreaded “elbow rule” worked in favor of UNLV tonight. In the second half, Kaleb Tarczewski pulled down a rebound, and in an effort to create space for himself, swung his elbow across his body, hitting Dwayne Morgan hard in the face. While this rule is a stupid rule in my opinion, it was called correctly by the refs and resulted in two free throws for the Rebels, along with possession of the ball. That was a big turning point in the game.

-Anyone who thinks there were some controversial non-calls by the refs late in the game needs to hush. Watch the video of the alleged goaltend. I don’t think Kendrick touched the rim, let alone the ball. According to NCAA rules, a goaltending is only when a player touches the ball while it is in or above the cylinder, or if they create contact with the rim or backboard causing it to move. See for yourself.

There is also some people saying that UNLV should have been given a techinical foul with .7 seconds left when Johnson turned the ball over, and then fouled McCaw. With time still on the clock some fans apparently had entered the floor (I didn’t see it), and some UNLV players were on the floor. (This i did see). I have three guesses as to why a technical foul was not called. 1). Nobody prematurely rushed the court. 2). Play was dead. No harm, no foul. 3). It is a stupid rule that should only come into effect if it has an actual impact on a live play.

-Dave Rice did a good job coaching this game. I don’t know what he has done different lately, but the energy from the Rebels since late in the Portland game has been amazing. It seems the Rebels have finally found an identity. Something that has been missing for UNLV for more than a season.

UNLV faces Southern Utah this upcoming saturday before opening conference play at Wyoming on New Years Eve. (Does the MWC think they’re funny or something sending UNLV to Laramie on NYE?)

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight.

 

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by Jake Runyon (@jakerunyon)

Picture a UNLV athletic team that has been struggling for years. They have poor attendance and poor community support, and the on-field results of said team have been disappointing for more than a decade. There are talks around the athletic department that this program is going to be cut.

Then out of the blue, a local UNLV supporter makes a generous donation that keeps the program alive.

A few years later the team has improved, the community support has also increased and the program is as healthy as it has ever been.

This is not a fairy tale. This is what actually happened with UNLV soccer.

In 2011, when UNLV was considering dumping the men’s soccer program, the Engelstad Family Foundation donated $1,000,000 to UNLV. Then athletic director, Jim Livengood,when asked about the future of UNLV men’s soccer said, “It’s not a question anymore. UNLV is going to have men’s soccer.”

Just recently, that UNLV soccer team that was on the brink of being cut three years earlier, just won the WAC championship, and  reached the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1988.

Today, UNLV football find itself in a similar predicament. With the resignation of Bobby Hauck, the head coaching job is vacant once again. The leading candidate to replace him is Tony Sanchez, the Head Coach of local high school juggernaut, Bishop Gorman. But that is not all. The Fertittas are allegedly endorsing Sanchez, with a report that the Station Casinos, and UFC owners are willing to donate 30-50 million dollars to the lowly football program. The Fertittas are denying this report, but where there is smoke, there is fire.

There are some rebels fans that argue that UNLV is “selling” the head coaching position to the highest bidder. Luckily, those fans are in the minority. UNLV finds itself at crossroads in college athletics. While the rich keep getting the richer, the programs that struggle continue to find themselves in deeper and deeper financial holes. For a few programs around the country, dismembering the football team is an option being floated around. University of Alabama-Birmingham has already decided to take that step, much to the disappointment of their fanbase.

To those UNLV fans that argue that UNLV athletics would be “better off” without football; name a college basketball program besides Gonzaga that has been consistently competetive in college basketball? Football is the cash-cow; that for most colleges, helps to feed the other athletic teams. Ohio State and Texas basketball wouldn’t be as consistently good if they didn’t benefit from football programs that bring in a giant revenue. Even schools more known for their basketball like North Carolina and Kentucky benefit from having football program.

To those UNLV fans that say that handing over the reins to the Fertittas is a “slippery slope”; There is some truth that. Handing over a defunct athletic program that loses money year in and year out to a couple of local billionaires who have done more for the local Las Vegas economy than anyone might open the door to other local philanthropists willing to do the same (GASP). Look at what the checkbook of Phil Knight and T. Boone Pickens has done to Oregon and Oklahoma State. I’m sure the athletic departments at those schools regret selling their soul to their local fan and supporter.

To those UNLV fans that say Tony Sanchez “isn’t the right person for the job, and has no experience”; if finding the right person for the job is so easy, how come UNLV has been so inept in finding a head coach that could stick for more than 5 years? Fact, there has never been a head coach at UNLV to last more than 6 years. UNLV has tried every other type of coach: The former nat’l champ (John Robinson), the highly touted coordinator (Mike Sanford), the up and coming head coach (Bobby Hauck). Nothing has worked up to this point. A high school coach is the one option UNLV hasn’t tried yet, Not only is Sanchez familiar with the local football landscape, he is also a close colleague to the top high school programs across the nation. If Sanchez can convince parents to let their teenage sons leave home and come play football at Bishop Gorman, why wouldn’t he able to do the same for UNLV.

Of course,  there is the possibility that Sanchez might fail. It wouldn’t be a suprise to anyone if 5 years from now that UNLV was once again trying to find a head coach to right the ship for UNLV. But at least UNLV will have some deeper pockets then and hopefully, a program that is self-sufficient financially. That is what you would call “failing upwards”.

If you still believe that big-time college athletics isn’t a slave to the mighty dollar sign, then you are mistaken. Not only is money the byproduct from high-level college football, but it is also its fuel. The rich get richer, and the gap between the “haves” and “have-nots” widens every season. If money can’t save UNLV football… the nothing can.

by Jake Runyon (@jakerunyon)

Here is a cool story. My wife and I had been planning a trip to NYC for a long time, and it just so happens that at the same time we were in the Empire state, UNLV was playing in the Barclay Center in the Coaches vs Cancer Classic.

Confession time: I knew we were going to lose against Stanford, and I hadn’t been to New York since I was 17. I didn’t go to the game. I went and saw a play with my wife. Sue me. I did however follow the game on my cellular device.

This GIF shows my reaction to UNLV vs Stanford.

How could we let those nerds from Palo Alto make us look so stupid. Check out this exclusive footage of UNLV’s locker room at halftime.

We lost badly… 89-60.

UNLV had to bounce back quickly before playing Temple the next night. (My wife and I went to that game. Okay. You can stop making me feel so bad about abandoning the team the night before, but we had 3rd row seats to watch Idina Menzel… yeah, the Let It Go lady)

Something changed in that small window of time between Stanford and Temple. I like to think that Coach Rice took the team to see a matinee showing of Wicked or Lion King on Broadway to boost morale.

On Saturday night, UNLV played like a team that had a very short memory. It was a new game, and while I wouldn’t say that UNLV played good against Temple, they did play with some toughness, especially in the second half.

For the most part, UNLV was in control of the game, but whenever UNLV would gain some momentum, Temple would resist and fight back <Thinking of  a Bill Cosby joke I could put here>

While his stat-sheet was rather modest, Patrick McCaw (7 points, 4 rebounds) made a huge impact. All three of his baskets came at pivotal moments, and came as result of a little extra effort and hustle.

There were moments against Temple that Christian Wood took over. He would get the ball and realize that he was bigger and stronger than the guy guarding him. Instead of trying to pull off some Kevin Durant inspired fadeaway, he backed down the smaller defenders until he got close enough to basket to just turnaround and go to window.

We might look back at the second half of that game as the moment when Christian Wood realized that his advantage is his size, strength and athleticism, not his outside shot.

Another thing worth noting about UNLV’s trip to Brooklyn was the band. It was clearly not the same band that plays in the Thomas and Mack, and that is a good thing. The band must have been from a small nearby college, and they were 10 times cooler than the weird, bowling-shirt-wearing band we’re used to at the TMC. They had a drumline with  step dancers and everything! (Who else remembers that Drumline was best movie of the summer in 2002? NIck Cannon was never cooler than he was in that movie.)

After the Coaches vs Cancer Classic, UNLV made their way home, and faced the Great Danes of Albany.

Rashad Vaughn impressed those in attendance at the Thomas and Mack, dropping 29 points on 11/18 from the field.

It is worth noting that Rashad Vaughn is averaging 24.3 PPG at home but just a measly 7 PPG on the road (4/19 from the field)

Early December Preview

UNLV now finds itself beginning the meaty part of their season. December is an important month for the rebels to boost their non-conference resume’, with games against Arizona State, Kansas, Utah, and Arizona.

Tomorrow night, UNLV takes on the Arizona State Sundevils in Temple.

Good news: Jahii Carson is no longer there. Last year he scorched the Rebels for 40 points in the Thomas and Mack Center en route to a 86-80 ASU win.

Bad news: Our group of inexperienced freshman are making their first visit into hostile territory.

ASU is the new home to former Rebel, Savon Goodman. In that case, I am hoping that UNLV can “STEAL” a win on the road. Hopefully our defense can “handcuff” the sundevils offensively.