Feb. 15, 2001LAS VEGAS - The UNLV men's basketball team will travel to Colorado Springs, Colo., for a Mountain West Conference game at Air Force on Saturday, Feb. 17 at 6:00 p.m. PST at Clune Arena (6,002). The game will be televised live in Las Vegas on KLAS TV-8 (produced by Sportwest with Dave McCann and Blaine Fowler calling the action) and may be heard live in Las Vegas on ESPN 920 AM and on the internet worldwide at www.unlvrebels.com with Ken Korach and Glen Gondrezick calling the action.
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Sat., Feb. 17UNLV at Air Force6:05 p.m. PST
Game at Clune Arena (6,002), Colorado Springs, Colo., Game may be seen live in Las Vegas on KLAS TV-8 (produced by SportsWest)., Game may be heard live on ESPN 920 AM in Las Vegas and on the internet worldwide at www.unlvrebels.com.
THE RUNNIN' REBELS
UNLV (14-10, 5-4 Mountain West Conference) is coming off a home split with the Utah schools. UNLV defeated BYU 68-56 after coming back from a 16-point deficit on Saturday. On Monday, UNLV lost to Utah 85-77. Two Mondays ago, UNLV won a thriller at Wyoming (80-78) on a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Dalron Johnson. The Runnin' Rebels lost 80-55 at Colorado State prior to that on Feb. 3. UNLV is now 4-1 in MWC play at home and 1-3 on the road. The Runnin' Rebels had won their last nine games at the Thomas & Mack Center before falling to Utah and are now 11-2 at home this year. UNLV has won 29 of its last 33 games at the Thomas & Mack Center and has won 11 of its last 16 overall, which included a seven-game winning streak from Dec. 18 through Jan. 8. The Runnin' Rebels are led by All-America candidate Kaspars Kambala, who is averaging 16.8 ppg and 9.5 rpg. UNLV has two other players averaging in double figures in scoring (Trevor Diggs: 12.9 and Dalron Johnson: 12.5). UNLV captured the inaugural Mountain West Conference regular season and tournament championships last season. The Runnin' Rebels finished 23-8 overall last year, which included their second trip to the NCAA Tournament in the last three years and their fourth straight postseason appearance. The team recorded a 10-4 mark in the Mountain West, which tied for first place. Mark Dickel, the nation's top assist man last year, is UNLV's most notable loss from the 1999-00 team.
THE OPPONENT
Air Force (7-15, 2-5 Mountain West Conference) is coming off a home win against New Mexico (53-49). Prior to that, the Falcons got swept on the road by the Utah schools. Air Force lost at BYU 62-45 and at Utah 63-58. Air Force is 2-1 at home in conference play and 0-5 on the road. Air Force has won two of its last four games, but has lost seven of its last nine. The Falcons have two players who average in double-figure scoring. They are Jarvis Croff at 13.0 ppg and Robert Todd at 10.7 ppg. Tom Bellairs leads the team in rebounding at 8.1 per game. UNLV defeated Air Force 65-54 in their first meeting this year on Jan. 8 at the Thomas & Mack Center. The Falcons are coached by Joe Scott who is in his first season at Air Force and first season overall as a head coach. Air Force was 8-20 overall in 1999-00 and finished seventh in the Mountain West with a mark of 4-10.
SERIES HISTORY
UNLV leads the all-time series with Air Force 11-1. This will mark the 13th meeting between the two schools in basketball. UNLV defeated Air Force 65-54 earlier this year at the Thomas & Mack Center on Jan. 8. Last year, UNLV swept the season series with a 98-73 win at Air Force on Jan. 15, 2000, and a 84-61 win at the Thomas & Mack Center on Feb. 26, 2000. UNLV has won 11 straight games against Air Force. The only loss came in the first-ever meeting in 1981. UNLV is 7-0 vs. Air Force in Las Vegas and 4-1 vs. Air Force in Colorado Springs.
RUNNIN' REBELS RECORD SEVEN-GAME WIN STREAK
UNLV had a seven-game winning streak snapped at Utah on Jan. 13. The seven-game streak tied last year's longest streak of seven straight wins from Feb. 22 to Mar. 11, which culminated with the MWC Tournament Championship. UNLV also won seven straight during the 1996-97 and 1992-93 seasons. The last time UNLV won more than seven games in a row was in 1991-92 when it won its last 23 games. UNLV has now won 11 of its last 16 games.
RUNNIN' REBELS ARE 9-2 WHEN KAMBALA SCORES 16 OR MORE POINTS
When UNLV senior center Kaspars Kambala scores 16 or more points, the Runnin' Rebels are 9-2. The only games that Kambala scored more than 16 points in that UNLV lost were in overtime to Louisville (37 points) and at home vs. Utah (22 points).
UNLV IN THE SECOND HALF
Over the Runnin' Rebels last 11 wins, they have outscored their opponents 485-364 in the second half. Over that stretch, UNLV outscored its opponents 392-369 during the first half. UNLV scored an average of 11.0 more points in the second half than its opponents compared to an average of 2.1 over the first half.
UNLV VS. RANKED TEAMS
When UNLV faced then-No. 10 Georgetown on Jan. 25, it marked the third time this season that UNLV has faced a ranked team. UNLV lost to then-No. 8 Illinois in the Maui Invitational on Nov. 20 and to then-No. 18 Cincinnati in the Las Vegas Showdown on Dec. 16 in its other games vs. ranked teams. The last time UNLV defeated a ranked team was last year against Utah when the Utes were ranked No. 19. UNLV won that game 72-66 on Feb. 5, 2000 at the Thomas & Mack Center.
UNLV IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST
UNLV leads the Mountain West conference in blocked shots with 5.62 per game and steals with 7.62 per game. UNLV is in the top half of the conference in the following other categories: scoring offense (second), rebounding offense (second), free throw percentage (fourth), assists (third), turnover margin (third), offensive rebounds (second), 3-point field goals made (fourth), assist/turnover ratio (fourth), defensive rebounds (third).
100TH CAREER WIN
With the win at Old Dominion, UNLV Head Coach Max Good recorded his 100th career win as a Division I head coach. He currently has 107.
100 POINTS
The 101 points scored vs. Alaska-Anchorage marked only the third time UNLV had broken the 100-point barrier in the last six seasons. UNLV scored 104 points last season vs. Cal Poly and scored 103 points during 1998-99 against Sacred Heart. The last time UNLV scored 100 or more points before that was during the 1994-95 season.
100 POINTS II
The 106 points scored vs. Chicago State was the second time this season that UNLV scored more than 100 points in a game. The last time UNLV had two games of scoring over 100 points in the same season was during 1992-93 when it had five. The 106 points is the most scored by a UNLV team since it scored 110 at UNR during the 1992-93 season.
900TH WIN
With the victory over Alaska-Anchorage, UNLV recorded its 900th win in program history. The program has now won 910 games.
LEWIS NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK ON JAN. 29
Jermaine Lewis was named the Mountain West Conference's Player of the Week on Jan. 29. It marked UNLV's second player of the week this season. Lewis averaged 17.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.0 steals over a three-game stretch. He shot 56.8 percent from the field (21-of-37) and 52.6 percent from three-point range (10-of-19) for the week. Lewis scored a career-high 24 points vs. New Mexico and scored 22 points vs. SDSU.
KAMBALA NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK ON NOV. 27
Kaspars Kambala was named the Mountain West Conference's Player of the Week on Nov. 27. Kambala scored 90 points with 37 rebounds in four games from Nov. 20-25. He shot an amazing 92 percent from the free throw line (34-of-37), which included 21-of-22 vs. Louisville. It marked the fifth time in his career that he earned conference Player of the Week honors. Last season, he won the award three times.
UNLV IS THE ONLY MWC TEAMS WITH BETTER THAN .500 RECORD
The Runnin' Rebels are the only Mountain West Conference team with a better than .500 record all-time against the other seven members of the conference. Air Force (11-1), BYU (6-5), Colorado State (13-4), New Mexico (11-7), San Diego State (21-4), Utah (10-9), Wyoming (12-8).
UNLV BOASTS BEST HOME RECORD IN MWC
Out of the eight Mountain West schools, UNLV has the best all-time winning percentage on its home court. UNLV is 241-41 (.855) at the Thomas & Mack Center. Utah is second at .815 (379-86).
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
After recording 80 points and 25 rebounds in three games at the Maui Invitational, UNLV's Kaspars Kambala was selected to the all-tournament team. No individual scored more points than Kambala during the 2000 Maui Invitational. Also selected to the team were Illinois' Frank Williams and Marcus Griffin along with Arizona's Jason Gardner and Michael Wright (MVP). Kambala was 21-of-22 from the free throw line vs. Louisville, which set the tournament record for most free throws made. The old mark was 14 by Todd Lichti of Stanford in 1987 vs. Baylor. Kambala was 24-of-41 from the field and 32-of-34 from the free throw line for the tournament.
KAMBALA PUTS HIS NAME ON UNLV'S SINGLE-GAME SCORING CHART
Runnin' Rebel senior Kaspars Kambala recorded a career-high 37 points vs. Louisville, which tied him for the 27th best single-game individual point performance in UNLV history. Kambala was 8-of-10 from the field and 21-of-22 from the free throw line. Kambala's previous career-high for points was 32, which he set at New Mexico last season.
KAMBALA FROM CHARITY STRIPE
Kaspars Kambala is currently shooting .710 from the free throw line this season. He made his first 26 free throws to start the year! He stands at 115-of-162, which includes 21-of-22 in one game vs. Louisville. He made his first 18 free throw attempts of the game vs. Louisville before missing to set the UNLV record for consecutive free throws made in a game. The old UNLV mark of 15 was set by Eddie Owens vs. San Diego State on Dec. 11, 1976. If he hadn't missed a free throw vs. Louisville he would have eclipsed the UNLV single-game free throw percentage record set by Larry Johnson (12-of-12) vs. North Carolina State on Feb. 3, 1990. He was one make shy of tying the UNLV record for most free throws made in a game: 22 by Elburt Miller in 1966, and one make shy of starting off the season with 27 straight, which is the UNLV consecutive free throw mark for a season set by Robert Smith (Dec. 1 through Dec. 22) in 1976. His 21 makes and 22 attempts in one game are both MWC records. He did break the Maui Invitational record for made free throws in a game set by Todd Lichti of Stanford in 1987 vs. Baylor (14). Kambala has gone to the free throw line 90 more times than any other Runnin' Rebel this season.
IN OVERTIME
After defeating San Diego State in overtime, UNLV is 35-17 (.673) all-time in overtime games. This season, UNLV is 1-2 in overtime games. Additionally, UNLV is 28-14 in single overtime games, 5-3 in double overtime and 2-0 in triple overtime. The Runnin' Rebels have a record of 6-3 in overtime games at the Thomas & Mack Center.
KAMBALA RECORDS 36TH CAREER DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Runnin' Rebel senior Kaspars Kambala recorded his 36th career double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds vs. BYU. It marked his eighth of the season. His others were 12 points and 10 rebounds at Georgetown, 12 points and 13 rebounds at Utah, 24 points and 15 rebounds vs. Chicago State, 22 points and 16 rebounds at Old Dominion, 10 points and 12 rebounds vs. Cal State Northridge, 39 points and 15 rebounds vs. Chaminade and 18 points and 14 rebounds vs. Northern Arizona. As of Feb. 5, Kambala ranked third among active Division I players in career double-doubles (research provided by Stats, Inc.). Kennedy Okafor of Maryland-Baltimore County and Troy Murphy of Notre Dame each had 40 as of Feb. 5. Kambala had 35.
DOUBLE-FIGURE SCORING
With only nine points vs. Oklahoma State, Kaspars Kambala had his streak of 16 consecutive games scoring at least 10 points snapped. The last time he didn't score 10 or more points in a game before the Oklahoma State matchup was on Feb. 10, 2000 at Colorado State when he had only six points. Kambala then scored in double figures in nine straight games before scoring only two points at BYU. He has scored in double figures in his last six games and in 31 of his last 34 games. Jermaine Lewis had scored in double figures in eight straight games before having his streak broken vs. Pepperdine.
GET THAT OUTTA HERE
Dalron Johnson is leading the team in blocks with 50 on the season. That is 27 more than any other Runnin' Rebel. He is currently averaging 2.3 blocks per game and is second in the MWC.
3-POINT SHOOTER
Jermaine Lewis is leading the team with a 3pt-shooting percentage of .361 (35-of-97). He is second on the team in 3-point makes behind Trevor Diggs (44). He is 11th in the Mountain West Conference in three-pointers made and 14th in three-point percentage. He recorded his best game against New Mexico as he was 5-of-5 from three-point land.
GREAT FG PERCENTAGE
Kaspars Kambala leads the team in shooting percentage as he is .546 (136-of-249) from the field this season. He ranks 5th in the MWC.
FOR OPENERS
After its season-opening win over Northern Arizona, UNLV is 33-10 all-time in season openers and is 25-4 when opening the season at home. The Rebels have never lost at the T&M in a season opener as they are 10-0. UNLV has won its season opener each of the last six seasons.
FOR CONFERENCE OPENERS
After its conference-opening win over Air Force, UNLV is now 19-6 all-time in conference openers and 10-3 when opening the conference season at home. UNLV is 9-2 in conference openers at the Thomas & Mack Center.
UNLV IN THE NCAA
Through games of Feb. 12 in the NCAA statistics, Kaspars Kambala is tied for 22nd in rebounding nationally.
MOVIN' UP THE CAREER SCORING CHART
Kaspars Kambala currently has 1,613 points for his career, which puts him 12th on the all-time career UNLV scoring chart. Larry Johnson is the next one on the list at No. 11 with 1,617 career points. So far this season, Kambala has passed J.R. Rider (previously 12th with 1,372), Glen Gondrezick (previously 13th with 1,311), Greg Anthony (previously 14th with 1,301), Lewis Brown (previously 15th with 1,289) and Jackie Robinson (previously 16th with 1,258). Kambala started off the year at No. 17 with 1,226.
MOVIN' UP THE CAREER FREE THROWS CHART
Kaspars Kambala has made 471 free throws for his career, which puts him at No. 3 on the all-time career UNLV chart. Silas Stepp is No. 2 at 497. Kambala has already jumped over Bob Florence (previously third with 432), Armon Gilliam (previously fourth with 429), Sidney Green (previously fifth with 423), Stacey Augmon (previously sixth with 400), Eddie Owens (previously seventh with 395), Freddie Banks (previously eighth with 366) and Larry Johnson (previously ninth with 363). Kambala started the year at No. 10 with 356.
MOVIN' UP THE CAREER REBOUNDING CHART
Kaspars Kambala has 886 career rebounds, which puts him at No. 6 on the all-time career UNLV chart. Armon Gilliam is No. 5 with 890. Kambala has jumped over Larry Johnson (previously sixth with 837), Glen Gondrezick (previously seventh with 831) and Jackie Robinson (previously eighth with 669) this season. Kambala started the year at No. 9 with 667.
CAREER BLOCKED SHOTS CHART
Dalron Johnson has 93 career blocked shots, which puts him 8th on the all-time UNLV career chart. Evric Gray is No. 7 with 96 and Richard Robinson is No. 6 with 99. This season, Dalron Johnson has passed up Larry Johnson (previously eighth with 92), Armon Gilliam (previously ninth with 91) and Jarvis Basnight (previously 10th with 71).
CAREER THREE-POINTERS CHART
Trevor Diggs has made 116 career 3-pointers at UNLV, which puts him at No. 9 on the all-time UNLV career chart. Sunshine Smith is No. 8 with 128. This season, Diggs has passed up Clayton Johnson (previously ninth with 104) and Stacey Augmon (previously 10th with 97).
RUNNIN' REBELS AT THE 'MACK
The Runnin' Rebels are playing their 18th season in the 18,500-seat Thomas & Mack Center. UNLV has posted an all-time record of 241-41 (.855) in the arena since it opened in 1983. The Runnin' Rebels were 18-2 in the building last season and had a 12-game home winning streak snapped by Cincinnati on Dec. 16. UNLV had won its last nine games in the T&M before losing to Utah on Feb. 12. UNLV has won 29 of its last 33 games at home. UNLV has been edged at home by four points or less 17 times and the 41 losses has been by an average of 7.9 points (324 total points).
REBELS HAD 12-AND-9 GAME HOME WINNING STREAK SNAPPED THIS YEAR
UNLV had a 12-game home win streak going into its game vs. Cincinnati. The loss to UC snapped the Runnin' Rebels streak. UNLV's last loss at the Thomas & Mack Center before Cincinnati was to BYU (77-75) on Jan. 10, 2000. UNLV had then won its next nine home games before losing to Utah on Feb. 12.
INJURY UPDATE
The entire team is healthy.
RICHARDSON BACK
On Nov. 9, the Division I Committee on Infractions made a finding of a violation of NCAA ethical conduct against Chris Richardson in association with UNLV's infractions case which made him ineligible to compete. The NCAA notified UNLV athletic officials that after sitting out 30 percent of the team's contests he would have his eligibility restored. After missing last season's NCAA Tournament's first round game vs. Tulsa and the first seven games of this season, Richardson satisfied the suspension and is again eligible. He first played against Cincinnati.
UP NEXT
Following the Air Force game, UNLV will travel to Albuquerque, N.M., for a game at New Mexico on Monday, Feb. 19, which begins at 6:05 p.m. PST.
NATIONAL HONORS
Kaspars Kambala had some bigtime acknowledgments during the preseason. He was named a Preseason Top 50 candidate for 2000-01 John R. Wooden Award All-American honors and was among the top 25 votegetters. In addition, he was named to the list of preseason candidates (one of 30) for the 2000-01 Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year award. He has recently been named a top 30 candidate for the John R. Wooden Award.
RUNNIN' REBELS ON THE AIR
All Runnin' Rebel games will be carried live on ESPN 920 AM. Ken Korach and Glen Gondrezick will call the action all season long. The pregame show will begin an hour before tipoff and the postgame show, which will last for approximately one hour, includes Runnin' Rebel interviews and fan call-ins. The broadcasts may also be heard inside the Thomas & Mack Center by tuning to 99.5 FM. In addition all broadcasts may be heard on the internet at www.unlvrebels.com.
COACH'S SHOWS
"Game Time with UNLV Hoops" television show will be shown every Sunday on KLAS TV-8 at 11:30 p.m. The show is hosted by Chris Maathuis and features head coach Max Good. "The Runnin' Rebel Radio Show" may be heard live every Tuesday from Barley's Casino (4500 E. Sunset) at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN 920 AM with hosts Ken Korach and Glen Gondrezick. The weekly show may also be heard on the internet at www.unlvrebels.com and features interviews and listener call-ins. Listeners are invited to call in to the show at (702) 365-9200.
REBELS ON TV
UNLV is scheduled to appear on television 19 times this season. The Runnin' Rebels had or will have games on this year on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN-plus, SportsWest, ESPN Regional at UNLV and ABC. UNLV has been banned from postseason play, which includes the Mountain West Conference Tournament. UNLV has appealed the ban and, if lifted, could be on ESPN during the MWC Tournament.
NCAA PLACES UNLV ON PROBATION
On Dec. 12, the NCAA announced sanctions against the UNLV men's basketball program. In response to the sanctions, the university relieved Bill Bayno of his head coaching duties. In addition to UNLV's self-imposed penalties, which the university announced on Sept. 22 in Dallas, the NCAA Committee on Infractions imposed the following penalties: 1) Four years of probation from Dec. 12, 2000, 2) No postseason for the 2000-01 season, 3) No exempted events for the 2001-02 season, 4) Further reduction in grants-in-aid by one for the 2001-02 and 2002-03 academic (Including the self-imposed penalty, the university will be limited to 11 total for each of those two years), 5) Further reduction in official paid visits by two during 2001-02 and 2002-03 (Including the self-imposed penalty, the university will be limited to eight official paid visits during each of those two years). UNLV appealed the postseason ban penalty only (no other penalty was or will be appealed). The hearing was on Feb. 7 in Chicago and UNLV is now waiting for a response from the NCAA. For a complete sanctions report visit www.ncaa.org.
HEAD COACH MAX GOOD
Max Good was promoted to head coach of the UNLV basketball program after the university relieved former head coach Bill Bayno of his duties on Dec. 12 because of NCAA sanctions against the program. Good was in his second year as assistant coach when he was elevated. Prior to joining the Runnin' Rebels staff, Good spent 10 seasons (1989-99) as the head coach at Maine Central Institute in Pittsfield, Maine. He compiled an amazing 275-30 (.902) record that included five New England Prep School Athletic Conference Championships. The NEPSAC is considered the top sub-college league in the country. Good also boasts 87 players who went on to play in Division I and seven NBA players. His extensive coaching background includes five seasons as the assistant coach at Eastern Kentucky (1976-81) before being named the head coach in 1981. He compiled an overall record of 96-129 (.427) in his eight years there. He enjoyed his best season in 1986-87 with a 19-11 record as he was named the Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year. He has an 11-6 record at UNLV and a career mark over nine years of 107-135.
FORMER HEAD COACH BILL BAYNO
Former Runnin' Rebel head coach Bill Bayno was in his sixth season as a head coach (all with UNLV) when he was relieved of his duties on Dec. 12. He posted a career record of 94-64 (.595). Last season, Bayno led his team to a 23-8 overall record, a share of the regular season Mountain West Conference championship, the conference tournament championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. For his efforts, he was honored with the Mountain West Conference Co-Coach of the Year award. Under Bayno, UNLV qualified for the postseason each of the last four years and made the NCAA Tournament two of the last three years (1998, 2000). Bayno's Rebels also won the conference tournament two of the last three years (1998, 2000). He led the team to back-to-back 20-win seasons in 1996-97 and 1997-98 and recorded his third 20-winner during the 1999-00 season. Bayno came to UNLV from Massachusetts where he served seven years as the associate coach under then-head coach John Calipari.
COACHING STAFF
UNLV's assistant coaches are Dave Rice, Charles Cunningham and Bill Wuczynski. The Director of Basketball Operations is Mark Wade. Rice, who is in his eighth season, played on UNLV's 1990 National Championship team. Cunningham, who is in his first season with the Rebels, joined the program after three years at Minnesota. Wuczynski has been with the program since the 1994-95 season when he was a student manager. He was made director of basketball operations prior to the 1999-00 season. Wade played at UNLV from 1985-87 and is UNLV's all-time single-season assist leader as he compiled 406 in 1986-87 leading the Runnin' Rebels to the Final Four that year.
BAYNO FINISHES AT UNLV AS THIRD-WINNINGEST HEAD COACH
With his 94 career wins at UNLV, Bill Bayno is the third-winningest head coach by wins in program history. Tark is first with 509 and Roland Todd is second with 96.
"THREE-POINT GOAL ..."
Since the 3-point field goal was adopted by the NCAA in 1986-87, UNLV has converted at least one 3-pointer in all 470 games played. During that span, the Runnin' Rebels have made 3102-of-8577 (.362) shots from behind the arc. The Big West Conference experimented with the 3-point shot in the 1982-83, 1984-85 and 1985-86 seasons. During that period, UNLV connected from 3-point range in 53 of the 64 games (the 3-pointer was used in some non-conference games). The Runnin' Rebels sank 194-of-505 (.384) 3-point attempts during that time. The UNLV streak for games in which it sank at least one 3-point shot stands at 487. The last time the Runnin' Rebels failed to make at least one 3-pointer came against Long Beach State on Jan. 25, 1986. So, UNLV has sunk at least one shot from behind the arch in 523 of the 534 games in which the rule was used. In addition, the Runnin' Rebels have shot .363 from this distance while sinking 3296-of-9082 attempts. UNLV holds the NCAA record for most consecutive games scoring a three-point field goal.
UPCOMING TICKET PROMOTIONS
Saturday, March 3 vs. Wyoming is unused ticket day. Any fan with an unused ticket from the 2000-01 UNLV men's basketball season gets a free seat on the balcony level. Also, on March 3, all kids receive free admission on the balcony level.
TICKET INFORMATION
Individual game tickets are priced at $15, $12, and $10 for balcony level. Plaza tickets, which are priced at $25, go on sale 24 hours prior to each game. Runnin' Rebel tickets may be purchased at the Thomas & Mack Center box office, all tickets.com locations and on the internet at www.unlvrebels.com. Group rates are available for groups of 20 or more. For all ticket information, call 895-UNLV.
UNLV ON THE WEB
The three-year-old UNLV athletics web site www.unlvrebels.com was re-launched this past May with an updated look and additional features to best serve fans and media interested in the Rebels. Originally launched in Nov. 1997, unlvrebels.com has steadily expanded in both content and usership but now boasts a new graphic design that elevates it to among the leaders in the industry. Designed for use by alumni, students, fans and media, the Rebels' home on the internet features in-depth, updated information 24 hours a day. The site features rosters, records, historical information and biographical sketches of players and coaches in addition to any and all results since the website first premiered.
INTERVIEWS
Interviews with UNLV men's basketball players and coaches may be arranged through SID Andy Grossman. Requests for interviews must be made at least 24 hours in advance by calling the UNLV sports information department at (702) 895-3995.
MEDIA TEAMLINK AND INFO CONNECTION
UNLV's release, statistics and latest box score are all available on the internet through www.mediateamlink.com. Media members may view documents on the internet or have the information e-mailed to them the moment it is updated. The service is free to all accredited members of the media. The same information is available on Info Connection and may be obtained by calling (770) 558-6000 from a fax machine. Media members without a PIN should call (770) 399-0096 to obtain one. The MWC's passcode is 692#. The Runnin' Rebel release code is 1906, the stats code is 1908 and the previous game box code is 1909.
MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
The 2000-01 Mountain West Conference Basketball Championship will be played Thursday-Saturday, March 8-10, at the Thomas & Mack Center. UNLV is not eligible to compete because of the NCAA sanctions (UNLV has appealed and is waiting for an answer from the NCAA). The champion will receive the MWC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. This is the second year that the MWC Tournament will be played in the building and the fifth straight conference tournament to be played at the T&M (The WAC held its championship at the T&M from 1997-99).
LAST SEASON - INAUGURAL MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS
UNLV compiled an overall record of 23-8 last season during the Mountain West Conference's inaugural season. The Runnin' Rebels were 10-4 in conference play and were the MWC co-champion with Utah. UNLV won the inaugural conference tournament at the Thomas & Mack Center with wins over San Diego State, Wyoming and BYU. UNLV was awarded with an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament where it fell to Tulsa in the first round, 89-62. It marked the second time in the past three years that UNLV made the NCAA Tournament and won the conference tournament. (The Rebels won the WAC Tournament and made the big dance in 1998) UNLV won 20 games for the third time in the last four years and qualified for postseason for the fourth straight year. UNLV also won the conference championship in some form for the third straight year. UNLV won the 1998 WAC Tournament, was the 1999 WAC Mountain Division Regular Season Co-Champs and was the 2000 Mountain West regular season co-champs and the MWC Tournament champions.
20 WINS
UNLV notched its third 20-win season under head coach Bill Bayno over the last four seasons in 1999-00 (23-8). It also marked the 27th 20-win season in the 42 years of UNLV basketball. The 23 victories was the most in Bayno's tenure as head coach and the most since the 1991-92 team was 26-2.