March 9, 2002
LAS VEGAS - (3) UNLV, which defeated (6) New Mexico 120-117 in double overtime on Thursday and (2) Utah 76-70 on Friday, will face (5) San Diego State in the Mountain West Conference Tournament's championship game on Saturday, March 9 at 7:00 p.m. PST at the Thomas & Mack Center (18,500) in Las Vegas. It will be televised live to a national audience on ESPN with Bob Carpenter and Jimmy Dykes providing the commentary. The game may be heard live in Las Vegas on KBAD 920 AM (ESPN Radio) and worldwide on the internet at UNLVRebels.com with Ken Korach and Glen Gondrezick calling the action.
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MOUNTAIN WEST CONF. TOURNAMENT - CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Sat., Mar. 9(3) UNLV vs. (5) San Diego State7:00 p.m. PST
Game at Thomas & Mack Center (18,500), Las Vegas, Nev., Game televised live on ESPN, Game may be heard live on KBAD 920 AM (ESPN Radio) in Las Vegas and worldwide on the internet at UNLVRebels.com
THE RUNNIN' REBELS
UNLV (20-9, 9-5 MWC) has to the championship game of the Mountain West Conference Tournament after defeating New Mexico 120-117 in double overtime in the first round on Thursday and Utah 76-70 in the semifinals on Friday. The Runnin' Rebels, who are the tournament's third seed, have won six straight games and 12 of their last 14 overall. Including the two tournament wins, the Runnin' Rebels are 16-2 this season at home and have won 10 straight games at the Thomas & Mack Center. Dalron Johnson leads the team in scoring (17.0) and rebounding (7.0). Marcus Banks is second in scoring (15.9) and leads the team in assists (3.1). Lou Kelly is also averaging double figures in scoring (14.8). Last year, the squad finished with an overall record of 16-13 and placed fourth in the Mountain West Conference with a 7-7 mark. UNLV did not compete in the conference tournament last year because of NCAA sanctions.
THE SAN DIEGO STATE AZTECS
San Diego State (20-11, 7-7) defeated BYU 62-51 in the first round of the Mountain West Conference Tournament on Thursday and Wyoming 70-69 in the semifinals on Friday. SDSU concluded its regular season by winning two straight (New Mexico 84-71 and Air Force 49-47) at home, so the Aztecs have won their last four games and seven of their last eight. San Diego State, which is the tournament's No. 5 seed, is 5-8 on the road this season. SDSU is led in scoring by 6-9 senior forward Randy Holcomb (17.1), 6-4 junior guard Tony Bland (15.9), 6-2 senior guard Al Faux (16.7) and 6-9 junior center Mike Mackell (10.5). Holcomb leads the team in rebounding (9.1) and Bland is the team leader in assists (3.5). Head Coach Steve Fisher is in his third year at SDSU with a record of 39-48 (.448) and is in his 11th year overall as a head coach with a career mark of 223-130 (.632). San Diego State was 14-14 overall last year and finished seventh in the MWC at 4-10. The Aztecs lost to Wyoming in the first round of last year's MWC Tournament to conclude their season.
SERIES HISTORY
UNLV leads the all-time series with San Diego State 23-5. UNLV swept the season series this year but both games went to overtime. In fact, three of the last four meetings between the two teams have gone into overtime (all three won by UNLV). This year, UNLV won at San Diego State on Jan. 26, 80-79 in overtime and the Runnin' Rebels on in Las Vegas against San Diego State on Feb. 23, 83-76 in overtime. UNLV has won 12 of the last 13 meetings in the series. The series began in 1966 in San Diego. UNLV lost that game 91-62.
ROARING 20'S
The Runnin' Rebels win over Utah on Friday gave them their 20th win on the season. UNLV has won 20 or more games in a season 28 times in the 44-year history of Runnin' Rebel basketball. The last time UNLV won 20 or more games in a season was in 1999-00 when the team was 23-8. The 20 wins are the most by a Charlie Spoonhour coached team since he won 22 (22-11) at Saint Lous in 1997-98. Spoonhour's best season win total is 28 with Southwest Missouri State in 1986-87.
UNLV IN CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT PLAY
UNLV has an all-time record of 37-7 (.841) in conference tournaments. UNLV has played in 17 conference tournaments (including this year), winning nine of them. UNLV has played in seven conference tournaments (including this year) at the Thomas & Mack Center and has an all-time record of 12-4 (.750) in those. UNLV has won two conference tournaments played at the Thomas & Mack Center and has won two of the last three (before this year) that it has competed in (1998-WAC and 2000-MWC). UNLV is now 5-0 in Mountain West Conference tournaments. The following is a breakdown of UNLV's history in conference tournaments:
Year Conf. W L Location 2000-01 MWC 2 0 Las Vegas ????????? 1999-00 MWC 3 0 Las Vegas Champions 1998-99 WAC 0 1 Las Vegas 1997-98 WAC 4 0 Las Vegas Champions 1996-97 WAC 1 1 Las Vegas 1994-95 Big West 1 1 Las Vegas 1993-94 Big West 1 1 Las Vegas 1992-93 Big West 1 1 Long Beach 1990-91 Big West 3 0 Long Beach Champions 1989-90 Big West 3 0 Long Beach Champions 1988-89 Big West 3 0 Long Beach Champions 1987-88 Big West 1 1 Inglewood 1986-87 Big West 3 0 Inglewood Champions 1985-86 Big West 3 0 Inglewood Champions 1984-85 Big West 3 0 Inglewood Champions 1983-84 Big West 2 1 Inglewood 1982-83 Big West 3 0 Inglewood Champions
SIX IN A ROW OVERALL
UNLV has a current six-game win streak. The team had win streaks of three in a row, two other times this season. This six game streak is the longest of the year for the Runnin' Rebels. The last time UNLV had a win streak of longer than four games was last year, when it won seven straight.
10 IN A ROW AT HOME
UNLV has won 10 straight games at home. The Runnin' Rebels are 16-2 in the Thomas & Mack Center this season.
CLOSE CALLS
UNLV has not played a game that was decided by more than nine points in its last 11 games. In fact, during the last 11 games that the Runnin' Rebels have played, they have gone into overtime four times and have had five games decided by five points or less.
300TH GAME AT TMC
UNLV's game vs. New Mexico on Mar. 2 was its 300th game played at the Thomas & Mack Center. UNLV is now 258-44 (.854) all-time in the building.
THURSDAY GAME SETS THOMAS & MACK CENTER RECORD
When UNLV defeated New Mexico 120-117 in double overtime on Thursday, it set a new Thomas & Mack Center scoring mark. The 237 combined points represented the highest-scoring game in TMC history between two college teams. It broke the record of 217 set on Jan. 9, 1991, when UNLV downed Utah State 124-93.
UNLV PLAYS HIGHEST-SCORING GAME SINCE 1985
UNLV's 120-117 win over New Mexico was the highest-scoring game that it has been a part of since Jan. 2, 1985, when UNLV downed Utah State on the road, 142-140 in three overtimes.
UNLV'S HIGHEST-SCORING HOME GAME SINCE 1977
The win against New Mexico was the highest-scoring home game that UNLV has been a part of since a 135-106 win over Texas-Pan American on Feb. 17, 1977 in Las Vegas.
UNLV SCORES MOST POINTS SINCE 1991
UNLV's 120 points scored vs. New Mexico is the most it has scored since a 122-75 win at Long Beach State on Feb. 18, 1991. UNM-UNLV GAME IS SIXTH-HIGHEST SCORING IN PROGRAM HISTORY
UNLV's 120-117 win over New Mexico was the sixth highest-scoring game in program history. The complete list follows:
Year Total Home/Away1985 282 UNLV 142, Utah State 140 (3OT) Away1976 275 UNLV 164, Hawaii-Hilo 111 Away1968 242 UNLV 126, Hiram Scott College 116 Home1977 241 UNLV 135, UT-Pan American 106 Home1976 240 UNLV 139, Northern Arizona 101 Home2002 237 UNLV 120, New Mexico 117 (2OT) Home
FEBRUARY SUCCESS
In the month of February, UNLV went 7-2. UNLV in the other months this season: March: 3-0, January: 3-3, December: 5-2, November: 2-2.
ALL-CONFERENCE
Three UNLV players earned all-conference honors this season. Dalron Johnson was named FirstTeam All-Mountain West Conference, Marcus Banks was Second Team All-Mountain West Conference and Lou Kelly was Honorable Mention All-Mountain West Conference. Banks was also selected as the conference's Defensive Player of the Year.
MORE AWARDS - SPOONHOUR EARNS COACH OF THE YEAR
UNLV Head Coach Charlie Spoonhour was named the 2002 United States Basketball Writers Association's District 8 Coach of the Year and Dalron Johnson was named to the All-District 8 team.
IN OVERTIME
UNLV is 39-18 (.684) all-time in overtime games and is 4-1 in overtime this season (80-79 win at San Diego State on Jan. 26, 84-81 loss at New Mexico on Feb. 5, 96-91 win at Colorado State on Feb. 18, 83-76 win at home vs. San Diego State on Feb. 23 and 120-117 double overtime win vs. New Mexico on Mar. 7). UNLV has played in five overtime games this season, which it has never done before. UNLV played in four overtimes in 1994-95. Last season, UNLV was 1-2 in overtime games. UNLV is 31-15 in single overtime games, 6-3 in double overtime and 2-0 in triple overtime. The Runnin' Rebels have a record of 8-3 in overtime games at the Thomas & Mack Center. UNLV has won its last three overtime games.
BANKS MAKES SINGLE-GAME SCORING LIST
Marcus Banks scored a career-high 36 points (34 of them in the second half) against San Diego State on Feb. 23. His 36 points puts him in a tie for the 36th most productive scoring night in UNLV men's basketball history. Additionally, only 16 Runnin' Rebel players have ever scored more than 36 points in a game. Banks' 36 points is the fourth-best individual point total in a game ever by a MWC player and is the highest individual point output in a game by a MWC player this season.
KELLY ALSO MAKES LIST
Lou Kelly scored a career-high 35 points against New Mexico on Thursday. His 35 points puts him in a tie for the 43rd most productive scoring night in UNLV men's basketball history. Kelly's 35 points set the record for most points by an individual in a game in MWC Tournament history.
JOHNSON SCORES 1,000TH CAREER POINT
Dalron Johnson scored his 1,000th career point at New Mexico on Feb. 5. With that, he became the 30th player in Runnin' Rebel history to score at least 1,000 career points. Johnson currently has 1,166 career points, which puts him at No. 23 on the all-time UNLV scoring chart. Richie Adams is No. 22 with 1,168, Gerald Paddio is No. 21 with 1,171, Reggie Theus is No. 20 with 1,177, Booker Washington is No. 19 with 1,190, Tony Smith is No. 18 with 1,204 and Jackie Robinson is No. 17 with 1,258.
TIED FOR NO. 1
With 146 blocked shots for his career, Dalron Johnson is tied with Elmore Spencer for No. 1 on the all-time Runnin' Rebel blocked shot list. He needs just one more blocked shot to become the all-time UNLV career blocked shots leader. Johnson has passed Stacey Augmon, Keon Clark, Richie Adams and George Ackles on the UNLV career blocked shot list this season.
BREAKING IN TO THE TOP 10?
Several Runnin' Rebels are relatively close to breaking into all-time UNLV top 10 lists. Marcus Banks has 62 steals on the year, so he needs eight more to be listed on the single-season steal list. Dalron Johnson has 45 blocked shots this year, so he needs nine more to be listed on the single-season blocked shot list. Johnson also has 619 career rebounds, so he needs 36 more to be listed on the all-time career rebound list. Lou Kelly has made 51 3-pointers this year, so he needs to make 12 more to be listed on the single-season 3-pointers made list.
TOUGH STRETCH
UNLV played five games over a span of 10 days from Feb. 9 to Feb. 18. The Runnin' Rebels went 4-1 over that period.
DOUBLE-FIGURE SCORING STREAK
With only nine points vs. San Diego State on Feb. 23, Dalron Johnson's streak of scoring 10 or more points in a game ended at 19 straight. For the season, Johnson has scored in double figures in 27 of 29 games.
JEVON BANKS - ASSISTS TO TURNOVERS
Overall for the season, Jevon Banks has 57 assists to only 16 turnovers. But even more impressive is in conference games only, Banks has 31 assists to only 5 turnovers. That is a ratio of 6.2 to 1.
SHORT SHOT BLOCKER
Through games of Feb. 17, Lou Kelly was tied for 10th in the nation in blocked shots per game for players 6-foot-5 or shorter. Kelly was averaging 0.91 blocks per game. Short shot blocker stat provided by STATS, Inc.
500TH 3-POINT GAME
UNLV's win on Feb. 23 vs. San Diego State marked the 500th game that UNLV has played in since the NCAA adopted the 3-point goal in 1986-87. UNLV holds the NCAA record for most consecutive games with a made 3-pointer at 504.
SIX PLAYERS SCORE 10 OR MORE
UNLV has had six players score in double figures in the same game twice this season. Six players scored 10 or more points vs. DePaul on Feb. 3 and vs. New Mexico on Mar. 7. UNLV has had three other games in which it has had five players score in double figures. Five Runnin' Rebels scored 10 or more points vs. UNR, at San Diego State and vs. Florida International. UNLV has had four players score 10 or more points in the same game eight other times this year.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
UNLV is 16-2 at home this year...is 13-1 when heading into the locker room ahead at halftime....is 12-1 when shooting a higher field goal percentage in a game than its opponent...is 11-1 when taking less shots in a game than its opponent...is 10-0 when shooting 50 percent or better from the field in a game...is 11-2 when taking less 3-point shots in a game than opponent...is 12-4 when shooting a higher FT percentage in a game than its opponent...is 16-3 when going to the free throw line more in a game than its opponent...is 11-0 when outrebounding its opponent in a game...is 15-1 when recording more assists in a game than its opponent...is 17-3 when committing less fouls in a game than its opponent...is 6-0 when scoring 90 or more points in a game...is 11-1 when scoring 80 or more points in a game and 19-3 when scoring 70 or more...is 8-2 when limiting its opponent to less than 70 points in a game.
BLOCKED SHOT STREAKS
Dalron Johnson has had two separate streaks of 10 and eight games in which he blocked at least one shot in a game this season. He has blocked at least one shot in 26 of his last 32 games. Johnson is tied for No. 1 on UNLV's all-time blocked shot list. Last year he blocked at least one shot in 22 of his 27 games and during his freshman year he blocked at least one shot in 21 of 31 games, so for his career he has blocked a shot in 66 of 87 games. That is 75.9 percent of the games.
20 POINT CLUB
Three Runnin' Rebels have scored 20 or more points in a game this season a combined 27 times. Marcus Banks has had 10 20-plus point nights, Dalron Johnson has had nine and Lou Kelly has had eight. Marcus Banks and Lou Kelly are the only Runnin' Rebels to have scored 30 or more points in a game this season as Banks scored 36 vs. San Diego State and 31 vs. Old Dominion, while Kelly scored 35 vs. New Mexico on Mar. 7.
STEALING THE BALL
UNLV has recorded 110 more steals this year than its opponents. UNLV has recorded 290 steals to its opponents' 180. That is a 10.00 to 6.21 per game average. Prior the the MWC Tournament, UNLV led the Mountain West Conference in steals and was recording almost two full steals more per game than Air Force, which was second with 8.33 per game. Five UNLV players were ranked in the top 13 in steals in the Mountain West Conference.
SHOOTING 50 PERCENT - 10-0
When UNLV shoots 50 percent or better from the field, it wins. The Runnin' Rebels are 10-0 in games in which they shoot over 50 percent. UNLV shot 56.4 percent vs. Wisconsin, 60.3 percent vs. Nicholls State, 52.4 percent vs. Nevada, Reno, 58.2 percent vs. Tennessee State, 52.5 percent at Air Force, 54.2 percent vs. Colorado State, 57.4 percent vs. DePaul, 54.4 percent vs. New Mexico, 54.8 percent vs. New Mexico in the first round of the MWC Tournament and 55.8 percent against Utah in the MWC Tourney semifinals. As a team after 29 games, UNLV is shooting 46.5 percent from the field.
BANKS WAS ON A ROLL
During a four game stretch from Dec. 20 through Dec. 30, Marcus Banks averaged 27.0 ppg, shot 58.3 (35-of-60) percent from the field and 60 (6-of-10) percent from 3-point range. In each of those four games, he set a new career-high in scoring (22, 26, 29, 31).
100 POINTS
For the fourth consecutive season, UNLV has scored 100 or more points in a game. UNLV scored 101 vs. Tennessee State on Dec. 28 and 120 vs. New Mexico on Mar. 7. Last year, the Runnin' Rebels scored 100 or more points in a game three times.
RUNNIN' REBELS IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST STATS
Prior to the MWC Tournament, UNLV led the MWC in three team statistical categories. UNLV was No. 1 in scoring with 76.8 ppg, steals with 10.19 per game and turnover margin at +3.78 (UNLV's opponents turned the ball over an average of 3.78 more times per game than the Rebels). Also, the Runnin' Rebels were second in free throw percentage at .707 and were third in both blocked shots with 3.85 per game and assist/turnover ratio at 1.02. Individually, Dalron Johnson was in the top five in the following categories: blocks (1st with 1.63 per game), scoring (3rd with 16.9 ppg), steals (T3rd with 1.70 per game), free throw percentage (4th with .848), and offensive rebounds (4th with 2.59 per game). Other Rebels in the top five were Marcus Banks (1st in steals with 2.19 per game) and Chris Richardson (2nd in field goal percentage with .556).
UNLV IS 46-7 IN LAST 53 GAMES AT THE MACK'
The Runnin' Rebels are in their 19th season in the 18,500-seat Thomas & Mack Center. UNLV has posted an all-time record of 258-44 (.854) in the arena since it opened in 1983. This year, the Runnin' Rebels are 16-2 at home. They were 12-3 at home in 2000-01 and were 18-2 during the 1999-00 season, so UNLV has won 46 of its last 53 games at home. UNLV has been edged at home by four points or less 17 times and the 44 losses has been by an average of 7.9 points (349 total points).
SPOONHOUR WINS IN 500TH GAME
UNLV Head Coach Charlie Spoonhour coached his 500th game as a Division I head coach vs. Tennessee State on Dec. 28. The win gave Spoonhour his 325th career win. Spoonhour is in his 17th season as a Division I head coach and has a career record of 339-180 (.653).
EVERYONE SCORES THIS YEAR
Every Runnin' Rebel that has suited up for a game this season has scored at least three points.
LAST TIME OUT (MAR. 8 VS. UTAH - LAS VEGAS)
Dalron Johnson scored 21 points as UNLV beat Utah 76-70 Friday night to advance to the finals of the Mountain West Conference tournament. The Rebels (20-9) led 62-61with 3:50 remaining when Johnson scored and, after a Utah turnover, hit two free throws to put the Rebels ahead 66-61 with 3:03 left. After another Utah miss, Jevon Banks drove the length of the floor for a layup to put UNLV ahead 68-61. The Utes cut the lead to 65-68 when Jeff Johnsen was fouled after making a 3-pointer and then made the free throw for a 4-point play. But Vince Booker hit a 3-pointer for the Rebels to extend the lead to 71-65 with 1 minute remaining. The Utes didn't get closer than five the rest of the way. Marcus Banks and Jevon Banks each scored 12 points for the Rebels. Nick Jacobsen led Utah (21-8) with 16 points and Phil Cullen added 14 and Travis Spivey 11. UNLV jumped to an early 20-3 lead with 12:58 remaining as Johnson scored seven points and Richardson five. Utah missed seven of its first eight shots. Britton Johnsen hit a 3-pointer to bring the Utes back to within 20-6. Cullen hit two 3-pointers and added two free throws to help Utah cut the lead to 29-25 at the half. The Rebels didn't score for 4:30 down the stretch, missing five straight shots and turning the ball over once. Utah took its first lead of the game at 40-39 of the second half and held a 43-41 lead when coach Rick Majerus was called for a technical foul after protesting a called foul. Johnson made two free throws to tie the game at 43 and then Marcus Banks converted two free throws to give UNLV a 45-43 lead with 10:19 remaining.
THIS SEASON VS. SAN DIEGO STATE (FEB. 23 - LAS VEGAS)
Marcus Banks scored a career-high 36 points, including a game-tying 3-pointer with 4 seconds left in regulation, as UNLV beat San Diego State 83-76 in overtime on Feb. 23 at the Thomas & Mack Center. Following Banks' 3, which tied the game at 68-68, Tony Bland missed a running 8-footer at the buzzer and the game went to overtime. In OT, a Banks shot with 4:49 left gave UNLV its first lead of the game at 70-68. The Rebels never trailed after that, taking the lead for good at 72-70 on a Jevon Banks jumper with 3:35 remaining. Banks was 11-for-16 from the field and 11-for-12 from the free throw line. Chris Richardson added 13 points while Lou Kelly had 11. Randy Holcomb led San Diego State with 20 points and 14 rebounds, while Mike Mackell added 16 points. It was the second time this season UNLV beat San Diego State in overtime, the first an 80-79 victory on Jan. 26. After trailing by as many as 11, UNLV rallied to tie the game at 47-47 with 7:27 remaining. The Aztecs went on an 8-0 run for a 55-47 lead with 5:52 left, but the Rebels pulled within 62-61with 1:33 left. With 12 seconds left, Al Faux hit one of two free throws for a 68-65 San Diego State lead, setting up Banks' 3-pointer. In the second half and overtime the Rebels were 20-for-31 (65 percent) from the floor, after shooting 8-for-33 (24 percent) in the first half.
THIS SEASON VS. SAN DIEGO STATE (JAN. 26 - SAN DIEGO)
Louis Amundson made a free throw with 2.4 seconds left in overtime as UNLV defeated San Diego State 80-79 in San Diego on Jan. 26. UNLV had to hold on after scoring the first seven points in overtime for a 76-69 lead. San Diego State's Al Faux made the first of two free throws with 11.1 seconds left to tie the game at 79, but missed the second and UNLV rebounded. Amundson was fouled by Tony Bland and made the first free throw but missed the second, with SDSU rebounding with 2.1 seconds left. Brandon Smith inbounded to Bland, whose shot from just inside halfcourt bounced off the rim as the buzzer sounded. It was the second straight overtime loss for San Diego State. UNLV and San Diego State each made just one field goal in overtime. Lou Kelly scored 21 for the Runnin' Rebels, Dalron Johnson scored six of his 14 points in overtime before fouling out, and Jevon Banks and Marcus Banks each scored 13. San Diego State's Randy Holcomb had game-highs with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Faux scored 17 and Bland 16. The Aztecs rallied from 15 down with 12:05 left to force overtime. They used a 24-12 run to cut UNLV's lead from 54-39 to 66-63 with 2:13 left in regulation. Holcomb scored seven points in the run, including a 3-pointer, and Mike Mackell had six. Bland drove the baseline with 26 seconds left to tie the score at 69, and UNLV's Vince Booker missed a last-second shot. SDSU committed a season-high 28 turnovers, 17 in the first half. UNLV led 35-28 at halftime.
STREAKING FROM THE STRIPE
When Marcus Banks missed his fifth free throw attempt of the game vs. Wyoming on Jan. 5, his streak of 22 consecutive made free throws came to an end. He was 9-of-10 from the line vs. Tennessee State, 11-of-11 vs. Old Dominion and 5-of-9 vs. Wyoming. Also, Dalron Johnson had a streak of 14 consecutive made free throws early in year.
FIRST CAREER DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Senior Chris Richardson recorded his first career double-double vs. Nevada, Reno with 13 points and a career-high 12 rebounds.
MORE DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Junior Dalron Johnson has recorded his 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th double-doubles of his career this year. He had 23 points and 10 rebounds at LMU, 19 points and 10 rebounds vs. Tennessee State, 19 points and 14 rebounds vs. Old Dominion, 25 points and 11 rebounds at New Mexico and 21 points and 11 rebounds vs. Utah.
NICE FIRST HALF
It would be difficult to imagine Dalron Johnson having a better first half than he did against Nicholls State. Johnson was 8-of-9 from the field, 3-of-3 from 3-point range, had 19 points, 3 rebounds and an assist, a block and a turnover in 13 minutes of action. He ended up scoring a career-high 29 points for the game on 13-of-16 shooting including 3-of-5 from 3-point range. He also tallied 5 rebounds in a total of 19 minutes.
MARGIN OF VICTORY
UNLV's 43-point victory over Nicholls State was its largest margin of victory since defeating Sacred Heart by 47, 103-56, on Nov. 14, 1998.
MWC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
This season, Dalron Johnson and Marcus Banks have been named the Mountain West Conference's Men's Basketball Player of the Week twice. Johnson was named POW on Dec. 17 and Feb. 18, while Banks was honored on Dec. 31 and Feb. 25.
UNLV WINS VS. MOUNTAIN WEST
The Runnin' Rebels have a .500-or-better record all-time against the other seven members of the conference. Air Force (14-1), BYU (7-6), Colorado State (15-5), New Mexico (13-9), San Diego State (23-5), Utah (12-10), Wyoming (13-10).
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 258-44 (.854) at the Thomas & Mack Center. Utah is second at .824 (412-88).
HOLDEN LEAVES PROGRAM
Jamal Holden was granted a release from the UNLV men's basketball program on Dec. 18. Holden, a 6-10 center, who transferred to UNLV from Westark (Ark.) College prior to this season, had played in five games, averaging 8.0 minutes per game. He also averaged 2.2 points and 2.2 rebounds per game.
LEWIS WILL NOT PLAY THIS YEAR
Jermaine Lewis will sit out the remainder of the 2001-02 season and complete rehabilitation to return at full strength for the 2002-03 year. Lewis, a 6-4 guard from Houston, Texas, had surgery to repair his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in May. "We want to protect the integrity of the surgery," head coach Charlie Spoonhour said on January 9. "We want to give Jermaine the best chance to compete at 100 percent of his capabilities. He is progressing on a normal schedule for the surgery, which has a six-to-nine month complete healing period. To have him come back now would be premature." This season will count as Lewis' redshirt year and he will return to play for the 2002-03 season for his final year of eligibility.
RUNNIN' THE REBELS - CHARLIE SPOONHOUR
Charlie Spoonhour became the 12th head coach in Runnin' Rebel history on March 29, 2001, and is in his first year coaching UNLV. He came to UNLV after spending two years out of coaching, but he didn't stray too far away from the game as he served in the media as an analyst on college basketball broadcasts. Prior to that he was the head coach at Saint Louis University for seven years. Before SLU, Spoonhour was head coach at Southwest Missouri State University for nine seasons. He has a 17-year Division I head coaching record of 339-180 (.653) and has led 11 teams to the postseason, including eight to the NCAA Tournament.
THE REST OF THE STAFF
UNLV also has three new assistant coaches. They are Deane Martin, Jay Spoonhour and Derek Thomas. UNLV has retained Dave Rice, who will serve this season as Director of Basketball Operations. Rice is in his ninth year on staff. Martin was most recently the associate head coach at Tennessee-Martin. Spoonhour (Charlie's son) was most recently head coach at Wabash Valley JC in Mt. Carmel, Ill., where he led the team to the junior college national championship with a record of 36-1 and was named the National Junior College Coach of the Year. Thomas was most recently with the NBA's Atlanta Hawks.
EARLY SIGNINGS
J.K. Edwards and James Peters have both signed a national letter of intent to enroll at UNLV and play basketball for the Runnin' Rebels beginning with the 2002-03 season. Both players will enroll at UNLV as juniors. Edwards, a 6-foot-8, 250-pound center from Indian Hills (Iowa) Community College, averaged 12.8 points and 6.4 rebounds last season. He was selected as a first team All-America last year and played in the Tournament of the Americas in Argentina this past August (on the same team as current Runnin' Rebel Marcus Banks). Edwards chose UNLV over Wisconsin, Tennessee and Iowa State. Peters, a 6-8, 215-pound forward from Butler County (Kan.) Community College, averaged 14.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and shot 59 percent from the floor last season. The second-team All-Jayhawk Conference selection chose UNLV over Illinois, Michigan State and DePaul.
44 YEARS OF BASKETBALL
The 2001-02 year marks the 44th season of Runnin' Rebel basketball at UNLV. Since the program's inception in 1958-59, the Runnin' Rebels have posted an all-time record of 932-360 (.721). In 1969-70, UNLV made the move to Division I and has since posted a record of 745-256 (.744) while competing at that level. In addition, UNLV has an all-time mark of 897-337 (.727) against Division I competition.
"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 504 games played. During that span, the Runnin' Rebels have made 3,292-of-9,109 (.361) 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 521. 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 557 of the 568 games in which the rule was used. In the 568 total games, the Runnin' Rebels have shot .363 from this distance while sinking 3,487-of-9,614 attempts. UNLV holds the NCAA record for most consecutive games scoring a 3-point field goal. Prior to the beginning of the 2001-02 season, Vanderbilt was No. 2 on the list, three behind UNLV.
NOTEWORTHY NOEL
For the first time, the UNLV men's basketball team has one of its players writing a weekly diary for UNLV's website UNLVRebels.com. Noel Bloom writes an entry each week and it is posted at http://unlvrebels.fansonly.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/noel-diary-index.html. Just go to the men's basketball page at UNLVRebels.com and click on the Noteworthy Noel graphic on the right-hand side of the page. This feature on the web gives fans a look inside the team from a different perspective. Previous entries are archived for later viewing.
RUNNIN' REBELS ON THE AIR
All Runnin' Rebel games are carried live on KBAD 920 AM (ESPN Radio) in Las Vegas and on the internet at UNLVRebels.com. Ken Korach and Glen Gondrezick are in their 10th season calling Runnin' Rebel basketball. Broadcasts start one-half hour prior to the beginning of each game with the pregame show and the postgame show features a live interview with head coach Charlie Spoonhour followed by fan call-ins. The broadcasts are also available inside the Thomas & Mack Center by tuning to 99.5 FM. The fan call-in number is (702) 876-8585.
REBELS ON TV
UNLV will appear on television at least 20 times this season. The Runnin' Rebels have been on or are scheduled to appear on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN+plus, ABC, SportsWest and ESPN Regional at UNLV.
MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
The 2001-02 Mountain West Conference Basketball Championship are being played at the Thomas & Mack Center. The champion will receive the MWC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. This is the third year that the MWC Tournament has been held at the Thomas & Mack Center and the sixth straight year a conference tournament has been played at the TMC (The WAC held its championship at the TMC from 1997-99).
