Nov. 23, 2011
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - Last night's 75-52 Runnin' Rebel win over Cal Poly wasn't the prettiest performance of the first five games, but it may have been my favorite. Cal Poly played physical and wanted to make the game ugly. (It held USC to 36 points last Saturday night in a 42-36 win.) Our guys displayed a lot of maturity to show "defensive patience" - as coach Dave Rice says - and then dropped the hammer on the Mustangs midway through the second half. With this much depth and this style of play on offense and defense, look for the final 10 minutes of games to be a key this season. Many other teams will simply be worn out…
The more you are around new Runnin' Rebel head coach Dave Rice, the more you realize he was the man made for this job, at this time…
We've talked about it in this column before, but Mike Moser's personality is almost as impressive as his basketball talent and instincts. He's fun-loving, hard-working and it's infectious to be around him. It's amazing how one great attitude can positively impact a team - and, conversely, how one bad attitude can bring a team down…
The key to great teams is having your best players be your hardest workers and best teammates. With that said, this group has a chance to be great…
Over the past few seasons, that special electricity has returned to the Thomas & Mack Center during some big games vs. such teams as New Mexico, SDSU, BYU, Louisville, Wisconsin and Arizona. But what was impressive was feeling that electricity during last night's second half 14-0 explosion - on a Tuesday night in November vs. Cal Poly. Wow. Way to go, Runnin' Rebel fans…
Against Washburn it was Anthony Marshall. Against Loyola-Marymount, it was Kendall Wallace. Against Grand Canyon, Justin Hawkins and Mike Moser had their coming out parties for the season. Against UNR, it was Oscar Bellfield. Against Canisius, Carlos Lopez came up big. Against Morgan State, Moser, Stanback, Marshall and Bellfield were back at it. Against Cal Poly, Brice Massamba was the key. Catching a theme here? Pick your poison…
And some more venom is on the way. Sophomore guard Reggie Smith - who transferred from Marquette last December - becomes eligible to play Dec. 17. According to Coach Rice, he will be a factor for this team. (Check out this video highlighting Smith.)…
Speaking of picking your poison, the well-balanced Lady Rebels (5-0) are off to their best start in 11 seasons. Point guard Mia Bell - from Las Vegas' Durango High School - dropped 27 points in a win over UTSA on Tuesday at the T&M prior to the men's game. That gives UNLV five players averaging basically double-figures in scoring - Kelli Thompson (13.8 ppg), Lenita Sanford (13.2 ppg), Sandrine Nzeukou (10.6 ppg), Bell (9.8 ppg) and Jamie Smith (9.8 ppg)… Check out the Lady Rebels in action this Saturday at 1 p.m. PT vs. Northeast in the Lady Rebel Round-Up before heading to the men's basketball game or the football game. Or catch the Lady Rebels on Sunday as the tournament concludes. Click here for a complete schedule of all Lady Rebel games. Coach Kathy Olivier is excited about this team and, remember, kids 12-and-under are always free…
The basketball court is not the only court UNLV was winning on this past week… UNLV's No. 7 seeded volleyball team stunned No. 2 seed San Diego State (in a sweep) in the first round of the Mountain West tournament last week before knocking off No. 3 seed TCU to advance to the finals. The Rebels eventually fell to top-seeded Colorado State in the finals, but playing with mostly sophomores and freshmen, first-year head coach Cindy Fredrick has a lot to build on…
I understand it is tough sometimes to look at the football team's record and see hope. But the last month we have been watching Rebel freshmen and sophomore running backs continually pick up big yards behind an offensive line made up of mostly freshmen. (And a lot of the damage is being done on the left side of the line, where it is all freshmen.) The foundation is being built for good things to come.
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D.J. Allen, UNLV Athletics' Sr. Associate AD of External Affairs, writes a periodic column for UNLVRebels.com. A lifelong Rebel fan and a native of Southern Nevada, Allen graduated from UNLV with both a communications degree and a MBA. We hope he brings Rebel fans a unique perspective to their beloved programs. If not, at least he helps to take up space on the website. He can be reached at dj.allen@unlv.edu.
