Knudson: Rebels With A Cause

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By Mark Knudson, The Mtn. Insider
March 7, 2012

It was the kind of start to a game that leaves an observer shaking his head. “That’s the team that beat North Carolina,” I said to my daughter as we watched the Rebels race out to an early double-digit lead against Colorado State in a stunned Moby Arena.

Those Rebels came out sizzling. In a downpour of three pointers and highlight reel plays, the Rebels rolled through the first half of their Leap Day game against a game group of CSU Rams. When the first half buzzer sounded, the Rebels were on pace to score 80+ points, had shot almost 60% (7-for-12) from three-point land and had a 15-point lead.

Then a different UNLV team came out for the second half. They looked, well, disinterested. Like the challenge had already been met and conquered, and it was an unnecessary exercise to even play the final 20 minutes. They were outscored 40-18 in the second half, shooting just 1-of-9 from behind the arc and ending up just under 40% from the floor for the entire game. Colorado State came back to win and electrify the home crowd. Some Rebel players watched the students charge the court in celebration. It was going to be motivation for them, they said.
 
Therein lies the mystery of Dave Rice’s first Rebel squad. They are fantastically gifted yet puzzling inconsistent, like they need some sort of additional form of motivation. Their November win over North Carolina was one of 18 this season in Las Vegas against zero losses. They also won a big road game against Illinois but lost at Wyoming and TCU as well as in Fort Collins.
 
So as the Mountain West post season tournament begins, UNLV is just the No. 3 seed and something of an underdog in their own building. In a strange twist, the actual court that they play on during the season has been replaced by another hardwood surface, maybe in an attempt to somewhat neutralize the home court advantage. It shouldn’t really matter.
 
This is UNLV’s tournament to lose. At a neutral site, Conference co-champ New Mexico would be the best bet. The Lobos are the deepest and best team in the Conference. The other co-champ and top seed, San Diego State, clutched up down the stretch and despite being the thinnest team among the MW’s Big Three was able to close strong and earn the top seed. It certainly wouldn’t be an upset if either the Lobos or the Aztecs were cutting down the nets on Saturday.
 
Still, even with a neutral playing surface, this is not a neutral site. These are home games for the Rebels. UNLV hasn’t lost at home, and this talented group shouldn’t lose in this tournament, either.

Watching this team up close, it’s not hard to see how they could beat North Carolina or lose to Wyoming. They are immensely talented and yet strangely under-motivated. They don’t seem to flip the On Switch until they are pushed to do so. In a tournament setting in their building, you’d expect them to feel pushed, wouldn’t you? Shouldn’t we expect to see the same Rebels this week that defended their turf (albeit at the Orleans Arena across town) against the big bad Tar Heels?

It should be a great tournament. The top three are playing for seeding and CSU is trying to join them in the Big Dance. In what was supposed to be a down year for the Conference, we’re seeing perhaps the best season yet. The question is, will we see the best of the Runnin’ Rebels?