Tuesday, March 11, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
SURE, MANY OF you still are disappointed that UNLV missed out on the NCAA party. But if coach Bill Bayno knew his team really wasn't ready for prime time, you too can let it pass.
While there's no NCAA Tournament, UNLV still is playing ball and that should be exciting for Rebels fans. The National Invitation Tournament isn't exactly chump change. Given that a year ago the Rebels were licking their wounds from a 10-16 season, significant progress has been made.
Which is why the next couple of weeks are crucial to the program's development.
A run deep into the NIT can do wonders for UNLV's attempt to return to national prominence. The Rebels are trying to rebuild their reputation on the court and the only way you do that is by playing and winning.
There is no shortcut for experience, and this team needs as much court time as it can get. All you need do is look into the program's history to see how long it took to win a national championship. It didn't happen overnight.
The NIT can play a vital role toward accelerating the process. Look at programs such as Minnesota and St. Joseph's, two schools which had struggled for years and used the NIT as a springboard to the big time.
If his team decides it really wants a piece of the national spotlight, Bayno can use that blueprint for the Rebels. If UNLV can get by Memphis in the first round Wednesday night, it stands an excellent chance of hosting the Hawaii-Oregon winner Monday at the Thomas & Mack. And if that happens, you'd have to like the Rebels' chances of getting to the quarterfinals.
That would mean playing on the road. But the opponent would likely be Pittsburgh, Arkansas or New Orleans, none of which strikes considerable fear in the hearts of anyone. A win there, and The Bayno Bunch is in the Final Four at Madison Square Garden with a 23-9 record.
Far-fetched? Hardly. Especially if 6-foot-11 center Keon Clark catches a second wind and can physically bounce back. The K-Man says he's ready to go. If he's telling the truth and he sees the ball often enough, he can carry this team to the Big Apple on his slender shoulders.
Is that putting too much pressure on the junior? Maybe. But he wants to be the man, so why not let him?
Consider the alternative. Had UNLV earned one of the coveted 64 berths, it would likely have been a 10 or 11 or 12 seed and one-and-done in the NCAAs. All that would do is produce higher expectations for next season.
By playing in the NIT, UNLV still has the NCAAs to shoot for next year, but without the additional pressure and expectations of returning.
That special season Bayno has talked about still is within reach. But the Rebels will only go as far as the players take them. They're talking about going pretty far -- 2,500 miles due east.
Yes, the Garden is within reach. But you've got to take it a step at a time, which is what Minnesota and St. Joe's did. No doubt Bayno will remind his players of that before the run to New York begins Wednesday.
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