UNLV opens conference play tonight against Lobos

By Rob Miech

Saturday, Jan. 3, 2009 | 2:10 a.m.

During Friday’s practice at the Thomas & Mack Center, René Rougeau spent considerable time informing the greenhorn Rebels what awaits them starting Saturday.

The warm-ups are over.

The real season starts tonight when the Mountain West Conference schedule begins against New Mexico.

“It’s a whole other season,” Rougeau said. “I’ve been telling them that Louisville was crazy, but BYU and Air Force, places like that, are just as crazy.

“Seeing how we want to win this thing, every game will be very important to us. We have to keep working hard, one possession at a time.”

UNLV (12-2) has a seven-game winning streak heading into its game against the Lobos (9-5), and fifth-year Rebels coach Lon Kruger noted how it took a while for his squad to respond to expectations.

Early on, Kruger couldn’t afford to go as deep into his bench –- as some might have liked –- against some lesser foes because his main rotation needed to secure victories.

That might have stalled the progress of some younger Rebels.

Even a game in the icy Orleans Arena against Western Michigan wasn’t put in the freezer until the final minute.

Then came Santa Clara at home, and UNLV has soared.

The Rebels defeated the Broncos and super center John Bryant, Arizona and Southern Utah at the Mack, then upended Louisville at Freedom Hall to finish off 2008 on Wednesday night.

“We struggled early with handling expectations as much as anything else,” Kruger said. “We had to go through that. It was the first time … we’ve had expectations that high.

“I don’t think we had the spark early. The last four or five games, we played how we’re expected to play. Now we have to make progress. That’s the big key.”

He wants his players to sharpen their games as the season progresses, anyway.

“No question, the direction of the progress is good,” Kruger said. “They have to understand how important it is to keep going.”

Rougeau, the former walk-on who didn’t crack his high school team’s starting lineup as a senior, has been the all-around force.

As the team’s most vocal player, he is a natural leader.

That he has continued a sterling recent run while battling a rough cold over the past two weeks says plenty about Rougeau’s grit.

He coughed regularly during practice Friday.

The worst of it was after Santa Clara, against whom Rougeau scored 15 points, on seven-of-nine shooting, with a team-high seven rebounds and four steals. He also had three steals and blocked a shot, with one turnover, in 23 minutes.

For two nights, Rougeau sweated so much he had to change his clothes and bed sheets.

“You have to play through it,” Rougeau said. “More than anything, we play through adrenaline. You try to get rest. That’s helped. I get some food after practice and relax, take medicine.

“I’ve been feeling good since Christmas. I’m coughing a little, but I’m ready to go.”

Over his past seven games, Rougeau has made 67.1 percent (47-of-70) of his shots.

“We’ve come a long way,” he said. “After Santa Clara, we got things going. We’ve kind of figured out what it’ll take for us to win, whether we’re at home or on the road.

“We’re definitely hungry. We can’t wait for (Saturday night). The conference opener. We really want to send a message (against New Mexico).”

New guards Oscar Bellfield and Tre’Von Willis were instrumental in guiding the Rebels to that big victory over ranked Louisville before a national television audience on ESPN2.

Kendall Wallace, Mo Rutledge, Brice Massamba and DeShawn Mitchell provided a basket apiece, and 10 total rebounds, against the Cardinals.

“That was a tough test for us,” Rougeau said. “Everyone came through. Everyone has matured. And our young guys … the chemistry is there. It’s what we need.”

Senior guard Wink Adams, who tweaked an abdominal muscle Dec. 23 and practiced for the first time Friday, will play as a reserve against New Mexico.

How much he plays depends upon how he feels and how much he is needed against the Lobos.

“He looked good,” Rougeau said of Adams after practice. “He’s not 100 percent, but he said he’ll play. He wants this badly. He’ll play through some pain, but he’ll be ready.

“He understands his role. He’ll be ready to take the fight to people once he steps on the court. He’ll boost our confidence even more.”

Long after practice ended, after Adams had finally conducted all of his interviews and Kruger had gone to do some business, only one Rebel was left at the Mack.

He was working on some dribble drives with Mike Shepherd, who directs UNLV’s basketball operations. “Come around!” Shepherd barked. “Square up!”

It was Rougeau.