Kruger says losing to champs not a big deal to UNLV

By Rob Miech

Tuesday, April 8, 2008 | 5:11 p.m.

Don’t expect UNLV coaches or players to boast about losing to the eventual national college basketball champions.

The Kansas Jayhawks, who beat the Rebels in the second round in Omaha, Neb., defeated Memphis for the title Monday night in San Antonio.

“That’s not much to think about,” UNLV coach Lon Kruger said today just after returning from the Final Four. “There’s not a great deal of satisfaction in losing. But we knew we lost to a very good team. Them winning it LL validates how good they were.”

Kruger doesn’t believe he’ll hear any of his players talking about getting beat by the best team in the land.

“I don’t think it will come up in any genuine conversation,” he said. “No big deal, one way or another.”

Kansas trailed Memphis by nine point with 2 minutes, 12 seconds remaining, rallied to tie it and then won, 75-68, in overtime.

“Last night was unbelievable, in terms of how that game finished,” Kruger said. “It will be one of the more talked-about championship games in the history of the Final Four for a long time.”