NIT-bound Rebels get date on the road with Kentucky

By Rob Miech

Sunday, March 15, 2009 | 9:05 p.m.

The NCAA tournament selection show came and went with nary a sound from about 400 guests at UNLV’s awards banquet Sunday afternoon at the Cox Pavilion.

Although there were a few scattered boos when BYU flashed on both of the large television screens and it was revealed where the Cougars would play in the NCAAs.

The past two years, the occasion was buoyed by the sure-fire placement of the Rebels in the big tournament, where they played in five games.

That came from winning the Mountain West Conference tournament at the Thomas & Mack Center.

By losing six of its final 10 games this season, which included a quarterfinal game to San Diego State in the league tourney, UNLV (21-10) didn’t expect its name to be called on the CBS show.

It wasn’t.

Instead, the National Invitation Tournament picked the Rebels for its showcase, and they will start that tournament as a No. 5 seed against fourth-seeded Kentucky (20-13) in Lexington on Tuesday night.

Former Wildcats athletic director C.M. Newton chairs the NIT selection committee, so it couldn’t have surprised many that a choice opponent was picked to play Kentucky.

And at Kentucky, no less.

And in the Wildcats’ secondary barn, which will be much more hostile, according to UNLV fifth-year coach Lon Kruger, than Rupp Arena, which is booked for an event.

After nearly three hours, Kruger conducted interviews in the pavilion late Sunday afternoon as 40 tables and black tablecloths were being folded and 400 chairs were being stacked.

“It’s about getting results and preparing to get results,” Kruger said. “In the end, No. 1, we don’t want to get to March (and say), ‘If we would only do it over again, we’d do it differently.’

“Each of the players and coaches would say, if we could go back to October, we’d do it a little bit differently with regard to investment and with regard to clearly understanding how important each day is and each possession is.”

The event had a funereal beginning, with classical music being piped in over speakers, lights turned down low and black curtains surrounding the tables, podium and TV screens.

Guests served themselves to vegetables, macaroni and cheese, French fries, chicken fingers, and chicken or carne asada on flour taco shells on either side. Decadent desserts sat on rear tables.

A year ago, athletic director Mike Hamrick told the crowd that 2007-08 was supposed to be a rebuilding season. “If this is rebuilding … ” he said as he shared smiles with UNLV President David Ashley.

Sunday afternoon, Hamrick didn’t speak.

Jon Sandler, who calls UNLV games on the radio, emcee’d the event and started off by pumping some positive vibes into the crowd. He talked of the “secret plan” to make sure the Mountain West tournament stays in Las Vegas.

A few people laughed.

Sandler said some of the accomplishments of this team, and of the seniors and coaches over the past few seasons – like 78 victories in the last three seasons – shouldn’t be forgotten.

Oh, and there was that New Year’s Eve victory at Louisville - which was given the No. 1 seed by the selection committee Sunday - without star guard Wink Adams.

“One of the most exciting moments,” Sandler told the audience, “we’ve had in recent years. We stunned and shut up 18,000 raging Cardinals fans.”

Now the Rebels must go back to Kentucky.

Sandler talked about the first sweep of BYU in 11 years and the first sellout in the Mack since 1993.

“So it wasn’t that bad, folks,” Sandler said. “We did all right.”

A highlight show was aired, and Ashley talked about becoming a huge basketball fan through the efforts of his wife, Bonnie, who receives Kruger’s regular e-mail updates.

Ashley said he was proud how well the players represented the university, and he thanked the seniors and wished them well down the road.

Then the gathering greeted Kruger with a long standing ovation, and he thanked just about everyone in the room except the cooks who prepared the taco meat.

He stood at the dark podium with 3-foot silver balloons spelling out U-N-L-V in front of him. An arc of scarlet and gray balloons served as the background.

He said the season had a lot of very good moments, and a lot of opportunities to learn from – and he included himself.

“It’s not all bad,” Kruger said. “It’s athletics.”

He introduced each class of players, and seniors Joe Darger, René Rougeau, Wink Adams and Rob Ketchum – who also spoke for Mo Rutledge, who is sick – briefly thanked the crowd for its support.

To players who have grade-point averages better than 3.0, Kruger handed plaques to Rutledge (Ketchum accepted), Darris Santee, Derrick Jasper, Todd Hanni and Steve "Chopper" Jones, who has the highest GPA.

Kruger announced that Rougeau won the team’s MVP award, voted on by the players, and that Chopper Jones won the most-inspirational award.

“This is a good group,” Kruger said in his finishing statement. “And we’re still happy to play a few more basketball games this year.”

NIT record

UNLV doesn’t have a sparkling recent history in the NIT.

In Kruger’s first season, in 2005, the Rebels beat Arizona State, 89-78, at home and then lost at South Carolina in the second round.

A year earlier, under Charlie Spoonhour, UNLV lost at Boise State, 84-69. In 2003, Hawaii beat the Rebels, 85-68, at the Mack.

In 2002, UNLV beat Arizona State, 96-91, at the Mack before losing at South Carolina, 75-65.

Hoping to get to the Garden

Adams goes into the postseason after scoring a season-high 26 points in the defeat to SDSU on Thursday.

“I’m always fired up to play,” he said. “I’m ready to play no matter who it is. We have to win. My goal there is to make it to Madison Square Garden in New York.

“My seniors are all ready to play. We just have to put it to our other teammates and have them ready to play.”

He was realistic about watching the NCAA tournament field unveiled and UNLV not being a part of it.

“It wasn’t shocking,” Adams said. “I think we were close to turning the edge this year. Like coach said, we just couldn’t turn the corner. If we had won two more games and the two overtime games, we’d be in. Every team in the tournament deserves it and played well.”

Rougeau named MVP

On the other hand, Rougeau was frustrated when he saw Arizona, which the Rebels soundly defeated at the Mack, got into the NCAAs.

He also hoped that that win at Louisville, which was given the No. 1 seed by the NCAA selection committee, might have swayed some of the nine committee members toward giving UNLV a nod.

“I thought, OK, things might be turning around for the good,” Rougeau said. “I’m seeing other teams that didn’t seem like they were as worthy as SDSU. SDSU deserved a better chance than us because they got to the (conference) title game.”

The Aztecs lost to Utah, 52-50, in Saturday’s MWC championship game.

“It’s definitely frustrating, without a doubt,” Rougeau said. “But if we would have finished stronger in the conference, it would have been a lot different.”

He was thrilled that his teammates thought so highly of him as to name him MVP.

“It’s a great feeling,” Rougeau said. “I’m glad they feel that way about me. Although I’m disappointed, today was a good day. We celebrated with fans and coaches and family. All we can do is make the most of it in the NIT right now.”

He had no preferences for who and where the Rebels play next.

“Doesn’t matter,” Rougeau said. “As long as we can keep playing, I’m not worried about that.”

Giving his all

Chopper Jones looked like his dog had just passed away. He shook his head. He bowed his head into his right hand. He typed away on his BlackBerry.

It was more serious than that.

Arizona had somehow squeaked into the NCAA tournament.

The tough guard who started his career at Arizona State with Kevin Kruger was astounded that the Sun Devils’ nemesis, which lost so badly to UNLV at the Mack, could get into the NCAAs.

“I couldn’t believe it,” he said.

On a better note, he was touched that his teammates would pick him for the program’s most-inspirational award.

Anyone who has seen Chopper always go hard in practice, in fifth gear for every minute of every hour of every session, won’t be surprised by his hardware.

“It’s an honor to be chosen by my teammates,” Jones said. “It’s great the way they took to me like that and put up with me. They value what I bring. That’s all you could want.”

He has never given less than his full energy, he said.

“It’s the way I was taught to play the game,” Jones said. “The only thing you can control is your effort, how hard you work. Good things happen to those who work hard.”

No comment Tre

Sophomore guard Tre'Von Willis, with 11 points and 10 rebounds, recorded the first double-double of his career in the loss to San Diego State.

He and Adams were the only Rebels who played with fire.

But, as usual, Willis didn’t want to talk after the game. Since the loss to Cincinnati, he has not talked after defeats. In fact, he didn’t talk after two victories.

Sunday, he was asked for some words about his first season as a Rebel and about the NIT.

No, Willis said.

When pressed, when asked if he could talk about his first career double-double, he again declined.

“No, we lost,” Willis said. “It doesn’t matter.”

View from the bench

Chace Stanback, the outstanding forward who transferred to UNLV from UCLA and who will have three seasons left starting next fall, said this season will serve as motivation for him.

“We’re all very disappointed and we know what we have to do next year to work hard,” he said. “We learned from our mistakes this year. I learned a lot, just sitting on the bench, knowing what I have to to, what I have to bring to the table.

“I’m looking forward to next year.”

He did not mince his words when asked to detail what he learned on the bench this season.

“Always stay focused,” Stanback said. “Never take your mind off the goal that the team set. We all had a similar goal in the beginning of the season and I guess we somehow lost focus from that.

“For the seniors, we still want to continue to play so they can enjoy their last few games as Rebels. So we’re hoping to make a big impact on the NIT.”