Is Rice Done?

[RunningRebs]

That was a very poor coaching job against a short-handed team, AT HOME!. There were no half-time adjustments after they were lucky to have a lead at the half. Zero offensive rebounds at the half? No excuses and it shows that perhaps the national media is right.

Is this it for Rice? He's an amazing recruiter but the coaching is not there. Billy Bayno anyone? At least Bill won a tourney.

 

[LetsRun]

Out coached by a long way!!!! With the refs out of control. Why didn't Rice pick up a T. Show some passion...

 

[Rebel1986]

That game totally changed my view of Rice and his ability to make correction and coaching in the second half. He was destroyed by an average team without their top re-bounder /scorer.

I am starting to think it may be time to tune out until I see things change. Way too much stress for no reason.

I have finally started to lean towards the side that he can't coach.

 

[tarkaniancourt...nm]

We need a coach that can get these guys to play.
We got out hustled. We got out coached. We got out hustled.
ASU attacked. Don't know what to say, Just another defeat to an inferior team. Maybe not inferior, maybe we are overrated.

 

[RebelTomola]

Its time tina schedule a appointment with him tomorrow.

 

[LetsRun]

Seagears clueless as how to attack. Rice clueless by keeping him in and starting him. Never pushing it, never penetrates, how many fast break points did we have? Rice you preached press and pushing the ball, well your point guard can do it so why do you keep him in? If he won't put in poyser,

 

[s89103]

Tonight was the first time ive actually started to except that rice just isnt the guy to get the job done. Very sad night.

 

[LocoRebel]

Out coached by a long way!!!! With the refs out of control. Why didn't Rice pick up a T. Show some passion...

Looked to me like he was trying to late second half when that ball went out on Zimm in front of the behind the basket media section. He was calling a timeout to get a replay, but from where I was, it looked as though he knew his team needed a spark, and he was trying to ignite. ... --could be completely off in that assessment!

 

[ijspencer]

If UNLV doesn't make the tournament, Rice is gone.

 

[Rebel Chi-girl]

If UNLV doesn't make the tournament, Rice is gone.

And if he does, the Rice haters are always looking for reasons to bash him. What all those haters seem to forget is that the players and staff are here at UNLV because of Rice. He goes, so probably, do the a lot of the players and staff. Then what? what kind of coach will we get who work for what we pay Rice and how long are you willing to wait to completely rebuild the program. Stop panicking and give the team a chance.

 

[rebelluver]

Grass is always greener...

If Rice doesn't get it together we are in trouble. I don't think the people calling for his job are based in reality.

Kruger is one hell of a coach and he didn't do much better.

A guy that can bring in these players and is a great coach, and would work for Rice's pay, and would stay, doesn't exist.

Hope he can become a better coach because there isn't many more options at this point.

 

[LVKryptonite]

Calling for Rice's head really sounds like a lot of the same problem we have with the elected officials in Washington. Everyone has an opinion, but nobody has any solutions or ways to fix the problem.

If we get rid of Rice, who are you going to replace him with? Seriously who?

Would that guy recruit any better? Nope

Would that guy coach any better? Maybe, but probably be coaching less talent.

Be careful what you ask for.

 

[LVKryptonite]

Seagears clueless as how to attack. Rice clueless by keeping him in and starting him. Never pushing it, never penetrates, how many fast break points did we have? Rice you preached press and pushing the ball, well your point guard can do it so why do you keep him in? If he won't put in poyser,

Seagers did have a few nice penetrations and layups. I do agree with him not pushing the ball.

 

[LVKryptonite]

Out coached by a long way!!!! With the refs out of control. Why didn't Rice pick up a T. Show some passion...

You must be the guy sitting right by me last night. I don't know why there wasn't a T, or more arguing for the guys. The other coach sure was animated over little things.

 

[DocRebel]

Kruger did far better. Remember, Kruger did not have the luxury of having the Mendenhall Center and NBA stars on campus as a major recruiting tool like Rice has had, and as the Mendenhall Center was coming to fruition, Kruger was starting to take recruiting up a notch with McD's AA Nigel Williams-Goss verbally committed. Kruger resurrected a downtrodden program into a yearly NCAA bid. Rice has taken an NCAA caliber program and has trended downward each of his 4 years at UNLV with his 5th year in question.

Rice can recruit. Nobody disputes that. But production is the bottom line and Rice is producing terribly as a coach.

 

[rebelluver]

Kruger getting one recruit doesn't count as recruiting better. He couldn't get players because he doesn't play the AAU game.

Far better is a stretch. Better? Yes.

Point is, as good as a coach as he is, people were still calling for his job and saying he sucked.

It is much harder to win consistently then people think.

Rice getting better at coaching is far more likely than bringing in another guy who can take us to the next level.

These players came here to play for Rice. He leaves and we can count on losing current players and recruits. Then we are coming from a long ways back.

 

[DocRebel]

I don't see the logic there. Give Kruger 5 years of having the Mendenhall to show off to prospects with Team USA, etc. and he would have had more than 1 recruit. From a recruiting standpoint, NWG was the beginning of what Kruger could have started bringing to UNLV with the upgraded facilities, not the end point.

Kruger was far better than Rice production-wise. We're talking upward trend vs. downward trend. You can't even compare the two. Kruger's handicap was the talent level but he maximized it and was dancing almost every year, and again, the talent would have gone up with the Mendenhall addition.

Rice holds records for most home losses in school history. The "L" column is spiking higher each year and the "W" column is shrinking each year. See the trend? Unless Rice gets this team back on track fast, this season will also be wasted and Rice's 5 year experiment will have been a bust.

 

[TomKingsley]

What are recruits worth if you can't get results? I know most of our highly rated recruits/transfers come here with the allure of NBA futures - not MW titles and/or NCAA tourneys. Counter to that -fans and boosters attend games and contribute money, time, and passion to see the program succeed. Four years ago attendance was #1 on the West coast at 15K a game now it's 10.9. The program is failing - is has projected negative year over year since Coach Rice took over. No one wants to see Coach Rice succeed more than the people who go to games and follow the program, but every fan (and booster) has their tipping point when they stop spending money and time on the team. Yes, replacing Coach Rice would be traumatic to recruiting and the future of the program, but if your job as AD is the well fare of the program - how long do you let the program sink, before making a move? It is undoubtedly a very tough situation.

 

[DocRebel]

Even if UNLV retained Ryan Miller or Todd Simon as head coach I think it would be an upgrade. Rice is not head coach material.

 

[LVKryptonite]

What are recruits worth if you can't get results? I know most of our highly rated recruits/transfers come here with the allure of NBA futures - not MW titles and/or NCAA tourneys. Counter to that -fans and boosters attend games and contribute money, time, and passion to see the program succeed. Four years ago attendance was #1 on the West coast at 15K a game now it's 10.9. The program is failing - is has projected negative year over year since Coach Rice took over. No one wants to see Coach Rice succeed more than the people who go to games and follow the program, but every fan (and booster) has their tipping point when they stop spending money and time on the team. Yes, replacing Coach Rice would be traumatic to recruiting and the future of the program, but if your job as AD is the well fare of the program - how long do you let the program sink, before making a move? It is undoubtedly a very tough situation.

I have no issues with change, but to what? Who? Again very difficult situatino.

 

[rebelluver]

Because you are assuming Kruger would have gotten the recruits. We don't know that. As far as trajectory goes, Kruger was having less success at the end of his tenure that he was in the middle.

The loss was bad, no doubt there, but this is still a much better team than the last couple of years. Even if you don't believe that right now, you should wait until the end of the year to make that decision.

Rice also has an even record against top 25 teams. I don't remember what Kruger's was, but it wasn't that good.

If I was AD? I would stick with him. The only reason not to at this point is public pressure, and that is the stuff the actual AD has to deal with.

Again, when it comes down to it, I think it is more likely Rice gets to be a better coach than it is to bring in another guy that will have more success.

 

[TomKingsley]

What leads you to the conclusion Rice gets better at coaching? I see the same deficiencies in fundamentals, lack of player intensity and bench coaching-strategy as always. What am I missing?

 

[rebelluver]

Even if UNLV retained Ryan Miller or Todd Simon as head coach I think it would be an upgrade. Rice is not head coach material.

I actually agree there. I was thinking during the game it would be nice to have Miller in the head coaching spot.

Shows I am not blindly following Rice. I know things have to change and there is a reason he is on the hot seat. I just don't see a better option at this point.

Maybe Miller because he can recruit and is very respected. Plus he has the fire I don't see in Rice.

 

[rebelluver]

I

What leads you to the conclusion Rice gets better at coaching? I see the same deficiencies in fundamentals, lack of player intensity and bench coaching-strategy as always. What am I missing?

I said it is more likely, not it is already happening or that I see it coming for sure.

It is more likely than bringing in another guy who can will have sustained success at another level.

These conversations always go the same way. It is people going over and over Rice's deficiencies, but have no other ideas what to do.

That is the entire point. What other options do we have?

 

[LVKryptonite]

I actually agree there. I was thinking during the game it would be nice to have Miller in the head coaching spot.

Shows I am not blindly following Rice. I know things have to change and there is a reason he is on the hot seat. I just don't see a better option at this point.

Maybe Miller because he can recruit and is very respected. Plus he has the fire I don't see in Rice.

After last night watching a man holding his hands together not screaming at the refs like the rest of the T&M. I don't have a solution. I don't like what I saw, but I don't have a solution and will not be calling for his head. But, I am looking for a new and better head if one appears. His job is not safe, but those are some big shoes to fill.

 

[LVKryptonite]

I


I said it is more likely, not it is already happening or that I see it coming for sure.

It is more likely than bringing in another guy who can will have sustained success at another level.

These conversations always go the same way. It is people going over and over Rice's deficiencies, but have no other ideas what to do.

That is the entire point. What other options do we have?

Exactly....

 

[LVKryptonite]

What leads you to the conclusion Rice gets better at coaching? I see the same deficiencies in fundamentals, lack of player intensity and bench coaching-strategy as always. What am I missing?

I can see that there is some offense. There is a nice pick and roll with Zimm. I cannot recall any plays from prior years. Just saying. Does that count as getting better? The press is pretty easy to understand. Easy to pick apart if you watch tape. See the ASU game for proof.

 

[drmontehorne_a_yahoo.com]

Rice is a recruiter not a coach.

 

[Poster17]

And if he does, the Rice haters are always looking for reasons to bash him. What all those haters seem to forget is that the players and staff are here at UNLV because of Rice. He goes, so probably, do the a lot of the players and staff. Then what? what kind of coach will we get who work for what we pay Rice and how long are you willing to wait to completely rebuild the program. Stop panicking and give the team a chance.

It is this mentality that I don't get. Some here think that we can do no better than CDR. If that is the case then UNLV basketball as we know, or want to see it, is over. The results over 5 years so far tell the story. This year started much like the past few. Do alright in non-conference play. Have a couple of good non-conference wins. Teams start to find out our deficiencies which just happen to be the same every year. I do hope this is just an aberration and they pull it together, but the last two games have not looked good. I'm willing to give this team a chance, but I have very little faith in the staff right now as it seems we are heading down the same path we have the past few years.

 

[drmontehorne_a_yahoo.com]

It will be interesting to read the posts after the AU game....

 

[rebelluver]

It is this mentality that I don't get. Some here think that we can do no better than CDR. If that is the case then UNLV basketball as we know, or want to see it, is over. The results over 5 years so far tell the story. This year started much like the past few. Do alright in non-conference play. Have a couple of good non-conference wins. Teams start to find out our deficiencies which just happen to be the same every year. I do hope this is just an aberration and they pull it together, but the last two games have not looked good. I'm willing to give this team a chance, but I have very little faith in the staff right now as it seems we are heading down the same path we have the past few years.

We have not done well since Tark. I don't know how anybody thinks there is any better options.

 

[YellowSpinE]

Stuck with Rice. He isn't great.

Players went dead cold. And now watching Zimm lurking outside the key setting screens, is that what they practice? I mean, this is how many iterations of big men we see not constantly posting up. Find it hard to think it's the players, different ones each year, trending this way. Has to be coached?

 

[rebel Homer]

I always love the "I used to bash Kruger, but now that I am bashing Rice, I want Kruger back" discussions. It's sour grapes. If I felt this team was lost after one game, I would agree with most of what is said here. But I do not. Had this been a loss to Southern Utah or something like that. I would be on the fence as well... This ASU team is not a bad team, and honestly, we still had a chance to win. I am just as mad as the rest of you over this loss, It actually gave me indigestion last night watching the second half (the refs in the first half didn't help either). But to be calling the season lost after one damn game? Silliness.

 

[Rebel Chi-girl]

I always love the "I used to bash Kruger, but now that I am bashing Rice, I want Kruger back" discussions. It's sour grapes. If I felt this team was lost after one game, I would agree with most of what is said here. But I do not. Had this been a loss to Southern Utah or something like that. I would be on the fence as well... This ASU team is not a bad team, and honestly, we still had a chance to win. I am just as mad as the rest of you over this loss, It actually gave me indigestion last night watching the second half (the refs in the first half didn't help either). But to be calling the season lost after one damn game? Silliness.

I agree. We never won the MWC under Kruger. The season after we lost in the Sweet 16, we went out in the 2nd round, the next year we lost in the 1st round of the NIT. Then next season Lon met with his players, swore he wasn't going anywhere and was gone s few hours later. Rice could have taken the money but instead asked to put money into the program because he loves UNLV and wants the program to succeed.

 

[Rebel Chi-girl]

It is this mentality that I don't get. Some here think that we can do no better than CDR. If that is the case then UNLV basketball as we know, or want to see it, is over. The results over 5 years so far tell the story. This year started much like the past few. Do alright in non-conference play. Have a couple of good non-conference wins. Teams start to find out our deficiencies which just happen to be the same every year. I do hope this is just an aberration and they pull it together, but the last two games have not looked good. I'm willing to give this team a chance, but I have very little faith in the staff right now as it seems we are heading down the same path we have the past few years.

I want to see Rice succeed. He has been improving every year. He is a great recruiter and his coaching improves every year. I don't see the point in panicking over 1 bad game. I don't want to see Rice go and start all over with a someone who doesn't know and love UNLV like Rice foes. I see progress. Tark didn't turn the program around overnight and he wanted his legacy continued under Coach Rice.

 

[702Rebel Knight]

Rice's Head coaching record at UNLV from 2011-Present
UNLV Runnin' Rebels (Mountain West Conference)
2011–12 UNLV 26–9 9–5 3rd NCAA Round of 64
2012–13 UNLV 25–10 10–6 3rd NCAA Round of 64
2013–14 UNLV 20–13 10–8 T–3rd
2014–15 UNLV 18–15 8–10 7th
2015–16 UNLV 8–3 0–0

Overall at UNLV and MWC Record: 92–48 (.657) 37–29 (.561)

Where exactly is this improvement you speak of? Every year he has gotten worse.

I want to see Rice succeed. He has been improving every year. He is a great recruiter and his coaching improves every year. I don't see the point in panicking over 1 bad game. I don't want to see Rice go and start all over with a someone who doesn't know and love UNLV like Rice foes. I see progress. Tark didn't turn the program around overnight and he wanted his legacy continued under Coach Rice.

 

[drmontehorne_a_yahoo.com]

No improvement. IMHO the only reason we are 8-3 is because of the athletic ability of this team. We seldom play as a unit. Coaching.

 

[johndurkee]

No improvement. IMHO the only reason we are 8-3 is because of the athletic ability of this team. We seldom play as a unit. Coaching.

 

[johndurkee]

Get off Rice's back. He knows exactly what he is doing. He was making sure that he nor any of his staff was not using micro aggressions against the players or the ref's. His job is to protect their safe place. What else could he have been doing when the Tv camera was in the huddle and he was talkkng about game pace. To think this was after multiple offensive rebounds by ASU and a load of 3 point shots by our bigs with no one except ASU players under the boards. What else was he supposed to talk about, the weather? He already covered that in the previous time out. Get a clue he is a genius. He could of talked about McCaw jogging back on defense but that could of hurt his feelings.

I find ut funny that when the game plan falls apart he talks about everything but the problem.

To those blaming the players. You know all these kids worked their ass off to get here. I find it highly questionable that in 5 years and all the different players that we have gone through worked so hard to get here no longer want to work hard when they are here, but I can watch multiple games a week and not see this poor of an effort. I'll go with Occam's Razor

 

[Mjs_702]

No improvement. IMHO the only reason we are 8-3 is because of the athletic ability of this team. We seldom play as a unit. Coaching.

I think the Rebels looked better and more "as a unit" through 10 games this year than at any prior point in Rices tenure. I thought the first 10 games looked like a team showing major improvement.

The second half of game 11 was a total disaster, but this year hasn't been. Not yet certainly.

I still expect this team to win the MW. If that happens the brand will remain in good shape nationally and recruits will continue to come. it will also mean 25+ wins which would demonstrate improvement and an upward trajectory.

I understand the hot seat, but now isn't the time for judgement. There will be time for that later. Just my opinion.