UNLV vs ASU

[Bullmastiff 1]

This may end up not being a very pretty basketball game. Both teams are solid defensively but not very efficient on the offensive end.

One thing that favors ASU is that they are a very good offensive rebounding team and UNLV so far in the season has not been a very good rebounding team. One thing that favors UNLV is that our front court especially with Zimm's size could give ASU trouble.

I expect this to look a lot like the Wichita State game. Very choppy with not a lot of flow to it. I think the Rebels have a deeper bench and would be well served to attack the rim all night and try and get ASU in foul trouble.

Rebels get a boost from a good sized home crowd...

UNLV 66-ASU 61

(Now that I said that it will be an up and down affair with both teams scoring in the 90s.)

 

[heatermatt]

We need to win this game. Hurley will get through the Pac12 with a decent record and perhaps get to the tourney. Great resume building opportunity.

 

[LVKryptonite]

The Witchita game was winnable. I think that this game is winnable. We need these games on our resume or we are going to be left on the outside looking in come dancing time. Right now, the two losses we have are not "bad" losses. UCLA - Team that Beat Kentucky, Witchita - NEVER loses at home

ASU on our home court... That is bad. We have to defend our house.

 

[Rebel1986]

This game is an absolute most win game. Losing when one of the other teams top player is a UNLV transfer would not look good for coach Rice.

 

[UNLVAlumni]

Must win! Resume game! Also need to beat Arizona. They haven't really blown any team out so I think we are in the game till the end. Scary game against South Dakota St. They are good and they have beat some pretty good teams. We can go 3-0 here. We are not getting respect from the media or the talking heads. Jay Bilas was on the radio today and he basically said were just a decent team.

 

[1rebelfan1]

Who cares about that ACC and duke homer, bilas. I dislike the guy as much as I despise hurley! As for our Rebels, these are must win resume building games. Savon has been a monster for asu this year AND we definitely have to keep him off the offensive boards; if we don't, we lose. Hope this is the game that Cornish comes out of his funk and Seagears protects the rock and makes good decisions. Work the ball inside out, get their bigs in foul trouble and Rebels win going away. UNLV Go Fight Win!!

 

[Bullmastiff 1]

Going 2-0 vs the AZ schools would do a lot to boost our resume. With 20 regular season games left though, I don't see them as must wins. Helpful to our RPI of course. But not sure they qualify as must wins.

Just my opinion but the only 'must' win games are the ones that end your season if you lose.

Also not really concerned about Jay Bilas or any other talking heads right now. Same with rankings, still not that important at this juncture of the season. With 20 games left, and conference play not even started, there is plenty of time to improve or bolster our resume. If you looked at the rankings after this weekend and again in two weeks I am sure there will be a lot of movement. Look at college football rankings at essentially the same point in their season, only Michigan State out of the teams currently in the playoffs was ranked in the top 4 then. You can overcome the negatives of a couple losses much easier in basketball than you can in football simply because there are more games.

I am more interested in the rankings around the 20 game mark. By then the contenders and pretenders start to distance themselves from everybody else.

But we all view things differently, which is what makes sports discussion interesting. The different interpretations and opinioms of people watching the same thing.

 

[TomKingsley]

ASU may not be must win, but losing to them at home would be a huge miss to a good team OOC. Playing in a weak MWC the Rebels are not going to have many chances to define their NCAA resume once conference starts.

 

[Bullmastiff 1]

ASU may not be must win, but losing to them at home would be a huge miss to a good team OOC. Playing in a weak MWC the Rebels are not going to have many chances to define their NCAA resume once conference starts.

No doubt its a big game. Wasn't trying to diminish the importance.

 

[TarkisGod]

Neither game is a "must-win." We already have a couple of resume-builders in Indiana and Oregon. Yes, I know both teams have tumbled out of the rankings, but the fact remains that they were both Top-25 teams when we beat them. The selection committee will consider that.

And we currently have no truly "bad losses." UCLA by 2 on a neutral court, and Wichita St by 6 at their gym, are acceptable defeats. A loss to Arizona on the road is another tolerable setback . Ariz St at the T&M would be a bit troubling, but not devastating.

Of course it would be much more beneficial in keeping us "off the bubble" in March, were we to beat both teams, but losing these 2 games will not decide our fate. It will be much more important to dominate MWC play. As long as we win the league championship, and hopefully the conference tournament (and an automaic bid), as we definitely should, we'll be fine.

By the same token, even if we sweep these next 2 games, if we don't do well in conference play, we could still be on the outside looking in. Dropping the ball (literally) to any of the MWC bottom-feeders, (which this season appears to be almost all of them) would be much more harmful to our chances than these two OOC games.The in-conference results are the true "must-win" games. Judging by current results, it's reasonable to assume that the conference can expect possibly one and certainly no more than two invites to The Dance.

That said, being 10-2 at this time next week,would go a long way in securing, not only a bid to the NCAA's, but also a favorable seeding. So let's bury these Arizona a-holes!

Go Rebels!!!

 

[Kruger's brother Fred]

Goodman is at 12.4 and 7.9, leading the team in rebounding and tied for the lead in scoring. Guess we all were right. He's a good college player.

They shoot poorly, with .423 from the field and .293 from 3.

 

[tarkaniancourt...nm]

http://www.thesundevils.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=30300&ATCLID=210589298

Not too many have a winning record vs us; especially teams like ASU

 

[Bullmastiff 1]

No Savon Goodman tonight. Changing my prediction to UNLV 75 ASU 62

 

[lvhiker]

Why no Savon?

 

[Masked_rebel]

"Personal Reasons" ... wonder if it has to due with court case..

 

[Bullmastiff 1]

"Personal Reasons" ... wonder if it has to due with court case..

Is his case still in the courts?

 

[LVKryptonite]

Is his case still in the courts?

I could make a comment about that he has some warrants or can't come withing 150 ft of some people, but that would all be in bad taste, so... I won't.

 

[JAGERVEGAS]

I thought he was out for the next 3 non conference games? He must've really messed up again. Guess it's not anything to do with this video theft when he was here.

 

[Vegas007]

We can't go 1-3 against the Pac-12. Wins against Oregon and Indiana won't look as good with losses to UCLA, Wichita State, Arizona State and Arizona. Going 2-4 in those games isn't impressive IMO.

For me there is definitely some urgency this week because we are not going to play anybody in conference. And we've seen in the past that nobody cares much if we win our conference tournament, especially when it's at home and that was when our conference had some real competition in it.

One reason I view this as a must win is I want the team to actually win something in the NCAA Tournament. I'm not just hoping the team sneaks in as an 12 seed and then gets knocked out right away.

 

[reagan21]

3 games screams failed voluntary team administered drug test. Not saying this is what happened, but that's what it seems like.

A lot of teams can and will know when NCAA drug testers may come. If the NCAA caches you it could be a 1 year suspension. If a team knows a player will fail they allow the player to take a voluntary test...have them promise they'll get clean...and then suspend them for a couple games.

Again, I have no clue what happened with Savon. This was for board knowledge only.

 

[j. spilotro]

3 games screams failed voluntary team administered drug test. Not saying this is what happened, but that's what it seems like.

A lot of teams can and will know when NCAA drug testers may come. If the NCAA caches you it could be a 1 year suspension. If a team knows a player will fail they allow the player to take a voluntary test...have them promise they'll get clean...and then suspend them for a couple games.

Again, I have no clue what happened with Savon. This was for board knowledge only.

I'm not sure either, but your scenario is pretty accurate.

 

[UNLVAlumni]

Sticking by what I said earlier. Must win game against ASU. Now with the loss at Arizona we face a solid team in South Dakota St. tomorrow. If we do another walking dead impersonation like we did in the 2nd half against ASU were gonna be toast. We needed that win because a loss "at" #13 Arizona isn't going to hurt as much as an at home loss to an unranked team in ASU.

The MWC might just be a one bid conference this year.