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Waddilove's Top 57 RunninRebels of All Time

BleedRebelRed90

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Oct 10, 2013
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So in 2010 the RJ had a panel of selected voters rank the top 100 RunninRebels:

https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/unlv/unlv-basketball/ranking-the-rebels-top-100/

Jeffrey Waddilove is currently counting down his top 57 RunninRebels, and today was 40-49:

https://www.franchisesportsmedia.com/blog/top-57-greatest-unlv-runnin-rebels-of-all-time-part-2/

Anyway, yesterday was part 1, players 50-57. Some I wasn't crazy about, but we'll see who gets excluded for Christian Wood to be a top RunninRebel of all time.

Today in the 40-49 group there was only one Tark era player, and that was the lowest ranked, #49 Anthony Jones. I'm already not liking this ranking... (Full disclosure, I grew up wearing 11 in every league I played in because of AJ) ... but to me (and the RJ's panel) Anthony Jones is a top 35 player, and if nothing else he should have been ranked ahead of Tre'von Willis.
 
His list is skewing too young imo. I don’t know anything about the guy but I doubt he has seen much before 2000 based on some of his recaps.
 
On a different note, what expert put JR rider as the greatest rebel ever! I can see votes for Augmon or Theus, but Rider over LJ?!?
 
On a different note, what expert put JR rider as the greatest rebel ever! I can see votes for Augmon or Theus, but Rider over LJ?!?

I wish you hadn't noticed that. That probably is more annoying than the 30-39 rankings that get posted today will be.
 
So in 2010 the RJ had a panel of selected voters rank the top 100 RunninRebels:

https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/unlv/unlv-basketball/ranking-the-rebels-top-100/

Jeffrey Waddilove is currently counting down his top 57 RunninRebels, and today was 40-49:

https://www.franchisesportsmedia.com/blog/top-57-greatest-unlv-runnin-rebels-of-all-time-part-2/

Anyway, yesterday was part 1, players 50-57. Some I wasn't crazy about, but we'll see who gets excluded for Christian Wood to be a top RunninRebel of all time.

Today in the 40-49 group there was only one Tark era player, and that was the lowest ranked, #49 Anthony Jones. I'm already not liking this ranking... (Full disclosure, I grew up wearing 11 in every league I played in because of AJ) ... but to me (and the RJ's panel) Anthony Jones is a top 35 player, and if nothing else he should have been ranked ahead of Tre'von Willis.
I’d think only 6-7 post Tark Rebels would make a top 50 list. Maybe a few more. That’s top of head.

But that’s a difference between seeing them and living it with some level of consciousness and just merely reading about them.
 
I’d think only 6-7 post Tark Rebels would make a top 50 list. Maybe a few more. That’s top of head.

But that’s a difference between seeing them and living it with some level of consciousness and just merely reading about them.

After you said that I looked at the 2010 RJ list and counted 36 1992-2009 players in the top 100... more than a third of the list! Probably the result of having several voters that only started covering the team at or after the end of the Tark years. But there is also a very large number of pre-Tark players (?)

I did count JR Rider, Spencer, Boney, and Dedan Thomas as post-Tark era even though I think all played for him his final season.

But the next question is what players since 2010 belong in the top 50? If he puts Christian Wood in the 50's, does Anthony Marshall belong in the top 50 (dumb question, of course he does). What about Oscar Bellfield, Chase Stanback, J Hawk, Patrick McCaw, Anthony Bennett, Khem Birch, BDJ, Moser, and Rashad Vaughan?


2010 RJ LIST
9. J.R. Rider (1) 2,099
18. Wink Adams 1,789
22. Marcus Banks 1,750
25. Shawn Marion 1,707
26. Kaspars Kambala 1,703
27. Dalron Johnson 1,684
35. Tyrone Nesby 1,406
39. Mark Dickel 1,307
40. Reggie Manuel 1,304
44. Odartey Blankson 1,263
45. Louis Amundson 1,222
46. Kebu Stewart 1,209
47. Elmore Spencer 1,206
48. Keon Clark 1,199
49. Kevin Kruger 1,159
52. Jermaine “Sunshine” Smith 1,108
55. Wendell White 1,028
57. Tre’Von Willis 957
59. Joel Anthony 859
60. Lou Kelly 843
61. Dexter Boney 799
63. Dedan Thomas 787
64. Curtis Terry 756
67. Warren Rosegreen 728
71. Trevor Diggs 631
73. Rene Rougeau 596
75. Clayton Johnson 580
76. Michael Umeh 573
79. Romel Beck 546
81. Patrick Savoy 473
85. Kevin Simmons 383
86. Jerel Blassingame 381
91. Joe Darger 336
92. Gaston Essengue 324
95. Edwin “Greedy” Daniels 263
96. J.K. Edwards 250
98. Oscar Bellfield 199
 
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I’d think only 6-7 post Tark Rebels would make a top 50 list. Maybe a few more. That’s top of head.

But that’s a difference between seeing them and living it with some level of consciousness and just merely reading about them.
6-7 might be slightly low. The RJ has 13 and that is probably too high, probably somewhere in between.
 
6-7 might be slightly low. The RJ has 13 and that is probably too high, probably somewhere in between.
What is best? Just in terms of talent? Or in terms of talent along with team accomplishments or recognition. It’s a tough word, best.

Shawn Marion was much “better” than Mark Dickel. But Dickel had a ton more value to UNLV basketball.

Anthony Bennett was much “better” than Marshall, but Marshall was worth more to us.

JR was one of UNLV’s very best ever, period. He didn’t make an NCAA tournament. So in that sense, Oscar Bellfield was better.

You can go on and on and on with those sorts of examples.
 
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When you mentioned Shawn Marion I realized I missed him in the list of post-Tark era players. Fixed it above. Had to add Kevin Kruger also.
 
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Kebu Stewart at #46? He was highly hyped, did not much for rebs and transferred. Not seeing him in top 100
 
Kebu was Big West player of the year in 93-94. In fact, the last Conference POY for the rebels. Also, that year was the last time we put two players on the first team all-conference I think with him and Reggie Manuel. Amazingly I think we finished fourth or fifth that year.

Anyone want to argue Kevin Kruger over Mark Wade. Sure, Kevin scores more but Wade played better defense and was the all time NCAA assist leader upon graduation. Yes only two years were at UNLV, but that is one more than Kevin and he led UNLV team ranked number one all year and into the final four. Seriously, it is no contest on who should be higher.
 
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Kebu was Big West player of the year in 93-94. In fact, the last Conference POY for the rebels. Also, that year was the last time we put two players on the first team all-conference I think with him and Reggie Manuel. Amazingly I think we finished fourth or fifth that year.

Anyone want to argue Kevin Kruger over Mark Wade. Sure, Kevin scores more but Wade played better defense and was the all time NCAA assist leader upon graduation. Yes only two years were at UNLV, but that is one more than Kevin and he led UNLV team ranked number one all year and into the final four. Seriously, it is no contest on who should be higher.

Anyone who lists Kruger ahead of Wade obviously doesn't know what they are talking about. I think the guy who wrote the list became a fan after Wade played so he really doesn't have the proper perspective to compile an accurate list. I have a couple bar-backs at my work who will argue that Lebron is the goat over MJ. I don't argue too much because they are like 23-24 years old. All I say is "how do your know....you were 6 years old when Jordan retired"? ...They always throw out stats and tell me they've seen Jordan's old games on youtube. For us fans who actually followed both Kruger's and Wade's UNLV careers, we know who was better because we lived through it. We saw every single game of both of their careers and we don't even have to refer to stats to come to that conclusion. On the other hand, if you didn't become a fan until the year 2000 or so, than really all you are doing is looking up 30 year old stats to determine who was better. We all know stats don't tell the whole story, especially when it comes to players like Mark Wade .
 
Anyone who lists Kruger ahead of Wade obviously doesn't know what they are talking about. I think the guy who wrote the list became a fan after Wade played so he really doesn't have the proper perspective to compile an accurate list. I have a couple bar-backs at my work who will argue that Lebron is the goat over MJ. I don't argue too much because they are like 23-24 years old. All I say is "how do your know....you were 6 years old when Jordan retired"? ...They always throw out stats and tell me they've seen Jordan's old games on youtube. For us fans who actually followed both Kruger's and Wade's UNLV careers, we know who was better because we lived through it. We saw every single game of both of their careers and we don't even have to refer to stats to come to that conclusion. On the other hand, if you didn't become a fan until the year 2000 or so, than really all you are doing is looking up 30 year old stats to determine who was better. We all know stats don't tell the whole story, especially when it comes to players like Mark Wade .
On no sane list has Kruger over Wade. Only a couple of PG are above Wade, IMO.

Yes, Kruger was the absolute key to the only team with any post season significance since Tark, but Mark was a tremendous leader of an all time great UNLV team and a final four team. Mark was often forgotten because he was a fifth option on a great team. But he supplied the other four at a rate unlike any other and he didn’t turn the ball over. He was absolutely a floor general. And he could defend his ass off.

It’s not even the tiniest bit close.
 
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Also, does it annoy anyone that each artlcie counts up. 30, 31... don’t these types of things always count down within the article. It is going to be really bad when the last article spoils Dalron Johnson as number one without working up to the big reveal!
 
Tyrone Nesby weighed in on the countdown today. Odd discussion between Nesby and Waddilove include the two parts below. I don't want to get into saying which players don't deserve their jersey retired but I will say that IMO Freddy Banks does and beyond that adding too many after Banks kind of lowers the standard set by those whose jerseys are up there already.

But it is a contradiction to me that Waddilove would think someone should be one of the next four to have their number retired but rank them as #36.

Is it true that Waddilove used to be a frequent RebelNet poster?

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Message to my Muhlenberg Players!As a competitor I was a little disappointed when I Read I was Ranked 36 But as I look back I think about all the practices that I didn’t go hard in, Games that I could’ve worked harder. I should’ve dedicated myself more”Lesson learned” <a href="https://twitter.com/JMacharola?ref_src=twsrc^tfw">@JMacharola</a> <a href="https://t.co/QQPxDxLXAx">pic.twitter.com/QQPxDxLXAx</a></p>&mdash; Tnes (@tyronenesby) <a href="">May 14, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Yours, Freddie Banks, Anderson Hunt and Wink Adams have to get up there in the rafters</p>&mdash; Jeffrey Waddilove (@JeffWaddilove) <a href="">May 14, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
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Freddie Banks and Anderson I agree with getting their due.

Wink, not as much. He was good but not rafter great. I think the same with Nesby and I know Nesby was in the League.
 
Nesby's jersey in the rafters? I don't think so. If I had to choose anyone since the Tark era to have their jersey retired, I think I'd choose Kruger.

Lon Kruger.
 
Freddie Banks and Anderson I agree with getting their due.

Wink, not as much. He was good but not rafter great. I think the same with Nesby and I know Nesby was in the League.
Tnes, no way. Wink, I can see that one, but it’s as far as it can stretch, IMO. Freddie and Anderson, 100 percent. Wade deserves it before Tnes.
 
Well, there are only 19 spots left, and about 26 guys that haven't been mentioned yet that deserve consideration to be in the top 57 RunninRebels of all time:

Larry Johnson
Stacey Augmon
Sidney Green
Armon “The Hammer”
Eddie Owens
Reggie Theus
Greg Anthony
Freddie Banks
J.R. Rider
Anderson Hunt
Ricky Sobers
Glen Gondrezick
Robert Smith
Silas Stepp
Wink Adams
Gerald Paddio
Richie Adams
Marcus Banks
Anthony Marshall
“Sudden” Sam Smith
Tony Smith
Oscar Bellfield
Chase Stanback
J Hawk
Patrick McCaw
Reggie Manuel

My expectation would be for Anthony Marshall to be in the top 19, and the guys "below the cutoff line" to not be in.

But that will mean that those last 7 names... or one or two that I call "top 19" won't show up. That means those guys aren't "top 57" but these guys are "top 57": Curtis Terry, Christian Wood, Khem Birch, and Anthony Bennett.
 
Well, there are only 19 spots left, and about 26 guys that haven't been mentioned yet that deserve consideration to be in the top 57 RunninRebels of all time:

Larry Johnson
Stacey Augmon
Sidney Green
Armon “The Hammer”
Eddie Owens
Reggie Theus
Greg Anthony
Freddie Banks
J.R. Rider
Anderson Hunt
Ricky Sobers
Glen Gondrezick
Robert Smith
Silas Stepp
Wink Adams
Gerald Paddio
Richie Adams
Marcus Banks
Anthony Marshall
“Sudden” Sam Smith
Tony Smith
Oscar Bellfield
Chase Stanback
J Hawk
Patrick McCaw
Reggie Manuel

My expectation would be for Anthony Marshall to be in the top 19, and the guys "below the cutoff line" to not be in.

But that will mean that those last 7 names... or one or two that I call "top 19" won't show up. That means those guys aren't "top 57" but these guys are "top 57": Curtis Terry, Christian Wood, Khem Birch, and Anthony Bennett.
Wow. Out of touch with our history.

Haven’t looked at it. Did Silas make this list?
 
Haven’t looked at it. Did Silas make this list?

I would expect Silas to show up today in the 10-19 group since he hasn't showed up yet.

I know nothing about him. The only reason I included him on that list of remaining players is because the RJ put him at #15.

I question the rankings of pre-Tark players on the RJ list. [UPDATE: I now learned more about him]. For example Silas Stepp. He accumulated big stats over four years, but at 6'5" he was the largest player on the roster all four seasons on a team that was essentially walk-ons from a Nevada Southern student body of under 1000 students his first year, and playing games against military bases and many opponents that are now DII and DIII. He put up much more impressive numbers than guys like David Butler and George Ackles so I understand him being ranked much higher than them, but I wonder what those bigger centers could have done on his teams. [Fun fact... just read that the hardwood floor that he played on is still the floor of the building he played in, which is now Barrick Museum].
 
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I would expect Silas to show up today in the 10-19 group since he hasn't showed up yet.

I know nothing about him. The only reason I included him on that list of remaining players is because the RJ put him at #15.

I question the rankings of pre-Tark players on the RJ list. [UPDATE: I now learned more about him]. For example Silas Stepp. He accumulated big stats over four years, but at 6'5" he was the largest player on the roster all four seasons on a team that was essentially walk-ons from a Nevada Southern student body of under 1000 students his first year, and playing games against military bases and many opponents that are now DII and DIII. He put up much more impressive numbers than guys like David Butler and George Ackles so I understand him being ranked much higher than them, but I wonder what those bigger centers could have done on his teams. [Fun fact... just read that the hardwood floor that he played on is still the floor of the building he played in, which is now Barrick Museum].
I ran into him many, many years ago. Obviously, I had never seen him play. He was tickled that I knew who he was, was such a long time ago.
 
Larry Johnson
Stacey Augmon
Sidney Green
Armon “The Hammer”
Eddie Owens -10
Reggie Theus
Greg Anthony
Freddie Banks
J.R. Rider - 12
Anderson Hunt
Ricky Sobers - 11
Glen Gondrezick - 13
Robert Smith
Silas Stepp - 18
Wink Adams - 16
Gerald Paddio -15
Richie Adams - 14
Marcus Banks - 19
Anthony Marshall
“Sudden” Sam Smith - 17
Tony Smith
Oscar Bellfield
Chase Stanback
J Hawk
Patrick McCaw
Reggie Manuel

Using Bleed’s list I put in the 10-19 from today, so it appears the top 10 has to be so order of:

LJ
Augmon
Gilliam
Green
Theus
Anthony
Hunt
Freddie Banks
Robert Smith

and someone else. Interesting to see who the tenth will be.
 
Never mind I just realized there is only nine left as there was already a number 10. Ugh, counting up, going from 10-19 instead of 20-11...this count down is annoying.
 
Just now saw the final 19 players:

https://www.franchisesportsmedia.com/blog/top-57-greatest-unlv-runnin-rebels-of-all-time-part-5/

https://www.franchisesportsmedia.com/blog/top-57-greatest-unlv-runnin-rebels-of-all-time-part-6/

What was most surprising that Robert Smith, Anderson Hunt, and Greg Anthony made Waddilove's top 5 and Armon Gilliam, Sidney Green, and Eddie Owens - who were all in the RJ's top five - all dropped to 8 or worse.

The rest of the top 19 were within a couple spots of the RJ with a few exceptions:
Moved up 5 or more spots: Richie Adams, "Sudden Sam" Smith

This "Top 57" - some guys just didn't make it that would make my top 57:

Tony Smith (ranked #32 by RJ in 2010)... how can Robert Smith be #4 and Sam Smith be #17 but Tony not make the Top 57? The RJ had them at #14, #23, and #32.

Anthony Marshall and Patrick McCaw.... how can they not make it but so many other Kruger/Rice era players make it including Tre'von Willis, Khem Birch, Lou Amundson, Wendell White, Christian Wood, Wink Adams, Anthony Bennett, Kevin Kruger, Joel Anthony, and Curtis Terry?

Reggie Manuel... if there was a player from the Rollie/Grg/Cle/Landa era that deserves in the top 57 I would say Reggie (I'm now counting Rider as a Tark era player). I don't think that any players from that era app
 
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Very questionable list for sure.

Tony Smith is a glaring omission. Averaged around 16/17 ppg his last two seasons and was a solid contributor on the 77 Final Four team. One of the better shooters in program history. I believe he still has the second best free throw percentage record for a season in school history. Similar to Sam Smith he would have had quite a few more points had there been a three point line. Has to be on a top 57 list, around top 35-40.

Eddie Owens and Anthony Jones being ranked as low as they were is laughable. Owens is top 5, 6 at worst, all-time to anyone like myself who actually saw him play. Reggie Theus and Robert Smith were great, but from that era I certainly would not rank them above Eddie.

Without going on too much there were several important ingredients to the successful teams of 75-76/76-77 but Owens was the most important. Owens is the school’s all time leading scorer averaging double figures all four seasons including over 20 ppg his last two. Numerous examples I can give where Eddie was the key reason for many of the biggest wins of that era.

Jones should be a good 10-12 spots higher. Was a first round NBA draft pick as well as co PCAA player of the year in 86 with Utah State’s Greg Grant. Jones had his moments in particular in big games: around 18-19 in the 85 PCAA title game over Fullerton, 20 or so in the 85 NCAA tournament win over SDSU, around 25/ 8-9 rebounds in the Great Alaska Shootout loss to UNC, 16-17 in a big road win at Maryland, 14-15 in the Memphis State win and I believe 25 in the 86 tournament win over Maryland.

Didn’t personally see Elburt Miller play, but have spoken with people whose opinions I trust about him his ranking a bit too low. Granted it was at a lower level, but even without a shot clock/three point shot he still holds several school scoring records. He should have been a good 5 to maybe 10 spots higher.

Greg Anthony and Robert Smith, Smith especially, are too high, Armon Gilliam and Sid Green are too low.

Mark Dickel over Danny Tarkanian and Mark Wade, Wendel White over a Earl Evans, Keon Clark over say Elmore Spencer (another odd omission from the list) are all quite quite questionable.

Looking at the author's photo have doubts the person who compiled the list knows that much about or ever saw a fair to good number of these players. It seems they just went through and researched stats, school records, which don’t always tell a complete story if you’d didn’t see them yourself, or ask those who did.

At least the Review-Journal when they compiled their list talked to people like Bob Blum, Dom Clark, Royce Feour and Dick Calvert who are some people I know saw most if not all of these players, knew background info on them.
 
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Very questionable list for sure.

Tony Smith is a glaring omission. Averaged around 16/17 ppg his last two seasons and was a solid contributor on the 77 Final Four team. One of the better shooters in program history. I believe he still has the second best free throw percentage record for a season in school history. Similar to Sam Smith he would have had quite a few more points had there been a three point line. Has to be on a top 57 list, around top 35-40.

Eddie Owens and Anthony Jones being ranked as low as they were is laughable. Owens is top 5, 6 at worst, all-time to anyone like myself who actually saw him play. Reggie Theus and Robert Smith were great, but from that era I certainly would not rank them above Eddie.

Without going on too much there were several important ingredients to the successful teams of 75-76/76-77 but Owens was the most important. Owens is the school’s all time leading scorer averaging double figures all four seasons including over 20 ppg his last two. Numerous examples I can give where Eddie was the key reason for many of the biggest wins of that era.

Jones should be a good 10-12 spots higher. Was a first round NBA draft pick as well as co PCAA player of the year in 86 with Utah State’s Greg Grant. Jones had his moments in particular in big games: around 18-19 in the 85 PCAA title game over Fullerton, 20 or so in the 85 NCAA tournament win over SDSU, around 25/ 8-9 rebounds in the Great Alaska Shootout loss to UNC, 16-17 in a big road win at Maryland, 14-15 in the Memphis State win and I believe 25 in the 86 tournament win over Maryland.

Didn’t personally see Elburt Miller play, but have spoken with people whose opinions I trust about him his ranking a bit too low. Granted it was at a lower level, but even without a shot clock/three point shot he still holds several school scoring records. He should have been a good 5 to maybe 10 spots higher.

Greg Anthony and Robert Smith, Smith especially, are too high, Armon Gilliam and Sid Green are too low.

Mark Dickel over Danny Tarkanian and Mark Wade, Wendel White over a Earl Evans, Keon Clark over say Elmore Spencer (another odd omission from the list) are all quite quite questionable.

Looking at the author's photo have doubts the person who compiled the list knows that much about or ever saw a fair to good number of these players. It seems they just went through and researched stats, school records, which don’t always tell a complete story if you’d didn’t see them yourself, or ask those who did.

At least the Review-Journal when they compiled their list talked to people like Bob Blum, Dom Clark, Royce Feour and Dick Calvert who are some people I know saw most if not all of these players, knew background info on them.
Agreed. Using solely stats is incredibly egregious in such a list. If you haven’t seen them first hand, talk with somebody who has extensive knowledge. I consider myself to be knowledgeable 87 and on, have picked up much from pre-87 just in talking with people I respect to formulate better ... even then, I’m going to run it through those people for an even better consensus. I’m assuming the greatness of those from the 87-91 is widely assumed - though correct, because there is so much info out there and they had long NCAAT runs.

I’m also sort of against one year players making a greatest ever list unless they catapulted a team to greatness. For example, had Larry left after his JR, he’d have probably slipped a bit down my personal list. But for somebody like Shawn that came here and tore it up pretty good for a year and went on to (arguably) be the “best” UNLV player in the NBA... he was an integral part of an NIT team that was tri-swept by SMU. I don’t know where he landed on the list of this article, but he’d be pretty low if he made the cut at all ....
 
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At least the Review-Journal when they compiled their list talked to people like Bob Blum, Dom Clark, Royce Feour and Dick Calvert who are some people I know saw most if not all of these players, knew background info on them.

Only guys like this should be allowed to post votes for pre-Tark era players, then based on where they rank these players should be used to place them relative to the rest of the list.

Using solely stats is incredibly egregious in such a list.
...
I don’t know where (Shawn Marion) landed on the list of this article

Shawn Marion: 25(RJ) 29(this Top 57)

Stats are misleading, especially if they are accumulated when few people are still watching. The performance of the team should be considered. For example this group:

45. Lou Amundson (2001-06)
46. Tre’von Willis (2008-11)
47. Khem Birch (2012-14)
49. Anthony Jones (1984-86)

Anthony Jones:
  • averaged 17.5 Pts, 5.4 Reb, 2.8 Ast and was conference player of the year on the '85-'86 team that went 33-5 and made it to the Sweet 16
  • averaged 13.0 Pts, 4.4 Reb, 3.4 Ast on the '84-'85 team that went 28-4 and won a game in the NCAAT
How can any of those guys be ranked ahead of Anthony Jones?

These three players had comparable stat totals at UNLV, but only one of the three made the "Top 57":

- - - - - TRB - AST - STL - BLK - PTS

Wood 426 53 21 119 654
Christian Wood's best season: UNLV 8-10 in MWC, lost in 2nd round of MWC tournament

El Hud 573 161 106 55 752
Eldridge Hudson's best season: UNLV 37-2, went to Final Four

Scurry 333 42 60 17 511
Moses Scurry's best season: UNLV 35-5, won national championship
 
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Stats are misleading, especially if they are accumulated when few people are still watching. The performance of the team should be considered.

To me context is critical when doing something like this. Knowing the details, remembering specifics, more than surface stats really helps.

Just one example, would certainly have Elmore Spencer over Keon Clark. Doing a direct comparison their statistics are pretty similar, slight nod to Keon. But drilling down deeper Elmore’s contributions were to bigger accomplishments, more important wins, than Keon.

Although his overall stats weren’t overwhelming in 90-91 Elmore had his moments like 6 blocks in the tough tournament win over Mourning/Mutombo Georgetown and 14-15 points against Utah in the tournament when Ackles was limited.

Then obviously he had a strong 91-92 campaign. In particular he played very good to great in some of the biggest games of the season; not only against Shaq/LSU, but the mid 20s in a key road win at Santa Barbara and had 15-16 points in addition to playing really good defense against New Mexico State and one of their top scorers Eric Taylor in the win that clinched the Big West title.

Certainly agree, in a situation with comparable stats give me the person’s whose numbers meant more to the program.
 
Only guys like this should be allowed to post votes for pre-Tark era players, then based on where they rank these players should be used to place them relative to the rest of the list.



Shawn Marion: 25(RJ) 29(this Top 57)

Stats are misleading, especially if they are accumulated when few people are still watching. The performance of the team should be considered. For example this group:

45. Lou Amundson (2001-06)
46. Tre’von Willis (2008-11)
47. Khem Birch (2012-14)
49. Anthony Jones (1984-86)

Anthony Jones:
  • averaged 17.5 Pts, 5.4 Reb, 2.8 Ast and was conference player of the year on the '85-'86 team that went 33-5 and made it to the Sweet 16
  • averaged 13.0 Pts, 4.4 Reb, 3.4 Ast on the '84-'85 team that went 28-4 and won a game in the NCAAT
How can any of those guys be ranked ahead of Anthony Jones?

These three players had comparable stat totals at UNLV, but only one of the three made the "Top 57":

- - - - - TRB - AST - STL - BLK - PTS

Wood 426 53 21 119 654
Christian Wood's best season: UNLV 8-10 in MWC, lost in 2nd round of MWC tournament

El Hud 573 161 106 55 752
Eldridge Hudson's best season: UNLV 37-2, went to Final Four

Scurry 333 42 60 17 511
Moses Scurry's best season: UNLV 35-5, won national championship
Agreed.

Unless it is based solely upon the opinion of which player was the best .... for that, stats and after UNLV play tells the story.

But “best” to me, while it may incorporate that, is so much more than that. UNLV value matters, in my opinion. If you didn’t accomplish shit, that has to be weighted. I thought Marcus Banks was very good as was Chris Wood - but what did they accomplish, especially as being the best on the squad and “leaders” of the team? They didn’t do much. That drops them significantly on a best ever list.

His list was probably weighted by who he has seen play and what their stats were and which ones made him say “ooooh”. Awesome plays are great, put JR and Keon as #1 and #2 on the list ... it’s such a small part of it.

Former Rebels from the 70’s and 80’s would be the best people for this list. They knew what was before them and after them.
 
Every 5 years there's a new Top 50 UNLV players list. There hasn't been a player make that list in like the last 10 years, yet we sent a dozen guys to the NBA.

Hopefully OBerger fixes that.
 
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