We will beat a ranked team today....

[rebelwithacause]

Im pretty confident we will pick up the win today against CSU

Only 1.5 games out of first place.

Its okay to root for the Rebels people

Its okay to enjoy good basketball

----

I dont know about you guys but this is Fun AF for me -

Thank goodness we are still in the conversation in late Feb
- i seriously thought we would win 6 games max in league -the way we started this season

The MW tournament should be EPIC 'this year

 

[jdlr33]

the last time we played them whaley wasn't consistently whaley yet - so that's something in our favor. cant really make predictions with this team though. we could win by 30 we could lose by 30. I guess that's the fun part?

 

[Babalouie]

Rebs have decided to get physical and win in the paint. Should be a good game.Hope we get a good turnout with the 5pm start.

 

[j. spilotro]

Im pretty confident we will pick up the win today against CSU

Only 1.5 games out of first place.

Its okay to root for the Rebels people

Its okay to enjoy good basketball

----

I dont know about you guys but this is Fun AF for me -

Thank goodness we are still in the conversation in late Feb
- i seriously thought we would win 6 games max in league -the way we started this season

The MW tournament should be EPIC 'this year

I’m confident too. Not as confident as at Air Force, that was an easy bet with zero sweat.

This one will be tighter. But UNLV will prevail by near double digits.

 

[Rebel1986]

Im pretty confident we will pick up the win today against CSU

Only 1.5 games out of first place.

Its okay to root for the Rebels people

Its okay to enjoy good basketball

----

I dont know about you guys but this is Fun AF for me -

Thank goodness we are still in the conversation in late Feb
- i seriously thought we would win 6 games max in league -the way we started this season

The MW tournament should be EPIC 'this year

One thing I will not do is root for UNLV to lose!

 

[Rebel1986]

the last time we played them whaley wasn't consistently whaley yet - so that's something in our favor. cant really make predictions with this team though. we could win by 30 we could lose by 30. I guess that's the fun part?

I would consider that an exaggeration, until after the Air Force game, now anything can happen!

 

[j. spilotro]

I would consider that an exaggeration, until after the Air Force game, now anything can happen!

I don’t know. Southern Spanked us by 20 … and we got walloped in Florida … and we lost to Loyola Marymount here.

I don’t think we needed the AFA game to demonstrate they could lose to anyone at any time, just like the Creighton game showed they could beat better teams.

 

[JTthe2nd]

the last time we played them whaley wasn't consistently whaley yet - so that's something in our favor. cant really make predictions with this team though. we could win by 30 we could lose by 30. I guess that's the fun part?

This team is all over the place and completely unpredictable. I never root against them but it sucks getting invested only for them to lay an egg against a team like Air Force at home. That being said, it's got to be a 100x times harder on the players than it is for any fan. I hope they show up focused and ready to play hard and I hope they win because it's absolutely within their capabilities.

 

[Rebel1986]

I don’t know. Southern Spanked us by 20 … and we got walloped in Florida … and we lost to Loyola Marymount here.

I don’t think we needed the AFA game to demonstrate they could lose to anyone at any time, just like the Creighton game showed they could beat better teams.

But, AF is the only game UNLV lost by 30+ and got totally destroyed. In regards to Southern 14, Florida St 8 and Richmond 17, we just got a run of the mill beat down!

 

[j. spilotro]

But, AF is the only game UNLV lost by 30+ and got totally destroyed. In regards to Southern 14, Florida St 8 and Richmond 17, we just got a run of the mill beat down!

Southern is awful, they've since been crushed by Texas State and Grambling - and that was an instance of a 14 point game that wasn’t a 14 point game. It’s not like they had a 6 point lead and ballooned it to 14 with free throws. Southern was up 19 at the half, built it with ease to 26 points in the second before a mighty run by the Rebel starters against the Southern bench to cut it to 14. If you were there, then you can vividly remember the exasperation and disbelief of the home crowd that we got Howarded by Southern.

 

[rebel5280]

Southern is awful, they've since been crushed by Texas State and Grambling - and that was an instance of a 14 point game that wasn’t a 14 point game. It’s not like they had a 6 point lead and ballooned it to 14 with free throws. Southern was up 19 at the half, built it with ease to 26 points in the second before a mighty run by the Rebel starters against the Southern bench to cut it to 14. If you were there, then you can vividly remember the exasperation and disbelief of the home crowd that we got Howarded by Southern.

So you say all this but do you think that we should change coaches at season’s end?

 

[unlove]

Rebs have decided to get physical and win in the paint. Should be a good game.Hope we get a good turnout with the 5pm start.

I’ll be there!!

 

[RebelAlbert]

the last time we played them whaley wasn't consistently whaley yet - so that's something in our favor. cant really make predictions with this team though. we could win by 30 we could lose by 30. I guess that's the fun part?

Im pretty confident we will pick up the win today against CSU

Only 1.5 games out of first place.

Its okay to root for the Rebels people

Its okay to enjoy good basketball

----

I dont know about you guys but this is Fun AF for me -

Thank goodness we are still in the conversation in late Feb
- i seriously thought we would win 6 games max in league -the way we started this season

The MW tournament should be EPIC 'this year

From your keyboard to God's ears my friend.

 

[j. spilotro]

So you say all this but do you think that we should change coaches at season’s end?

Not just for the change itself. If you can definitely ramp up and have the means, I don’t have a problem with it.

If you get rid of him and then bring in a Pasternak or Kenny Payne (for Rebel Luv), no.

 

[Masked_rebel]

The question is...
Is CSU looking ahead to a bigger game next week vs Reno coming off a close loss to UNM or are they just over rated like everyone else but have good nights and bad ones... If I recall at their place, they missed a ton of 3 pointers early but were able to over come the deficit as they returned to their average... and how are our legs, we did get some good rest late vs Air Force

 

[rebel5280]

Not just for the change itself. If you can definitely ramp up and have the means, I don’t have a problem with it.

If you get rid of him and then bring in a Pasternak or Kenny Payne (for Rebel Luv), no.

Did you know anything about Sprinkle before Utah St? Would you think he would have been a good hire here at UNLV?

 

[Masked_rebel]

Did you know anything about Sprinkle before Utah St? Would you think he would have been a good hire here at UNLV?

I didn't know anything about Beard or TJO but both were good hires. Beard never gave us a shot unfortunately and TJO checked out mid-2nd year when it became apparent that ISU was calling... we can debate W/Ls and not making tournaments but both went to their next jobs and immediately elevated those programs...

 

[rebel5280]

I didn't know anything about Beard or TJO but both were good hires. Beard never gave us a shot unfortunately and TJO checked out mid-2nd year when it became apparent that ISU was calling... we can debate W/Ls and not making tournaments but both went to their next jobs and immediately elevated those programs...

My post is for the “who else is out there” crowd!
The point is we didn’t know Odom either and he came here and now look at the hope some of us have regarding football going forward. We don’t ultimately know who but I bet Harper has given it some thought and probably had a few conversations too!

 

[cducker68]

We also got cheated on the rd in az essentially beating one of the hottest teams in the nation in st marys ...like tark always said gotta beat the hell out of everyone though..can't leave up to this officiating ..hopefully come out with good energy..

 

[j. spilotro]

Did you know anything about Sprinkle before Utah St? Would you think he would have been a good hire here at UNLV?

I doubt it.

Places are completely different. I do believe in fit and I think UNLV has some quirky aspects to it.

 

[j. spilotro]

My post is for the “who else is out there” crowd!
The point is we didn’t know Odom either and he came here and now look at the hope some of us have regarding football going forward. We don’t ultimately know who but I bet Harper has given it some thought and probably had a few conversations too!

Odom had some D1 success in a major conference. Understood the ins and outs of football that was far bigger than UNLV.

I’m not disagreeing that a coach can have success in year one, something measurable …. They absolurely SHOULD. we’ve seen far too many examples of it and we’ve seen it on our own back yard with a completely dead football program.

Not so sure I’d want low D1 or lower experience to run UNLV. I’d much rather have a long time assistant at a successful high level program than a HC at Pierre State.

 

[cducker68]

Really looking forward to dj hitting one of these clutch shots with 2 3 seconds left down 1...it's gonna happen..

 

[saulpaul21]

Odom had some D1 success in a major conference. Understood the ins and outs of football that was far bigger than UNLV.

I’m not disagreeing that a coach can have success in year one, something measurable …. They absolurely SHOULD. we’ve seen far too many examples of it and we’ve seen it on our own back yard with a completely dead football program.

Not so sure I’d want low D1 or lower experience to run UNLV. I’d much rather have a long time assistant at a successful high level program than a HC at Pierre State.

Hmm, if you do not want low D1 or lower experience. You would have passed on Beard and TJO. I know they can be critiqued, but they would have won here had they stuck around.

 

[WarthogRebel]

Did you know anything about Sprinkle before Utah St? Would you think he would have been a good hire here at UNLV?

Yes and Yes. One of my son's lives near Bozeman and I take my Grandson to a couple of MSU games a year. For the previous two years before he moved to USU they were tearing up the Big Sky. And that was from a program that usually fielded a team in the lower third of the conference. IMO. he'd be a good hire anywhere. I don't think he'll be at USU for long.

 

[j. spilotro]

Hmm, if you do not want low D1 or lower experience. You would have passed on Beard and TJO. I know they can be critiqued, but they would have won here had they stuck around.

Would have definitely passed on both.

Otz didn’t do dick here. Don’t care what he did/does elsewhere. Rollie won an NC elsewhere, what good did that do us?

If you can improve, you do it. If you can’t, it amounts to a setback with time and fans lost. It isn’t hard to understand. Odds of improving by hiring a lower level coach are lower than hiring a coach with an actual history. You don’t want them past prime though, either.

Football did lower level forever. Only time they’ve had measurable success is with established coaches. Without established coaches, we were in the lower 2%.

A long time established assistant at a high level school, like Lloyd… (not him specifically) …. Yeah, I can get that. But save the Pasternacks and Bob Williams’ for the SJSUs and Fresnos. Stay with what you’ve got and try to fortify with what you have.

 

[Masked_rebel]

So you wouldn't hire Matt Langel or John Becker or Pat Kelsey?

 

[j. spilotro]

So you wouldn't hire Matt Langel or John Becker or Pat Kelsey?

UNLV’s track record with underqualified hires has not been strong at all. If the money and person aren’t right, you stick with what you have.

Would I rather have a Turner or Pasternak over Kruger? No. Not at all. You can name people that haven’t had a ton of experience that had success elsewhere, but no, I wouldn’t want them here.

 

[dcut03]

Southern is an above average SWAC team. They did also beat a ranked Ole Miss on the road.

That loss has actually aged OK, it looks better now than it did at the time and throughout the beginning of the season.

Still a bad loss, quad 4, and at home not a good combo.

I personally don't believe in the "fit" argument. Basketball is basketball.

if dealing with our terrible fanbase makes good basketball coaches not a fit, becuase we can't wait long enough for them to settle in, that is an us problem, not a them problem.

Sure I get some coaches may be trouble in Vegas. Bayno struggled with it.

But Otz was good immediately before and after his stint here. It was only 2 years, and that first year was not bad Tied for 3rd in the conference, though it was one of the weaker years for the conference in recent years. And the second year he checked out early knowing he was going back to ISU. He did have some nice players coming in the next class, I think he could have been good here if he stuck around. He was a bad fit simply because he was eyeing that ISU job the entire time, just biding time. So yeah, that wasn't ideal.

Beard would have worked too. He turned around several places in one year. Even if he left after one year, showing success here would shake some of the stink off this job. Similar to football if Odom decides to move on soon.

 

[dcut03]

As for Kruger?

I think it is up to Harper. I think he is likely looking for a reason to fire him or keep him.

He has plenty of legit reasons for both, though the keep him argument is getting stronger as the year goes on.

He fired Arroyo a bit on the early side, so I can see him moving on from Kevin for similar reasons. It is a little different though. Apparently no one liked Arroyo, I think Kevin is better liked, and the fact he is a Legacy and tied to Lon it makes it a bit more difficult to fire him.

He is also cheap, he doesn't have to be the big money maker for the athletic department, and actually the recent improved crowds also helps his cause.

So I can see it either way. Now if we win the MWCT Kruger stays for sure. Anything less, maybe not.

 

[j. spilotro]

Southern is an above average SWAC team. They did also beat a ranked Ole Miss on the road.

That loss has actually aged OK, it looks better now than it did at the time and throughout the beginning of the season.

Still a bad loss, quad 4, and at home not a good combo.

I personally don't believe in the "fit" argument. Basketball is basketball.

if dealing with our terrible fanbase makes good basketball coaches not a fit, becuase we can't wait long enough for them to settle in, that is an us problem, not a them problem.

Sure I get some coaches may be trouble in Vegas. Bayno struggled with it.

But Otz was good immediately before and after his stint here. It was only 2 years, and that first year was not bad Tied for 3rd in the conference, though it was one of the weaker years for the conference in recent years. And the second year he checked out early knowing he was going back to ISU. He did have some nice players coming in the next class, I think he could have been good here if he stuck around. He was a bad fit simply because he was eyeing that ISU job the entire time, just biding time. So yeah, that wasn't ideal.

Beard would have worked too. He turned around several places in one year. Even if he left after one year, showing success here would shake some of the stink off this job. Similar to football if Odom decides to move on soon.

Aged ok … then go on to say it was a quad 4 home loss …. That’s certainly not aging ok. I don’t know how much it plummeted overall NET, but I’m guessing it packed as much of a negative punch as any.

I know when people are upset with the loss when it happens, it’s candy coated by “oh, it’s early season, so many new faces, not a lot of time together, maybe Southern will skyrocket and it won’t be so bad” … while never mentioning it was southern’s first game, as well, that they had as much floor time, that they have new faces … people want to kick the can of unacceptable down the road and hopes it disappears out of sight … but it rarely does, it impacts. Happens with individual games, happens with seasons (see the Marv excuses).

Sometimes I’ll candy coat things if there’s some actual meat there, but it’s certainly not going to be my default take when things go wrong.

 

[Pistol Pete 1]

Looking at the remaining schedules it is entirely possible that we could end up alone in 2’nd place if we finish 3-1 in the last 4 games. I think I am definitely bring CKK back with that result and anything in top 5 is rarefied air for UNLV MBB the last 10 years so that is definitely a lean to CKK.

 

[lvrebalum2012]

Looking at the remaining schedules it is entirely possible that we could end up alone in 2’nd place if we finish 3-1 in the last 4 games. I think I am definitely bring CKK back with that result and anything in top 5 is rarefied air for UNLV MBB the last 10 years so that is definitely a lean to CKK.

Unfortunately, we could just as easily go 1-3 in the last 4 games. SDSU and UNR will be very tough to win. Wyoming should be a W, but is the type of game we can, and have lost before.

IMO, the only reason we’re even talking about CKK’s hot seat is because of the AFA game (and to a lesser extent the UNR game). Take care of AFA, and we’d be in much better shape heading into the final 4 games.

 

[BornRebelRed]

Unfortunately, we could just as easily go 1-3 in the last 4 games. SDSU and UNR will be very tough to win. Wyoming should be a W, but is the type of game we can, and have lost before.

True dat but at this point I still have my Rebel Red glasses on. Long time since I had hope this time of the year.

 

[Masked_rebel]

Unfortunately, we could just as easily go 1-3 in the last 4 games. SDSU and UNR will be very tough to win. Wyoming should be a W, but is the type of game we can, and have lost before.

IMO, the only reason we’re even talking about CKK’s hot seat is because of the AFA game (and to a lesser extent the UNR game). Take care of AFA, and we’d be in much better shape heading into the final 4 games.

Actually it's because entering year 3 the program should be in a position to make the NCAA tournament on an at large basis and that didn't happen. That's why a coach gets put on the hot seat. There's other issues like roster construction, in game coaching decisions(earlier not more recent issues), etc. That contribute to it, but ultimately a coach gets judged off "did I put my program in a position to make the NCAA tournament" in CBB and by year 3, you can't drop a bunch of bad games early while your roster you built tries to click and then go "see- we beat a bunch of other teams who did make the NCAA tournament so you should keep me"...

 

[Pistol Pete 1]

I would think that if we finish 2’nd in a 4-5 bid league that we will be in that conversation. JMHO

 

[saulpaul21]

Aged ok … then go on to say it was a quad 4 home loss …. That’s certainly not aging ok. I don’t know how much it plummeted overall NET, but I’m guessing it packed as much of a negative punch as any.

I know when people are upset with the loss when it happens, it’s candy coated by “oh, it’s early season, so many new faces, not a lot of time together, maybe Southern will skyrocket and it won’t be so bad” … while never mentioning it was southern’s first game, as well, that they had as much floor time, that they have new faces … people want to kick the can of unacceptable down the road and hopes it disappears out of sight … but it rarely does, it impacts. Happens with individual games, happens with seasons (see the Marv excuses).

Sometimes I’ll candy coat things if there’s some actual meat there, but it’s certainly not going to be my default take when things go wrong.

Not much of an excuse, but it was Southerns second game. They lost to TCU by 30 a few days earlier. Southern net is 218. So one the better quad 4 teams. Still embarrassing, as we not only lost, we got smoked. DJ looked like a 9th grader that first half. No Boone, and staff did not realize what Whaley could do yet.

 

[j. spilotro]

Looking at the remaining schedules it is entirely possible that we could end up alone in 2’nd place if we finish 3-1 in the last 4 games. I think I am definitely bring CKK back with that result and anything in top 5 is rarefied air for UNLV MBB the last 10 years so that is definitely a lean to CKK.

Two easies, teams playing out the string …. Will win those two for sure.

Then two games against teams with a lot to play for, seedlings in MWCT and NCAAT, the other for a MWCT seeding and a bubble NCAAT.

Those two will be good games. SDSU at home, this isn’t last year’s SDSU, this isn’t Kahwii’s SDSU, it’s a downish year for them. And though they beat us rather easily in SD, I recall SDSU with a huge early lead … and they didn’t coast; they didn’t take their foot off the pedal; UNLV battled them very toughly for the last 30 minutes … UNLV certainly CAN beat them.

UNR on the road … might be tougher than SDSU at home? I don’t think UNR is all that good, they’re right near us; but it’ll be packed and they have a lot to player and so should we - and those are the way I like battles to be. Not saying we should win, but we absolutely could. I’d love to see it and then see Stevie cry about our upcoming HCA in the MWCT and we match up with those rednecks again and beat them, sending them somewhere other than the NCAAT. Would be a good way to end the season, by ending theirs.

 

[rebel5280]

Not much of an excuse, but it was Southerns second game. They lost to TCU by 30 a few days earlier. Southern net is 218. So one the better quad 4 teams. Still embarrassing, as we not only lost, we got smoked. DJ looked like a 9th grader that first half. No Boone, and staff did not realize what Whaley could do yet.

Yeah but then we go and get a 30 burger put on us by a last place team too and it wasn’t the beginning of the year? We need to stick to our guns around here, I believe most said we need to make it to the NCAA’s or at least the NIT? Now finishing second is enough, it’s not, tournament earns another year.. nothing less than that!

 

[j. spilotro]

Yeah but then we go and get a 30 burger put on us by a last place team too and it wasn’t the beginning of the year? We need to stick to our guns around here, I believe most said we need to make it to the NCAA’s or at least the NIT? Now finishing second is enough, it’s not, tournament earns another year.. nothing less than that!

Where did we finish in conference our sweet 16 year? Where did we finish in conference 5 years ago? Where did we finish in conference the year we won the national championship?

Most people would have to look it up. Because it doesn’t matter if you don’t win it. Yes, our national championship we were co-champions of the BWC.

Win conference, people remember. Don’t and they won’t remember 2nd, 4th or 6th.

They’ll remember last or close to it though.

The middle is no man’s land.

 

[dcut03]

Aged ok … then go on to say it was a quad 4 home loss …. That’s certainly not aging ok. I don’t know how much it plummeted overall NET, but I’m guessing it packed as much of a negative punch as any.

I know when people are upset with the loss when it happens, it’s candy coated by “oh, it’s early season, so many new faces, not a lot of time together, maybe Southern will skyrocket and it won’t be so bad” … while never mentioning it was southern’s first game, as well, that they had as much floor time, that they have new faces … people want to kick the can of unacceptable down the road and hopes it disappears out of sight … but it rarely does, it impacts. Happens with individual games, happens with seasons (see the Marv excuses).

Sometimes I’ll candy coat things if there’s some actual meat there, but it’s certainly not going to be my default take when things go wrong.

It aged better than it looked at the time. They beat a ranked team on the road. At the time they were ranked in the 300's and weren't expected to do much. They have played better than expected. That is why it aged better than expected.

Still a bad loss and quad 4, and those are terrible. Not trying to excuse it or candy coat it. Should have never happened. But it wasn't even the worst loss of the year, which most people still consider it as. Just context.