Rice to step into spotlight as UNLV basketball opens season

In seven months on the job, Dave Rice has accomplished many of his goals. Most of the work, however, has been behind the scenes.

On April 11, Rice was introduced as the first former UNLV basketball player to be the program's head coach. He began developing relationships with the players he inherited. He hired a staff of assistants. He hit the recruiting trail. He installed a new offensive system. All of that was just the beginning.

"I think we're in a really good spot at this point in time," he said.

And now it's time for Rice to step into the spotlight. Despite saying, "It's not about me," more than once, Rice is aware the new era has a lot to do with him.

"It's special. I don't run away from that," he said. "I am proud to be in a situation where I can try to help our team and be a facilitator of the tradition of this program. I really look forward to being here for a long time."

A longtime assistant, Rice's own win-loss record starts counting when the Rebels open the regular season against Grand Canyon, a Division II team from Phoenix, at 7 p.m. today at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Rice replaced Lon Kruger, whose seven years brought stability and success to UNLV, which reached the NCAA Tournament in four of the past five seasons. The Rebels finished last season 24-9 before Kruger bolted for big money and a rebuilding job at Oklahoma.

"We're fortunate we took over a program that was in really good shape," said Rice, a former associate head coach at Brigham Young and a UNLV assistant for 11 years (1991-92 and 1994 to 2004).

Rice was a reserve on the Rebels' 1990 NCAA championship team and 1991 Final Four team, but the team he puts on the floor today is unlikely to resemble any of the great ones from the past.

Two starters, senior forward Chace Stanback and junior guard Anthony Marshall, will be sidelined with one-game suspensions, and sophomore forward Carlos Lopez is out with a sprained right ankle. Only seven scholarship players remain.

"No one is going to feel sorry for us," Rice said. "There are going to be challenges all season, and sometimes you hope the challenges don't come quite so soon, but it's here and there's no excuses.

"I'm just glad that we're going to have the suspensions and hopefully the injuries behind us after (this) game. We've got a veteran group, so I think we'll figure it out."

UNLV plays five games at the Thomas & Mack over the next 12 days. Stanback, the team's top returning scorer and rebounder, and Marshall are set to return Monday against UNR.

Until then, senior point guard Oscar Bellfield will handle the leadership role. Bellfield averaged 11.2 points in 33 starts last season, and he has 88 career starts.

The rest of the Rebels' lineup today -- senior center Brice Massamba, senior guard Kendall Wallace, junior guard Justin Hawkins and sophomore forward Mike Moser -- has totaled 33 career starts. Hawkins is starting for the first time, and Moser is playing in his first game for UNLV after transferring from UCLA.

"We can't think about who's missing and who's there," Bellfield said. "We're missing a couple pieces, and those are real valuable pieces that we're missing, and we just have to try to make the best out of the situation.

"It's going to be tough, but we have guys who can make shots. Eventually it will come together. Once everybody comes back together, it's going to get better and better."

When all the pieces are in place, the Rebels expect to make a run at a Mountain West Conference title and another NCAA Tournament trip.

"The buzz here is tremendous," Marshall said. "It's a great time to be a Runnin' Rebel, and we're happy to be a part of it despite the adversity we're having to overcome right now."

Rice raised his voice to reprimand his team for sloppy play twice during Wednesday's practice. He later called it "spirited reinforcement."

A home game against Grand Canyon should be nothing like the trip to Wisconsin that is coming in December, but Rice said the short-handed Rebels need to realize they could have their hands full.

"I really believe that every season is full of challenges," Rice said, smiling. "I don't wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat or anything like that. At least not yet."

■ NOTES -- The Antelopes compete in the Pacific West Conference and are coached by Russ Pennell, a former Arizona interim head coach. … The annual UNLV Legends Alumni Game will be played at halftime.

Contact reporter Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907.