Setting Rebels’ schedule one of many tasks for Shepherd

Of the many tasks Mike Shepherd takes on to help ensure UNLV's program runs as a smooth operation, one stands out as especially intriguing.

He's almost always working on a puzzle that's a jumble of names and numbers.

"I've got to wear several different hats," said Shepherd, in his seventh year as the Rebels' director of basketball operations. "The responsibilities that I have, a lot of them are significant to the daily operation."

At any given time, Shepherd is making the team's travel arrangements, planning practice schedules, working with academic advisers, following rules compliance issues, overseeing the team's six managers and organizing summer camps.

"You try to keep everything as coordinated as possible," he said. "I try to take pressure off the rest of the staff."

When it's time for the lights, cameras and action, Shepherd is on the bench to help coach Lon Kruger and his assistants manage the game. But almost all of Shepherd's directing is done behind the curtain.

His most intriguing task is to put together UNLV's future schedules, and he's currently assembling opponents for the 2011-12 season.

"It's an interesting puzzle to try to piece together," Shepherd said. "Our fans are awesome because they expect really good opponents in here, and we expect that, too. It's challenging to get them to fit. I look forward to the opportunity to schedule those games."

The challenge has been made more difficult by the looming realignment of the Mountain West Conference. The league drops from nine teams to eight next season -- Brigham Young and Utah are going and Boise State is coming -- and that means the Rebels will play 14 conference games instead of 16.

"We don't start conference play until mid-January (in 2012)," Shepherd said. "Trying to find nonconference games in the early part of January is pretty hard."

The NCAA allows teams to play 27 regular-season games plus an exempt event, which can be up to four games. UNLV participated in a three-game exempt event around Thanksgiving by winning the 76 Classic in Anaheim, Calif.

Next season, the Rebels will be part of a four-game exempt event, the Las Vegas Invitational, in November. UNLV hosts Cal Poly and Morgan State in the first two rounds at the Thomas & Mack Center before facing Southern California and either North Carolina or South Carolina at Orleans Arena.

The Rebels are set to play 17 nonconference games next season, and Shepherd has at least 10 of the opponents and dates confirmed, including home games against Louisville and UNR.

Seven of UNLV's nonconference games will be away from the Thomas & Mack, which the National Finals Rodeo occupies from late November to mid-December. The Rebels are set to play on the road against UC Santa Barbara (Nov. 30), Wichita State (Dec. 4) and Wisconsin (Dec. 10) before a neutral-court game against Illinois in Chicago on Dec. 17.

"I get calls from people who say, 'Hey, we've got this date, it's guaranteed to be on TV, can you guys come?' We don't have the need for another road game at all," Shepherd said.

Marquee opponents highlight the schedule. Some fans might react negatively if the remainder of the home dates are filled with weaker teams, but it's a common practice for all high-level programs.

"We're in a conversion with Cal right now about a series," he said. "We're still kind of in the works on several others. Hopefully we'll be able to do something with Arizona again in the future."

There is an art to scheduling, and it's about lining up several beatable opponents while also building enough schedule strength to get in position for a possible at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Shepherd tries to project schedule strength, a tricky proposition. He's done it well this season because UNLV (22-7, 10-5 MWC) is 26th in the nation in the Ratings Percentage Index and 34th in strength-of-schedule ranking.

In 1986, Shepherd was a student manager at Kansas State while Kruger was coach, and they have been together for 21 of the past 25 years. Kruger hired Shepherd for coaching positions at Florida and Illinois and as a NBA scout for the Atlanta Hawks.

Kruger trusts Shepherd with overseeing several aspects of the program, and the boss ultimately signs off on his schedule puzzle.

"I do enjoy what I'm doing a lot," Shepherd said. "Coach Kruger does a great job of giving us a lot of freedom within our responsibilities and expecting us to get the job done. I'm very fortunate to have worked for him a long time."

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