Team chemistry not issue

One problem after another ambushed coach Lon Kruger this past season, and the losses started piling up on UNLV as a result.

As for speculation about locker-room dissension causing poor chemistry, Kruger said that was not one of his problems. He claims the Rebels were a tight-knit team, and any "Internet rumors" to the contrary amount to a pile of nonsense.

"Guys got along great. Chemistry wasn't the issue with this group at all," Kruger said. "I know there have been some rumors about that stuff, but that had no credibility at all."

The rumors were more widespread as UNLV hit a downward spiral toward a 21-11 finish and a 70-60 loss at Kentucky last Tuesday in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament.

When a team is losing more than expected, and missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time in three years, the game of finger-pointing and assigning blame is inevitable. It just did not happen within the team, Kruger insists.

Coaches and fans define team chemistry differently, Kruger said, and a group that plays with "passion and enthusiasm and is challenging each other and winning" is a team with positive chemistry. The Rebels fell short in those areas, but they did not fight internally, either.

"We didn't have that same blue-collar, something-to-prove type attitude," Kruger said. "This group worked hard in practice. We had no complaints about how hard they worked. We just didn't have that same level of passion.

"I'm disappointed in the end result. We just never played consistently good basketball, and it's our job to do that as coaches. It's my job."

Kruger's next task is to replace senior starters Wink Adams, Joe Darger and Rene Rougeau -- who accounted for 50 percent of UNLV's scoring -- and integrate eight newcomers.

Adams averaged a team-best 14.3 points as a senior and finished sixth on the Rebels' career scoring list with 1,875 points.

"I enjoyed playing with these guys," Adams said. "We were right there on the edge this year, but we just couldn't turn that corner."

Rougeau averaged 10.9 points and a team-leading 6.7 rebounds. The 6-foot-6-inch swingman's versatility will be missed because he handled the ball against pressure and played effectively in the post. He also was the Rebels' most vocal leader.

Asked if UNLV's team chemistry was a problem, Rougeau said, "I guess you could say something like that. But as seniors and as leaders, we've got to find a way to make things better. It's just the way it goes sometimes. It's a combination of a lot of things.

"The guys who are coming back for next year, they know what to expect. Coach has high expectations for everyone."

The Rebels' 7-0 record in December included victories over eventual Sweet 16 entrants Arizona and Louisville, and they took a 12-2 record into Mountain West Conference play.

UNLV, the preseason favorite to win the MWC, suffered consecutive overtime losses to San Diego State and New Mexico in early February and collapsed by going 4-7 in the last 11 games.

The obvious problems Kruger encountered were the absence of an inside presence, the void of a veteran point guard and the players' surprisingly casual attitude in some games.

Tre'Von Willis, the Rebels' No. 2 scorer at 11.4 points per game as a sophomore, is expected to return at guard and fill a leadership role. But Kruger said next season's leaders are a mystery to him.

"It's going to be interesting to see who emerges. I'm not sure exactly how that's going to unfold," Kruger said.

Oscar Bellfield, who made 21 starts as a freshman, is a candidate to run the point guard spot, as is 6-6 Derrick Jasper, a junior transfer from Kentucky. Jasper is recovering from microfracture surgery on his left knee and recently was cleared for contact.

Chace Stanback, a versatile 6-8 sophomore transfer from UCLA, displayed immense offensive skills in practices.

The Rebels will hope for contributions from a group that includes junior guard Kendall Wallace, sophomore forward DeShawn Mitchell and incoming guards Anthony Marshall (Mojave High School) and Justin Hawkins (Woodland Hills, Calif.).

If Kruger is to avoid another year of small ball, a post player or two must develop. The candidates will be 6-8 junior Matt Shaw, 6-10 sophomore Brice Massamba, 6-8 senior Darris Santee and 6-10 Carlos Lopez, a freshman from Findlay College Prep.

"I think there are so many questions, so many new people, it would be hard for the coaches to be thinking definitively as to what the expectations should be, and I really don't know," Kruger said. "It's exciting, it's intriguing and it's interesting to see how it all will unfold."

• NOTES -- UNLV's schedule next season includes road games against Arizona, Santa Clara and Southern Utah. The only confirmed opponents at the Thomas & Mack Center are Southern Illinois and UNR. ... The Rebels will play Kansas State at the Orleans Arena, and they will participate in the eight-team Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii from Dec. 22 to 25, with Southern California as a potential opponent.

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