Rebels shoot for another March march

It was about this time last year when a lot of people around the country were reminded that Lon Kruger still was coaching somewhere and UNLV was not a college basketball corpse.

The Rebels' memorable ride to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 last March opened eyes and shocked a sleeping program.

The next challenge for Kruger was to do it again, at least something similar.

Was UNLV a one-hit wonder -- a 30-7 team that hit a lucky streak -- or would it be more than that?

"If you can put it back-to-back-to-back, then you start thinking in terms of consistency over time, and programs strive for that," Kruger said.

The answer: Kruger is building a program. That much is evident as the Rebels go into the postseason at 23-7 and as the No. 2 seed in the Mountain West Conference Tournament.

UNLV opens against seventh-seeded Texas Christian (14-15) at 6 p.m. today at the Thomas & Mack Center, where the Rebels have won 21 consecutive games against conference opponents.

Kruger, the MWC Coach of the Year, has guided UNLV to consecutive seasons with at least 22 victories for the first time since 1990-91 and 1991-92.

The program Jerry Tarkanian built was torn apart after he was pushed out in 1992. The Rebels waited 16 years to win another NCAA Tournament game.

It might have seemed like it, but Kruger did not begin the rebuilding process just last year.

His first UNLV team in 2004-05 finished 17-14 and reached the second round of the National Invitation Tournament. His second team finished 17-13 and missed the postseason.

No one noticed because he was not working miracles.

He was working hard and following his plan.

"Those first two years, I'm not dismissing those because it was important to go through those," Kruger said. "Even though we didn't get into the NCAA Tournament, I think the guys who were here really learned from it and made progress as a result."

Kruger's first heralded recruit was Wink Adams, a shooting guard from Houston. Adams, a junior, has started every game the past two seasons while the Rebels have posted a 53-14 record, including a 24-8 mark in the Mountain West.

Adams said UNLV's players have learned what Kruger and his staff teach -- dedication, discipline and defense.

"We take a lot of pride in playing defense, and if you play defense, you can win games," Adams said.

Another NCAA Tournament bid is within reach, and Kruger calls this season "extremely satisfying" because of the progress the team has made, the consistent effort the players have given and the confidence they show in their play.

It has been a remarkable season because of other factors. The Rebels lost five seniors from last year's team, and three players were subtracted from the roster during this season. A fourth player who was expected to play a big role, 7-foot freshman Beas Hamga, was ruled ineligible by the NCAA and is redshirting.

The starting lineup features two former walk-ons, senior point guard Curtis Terry and junior guard Rene Rougeau. The tallest starter is 6-foot-7-inch junior Joe Darger. The only major contributor off the bench in recent games has been 6-8 sophomore Matt Shaw.

"Coach just finds ways with what he's got," Adams said. "Our tallest dude is 6-8, Matt Shaw, and Coach made him and Joe and Rene effective and kind of gave us an inside presence.

"To me, Coach Kruger has kind of mastered the game plans. Against every team, we switch something up with our game plans, and it's been working out for us."

After last season, Terry said, Kruger met with the team as rumors swirled about his future.

"He came out and told us that he was going to be here and this is where he wants to be," Terry said. "He and Mrs. Kruger, they love it here. He's definitely dedicated to turning the program around and being here for the long haul."

Kruger talked about his coach of the year honor for about five seconds. He quickly complimented his 10 remaining players, the same group of dwarfs that was supposed to struggle through a rebuilding season and be lucky to win 17 games. What they are proving is UNLV has a program that is now expected to win year after year.

"When you're unselfish and you really don't care about credit, then good things happen," Kruger said. "This team may represent that as much as any."

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