Graney: How good are the Rebels? We’re about to find out
It has been an impressive beginning, this unbeaten start by UNLV’s basketball team to open Mountain West play.
Impressive in how the Rebels have executed, how they have competed, how they have won.
(Save a bit of second-half slippage Saturday against San Jose State.)
Now, we’re about to see how capable the Rebels really are.
Where they might stand in the big picture of a good but not great conference this season.
UNLV continued its winning ways by beating the Spartans 79-73 at the Thomas & Mack Center.
It means the Rebels are 3-0 in conference. Means they have taken care of business thus far.
“Feeling good,” sophomore point guard Dedan Thomas Jr. said. “We have a few things we need to clean up, but other than that, I’m feeling like we’re starting to come together both defensively and offensively. I like where we’re at.”
There were no signature nonconference wins, none that an NCAA Tournament selection committee would be impressed with. No victory against the likes of Memphis or Mississippi State or Dayton or Creighton.
It makes, then, winning as many Mountain West games and challenging for a regular-season title all the more important.
There are 20 league contests this season. Everyone plays everyone twice.
Yeah. Long ways to go.
There is always the goal of winning a Mountain West tournament championship and the automatic NCAA berth that goes with it.
Yeah. Really long ways to go.
‘Helps build confidence’
The Rebels have done well to begin conference play, not only winning games but doing so in a decisive manner over the first two. Fresno State and Air Force, a few of the league’s bottom-feeders, were disposed of in relatively easy double-digits fashion.
San Jose State, also destined for a lower-tier finish, wasn’t as simple to put away.
But it creates a culture of expecting to have success instead of just hoping for it. Winning matters, no matter who stands on the other side.
“It’s most important in today’s day, with roster turnover and some of the adversity the guys went through in the fall with some of the injuries,” UNLV coach Kevin Kruger said. “As much as anything, it just helps build confidence. It’s always the biggest concern for coaches going into a season with new guys mixing with returners. Just build as much confidence as you can.”
You play who the schedule says you play.
Now, some teeth of the conference slate arrives.
The early part of favorable matchups are over. UNLV’s next four games include three on the road — Boise State, Colorado State and San Diego State — with a home game sandwiched in against Utah State.
The latest victory wasn’t much of a game at halftime, the Rebels up 44-26 on a Spartans side that has one of the conference’s best coaches in Tim Miles but rarely the talent to match.
But then the final 20 minutes began, and UNLV quickly led by 20 and yet the Spartans just wouldn’t go away. They managed a 14-0 run to cut the deficit to three with 3:25 remaining.
Made an announced gathering of 5,182 a bit nervous.
Boise State awaits
“We just started getting lazy on defense,” said Thomas, who scored a team-high 17 points and had seven of his team’s final eight down the stretch. “Just taking breaks, which we can’t do.
“Honestly, I’m just proud of how we’ve been able to close out these games and respond when teams go on runs like that. I look at it as a positive. Down the road, in conference play, when we’re in those tight games, I know we can close it out.”
How good are they? We’re about to find out.
Some teeth of the schedule awaits, beginning at Boise State on Tuesday night.
“A big team,” Thomas said. “Last year, we went in there and got a really tough win by doing all the little things. If we just stick to what we’re good at, we’ll be fine.”
So far in conference, they’re really good at winning.
Ed Graney, a Sigma Delta Chi Award winner for sports column writing, can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com. He can be heard on “The Press Box,” ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 7 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday. Follow @edgraney on X.
