UNLV unravels in rout

UNLV’s basketball team had the best of both worlds through seven games, having played extremely well for stretches while not having to pay for lapses with defeat.

It was a good enough formula to earn a Top 25 ranking.

Whether the Rebels receive enough votes this week to remain among such company is unknown, but this isn’t: The other team at the Orleans Arena on Saturday deserves to be included, and unquestionably ahead of UNLV.

Kansas State was second-week-of-the-NCAA-Tournament good and the Rebels had no answer inside or out or anywhere in between, losing 95-80.

It wasn’t that close, although you would have never known it by the screaming antics of Kansas State coach Frank Martin. Stop the presses. We just found a guy that makes Utah coach Jim Boylen resemble a monk on the sideline.

UNLV didn’t rise to No. 18 in The Associated Press poll because it is so much more skilled than other teams. It did so, in large part, because the Rebels defended the 3-point line and protected the ball better than most teams nationally.

It didn’t do either against the Wildcats.

You sort of got the feeling it wasn’t UNLV’s day when its defenders ran into the same double-screen a third straight time, each mental error resulting in another open 3 that Kansas State made.

I’m a little surprised Martin drew up any play other than looping his guards over those screens and watching them shoot open jumpers all day. Maybe he forgot between all the screaming.

Jacob Pullen was 7-for-10 on 3s and scored 28 for K-State. He entered shooting 34 percent from long distance. Denis Clemente made 3 of 8 and scored 22. He entered shooting 33 percent on 3s.

“They dictated the game from the start and never looked back,” UNLV junior Tre’Von Willis said. “They played well. They’re good. They kept making shots and we couldn’t come back.

“We kept digging ourselves a hole and digging ourselves a hole and we looked up and we were down 18. It’s tough when another team plays like that.”

It can even be tough when another team plays like that and you play your best. UNLV was hardly its best.

The game at times became too fast for the Rebels, and a side that through those first seven wins ranked eighth nationally in turnovers (10.7) committed 16, which Kansas State turned into 26 points.

The Rebels entered ranked third nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.67) but had just 14 assists to the 16 miscues.

They just couldn’t keep up when the pace hastened.

They ranked 28th nationally in 3-point defense (27.4 percent), but allowed the Wildcats to make 14 of 23 for 60.9 percent.

The Rebels entered allowing an average of 66 points per game, but surrendered the most of any UNLV team during Lon Kruger’s tenure. They couldn’t get any stops.

Kansas State was really good and would beat most teams when shooting as it did.

UNLV was just really bad in spots. One of those games.

“We didn’t guard very well and they shot it very well, which is never a good combination,” Kruger offered in an understated manner. “When you get your first loss in a while, the most important thing is how you respond.

“Our guys are not happy with how we played and how we didn’t respond to how K-State played.”

UNLV went small to start by replacing Chase Stanback with freshman Anthony Marshall in the lineup, but was still overmatched by better guards. It wasn’t a fair fight on the perimeter. Pullen and Clemente won going away.

The Rebels also won’t beat many teams when guard Derrick Jasper goes scoreless while taking and missing all three shot attempts from 3. He has too much size not to be more aggressive off the dribble.

Basketball rankings in December mean as much as baseball scores during the Cactus League, although the Rebels still deserve to be in the Top 25 come Monday. Not ahead of Kansas State, mind you, and not ahead of Mountain West Conference foe New Mexico, which is 10-0 after beating No. 16 Texas A&M on a neutral court Saturday.

But the Rebels are still worthy of a No. 22 to 25 range, and now inherit a stretch where you could still envision a final nonconference record of 13-1.

UNLV just needs to remember what got it to 7-0. You know, everything it didn’t do Saturday.

Las Vegas Review-Journal sports columnist Ed Graney can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4618. He also can be heard weeknights from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. on “The Sports Scribes” on KDWN-AM (720) and www.kdwn.com.