Loss puts Rebels on ‘alert’

CEDAR CITY, Utah -- In a typical film session, UNLV coach Lon Kruger reviews the previous game and emphasizes points positive and negative.

The latest session was different.

Kruger broke down the film from the Rebels' 95-80 loss to Kansas State on Saturday, and found more breakdowns than he could count.

"There certainly was nothing pleasing about it," Kruger said.

UNLV junior guard Tre'Von Willis was more blunt.

"It was horrific. It was ridiculous," Willis said. "We watched film and we didn't do anything we wanted to do.

"That's a wake-up call for us. Now we're alert and not too high. That's the only good thing about it."

The Rebels (7-1) are back to reality and falling in the rankings as they prepare to play Southern Utah (3-7) at 6 p.m. today.

UNLV dropped out of the Associated Press Top 25 after being 18th last week. The Rebels tumbled six spots to 23rd in the USA Today/ESPN coaches' poll.

Southern Utah, of the Summit League, is on a five-game losing streak, including an 84-66 loss at Weber State on Saturday.

UNLV, facing a stretch of three games in five days, hosts Weber State on Thursday and South Carolina-Upstate on Saturday. So Willis said it's time to learn from the Kansas State debacle and move on.

"We can look forward to getting better," Willis said. "We know it's a long season, and that game is behind us now, and we've got to grind it out."

Kruger hinted at a starting lineup change after Sunday and Monday practices, saying, "I don't know. We'll take a look at it."

Willis, averaging a team-high 17 points, and sophomore guard Oscar Bellfield have been the Rebels' most consistent performers.

Kruger gave freshman guard Anthony Marshall his first start, in place of sophomore forward Chace Stanback, against Kansas State. Both players were effective, Stanback with 14 points and Marshall with 11.

If another lineup change is coming, it might be in the post, where senior forward Darris Santee and junior forward Matt Shaw have played better than starting center Brice Massamba.

Kruger's focus is on improvement in UNLV's defensive effort. He was upset by a lack of defensive pressure against the Wildcats, who made 14 of 23 3-point shots. Kruger said he wants to see his players do more in terms of fighting through screens and getting to shooters.

"Urgency is probably the key word," Kruger said. "Kansas State dictated on both ends of the floor, and you never feel good about a team coming into your town and doing that. They got up on top of us and knocked us on our heels, and we didn't respond.

"We've got a lot of work to do. There's not any shortcut to it. We would feel the same way if we had won or lost. But when you lose it like that, it kind of drives that point home a little harder."

Southern Utah's top player is 6-foot-5-inch senior guard Davis Baker, who averages 17.3 points and scored 27 against Weber State. But the Thunderbirds will be a threat only if the Rebels shoot poorly and fail to defend.

"We can't keep playing mediocre basketball in the first half and continue to win games," Willis said. "We are going to put pressure on each other to step up to the challenge now."

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