No. 18 UNLV braces for Johnson, UC Santa Barbara

But for the past few days, the UC Santa Barbara senior has been studying history.

"I’ve been watching film from last year’s game against UNLV," he said. "But I know they are doing some different things now with a new coaching staff."

The Rebels (7-0) will play their first game of the season as a ranked team — 18th in The Associated Press poll and 20th in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll — when they face the Gauchos (4-1) at 7 p.m. today in the Thunderdome. The teams were conference rivals for some memorable meetings in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Johnson said he has heard about those games of the past. More important to him is the major role he played in UCSB’s 68-62 upset of UNLV last season in Las Vegas. The Rebels were ranked 22nd and 16-point favorites.

Johnson produced 12 points and 15 rebounds in the win, the Gauchos’ first over a ranked opponent since February 1993 and their first over a ranked opponent on the road since January 1988.

"We know how it felt after that game, and we don’t want that this year," UNLV junior guard Anthony Marshall said. "It’s going to be a hostile environment. We’ve got a bigger bull’s-eye on our back."

Four days ago, the Rebels knocked off then-No. 1 North Carolina 90-80 to win the Las Vegas Invitational at Orleans Arena. Johnson did not see the game, because he was playing in one at the time, but he took notice of the result.

"UNLV just got a big win. Teams like that we definitely get up for more than others," Johnson said. "You look forward to these games a lot. They definitely have revenge on their minds.

"But we have to go out there and take it to them. Our team is very confident, and we’re not afraid of anybody out there. We know it’s going to be a dogfight for 40 minutes."

Johnson said there is a buzz around campus about the Rebels’ arrival, and he expects several UNLV fans to make the trip to help pack the 6,000-seat Thunderdome just like in the old days of the rivalry.

"It’s going to be an interesting night," he said. "The people are going to leave knowing they were seeing a great game."

Rebels coach Dave Rice is plotting ways to slow two great scorers. Johnson, a 6-foot-5-inch swingman, averages 21.4 points and scored 26 in each of the past two games, including a 76-75 overtime loss at home to San Diego State on Saturday. Senior guard James Nunnally is averaging 19.6 points per game.

Rice said the duo require a "collaborative effort" defensively, with Marshall and forwards Mike Moser and Chace Stanback doing most of the work.

"Both are good on the perimeter, and Johnson is particularly good posting up. They are versatile and multi-dimensional guys who take advantage of mismatches," Rice said. "It’s a challenge for us."

What does not worry Rice is the obvious question: Will there be a hangover for the Rebels after an emotional upset of the Tar Heels?

"I have a lot of concerns about playing against Santa Barbara. I have no concerns about a letdown," Rice said. "There’s a big difference in those two questions."

UCSB coach Bob Williams has been known to throw zone defenses at opponents. After last year’s win, Nunnally said the Gauchos’ zone "wears on people, kind of like Chinese water torture." UNLV beat slow-down defensive teams Cal Poly and Southern California last week.

"A good thing for us is we’ve proven that we can win games at different tempos," Rice said. "We always like when the game is up-tempo like it was against North Carolina, but if a team chooses to slow it down, then we’ll be disciplined on the defensive end and take our opportunities as they come."

Johnson is attracting more attention from NBA scouts, and he said the Gauchos, who reached the NCAA Tournament the past two seasons, are capable of taking down the Rebels again.

"I think our team is even more talented than last year," he said. "I’m just enjoying the moment right now."

UNLV has a 29-9 advantage in the series, but UCSB has won all three meetings since 2006.

"I’ve been a part of one, and I heard about the other two," Marshall said. "We owe them one."

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