Storm warning: Rice plots Rebels’ 149-mile detour to Laramie

Dave Rice is a basketball coach, but he could use help from a weatherman and a travel agent to prepare a game plan for UNLV’s next opponent.

With the Rebels scheduled to play at Wyoming on Saturday, one of their biggest challenges might be just getting to Laramie. Rice expressed some concern about the trip after Thursday’s practice.

“We were scheduled to go into Denver, but with the blizzard hitting, we changed our travel plans and we’re going to fly into Casper and try to avoid the storm,” Rice said.

Instead of catching the usual Southwest Airlines flight to Denver, the UNLV team will take Allegiant Air to Casper, Wyo., and bus to Laramie.

It’s about a two-hour drive northwest from Denver International Airport to Laramie. How long is the drive south from Casper?

“It’s 149 miles,” Rice said.

Most people would round up the mileage to 150, but Rice is always precise with his answers.

Heavy snow was hammering the Denver area Friday morning, so the flight change seemed to be a wise idea. However, the snow stretched into most of Wyoming, including Casper and Laramie. If those cow towns are connected by a dirt road, the Rebels could be in for a long bus trip. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m.

“It’s probably like Murphy’s Law. Wherever we go will be where the storm hits,” Rice said. “That certainly is one of the advantages Wyoming has in terms of the travel.”

Another home-court advantage for the Cowboys is Laramie’s altitude at 7,200 feet. But none of that bothered San Diego State, which defeated Wyoming 52-42 on Jan. 24, after the Aztecs’ charter flight to Wyoming was grounded by snow in Utah and delayed their arrival by 17 hours.
“As long as we can make it there in time for the game,” Rice said, “we’ll be ready to play.”

Don’t put me in, Coach

Reserve sophomore guard Karam Mashour declined the opportunity to play Wednesday when Rice tried to empty the bench with 42 seconds remaining in 11th-ranked UNLV’s 82-63 victory over Colorado State at the Thomas & Mack Center.

The Rebels (21-3, 5-1) are tied for first in the Mountain West Conference with San Diego State. But Mashour, who has averaged only 3.3 minutes while appearing in 12 of 24 games, must think he deserves to play more than garbage-time minutes.

“We addressed it with the team before practice, and I just made it clear that it’s unacceptable. If we ask a guy to go in a game, unless he is injured, then we expect him to go in a game,” Rice said Thursday. “We’re all in this thing together. We’re trying to win a conference championship together. We’ve got too much going for us, and we don’t need a distraction like that.

“Karam is a good kid. He has done a terrific job in practice, and he has been a valued member of our scout team. As far as I’m concerned, it’s case closed. It was a mistake on his part, but we all learn from things. He understands now, and we’ll move forward and be better for it. I thought it was a great learning opportunity for our entire team.”