Rebels reflect on season, prepare for next year

March 30, 2009 by Sean Jaramillo and Sage Sammons 

Transfers, freshmen set to make instant impact next season

Losing three starters will be tough, but the Runnin’ Rebels have the ability to overcome that hurdle.

This year’s UNLV basketball team was supposed to bring a “Rebelution” to the school. The fans, players and community in general expected a conference championship and at least a run into this week’s NCAA Sweet 16.

“In coaches’ perspective you always want to play as well as you can, make consistent progress from start to finish, and be playing our best basketball late in the season,” head coach Lon Kruger said. “This year we didn’t do that and consequently, we didn’t have the opportunity to play in the NCAA tournament.”

The preseason favorite for the Mountain West Conference crown, however, hit several snags along the way and was relegated to a first round NIT exit against the Kentucky Wildcats.

The Runnin’ Rebels had a great deal of success in the early part of the season, but the depth and overall competition of the Mountain West forced a 9-7 conference record and a first round loss in the conference tournament. The loss to San Diego State in the first round was the third time that they had lost to the Aztecs this season and it essentially popped the Rebels’ NCAA bubble hopes.

“With us being seniors, it’s definitely frustrating.  You work so hard up to this point in your senior season,” senior forward René Rougeau said.

UNLV started the season with a 5-0 record before losing to California and Cincinnati. Their biggest highlight of the season, however, came in the final non-conference game against Louisville. With Wink Adams being injured, the team put it together for 40 minutes and beat the NCAA overall No. 1 seed, 56-55.

Sadly, just as it appeared the team would be assured of an NCAA berth, the Mountain West Conference began to give them trouble. The Rebels suffered road losses to Colorado State and Texas Christian early in conference play, and that set the tone for the rest of the schedule.

UNLV also took road losses to the conference co-champions Utah and New Mexico, and they also suffered three losses to San Diego State, two of which came five days apart.

But with the season’s conclusion, work has already begun for next season’s squad.

“Offseason work is a lot about skill development, I think this group is very motivated coming out of this year not being able to play in the NCAA tournament,” Kruger said.

Though the Rebels will miss seniors Joe Darger, Mo Rutledge, Adams and Rougeau, their roster will be replenished as UCLA and Kentucky transfers Chace Stanback and Derrick Jasper will make their debut next season. 

“Both have done a good job the last year, Derrick in rehabbing from knee surgery and Chase more in live work in practice, but both did a good job.  We are anxious to get them out there and mesh their abilities with the guys returning,” said Kruger.

Matt Shaw will be coming off an injury and high school prospects Anthony Marshall, Carlos Lopez and Justin Hawkins will likely contribute in their first season.

Lopez and Marshall will be the first pair of Las Vegas products since Marcus Lawrence played for the Rebels last season. There have been concerns that off-court problems may plague the local players like it did Lawrence, who was arrested on suspicion of DUI.

“Off the court stuff is always a concern,” Kruger said. “We want our guys to handle themselves well and make good decisions, take care of responsibilities. Represent themselves in a first class way. Whether that be local guys or other guys, we always want and expect our guys to do that.”

“Marshall will give us good versatility on the floor.  Lopez, 6-foot-10 is very rangy and has a very good feel for the game.  Hawkins brings a lot of intangibles and is coming from a winning program,” Kruger said. “Three guys that bring three really different things to the table.”

The Rebels still have an open scholarship that Kruger may save for a transfer, but UNLV is also a favorite of former-Findlay Prep star, Victor Rudd, who hasn’t announced his school of choice yet.

Plus, the Rebels will be playing in a holiday tournament in Hawaii, the Diamond Head Classic’s inaugural tournament.  Southern Cal is one of the other big teams that will join in the Christmas Tournament and the rest of the field will be announced before summer. 

One thing is for certain, work is already in progress for next season and though success may have been hard to find, the team will look to live up to this season’s expectations next season.