UNLV senior forward Wendell White sits for an interview Monday at the Thomas & Mack Center. The Rebels' two victories in the NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional at Chicago over the weekend have increased media attention on the team nationally and locally. Photo by Samantha Clemens. Lon Kruger UNLV coach tries to ease pressure and distractions on Rebels heading into round of 16

If anyone is capable of remaining calm when a group is surrounded by excitement, it's Lon Kruger. The UNLV basketball coach is the type to volunteer as the designated driver, making sure everyone gets to and from the party safely.

That's part of his job this week as the Rebels return to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 for the first time in 16 years. The atmosphere around the team is festive, and fan and media attention is intense.

Kruger is on an emotional high, too, but he's not acting as if he's driving the family truckster on a vacation to Walley World -- or, in this case, St. Louis.

"Every Sweet 16 experience is exciting," said Kruger, making his third trip as a head coach. "Our guys need to enjoy the experience. At the same time, you don't want to go overboard to where you get distracted. We have to be ready to play by Friday."

UNLV upset Wisconsin 74-68 in the Midwest Regional second round on Sunday at Chicago. The team returned home late in the evening and was greeted by about 200 fans at McCarran Airport and the Thomas & Mack Center.

"It was a big-time crowd. It really surprised us at the airport," Kruger said. "I think there's a ton of excitement. The message to our guys is the same -- managing time constructively and maintaining focus."

There is business on the agenda. The seventh-seeded Rebels (30-6) will play third-seeded Oregon (28-7) in the regional semifinals at approximately 6:40 p.m. Friday at the Edward Jones Dome.

The game will start 30 minutes after the conclusion of the opening semifinal featuring top-seeded Florida (31-5) and fifth-seeded Butler (29-6).

UNLV is the lowest-seeded team remaining in the tournament. Whether that means the Rebels are some sort of Cinderella story is debatable.

It's a program that won a national championship in 1990, and a team that felt disrespected because its credentials appeared to warrant a seeding higher than No. 7.

UNLV proved that point by going to Chicago as an underdog and sending home 10th-seeded Georgia Tech and the second-seeded Badgers.

The Mountain West Conference has as many teams remaining in the NCAA Tournament field as both the Atlantic Coast Conference and Big Ten -- one apiece. The ACC sent seven teams, the Big Ten six and the Mountain West two.

"We had to prove ourselves as a team and as a conference, and that's what we did," said senior forward Wendell White, who led the team with 22 points against Wisconsin.

The Rebels did not practice Monday, though the players were made available to the media for a short time. Kruger said he did "nonstop" interviews throughout the day, but called that a "good problem."

Oregon, which won the Pacific-10 Conference Tournament, is almost a mirror image of UNLV. Both teams rely on guards for most of their scoring, and both use their speed to play smothering defense.

The Ducks are led by 6-foot guard Aaron Brooks, who averages 17.8 points per game.

Brooks scored 22 points Sunday and Oregon shot 11-for-23 from 3-point range in a 75-61 victory over Winthrop.

The Ducks, who also look to guards Tajuan Porter and Bryce Taylor, survived a scare by topping Miami (Ohio) 58-56 in the first round. During its eight-game winning streak, Oregon has held opponents to 42.4 percent shooting.

The Rebels, who have won nine in a row, shot 10-for-20 on 3-pointers against Wisconsin. Senior point guard Kevin Kruger hit four 3s to snap a shooting slump and extend the season.