WENDELL WHITE A first-team all-Mountain West Conference selection, White led the Rebels in scoring (14.4 ppg) and rebounding (6.1 rpg). He averaged 20.5 points in two NCAA Tournament victories. Photo by The Associated Press.
KEVIN KRUGER In his only season at UNLV after transferring from Arizona State, Kruger made a team-high 80 3-pointers and averaged 13.5 points. He was voted the MWC tournament Most Valuable Player. Photo by K.M. Cannon.
JOEL ANTHONY After sitting out the 2005-06 season as a redshirt, Anthony developed into the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year and finished No. 2 on the school's career blocked shots list. Photo by John Locher.
GASTON ESSENGUE As a junior, Essengue started only one game and averaged 3.1 points. As a senior, he made 31 consecutive starts at center, averaged 7.6 points and scored in double figures 14 times. Photo by Craig L. Moran.
MICHAEL UMEH During his four-year career, Umeh played 111 games and started 60. He scored a team-high 18 points in the Rebels' victory over Brigham Young in the MWC tournament championship game. Photo by K.M. Cannon.
White-clad fans fill the seats during the "White Out" game at the Thomas & Mack Center on March 3. The Rebels rolled over Colorado State 65-47 in the regular-season finale, then followed that by winning the Mountain West Conference Tournament and reaching the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16. Photo by John Locher.
On a lonely bus trip to St. George, Utah, one wrong turn from the middle of nowhere, UNLV coach Lon Kruger watched his basketball team find a sense of direction.
The team few people were taking seriously started to turn its season around on a neutral court at Burns Arena on Saturday, Dec. 2. The Rebels routed Northern Arizona, 93-53.
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The announced attendance was 1,274. The realistic head count -- including band members, cheerleaders and coaches and players from both teams -- was about 700.
"It kind of snowballed from there," Kruger said.
The next morning, Kruger and his team boarded a flight to Honolulu, where UNLV battled to an ugly 61-58 victory over Hawaii on Dec. 5.
Four days later, the Rebels arrived in Reno as heavy underdogs to 20th-ranked UNR, and eyes opened wide as they built a 21-point lead and upset the Wolf Pack, 58-49.
"You think back to Hawaii and Reno, and how exciting that was, but it just consistently got better," Kruger said. "There were a lot of moments of pretty good highlights."
UNLV, which dropped to 4-2 after a 14-point loss at Arizona on Nov. 28, put together a 30-7 season that ended Friday but will be remembered for a long time.
The team photo was dominated by five seniors -- centers Joel Anthony and Gaston Essengue, guard Michael Umeh, forward Wendell White and the coach's son, point guard Kevin Kruger.
"Five seniors that played significant roles," Lon Kruger said, "and they all arrived from different starting points."
Only Umeh, from Houston, was recruited straight out of high school. Anthony, a native of Canada, came from a junior college in Florida. Essengue, a native of Cameroon, came from a junior college in Texas. White detoured through a junior college in California.
Kevin Kruger, who took advantage of a little-known NCAA rule to transfer from Arizona State last summer, fit perfectly as the final piece to the puzzle.
"He's a leader by example," White said. "Being the coach's son, he has a lot of responsibilities. He's a great player, and a great person off the court."
Kevin Kruger showed up on the first day of practice in October and made a prediction for March -- the Rebels would win the Mountain West Conference, despite being picked to finish sixth, and make an impression in the NCAA Tournament.
"One of the goals I set at the beginning of the year was to put pride back into UNLV basketball," Kevin Kruger said. "And we did that."
The Rebels' five-month journey included some significant firsts:
• The first victory over a ranked team since 2000.
• The first top-25 ranking in both major polls since 1993.
• The first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2000 and the first NCAA Tournament win since 1991.
One of the highlights of the season came Dec. 28 in Lubbock, Texas. With Texas Tech coach Bob Knight set to break the men's Division I career victory record of 879, UNLV put a 74-66 beating on the Red Raiders.
A month later, fan support started to swell. On Jan. 27, the Rebels defeated New Mexico 76-72 in overtime before a crowd of 17,056 at the Thomas & Mack Center. It was the largest crowd to see a UNLV regular-season home game since 1997.
After the Rebels' 60-50 victory over No. 14 Air Force on Feb. 20, several hundred fans from a crowd of 15,692 flooded the Thomas & Mack court in a spontaneous celebration.
UNLV's five seniors were honored before a 65-47 victory over Colorado State on March 3. A crowd of 18,069 -- the largest home crowd to watch the Rebels since 1993 -- attended the regular-season finale.
One week later, UNLV rallied from a 14-point deficit to defeat Brigham Young 78-70 and win the Mountain West Conference Tournament at the Thomas & Mack, where the Rebels went 19-1.
UNLV was sent to Chicago for the NCAA Tournament and upset Georgia Tech and Wisconsin to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time in 16 years.
The Rebels' run ended Friday with a 76-72 loss to Oregon in the Midwest Regional semifinals in St. Louis.
White followed a disappointing junior year by leading UNLV in scoring and rebounding as a senior.
"You could say if Wendell didn't do what he did, we wouldn't win 30 games. But you could say that about a lot of guys," Lon Kruger said. "The sum of the parts was a lot greater than any individual."
The only regular non-senior starter was sophomore guard Wink Adams. Juniors Corey Bailey and Curtis Terry, sophomore Joe Darger and freshman Marcus Lawrence filled important roles as reserves.
The Rebels changed their season in December by becoming a blue-collar defensive team. Their victory over Northern Arizona was the start of a 10-game winning streak.
But for Lon Kruger, the real beginning of something special was when his seniors formed a strong bond in October.
"With five seniors, I liked the group from the start. They were focused in practice every day, very unselfish and worked hard," Lon Kruger said. "From start to finish, the progress was pretty steady. I don't think anyone could ever say we expected to win 30 games."
REMEMBERING THE REBELS' SEASON
Along the way to winning the Mountain West Conference Tournament and reaching the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16, UNLV had several memorable moments. A look at the highs and lows of the Rebels' best basketball season in 16 years:
• Oct. 14 -- On the first day of practice with his new team, senior point guard Kevin Kruger predicts UNLV will make its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2000. "I came here to win a conference championship. I expect that, and I'm not going to settle for anything less," said Kruger, who announced in July his plans to transfer from Arizona State.
• Nov. 7 -- Greg Anthony, the point guard for the 1990 national championship team, has his No. 50 jersey retired at halftime of the Rebels' exhibition game against Dixie State. Anthony, a Rancho High School graduate, is the seventh UNLV player to have his jersey retired.
• Nov. 10 -- Sophomore guard Wink Adams scores 16 points to lead the Rebels to a season-opening 73-59 victory over Hawaii before 9,284 fans at the Thomas & Mack Center.
• Nov. 17 -- Despite 24 points and 10 rebounds from senior forward Wendell White, UNLV suffers a 79-76 home loss to UC Santa Barbara. The absence of Kevin Kruger, who sprained his right ankle in the season opener, is costly.
• Nov. 28 -- In what Rebels coach Lon Kruger said would be a "measuring stick" game, his team comes up short in an 89-75 loss to 16th-ranked Arizona in Tucson, Ariz. UNLV falls to 4-2.
• Dec. 2 -- An estimated 700 fans watch the Rebels rout Northern Arizona 93-53 at Burns Arena in St. George, Utah. Adams scores 16 points to lead five UNLV players in double figures.
• Dec. 5 -- White has 20 points and 11 rebounds to carry the Rebels to a 61-58 victory over Hawaii in Honolulu.
• Dec. 9 -- In need of a signature win to propel UNLV's program, Lon Kruger gets it at the expense of in-state rival UNR. The Rebels build a 21-point second-half lead and hold on to stun the 20th-ranked Wolf Pack 58-49 before a sellout crowd of 11,368 at Lawlor Events Center in Reno. It is UNLV's first victory over a ranked team since Feb. 5, 2000.
• Dec. 28 -- Texas Tech coach Bob Knight is in position to break the men's Division I career victory record of 879. But the Rebels extend their winning streak to eight games by putting a 74-66 beating on the Red Raiders before a national TV audience on ESPN2 and a sold-out crowd of 15,098 at United Spirit Arena in Lubbock, Texas. Kevin Kruger scores 21 points, and UNLV leads by as many as 19 points in the second half.
• Dec. 30 -- Adams has 17 points and nine rebounds to push the Rebels to a 78-62 victory at Houston. UNLV takes a 13-2 record into Mountain West Conference play.
• Jan. 3 -- White's steal and layup with 15 seconds remaining in the second overtime lift the Rebels to a 97-94 victory over Utah at the Thomas & Mack. White finishes with 24 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. Kevin Kruger hits 8 of 16 3-pointers and scores 25 points to lead UNLV in its conference opener.
• Jan. 6 -- The end of the Rebels' 10-game winning streak arrives in a 56-50 loss to No. 20 Air Force at Clune Arena in Colorado Springs, Colo. UNLV makes only 1 of 18 3-point shots. Kevin Kruger hits the team's only 3 with
1:55 to play, and it counts for something because the Rebels keep intact their NCAA-record streak of 648 consecutive games with at least one made 3-pointer.
• Jan. 10 -- White scores a career-high 30 points, but UNLV fails to protect an 11-point lead with nine minutes remaining and falls to Wyoming 86-76 in overtime in Laramie, Wyo. The Rebels have a shot to win at the end of regulation, but Adams appears to be fouled on a drive to the basket and there is no call. Kevin Kruger leaves 2:22 into the game with a bruised left thigh.
• Jan. 13 -- Adams scores 19 of his 27 points in the second half to boost UNLV to an 83-75 home victory over Brigham Young.
• Jan. 23 -- With Kevin Kruger and White out with injuries, Adams scores 20 points to carry the Rebels to a 68-61 victory over San Diego State at the Thomas & Mack. UNLV improves to 17-4, matching its win total in each of coach Lon Kruger's first two seasons.
• Jan. 27 -- Sophomore forward Joe Darger hits a tying 3-pointer with 38 seconds to play in regulation, and the Rebels defeat New Mexico 76-72 in overtime before a crowd of 17,056 at the Thomas & Mack. Adams has 27 points. It is the largest crowd to see a UNLV regular-season home game since Dec. 27, 1997.
• Jan. 29 -- The Rebels earn their first top-25 ranking since 1993, rising into a tie for 25th in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll. "It's an indication we're moving in the right direction," Lon Kruger said.
• Feb. 3 -- Mike Rose comes off the bench to make eight 3-pointers as Brigham Young embarrasses UNLV 90-63 at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah, in the worst loss in Lon Kruger's three years as coach.
• Feb. 7 -- Senior center Joel Anthony has a school-record 13 blocked shots in an 82-67 home victory over Texas Christian.
• Feb. 13 -- White, playing with a broken jaw, scores a team-high 10 points as the Rebels are flattened 67-52 on the road by San Diego State.
• Feb. 20 -- A sea of students from a crowd of 15,692 floods the Thomas & Mack court to celebrate UNLV's 60-50 victory over No. 14 Air Force.
• Feb. 28 -- Kevin Kruger scores a career-high 29 points and adds nine assists, five rebounds and two blocked shots in 35 turnover-free minutes to lead the Rebels to an 85-83 victory over New Mexico in Albuquerque, N.M. Kruger shoots 7-for-9 from 3-point range.
• March 3 -- UNLV's five seniors are honored before a 65-47 victory over Colorado State as a crowd of 18,069 attends the regular-season finale. It is the largest home crowd to watch the Rebels since Feb. 20, 1993. UNLV finishes the regular season 25-6, its highest win total since coach Jerry Tarkanian's final team went 26-2 in 1991-92.
• March 10 -- Down 14 points midway through the first half, the Rebels rally to defeat Brigham Young 78-70 and win the Mountain West Conference Tournament. Several hundred of the 16,204 fans storm the court at the Thomas & Mack, where UNLV improves to 19-1. Kevin Kruger is voted tournament Most Valuable Player.
• March 16 -- White's tiebreaking layup with 1:11 remaining lifts seventh-seeded UNLV to a 67-63 victory over 10th-seeded Georgia Tech in the Midwest Regional first round before a crowd of 18,237 at the United Center in Chicago. It's the Rebels' first NCAA Tournament win since March 23, 1991. "It's a big win for the program, and we want to keep on going," said White, who finishes with 19 points and eight rebounds.
• March 18 -- Kevin Kruger makes three 3-pointers during a late rally to help UNLV reach the Sweet 16 for the first time in 16 years with a 74-68 victory over second-seeded Wisconsin. White scores a team-high 22 points.
• March 23 -- The Rebels' deepest NCAA Tournament run since 1991 ends with a 76-72 loss to third-seeded Oregon in the Midwest Regional semifinals before a crowd of 26,307 at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis. The Ducks' 5-foot-6-inch Tajuan Porter hits eight 3-pointers on the way to 33 points.
UNLV finishes the season 30-7.
