Booster club gets UNLV basketball team to the Bahamas

NASSAU, Bahamas — A foreign tour would not make much financial sense at UNLV, which has plenty of budgetary issues.

But basketball coach Marvin Menzies knew with so much new about his program, including him, a foreign tour would be especially beneficial with trying to form cohesion.

It wasn’t just about the tour itself, but the 10 practices the NCAA allows before leaving the country. So that’s three weeks of practices and games that most teams don’t receive before September.

The money, though. What to do about the money?

That’s where the Runnin’ Rebels Club stepped in and funded the roughly $100,000 trip to the Bahamas, where the Rebels are playing three exhibition games this week. UNLV, which split its first two games, plays its final exhibition at 2 p.m. PDT Thursday at Sir Kendal Isaacs Gym against the Providence Storm of the Bahamas Basketball Federation.

“I’ve always felt like the benefits were the practices and the ability to start to get to know my team and staff,” Menzies said. “Having this opportunity has already been really valuable because I’ve learned so much already in these 10 practices and the time that we’ve already spent here in the Bahamas.

“There’s no substitute for the real thing in having the ability to coach the guys in and out of games and everything from going through game routines to travel protocol to experiencing all of the details that surround being with the guys and creating the culture that I want this year. The Runnin’ Rebels Club has provided that for us.”

Tom Jingoli of the RRC agreed with Menzies’ points about putting together the trip. The NCAA allows one foreign tour every four years, and UNLV in 2012 traveled to Canada and in 2008 went to Australia.

“It was important because Marvin wanted it, and as the head coach he thought it was important to get the kids together for some extra practice,” Jingoli said in a text message. “Additionally, it was also critical for his coaching staff because they haven’t worked together as a group. This was a great opportunity for the entire team, including coaches, to go away, travel and get ready for the upcoming season.”

This trip has been about more than basketball. The players also are taking part in activities off the floor, most notably a boat trip Friday.

Then it’s back to Las Vegas, where the Rebels get more than a month off before regathering for preseason practices in late September. UNLV hosts exhibition games on Nov. 1 and 4 before opening its season Nov. 11 against South Alabama at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Menzies said the Bahamas was the only foreign destination he considered because he had been to this country and was familiar with how it hosted events.

With the three weeks of practices and games coming to a close, Menzies said he was pleased by how the process has played out. UNLV lost 80-79 to Toronto on Sunday on three free throws with 0.5 seconds left, and the Rebels defeated the Bahamian team CTG Knights 106-85 on Tuesday.

“I think the competition has been good so far,” Menzies said. “Last night, it was a battle for a long stretch of the game, and it gave us another opportunity to try to play with the lead and finish the game off, which we didn’t do (Sunday). So we’ve already been faced with a couple of different challenges that we were able to grow from one game to the next.”

Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow on Twitter: @markanderson65