An accepted premise: The toughest thing about competing in the Mountain West for basketball is the travel. The second toughest thing: Preparing for such a variety of offenses.
Basketball
Roscoe Smith did more than enough Wednesday night, totaling 12 points and 15 rebounds as UNLV led wire to wire in a 70-46 victory over San Jose State, the only winless team remaining in Mountain West play.
Hidden on a losing team at San Jose State, Rashad Muhammad is traveling a much different basketball path than the one taken by his brother, Shabazz, who went from high school phenom to Hollywood.
Sometimes big isn’t necessarily better.
A year ago, Kevin Olekaibe was in the other locker room, listening to the other coach, and not fearing the other team. At that time, the opponent was UNLV.
Like the lunatic fan everyone despises but tolerates because the home team wins when he attends the party or the nutcase who retires to his basement to create more good luck for his favorite side, UNLV should immediately enroll in a local hotel’s rewards program.
Deville Smith scored 18 points, and Roscoe Smith totaled 13 points and 14 rebounds to carry UNLV to a 62-42 victory over Utah State at the Thomas & Mack Center.
About three minutes remained in the first half of the UNLV-Utah State basketball game Wednesday night at the Thomas & Mack Center. The score was tied at 24. And given what has happened to the Rebels at times this season, it was easy to expect the worst from them.
Stew Morrill is a coach known by few outside his profession’s fraternity and yet respected as much as anyone within it.
It’s difficult for UNLV coach Dave Rice to pinpoint what has bothered his basketball team on its home floor. Still, he might have the answer.
The trip from hell — at least by Mountain West basketball standards this season — taught UNLV some valuable lessons this past week. Most of them good.
Xavier Thames scored 18 points and No. 10 San Diego State used its defense to shut down UNLV in a 63-52 win at Viejas Arena.
Each season in college basketball, there are a handful of so-called surprise teams that far surpass most expectations. It’s probably accurate to stick that label to San Diego State, even if Xavier Thames disagrees.
Deville Smith took full advantage of just his fourth start on Wednesday. He will get a fifth at first-place San Diego State on Saturday. He is sure to remain in the lineup for the foreseeable future.
In an unbridled show of emotion after a steal, dunk and foul, Bryce Dejean-Jones pumped his arms, shouted and chest bumped teammates. He had a point to prove, and a three-point play was only his opening statement.
