Dedan Thomas Jr. was spectacular in an overtime loss to San Diego State in the Mountain West tournament, coming oh so close to sending the Rebels to the semifinals.
Sports Columns
The UNLV women’s basketball team got a well-deserved trophy for winning its third straight Mountain West tournament championship, but a bigger goal remains.
The Rebels deserved to lose after blowing leads at the end of regulation and in overtime in falling to Colorado State at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Here we are again — what, has it been 10 minutes, a season, three? — and UNLV’s basketball program is apparently at another crossroads with its coaching position.
The Rebels beat Air Force 81-73 and with it allowed UNLV to reach 30 wins over the short tenure of head coach Marvin Menzies.
The Warriors believe former UNLV player Patrick McCaw can be one of those two-way players teams continuously pursue, but his place on the league’s best team was born from this reality: He can really defend.
Most believe UNLV basketball coach Chris Beard will take the Texas Tech job. Why wouldn’t he? Why shouldn’t he? No one could have seen this coming.
In the narrative that is UNLV basketball, Stacey Augmon is royalty, the greatest player in program history not named Larry Johnson.
These college basketball lid-lifters and early-season games against teams supposedly easily vanquished have not always gone well for Dave Rice’s UNLV teams. The words “gasoline” and “fire” immediately come to mind.
The future is always about three weeks in March, because fair or not, sensible or foolish, right or wrong, college basketball teams and those who coach them are ultimately judged on how they perform once the madness begins.
Dave Rice just concluded his fourth season as UNLV’s coach, his second straight without a postseason appearance, and it is no secret that his job is in jeopardy after an 18-15 season. Rice and athletic director Tina Kunzer-Murphy are expected to meet this week.
Youth is out the window now. Youth doesn’t dictate effort. First-graders can play hard all the time if they want, or at least if there is a special treat at snack time for those who look engaged. Chris Wood should take notice.
The origin dates to Elizabeth Barrett Browning in 1839. The line was later listed as “The third time is lucky.” UNLV doesn’t need such fortune Friday night. But it better be a whole lot smarter than it was Thursday.
Perhaps the folks at Guinness have a record on it. Might be worth checking.
What is the difference? Five percent more effort? Ten? An extra arm length? Two?
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