Graney: Rebels finally show what they’re capable of in Creighton rout

This is what he knew they were capable of.

This is where his mind must have wandered when envisioning his team playing some of its finest basketball at such an elevated level.

What he had seen in practices and various scrimmages.

What he was sure existed within them.

Kevin Kruger’s side was better than at any point this season by several lengths of a court Wednesday night, ripping No. 8 Creighton 79-64 as part of the Jack Jones Classic at the Dollar Loan Center.

The Rebels were as or more impressive than the final score.

“UNLV played great,” Creighton coach Greg McDermott said. “They controlled tempo about as well as anyone we’ve played. They got the lead, and we really couldn’t penetrate it. They played really well.”

Really, really well.

D for defense

It was the best defensive effort by a few country miles for UNLV thus far, limiting one of the nation’s best offensive rosters to 40 percent shooting, including 28 percent from 3. The Bluejays entered as the country’s 13th-best team from distance.

But the Rebels made denying such attempts an emphasis, or at least making things as difficult as possible for Creighton. It worked.

It’s by far the most impressive victory in the Kruger Era in this, his third season as coach. It’s also the first time since 2020 (at fourth-ranked San Diego State) that the Rebels have beaten a top 10 team.

UNLV on Wednesday executed about as complete a game plan as Kruger could have hoped. Players obviously paid attention during the pregame scout.

It was also earlier in the day when a federal judge in West Virginia cleared the way for two-time transfers in college basketball to play for at least the next two weeks. That meant Keylan Boone would make his season debut for UNLV later that evening.

It seems he and twin brother Kalib were happy with the decision.

The duo showed up and then some, Kalib scoring a game-high 25 points on 12-of-17 shooting with seven rebounds and Keylan adding 10 points and six boards.

UNLV relied on ball screens for freshman point guard Dedan Thomas Jr. — who was terrific with 16 points, six rebounds, nine assists and zero turnovers in 37 minutes — in the first half and Kalib Boone inside in the second. Creighton couldn’t stop either.

I know. I know. Where in the world has this team been?

Probably trying to understand what buying into a message really means — and how difficult it can be. And when you lose games you shouldn’t — the Rebels have done such and are now 4-4 — confidence can wane.

But a win such as this can change all that. Now, it’s about having the maturity to take what occurred into your next game. Into celebrating the moment and then preparing for the next.

But the team Wednesday night can compete with anyone remaining on its schedule, and that includes a top-heavy Mountain West that is suddenly much better than most imagined before the season tipped off.

This team can. The team that was 3-4, not so much.

In other words, the Rebels desperately needed such a win.

And desperately need to remember how it was earned.

Moving forward

“It’s going to be a lot of fun with this group as things go forward, the way they played off each other,” Kruger said. “This was obviously a lot more fun. The buy-in was clear from the moment we met getting ready for Creighton. A tone was set early. I was really proud and happy for them.”

And with just over a minute remaining and the lead having swelled to 17, Thomas stood near midcourt with the ball in one hand, the other imploring UNLV’s faithful to stand and be louder. This is what people saw when Kruger again dipped into the transfer portal for immediate help and signed Thomas out of Liberty High. This sort of outcome.

They were really, really good.

Editor’s note: This has been updated to reflect the year the Rebels last beat a top 10 team.

Ed Graney, a Sigma Delta Chi Award winner for sports column writing, can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com. He can be heard on “The Press Box,” ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 7 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday. Follow @edgraney on X.