UNLV must stay focused against Southern Utah

It was nearly three minutes into his post-game comments on Tuesday night, shortly after his UNLV basketball team upset third-ranked Arizona and students and fans rushed the court at the Thomas & Mack Center, when Rebels coach Dave Rice spoke about the next challenge.

“We understand the stretch we are in,” Rice said. “The next game is the biggest game of the year against Southern Utah.”

I’m certain he and his coaching staff believe it.

But how in the world do you convince those players who just knocked off mighty Arizona?

How do you ensure they bring the same level of focus and intensity as they did against the Wildcats when meeting the not-so-mighty visiting Thunderbirds Saturdaytonight at 7?

A logical view would say it’s impossible, that players are aware of an opponent’s standing and often react with a level of energy that stipulates how capable another team is.

It’s an element of human nature athletes exhibit all the time in sports, playing to the level of the other guys.

It’s reality.

But as the Rebels continue to grow and mature and improve, one of the most important tests for a team that gives five freshmen consistent minutes is to discover that reliable effort, no matter who happens to be occupying the opposite bench.

It’s a terribly difficult but significant jump to make for any team with hopes of playing in mid-March.

UNLV players didn’t approach their game against Portland on Dec. 17 as they did Arizona and should have lost to the Pilots.

The Rebels were always going to play hard against the Wildcats from the opening tip.

That’s an easy sell.

“I think it’s always about having good communication in practice, making sure guys understand how it all relates to discipline and watching film and knowing what is expected of them,” Rice said. “As a coaching staff, you have to remain consistent with expectations. I think we’re a team that has played 11 games and has shown signs of making significant progress from the beginning to this point, a team that has had to make improvements in a lot of areas and has done so.”

Here’s the truth of it: The learning curve in college basketball shortens each season, given the fact that any player with a legitimate chance to play professionally (and even many with no chance) rarely views staying in college four years a benefit.

Everyone has their own internal clock of how long they see value in playing the college game, and the very good ones often believe the quicker they jump, the better their pro career will prove. You don’t sign highly-regarded recruits any more with the idea of having them around very long.

There is a chance UNLV will return all of its freshmen next season. There is a chance it won’t. There is a chance sophomore Chris Wood will embrace the notion of another college season to better develop his all-around game. There is a (very?) good chance he won’t.

But given the state of the Mountain West this season — hardly among the nation’s best leagues — the UNLV that beat Arizona can absolutely contend for a conference championship.

The UNLV that should have lost to Portland before winning in overtime can’t.

This is college basketball now: Texas Southern can lose to Gonzaga by 40 and to Baylor by 26 and then win at Michigan State; Michigan can be a near 25-point home favorite and fall to someone named New Jersey Institute of Technology, which is the only one of 351 teams in Division I without a conference.

Nebraska can lose at home to Incarnate Word, whose point guard may or may not be named Monsignor Patrick Michael O’Sullivan.

What it all means: There is no such thing as a night off any more.

There is no such thing as a slow learning curve.

“I think there always has to be a sense of urgency in terms of what you can do to be good now and in the moment, because guys leave school early more and more now,” Rice said. “It used to be, a guy had to be guaranteed of being a first-round NBA pick to leave. Now, lots of players across the country leave without a guarantee of even being drafted.

“You check scores every day and fully expect to find one or two that will surprise you. Players are leaving school early and transferring to other schools and AAU has changed things. Guys play against each other all the time now growing up. There is a familiarity with top-notch players. It used to be, the first time you played against Larry Johnson in college, you were in awe. You had never seen him before. Now, highly decorated players compete all the time before college.”

Which means the margin for error is that much smaller, no matter your opponent.

Just when you think an easy game is upon you, be it Southern Utah or another, Monsignor Patrick Michael O’Sullivan shows up.

(Incarnate) Word.

Las Vegas Review-Journal sports columnist Ed Graney can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4618. He can be heard from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday on “Gridlock,” ESPN 1100 and 100.9 FM. Follow him on Twitter: @edgraney