Win at Wichita State would get UNLV credit it deserves

WICHITA, Kan. — College basketball seasons develop in stages, from closed-door scrimmages to exhibitions to home and neutral matchups.

To the most important games of all.

NCAA Tournament resumes are strengthened by many factors, but few stand out to a selection committee more than nonconference road wins.

Fact: If you beat good people on their floor, those deciding at-large berths notice.

UNLV has impressed from all angles through eight games, in the process beating two teams that at the time were ranked among the top 15 and falling only to a UCLA side by two points that recently defeated then-No. 1 Kentucky.

The Rebels have opened eyes nationally, even if both Top 25 polls have yet to deliver enough votes to afford them a spot.

That part could be helped greatly Wednesday night on ESPN2.

UNLV plays its first true road game of the season against the most dangerous of opponent: one that entered the season a top 10 team with legitimate Final Four aspirations but that has been beset with injuries at key positions, that has lost four times in seven games, that is just now seeing a bit of positive light, that is hungry and desperate for a quality win and that also owns three consecutive 30-win seasons and a 34-game home win streak.

Three things to know about the largest city in Kansas: The first Pizza Hut was opened in Wichita, it's illegal to serve cherry pie a la mode on Sundays and Wichita State almost never loses at Koch Arena.

"Nothing totally prepares you for going and playing at a place like Wichita State," UNLV coach Dave Rice said. "I've been to a lot of places, and it's one of the toughest in the country. They have very good players, great fan support, it will be loud and on national television. That's a lot of factors. It will be a huge challenge. We will absolutely get their best shot."

The game is part of the Mountain West-Missouri Valley Challenge, a head-to-head competition of 10 games between the leagues, renewed this season and delivering all the national excitement of a meeting for the Committee of Business, Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.

Rice won't say so publicly, but for a conference such as the Mountain West, which outside of the Rebels and San Diego State and a few others annually have teams struggle to land quality nonconference opponents, agreeing to a UNLV-Wichita State game was shortsighted at best.

It was stupid, really.

UNLV already has a nonconference schedule heavy on marquee opponents, meaning a team such as, say, Wyoming, would have benefited far more from such a trip. But we're also talking about a conference that will see two of its football teams meet in a football bowl game that won't be televised, so asking for common sense on things such as basketball scheduling is really pushing the limits.

So the Rebels chartered into Wichita on Tuesday and will embrace the matchup by trying to continue their hot start to a critical season in Rice's tenure as coach. It helps that as young players first encounter a true road situation, there are veteran leaders such as seniors Jerome Seagears and Ike Nwamu and junior Ben Carter there to offer guidance and advice, those who have experienced big-time, hostile atmospheres and lived to teach about it.

"Wichita State is a great program, very well coached, great players, a well-oiled machine the last couple years," said Seagears, who played three seasons at Rutgers in the Big East Conference. "I played at Syracuse when they had Scoop Jardine and Dion Waiters, at Georgetown against Otto Porter and Jason Clark. Playing at West Virginia coached by Bob Huggins was always tough. I think (Wednesday's game) will be like those, with an NCAA Tournament environment."

The Rebels will get a healthier Wichita State than previous opponents have encountered the past several weeks, bolstered specifically by the return of preseason All-America point guard Fred VanVleet from a hamstring injury.

He doesn't just make a difference.

He makes a massive one.

UNLV should be ranked today with wins against Indiana and Oregon, but such is a subjective exercise that plays little part in the big picture of a season. If you win enough and at the right times, selection committee members notice and you're ultimately rewarded.

"I think (being) ranked always matters," Rice said. "Any time you reach the Top 25, it's validation for your program and for the hard work the guys are putting in. It's important. But at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter in terms of winning a league title or getting into the NCAA Tournament.

"You always want recognition for your team. I think we are getting some national exposure and people are realizing we are making progress, but we also know we have a long ways to go."

Wichita State, struggling or not, is a measuring stick.

Wichita State in Koch Arena is a major one.

Ed Graney can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4618. He can be a heard on "Seat and Ed" on Fox Sports 1340 from 2 to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. On Twitter: @edgraney