League switch challenges UNR

There was a time when coach David Carter could look at UNR's schedule and see a couple of cupcakes lined up in January and February. Now, he's in the middle of a meat grinder.

The Wolf Pack's first season in the Mountain West, the nation's No. 2 basketball conference in the Ratings Percentage Index, comes at a rather inopportune time. Four of the top 30 teams in the RPI reside in the MW, and UNR ranks 138th.

"It's everything I had heard about," Carter said. "We're not surprised at all how tough it is on the road, or at home, for that matter. This league is so tough. For my first time in this conference, there are so many different challenges."

Carter has a pair of MW wins under his belt, but the Wolf Pack will need to spring a major upset to pick up his third this week.

UNLV (16-4, 3-2) is a 15-point favorite over UNR (11-8, 2-3) at 7 p.m. today at the Thomas & Mack Center, where the Rebels are 11-1 this season and have not lost to the Wolf Pack since 2005.

The next stop on UNR's road trip is Albuquerque, N.M., on Saturday. New Mexico (No. 7) and UNLV (No. 17) are the league's top teams in the RPI.

"We knew it was coming. You saw it on the schedule. It's here," Carter said. "It's good for us to see where we are as a team, both physically and mentally, and which direction we're going. You may not win, but you've got to play well to give yourself a chance."

The Wolf Pack went 13-1 to win the Western Athletic Conference regular-season title last season, and Carter returned three starters from a 28-win team. But now he's in a different world, and this in-state rivalry means more.

"It's a big rivalry for us," he said. "We've got to win one to make it a better rivalry."

Carter called the Rebels, winners of six straight in the rivalry, the "most talented team in the conference." He started by pointing to the team's top scorers, senior point guard Anthony Marshall and freshman forward Anthony Bennett.

"I think Marshall is probably playing the best I've seen him play in four years. He controls the tempo, and he really makes that team go," Carter said.

Marshall, averaging 17.7 points in the past three games and 10.4 for the season, will be locked up in the game's key matchup against junior Deonte Burton, who has started at the point for UNR in all 86 games of his career.

Carter switched to a four-guard lineup, led by Burton (16.6 points per game) and senior Malik Story (15.8), in December, and his move sparked a five-game winning streak. It's unlikely the Wolf Pack will try to drag the Rebels into a slow-down slugfest.

"Burton and Story are very good guards, and they have big guys who can get up and down the floor," UNLV coach Dave Rice said. "I would anticipate that we'll have an up-tempo game. They have got the personnel to do so."

Burton scored 28 points and Story had 19 in UNR's 71-67 loss to the Rebels last season. Burton helped the Wolf Pack trim an 18-point deficit with 6½ minutes left to a single point in the final minute.

"We need both of those guys to score for us. When one of them kind of struggles, it hurts us," Carter said. "For us to have a chance, those two guys have got to play well.

"The biggest challenge is (the Rebels) are so talented. Bennett is a load. If we can somewhat contain Bennett, I think we can keep ourselves in the game and have a chance to win."

UNR, off a 75-59 victory over Boise State on Saturday, lost its MW opener at Air Force and fell to San Diego State and Wyoming in Reno.

"It's all about winning your home games," Carter said. "We've dropped two at home already, and that's put us way behind the 8-ball, I think."

In what is no longer a once-a-year rivalry, the teams meet again March 2 in Reno.

"There's always bad blood between the teams, but there's a mutual respect," Marshall said. "I'm happy they are in our conference now because we've got the opportunity to play twice, so that's a lot of fun."

■ NOTE - Rice said sophomore center Khem Birch, who started UNLV's past six games, will play as a reserve today. Birch was granted permission to travel to Canada for his father's wedding Saturday and was unable to return in time for Sunday's practice.

Contact reporter Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907. Follow him on Twitter: @mattyoumans247.