Rebels relish national spotlight

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Echoes bounced off the walls of the empty arena, soon to be filled and loud. UNLV freshman Rashad Vaughn stood in one of college basketball’s most historic places and confidently predicted there will be no sense of intimidation.

It was easy to say as much after a Saturday afternoon practice at Allen Fieldhouse.

“I don’t think the atmosphere is going to affect us at all,” Vaughn said. “We always come to play. We’re a team that rises to the occasion.”

The Rebels wrap up their nonconference schedule on a big stage, and that’s how Vaughn likes it and why coach Dave Rice scheduled it.

“If it’s a big moment, we always tend to rise as a team,” Vaughn said. “We’ve just got to go out and perform. A lot of people will be watching, so it will be fun.”

UNLV (9-4) is a 13-point underdog to 13th-ranked Kansas (10-2) at 1:30 p.m. today in a game to be televised nationally on CBS. Five freshmen will play major roles for the Rebels, yet Vaughn is not afraid of stage fright being a factor.

The 6-foot-6-inch shooting guard, the team’s leading scorer at 17.9 points per game, was more concerned with shaking off flu-like symptoms. But he said he was “feeling better” after a 90-minute practice.

“Rashad’s a competitive guy,” Rice said. “I’m sure he’ll play.”

It was Rice’s idea to play the Jayhawks, who will return the game at the Thomas & Mack Center in December 2016. The teams also could meet in November in the Maui Invitational.

“We were excited we were able to get this series,” Rice said. “A challenging schedule will help our new guys grow up quicker.”

After getting pounded by Stanford, Arizona State and Utah, the Rebels rebounded to upset then-No. 3 Arizona on Dec. 23. It was a breakthrough win that put UNLV back in the NCAA Tournament discussion.

Kansas, which has lost only nine home games in coach Bill Self’s 12 seasons, represents the Rebels’ toughest test. The Jayhawks are surviving a challenging nonconference season, but they were drilled 72-40 by No. 1 Kentucky on Nov. 18 in Indianapolis and were whipped 77-52 at Temple on Dec. 22.

Self has another deep and talented team, led by 6-8 forward Perry Ellis, that is equipped to exploit the many holes in UNLV’s defense.

The Rebels opened Mountain West play Wednesday, losing 76-71 at Wyoming, and during a hectic week of travel, this scheduling spot is less than ideal. But that would be an excuse, and Rice said he was more concerned with correcting the team’s defensive execution errors against the Cowboys.

Chris Wood, the Rebels’ 6-11 sophomore forward, scored a career-high 29 points against Wyoming and caught Self’s attention.

“UNLV is extremely long, especially with Wood,” Self said. “They are getting more and more efficient offensively all the time. They have a potential lottery pick (in Wood) in their starting five and a freshman guard who is putting up big numbers. We recruited Vaughn, and we’re familiar with him.

“Wood is different from anyone you have ever seen. He’s a 7-footer and yet he’s a guard. He can shoot. He could probably take one bounce and go from here to the rest room over there. He’s ridiculously long and covers a lot of space quickly. He’s a terrific player. That team will just continue to get better.”

Vaughn, who said he had a “good relationship” with Self, is more familiar with Kansas freshman guard Kelly Oubre, his teammate last season at Findlay Prep. Oubre scored 20 points in a 78-62 victory over Kent State on Tuesday.

The Rebels’ growing pains might resurface today, but Vaughn said the game is slowing from a “rushed” pace for the inexperienced players.

“I think we’re just starting to get it now and adapting to the college game,” he said. “I’m starting to calm down and just play the game now. We’re maturing as freshmen, and it’s showing.”

Senior point guard Cody Doolin talked about appreciating the history of Allen Fieldhouse and UNLV’s ability to handle a hostile atmosphere.

“The light started turning on for a lot of our freshmen,” Doolin said. “We’re really learning how to win at the college level. I think it’s going to be really fun. We play well on the big stages.”

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