UNLV Is Going To Be A Very Dangerous Team Next Year

After leading Oklahoma to a poor 15-16 record and an 8th place finish in the 10 team, Big 12 with a 5-13 conference mark, Lon Kruger has to be looking back at his former job and envying that he isn't in Dave Rice's position. Kruger, who left UNLV to take the Oklahoma job last year, left the door open for Rice, who was a former Jerry Tarkanian player with the Rebels when they won the National Championship in 1990, to take over the job.

Rice's first year at UNLV began with a bang after his Rebels knocked off the top ranked North Carolina Tar Heels in the Las Vegas Classic. It was the first time that the Rebels had beaten a number 1 ranked team since 1989 when they toppled number 1 overall seeded Arizona in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament. UNLV finished the season 26-9 and earned themselves a trip to the big dance, as Rice became the first coach in UNLV history to lead the Rebels to the tournament as a first year head coach.

After a successful first year at UNLV, bigger and better things are going to be expected next year from the Rebels. Not only does the team return their monster rebounder and double-double machine Mike Moser as well as their all-around playmaking guard Anthony Marshall, but Rice has also been able to load up this off-season by luring in top recruits and transfers from other schools.

Unlike other post-Tarkanian UNLV coaches, Rice has been able to compete with other top flight college basketball programs in terms of recruiting. Under Lon Kruger, the Rebels were unable to keep players from high school powerhouse Findlay Prep in-state. From 2009 to 2011, 5 Findlay Prep players were top 25 recruits according to ESPN 100, and the Rebels were unable to land any of them.

However, Dave Rice was able to secure one of UNLV's best recruiting classes of all-time when the number 7th ranked recruit according to ESPN, Anthony Bennett, announced that he would stay in Vegas and commit to UNLV instead of going to play for Florida, Washington, Oregon, or Kentucky. Bennett, a 6'8'' McDonald's All-American power forward, can step out and shoot the three-ball as well as use his size and strength down low in the paint. Bennett will also be joined by shooting guard Katin Reinhardt from Mater Dei in California, who is the number 47th ranked recruit according to ESPN. The signings of Bennett and Reinhardt will likely make an impact right away as both players will see a lot of playing time. UNLV's recruiting class was ranked number 13 by ESPN, above powerhouse programs like Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Florida.

But the fun doesn't end there for the Rebels, as Rice has been able to lure high quality tranfers to the UNLV program.

Former USC guard Bryce Jones and former Pittsburgh center Khem Birch will both be apart of the Rebels plans for a major season next year.

Bryce Jones, who was ranked 69th in the 2010 recruiting class according to ESPN, was unhappy with his lack of playing time at USC after Jio Fontan became eligible to play for the Trojans, while he also had off the court issues with teammate Garrett Jackson. Jones is going to be a very important piece to UNLV's success next year, as the 6'5'' guard is extremely long and athletic and can shot the ball from three. In the Trojans first 8 games, Jones averaged nearly 13 points per outing.

Khem Birch will be one of the most interesting stories to watch around college basketball next year. The 6'9'' big man will be eligible to play for Dave Rice's squad around Christmas time and the Rebels will be hoping that they will be able to get the most out of the former McDonald's All-American and 12th ranked recruit (in ESPN's 2011 recruiting rankings). Birch, who left Pittsburgh mid-season last year after being disgruntled with his teammates and the team's playing style, has a tremendous amount of ability and talent. Birch is a very good rebounder and shot blocker, as shown by his 6 block game in just 29 minutes against Robert Morris last year, and will only continue to improve on the offensive end of the floor.

Finally, former Connecticut power forward Roscoe Smith has decided to transfer to UNLV from the Huskies as a result of UConn's 2013 postseason tournament ban. Connecticut is unable to play in next year's NCAA tournament because the basketball program didn't reach the NCAA's academic standards from 2009 to 2011, as they had a low Academic Progress Rate. Usually the NCAA only grants waivers to players whose postseason bans span over their entire eligibility, but Smith is going to ask the NCAA for a wavier to not have to sit out a season although he has two years of eligibility remaining and UConn's ban only spans one year.

Nonetheless, Smith is a very nice transfer to land, as the big man is a solid rebounder and also a very good defender. Smith is able to impact the game without taking a lot of shots and his productivity will increase with the added minutes that he will get in the Rebels frontcourt.

UNLV is not going to be just a dangerous mid-major team, but they are going to be in the picture as one of the best teams in the country. They are loaded in both the backcourt with Anthony Marshall, Justin Hawkins, Katin Reinhardt, and Bryce Jones, as well as in the frontcourt with Mike Moser, Anthony Bennett, Khem Birch, and possibly Roscoe Smith if he is eligible to play.

Don't Overlook The West Coast Of College Basketball

The struggles of the Pac-12 have been very well documented this year and the conference has been historically bad. Currently, no Pac-12 team is ranked and no Pac-12 team has even received a vote in the AP poll since week 11 when Stanford was 15-3 before the Cardinals lost 5 of their next 6 conference games. In fact, California was the last ranked team inside the top 25 for the Pac-12 all the way back in week 4 of the polls and no Pac-12 team has been ranked inside the top 15 all season. Even when it appeared that the Washington Huskies, the most talented team in the Pac-12, had turned the corner after their disappointing 5-5 start to the season, they went to Eugene and lost to the Oregon Ducks by 25 points and were 2 of 16 from three point land.

The Pac-12 is in serious danger of just receiving two bids to the NCAA tournament, which they also did in 2010 when just California and Washington made it into the big dance.

With the Pac-12 way down this year, the perception around the country is that the entire west coast is struggling. However, just because the major conference out west is not playing high level basketball, doesn't mean that the west is struggling as a whole and the west coast shouldn't be overlooked, as numerous teams are having very impressive seasons from the Mountain West and the West Coast Conference.

The Mountain West, just like it has been for the past few years, is incredibly strong this season, as the conference will definitely get at least 3 teams into the tournament and could very possibly receive 5 invitations to the big dance. The conference has received multiple bids to the tourney every year since 2001 and they are looking for their most teams in the big dance since they got 4 teams into the NCAA's in 2010. UNLV and San Diego St. are also representing the Mountain West in the AP top 25 poll and the MWC has two teams in the top 14 of the polls, which is just as many as the ACC, Big East, Big Ten, and SEC. Only the Big 12 has more teams in the top 14 of the AP poll than the MWC.

While UCLA is having a horribly disappointing season, as the Bruins are 14-10 including just 7-5 in the weak Pac-12 after being ranked inside the top 20 of both preseason polls, two UCLA transfers, Mike Moser and Chace Stanback, have led UNLV to an incredibly impressive 21-4 start. Under first year head coach, Dave Rice, after Lon Kruger left the Rebels to take the job at Oklahoma during the summer, UNLV has returned to the days of Jerry Tarkanian with a high flying offense. The Rebels are averaging 80 points a game, which is 9th in the country, and they are 3rd in the nation at 18.3 assists per game. 

Mike Moser is a double-double machine down in the blocks for the Rebels, as he has 13 in 25 games. The forward is averaging 14.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game, as the big man is dominate on the glass, despite being undersized at just 6-8. Chace Stanback is also so difficult to defend for the Rebels because of the threat that he poses from beyond the arc. The senior compliments Moser very nicely from the perimeter, as he is averaging slightly less than 14 points per game and is able to knock down the three ball, as he is shooting it at a 45 percent clip from deep. 

The Rebels are sitting in line for a 3 or 4 seed, as they have built a very impressive resume with victories over North Carolina at the Las Vegas Classic, Illinois on the road by 16, Pac-12 leader Cal at home by 17, WAC leader Nevada, as well as home conference wins over New Mexico and Colorado St. UNLV is looking for their highest seed since they were a 1 seed back in 1991 when they made it all the way to the Final Four for the second straight year before losing their undefeated season in the National Semifinals to eventual champion Duke by 2 points.

San Diego St. is keeping the Mountain West extremely interesting, as they have been way better than expected and are challenging the Rebels for the regular season conference crown. Steve Fischer should get some serious National Coach of the Year consideration for the job he has done with the Aztecs. After San Diego St. went 34-3 last season and made it to their first sweet 16 in school history, little was expected from the team this year. The Aztecs were losing a majority of their core including star forward and second-team All-American Kawhi Leonard, first-team All-Mountain West guard D.J. Gay, second-team All-Mountain West forward Malcolm Thomas, and honorable mention All-Mountain West forward Billy White. Those four guys were the team's leading scorers and combined for 67 percent of the team's points.

However, Jamaal Franklin and Chase Tapley have stepped up big time for the Aztecs and have carried the team to a very surprising 20-3 start. Franklin, who is also averaging 7.2 rebounds per game, is a big 6-5 guard-forward, who causes a lot of matchup problems because of his size and is averaging 18 points in the team's 7 conference games. He leads the conference in scoring. Tapley is a lethal three-point shooter and is hitting 43 percent of his jumpers from behind the arc. Tapley was 8 for 10 from three in a very close loss to the Baylor Bears on the road earlier in the season.

Like the Rebels, San Diego St. is in line to receive a 3 or 4 seed for the tournament. The Aztecs beat Arizona on the road, New Mexico on the road in the pit, Cal at home, as well as UNLV at home after Jamaal Franklin beat the buzzer with a game winning layup. The Aztecs square up with the Rebels once again on Saturday at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas in a rematch of two of the best teams not just on the west coast, but in the entire country.

The Mountain West should also gain a lot of respect because they are much more than a two team league.

New Mexico is one of the most overlooked teams in college basketball and, as of now, they are firmly in the tournament as anywhere from an 8 seed to a 10 seed. The Lobos are 19-4 and have solid wins over Arizona St., Washington St., Boston College, USC, Oklahoma St., St. Louis, Wyoming, and Colorado St.

Also, Wyoming and Colorado St. are both on the bubble and they are each at 4-3 in the conference.

The Wyoming Cowboys are 18-5 and have victories over Colorado, Colorado St., and got the signature win they so desperately needed when they shocked the UNLV Rebels by 2 points at home last week.

The Colorado St. Rams are 15-7 and need to notch some more victories in conference play to get one of those last four spots in the tourney. The Rams do have some quality wins under their belt however, as they have victories over Colorado, Denver, and like Wyoming, got a signature win, when they beat San Diego St. by 17 points at home. 

The West Coat Conference is also having an incredibly strong year. The WCC has been dominated by Gonzaga since Mark Few took over the program in 1999. The Zags have been the regular season conference champion 11 straight years dating back to 2001 and have won the conference tournament 10 times in 13 tries since 1999.

However, the WCC is much more than a one conference league this season, as Saint Mary's and BYU are two very solid teams, especially the Gaels, who have more than enough talent to make a run into the second week of the tourney. The WCC is looking to get 3 teams into the NCAA's for the first time since 2008 when the Zags, Saint Mary's, and San Diego all made the big dance from the conference.

Despite losing their leading scorer, Mickey McConnell, the Gaels are currently ranked inside the top 15 and have just three losses all season with an overall record of 22-3 including an 11-1 mark in conference play. Saint Mary's will likely receive a 4 or 5 seed, as they swept their season series with BYU, beat Gonzaga at home, and still have an opportunity to get a quality victory over 23-1 Murray St. on the road in Kentucky in BracketBusters later this month. The Gaels are going to get their best seed since they were an 8 seed in the 1989 NCAA tournament.

The Gaels are led by the two-headed monster of point guard Matthew Dellavedoa as well as forward Rob Jones. Dellavedoa is averaging just under 16 points per game and more than 6 assists per game, while shooting 46 percent from the field, 84 percent from the free-throw line, and nearly 40 percent from three. Dellavedoa is an all-around star and can do it all for the Gaels. He dished out the dimes in the Gaels' 98-82 victory over BYU, as he had 12 assists, but he can also score the basketball when he needs to, like he did against Gonzaga, when he was 5 of 10 from three and had 26 points in the team's 83-62 victory at the McKeon Pavilion.

Jones, much like Mike Moser, is an undersized forward, as he is just 6-6, but he is relentless on the boards and is an absolute beast on the glass. Jones is averaging 14.6 points to go along with his 10.6 rebounds per game. Jones has had at least 10 rebounds in 18 of the Gaels 25 games and has had 14 double-doubles including a 24 point, 15 rebound performance against BYU earlier in the season.

The Zags, for once, and the Cougars are both chasing the Gaels for the regular season conference title but they are both solidly into the NCAA tournament. Gonzaga will likely be a 5 or 6 seed, while BYU could be anywhere from a 9 seed to a 11 seed.

The Bulldogs played an incredibly tough non-conference schedule but it benefited them because they got quality victories over tournament teams such as Notre Dame, Arizona, and Xavier. The Zags also got a big conference win at home over Saint Mary's this week in a highly contested and very well played game.

The Cougars have been a very nice surprise. They have victories over WAC leader Nevada, Pac-12 teams such as Oregon and Utah and played Baylor very tough, despite eventually falling by 3 points at home. The Cougars are going to receive a nice seed because they have beaten all the teams that they should have beaten. However, they don't have any eye-popping victories as of yet, as they lost to Saint Mary's twice and Wisconsin as well. However, they still play Gonzaga once more and have the WCC conference tournament coming up in March.

Gonzaga could be the perfect model of consistency in all of college basketball. They have made the tournament every year since 1999 and have won at least one game in the big dance in 10 of their 13 trips to the tourney since then. This year is no different from the typical Gonzaga squad, as they are a hard-working team that plays very well together. Forwards Elias Harris and 7 foot Robert Sacre control the paint and both average over 6.5 rebounds per game and 11.5 points per game.

BYU is also a very intriguing team. Following the loss of National Player of the Year, Jimmer Fredette, who averaged nearly 29 points per game for the Cougars last year, very little was expected of the team. However, they have far exceeded expectations under Dave Rose, and are 20-6 including 8-3 in conference. Forward Noah Hartsock has taken a much larger role on the team this season and has increased his point total from 8.6 to 17.6. The senior is shooting just under 57 percent from the field. Hartsock and Brandon Davies, who was suspended last season for breaking the school's honor code policy, form a formidable duo down in the blocks. Davies is averaging 14.4 points and 8 rebounds per game.

Although the Pac-12 is having a horrible year, the Mountain West and the West Coast Conference have a number of teams that are going to get into the NCAA tournament and a group of teams, such as UNLV, San Diego St., Saint Mary's, and Gonzaga, who could make a deep run in the tournament. West coast basketball is not down as much as it might seem at first glance.