2009–10 UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball team
Encyclopedia
The 2009–10 UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball team represented the University of Nevada, Las Vegas
. The team was coached by Lon Kruger
, returning for his sixth year with the Runnin' Rebels. They played their home games at the Thomas & Mack Center
on UNLV's main campus in Las Vegas, Nevada
and are a member of the Mountain West Conference
. The Runnin' Rebels finished the season 25–9, 11–5 in MWC play. They advanced to the championship game of the 2010 Mountain West Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
before losing to San Diego State
. They received an at–large bid to the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
, earning an 8 seed in the Midwest Region, where they lost to 9 seed Northern Iowa
in the first round.
signed a three-man class for 2009, including the #4 ranked prospect out of Nevada (#66 Rivals, #80 Scout, #85 ESPN), shooting guard Anthony Marshall of North Las Vegas, power forward Carlos Lopez of Henderson and shooting guard Justin Hawkins out of Woodland Hills, California. UNLV also signed power forward Quintrell Thomas, who transferred to UNLV from Kansas.
in double overtime, 74–72, on December 2, 2009, UNLV marked their first 6–0 start since the 1992–93 season and defeated Santa Clara on December 5 to move to 7–0, their best start since going 34–0 in 1990–91 and losing to Duke in the Final Four. UNLV would raise to #17/18 by the time they took on Kansas State on a neutral court at the Orleans Arena
. As in the previous two games, UNLV's sloppy first half play allowed their opponent to jump to an early lead. Unlike in the games against Arizona and Santa Clara, UNLV was unable to move back in front and would lose their first game of the season, 95–80. UNLV's loss to Kansas State would drop them to #23 in the Coaches poll and knock them out of the AP poll all together. The Runnin' Rebels were able to rebound from the loss with a road win at Southern Utah
, and home wins against Weber State
and South Carolina – Upstate
, before heading to Hawai'i for the inaugural Diamond Head Classic
.
The Runnin' Rebels would enter the tournament only ranked in the coaches poll at #20. UNLV's first game of tournament would come against SMU
. UNLV took control of the game quickly, sprinting out to an 18–4 lead within mere minutes of tip off and never looked back in a 67–53 victory. In the tournament's semifinal, the Rebels would face the tournament host, Hawai'i. Thanks to a relentless defense, UNLV was able to take Hawai'i out of the game early en route to a 77–53 victory, advancing UNLV to the Diamond Head Classic finals versus Southern California. UNLV's offensive might that had helped them to big ealy leads against SMU and Hawai'i was silenced by a tough USC defense. The Trojans were able to keep the Rebels at bay for most of the game and came away with the 67–56 win and the Diamond Head Classic title. The loss to Southern California would knock UNLV out of the Coaches poll.
at the Marriott Center
in Provo
. Despite leading the Cougars for much of the game, including a six-point lead with less than six minutes to play. Late miscues would doom the Runnin' Rebels, leading to a 77–73 defeat to BYU. The following Saturday, UNLV would travel to The Pit to take on the #13/15 New Mexico Lobos. UNLV was able to keep the sell-out crowd of 14,586 quiet for most of the game, beginning by forcing New Mexico into two turnovers on their first two possessions of the game and jumping to a 9–2 lead. New Mexico would come back, taking over the lead twice in the game, but sophomore guard Kendall Wallace would pace the Rebels, going 7 of 10 on three pointers as UNLV upset New Mexico 74–62. The Runnin' Rebels had their conference home opener against San Diego State
, a team that swept UNLV in their three meetings the previous season. The first half of the game belonged to the bigger and athletically stacked SDSU, taking a 39–33 halftime lead. The Runnin' Rebels however, were able to take control in the second half and came away with a hard fought 76–66 victory over their rival to improve to 2–1 in the Mountain West and 14–3 overall.
However, thing soon went downhill as UNLV fell to Utah at home, 73–69. The Rebels rebounded and won in both Colorado State and TCU. Returning home, UNLV came from behind to beat Air Force, 60–50.
Notes: † – denotes the player must sit out the 2009–10 season per NCAA transfer rules.
!colspan=8| Exhibition
|-
!colspan=8| Regular season
|-
!colspan=10| 2010 Mountain West Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
|-
!colspan=10| 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of Nevada-Las Vegas is a public, coeducational university located in the Las Vegas suburb of Paradise, Nevada, USA. The campus is located approximately east of the Las Vegas Strip. The institution includes a Shadow Lane Campus, located just east of the University Medical Center of...
. The team was coached by Lon Kruger
Lon Kruger
Lon Kruger is an American college and professional basketball coach who is currently the men's basketball head coach of the University of Oklahoma. Kruger played college basketball for Kansas State University...
, returning for his sixth year with the Runnin' Rebels. They played their home games at the Thomas & Mack Center
Thomas & Mack Center
The Thomas & Mack Center is an arena, located on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. For ring events, the capacity is 19,522, for basketball, the capacity is 18,776.-History:...
on UNLV's main campus in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
and are a member of the Mountain West Conference
Mountain West Conference
The Mountain West Conference , popularly known as the Mountain West, is the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS . The MWC officially began operations in July 1999...
. The Runnin' Rebels finished the season 25–9, 11–5 in MWC play. They advanced to the championship game of the 2010 Mountain West Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
2010 Mountain West Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
-External links:*...
before losing to San Diego State
2009–10 San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball team
The 2009–10 San Diego State men's basketball team represented San Diego State University in the 2009–10 college basketball season. This was head coach Steve Fisher's eleventh season at San Diego State. The Aztecs competed in the Mountain West Conference and played their home games at the Viejas...
. They received an at–large bid to the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:*March 18 / 20*March 25 / 27*March 26 / 28Each regional winner advanced to the Final Four, held on April 3 and 5 in Indianapolis, Indiana at Lucas Oil Stadium, hosted by the Horizon League and Butler University, as per the NCAA's...
, earning an 8 seed in the Midwest Region, where they lost to 9 seed Northern Iowa
2009–10 Northern Iowa Panthers men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Northern Iowa Panthers men's basketball team represented the University of Northern Iowa in the 2009-10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team, which plays in the Missouri Valley Conference , was led by fourth-year head coach Ben Jacobson and played their home games at the...
in the first round.
Recruiting
Coach Lon KrugerLon Kruger
Lon Kruger is an American college and professional basketball coach who is currently the men's basketball head coach of the University of Oklahoma. Kruger played college basketball for Kansas State University...
signed a three-man class for 2009, including the #4 ranked prospect out of Nevada (#66 Rivals, #80 Scout, #85 ESPN), shooting guard Anthony Marshall of North Las Vegas, power forward Carlos Lopez of Henderson and shooting guard Justin Hawkins out of Woodland Hills, California. UNLV also signed power forward Quintrell Thomas, who transferred to UNLV from Kansas.
Non-conference schedule
On November 28, 2009, the team defeated #16 Louisville and became ranked nationally the following week. After defeating ArizonaArizona Wildcats men's basketball
The Arizona Wildcats basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of NCAA Division I. They are currently coached by Sean Miller.Arizona has a long and rich...
in double overtime, 74–72, on December 2, 2009, UNLV marked their first 6–0 start since the 1992–93 season and defeated Santa Clara on December 5 to move to 7–0, their best start since going 34–0 in 1990–91 and losing to Duke in the Final Four. UNLV would raise to #17/18 by the time they took on Kansas State on a neutral court at the Orleans Arena
Orleans Arena
The Orleans Arena is a 9,500 seat multi-purpose arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is home to the Las Vegas Wranglers ice hockey team, Las Vegas Sin lingerie football team and was the home of the Las Vegas Gladiators arena football team in 2007, and is also an occasional home for the UNLV Rebels...
. As in the previous two games, UNLV's sloppy first half play allowed their opponent to jump to an early lead. Unlike in the games against Arizona and Santa Clara, UNLV was unable to move back in front and would lose their first game of the season, 95–80. UNLV's loss to Kansas State would drop them to #23 in the Coaches poll and knock them out of the AP poll all together. The Runnin' Rebels were able to rebound from the loss with a road win at Southern Utah
Southern Utah Thunderbirds men's basketball
The Southern Utah Thunderbirds Basketball team is the basketball team that represent Southern Utah University in Cedar City, Utah. The school's team currently competes in The Summit League. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2001...
, and home wins against Weber State
Weber State Wildcats men's basketball
The Weber State Wildcats team is the basketball team representing Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and is a member of the Big Sky Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2007...
and South Carolina – Upstate
University of South Carolina Upstate
The University of South Carolina Upstate is a public university located in Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States. Formerly known as the University of South Carolina Spartanburg, the school changed its name in the summer of 2004...
, before heading to Hawai'i for the inaugural Diamond Head Classic
Diamond Head Classic
The Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic is a three-day invitational college basketball tournament held at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, Hawaii on the campus of the University of Hawaii-Manoa. Each team plays three games, winners facing winners and losers facing losers. The Western...
.
The Runnin' Rebels would enter the tournament only ranked in the coaches poll at #20. UNLV's first game of tournament would come against SMU
SMU Mustangs
The SMU Mustangs is the name of the athletic teams representing Southern Methodist University. The Mustangs participate in the NCAA's Division I as a member of Conference USA. In 2005, SMU accepted an invitation to the Western Division of Conference USA, and left the Western Athletic Conference...
. UNLV took control of the game quickly, sprinting out to an 18–4 lead within mere minutes of tip off and never looked back in a 67–53 victory. In the tournament's semifinal, the Rebels would face the tournament host, Hawai'i. Thanks to a relentless defense, UNLV was able to take Hawai'i out of the game early en route to a 77–53 victory, advancing UNLV to the Diamond Head Classic finals versus Southern California. UNLV's offensive might that had helped them to big ealy leads against SMU and Hawai'i was silenced by a tough USC defense. The Trojans were able to keep the Rebels at bay for most of the game and came away with the 67–56 win and the Diamond Head Classic title. The loss to Southern California would knock UNLV out of the Coaches poll.
Conference schedule
After eleven days off, UNLV began conference play against #23/25 BYUBYU Cougars men's basketball
The BYU Cougars men's basketball team represents Brigham Young University in NCAA Division I basketball play. Established in 1902, the team has won 30 conference championships and 2 NIT Tournaments , and competed in 26 NCAA Tournaments. It currently competes in the West Coast Conference...
at the Marriott Center
Marriott Center
Marriott Center is a 22,700-seat multi-purpose arena at 1497 N 450 E on the campus of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, and is home to the BYU Cougars men's and women's basketball teams. It is also used for weekly devotionals and forums...
in Provo
Provo, Utah
Provo is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south...
. Despite leading the Cougars for much of the game, including a six-point lead with less than six minutes to play. Late miscues would doom the Runnin' Rebels, leading to a 77–73 defeat to BYU. The following Saturday, UNLV would travel to The Pit to take on the #13/15 New Mexico Lobos. UNLV was able to keep the sell-out crowd of 14,586 quiet for most of the game, beginning by forcing New Mexico into two turnovers on their first two possessions of the game and jumping to a 9–2 lead. New Mexico would come back, taking over the lead twice in the game, but sophomore guard Kendall Wallace would pace the Rebels, going 7 of 10 on three pointers as UNLV upset New Mexico 74–62. The Runnin' Rebels had their conference home opener against San Diego State
San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball
The San Diego State Aztecs basketball team is the basketball team that represent San Diego State University Aztecs in San Diego, California. The school's team currently competes in the Mountain West Conference, and play their home games in Viejas Arena...
, a team that swept UNLV in their three meetings the previous season. The first half of the game belonged to the bigger and athletically stacked SDSU, taking a 39–33 halftime lead. The Runnin' Rebels however, were able to take control in the second half and came away with a hard fought 76–66 victory over their rival to improve to 2–1 in the Mountain West and 14–3 overall.
However, thing soon went downhill as UNLV fell to Utah at home, 73–69. The Rebels rebounded and won in both Colorado State and TCU. Returning home, UNLV came from behind to beat Air Force, 60–50.
Roster
| # | Name | Height | Weight (lbs.) | Position | Class | Hometown | Previous school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Oscar Bellfield | 6'2" | 185 | G | So. | Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, California Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California... |
Westchester HS Westchester High School (Los Angeles) Westchester High School is a public high school in the Los Angeles Unified School District, Local District 3.It is located in Westchester , USA, a suburban neighborhood adjacent to Los Angeles International Airport and bordered by Playa Vista to the north, Inglewood to the east, El Segundo to the... |
| 1 | Quintrell Thomas† | 6'8" | 245 | F | So. | Newark, NJ Newark, New Jersey Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S... |
Kansas |
| 2 | Kendall Wallace | 6'4" | 190 | G | Jr. | Mesa, AZ Mesa, Arizona According to the 2010 Census, the racial composition of Mesa was as follows:* White: 77.1% * Hispanic or Latino : 26.54%* Black or African American: 3.5%* Two or more races: 3.4%* Native American: 2.4%... |
Mountain View HS Mountain View High School (Mesa) Mountain View High School is a high school in Mesa, Arizona. It was established in 1976. It is known for its numerous athletic and academic accomplishments... |
| 3 | Anthony Marshall | 6'3" | 200 | G | Fr. | Las Vegas, NV Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous... |
Mojave HS Mojave High School Mojave High School, opened in 1996, is a nine-month public High School that is part of Clark County School District located in North Las Vegas, Nevada-Mojave Mission Statement:... |
| 5 | Derrick Jasper Derrick Jasper Derrick Lamar Jasper is an American basketball player for the UNLV Runnin' Rebels who is from San Luis Obispo, California. He is listed as a point guard, but he is versatile enough to also play the shooting guard and small forward positions.-High school:... |
6'6" | 215 | G | Jr. | Paso Robles, CA Paso Robles, California Paso Robles is a city in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Paso Robles is the fastest growing city in San Luis Obispo County: Its population at the 2000 census was 24,297; in 2010 it recorded some 29,793 residentsLocated on the Salinas River north of San Luis Obispo, California,... |
Kentucky University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky... |
| 10 | Tyler Norman | 6'0" | 190 | G | Jr. | Las Vegas, NV Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous... |
Iowa State Iowa State University Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of... |
| 11 | Carlos Lopez | 6'11" | 215 | F | Fr. | Lajas, Puerto Rico Lajas, Puerto Rico Lajas is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in southwestern region, south of San Germán and Sabana Grande; east of Cabo Rojo; and west of Guánica. Lajas is spread over 11 wards and Lajas Pueblo... |
Findlay Prep |
| 12 | Brice Massamba | 6'10" | 240 | F/C Center (basketball) The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well... |
So. | Sodertalje, Sweden | Findlay Prep |
| 14 | Todd Hanni | 6'4" | 215 | G | So. | Danville, IN Danville, Indiana Danville is a town in Center Township, Hendricks County, Indiana, United States. The population was 9,001at the 2010 census. The town is the county seat of Hendricks County. -History:... |
Wabash Valley Wabash Valley College Wabash Valley College is a community college located in Mount Carmel, Illinois, USA. As of Fall, 2004, it had 1375 students. Conventional students often attend either Southern Illinois University Carbondale or University of Southern Indiana upon completion of their associate degrees... |
| 15 | Mychal Martinez | 6'5" | 205 | F | Jr. | Las Vegas, NV Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous... |
Yavapai Yavapai College Yavapai College is a community college located in Yavapai County, Arizona. The main Campus is in Prescott, with locations in Clarkdale, Prescott Valley, Chino Valley, and Sedona.-History:... |
| 20 | Steve Jones | 6'1" | 220 | G | Sr. | Portland, OR Portland, Oregon Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States... |
Arizona State Arizona State University Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona... |
| 22 | Chase Stanback | 6'8" | 210 | G/C Center (basketball) The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well... |
So. | Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, California Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California... |
UCLA University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses... |
| 31 | Justin Hawkins | 6'3" | 190 | G | Fr. | Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, California Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California... |
Taft HS |
| 33 | Tre'Von Willis Tre'Von Willis Tre'Von Willis is basketball player for the UNLV Rebels mens basketball team. He transferred to UNLV from Memphis.-High school:... |
6'4" | 195 | G | Jr. | Fresno, CA Fresno, California Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation... |
Memphis University of Memphis The University of Memphis is an American public research university located in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee and is the flagship public research university of the Tennessee Board of Regents system.... |
| 34 | Matt Shaw | 6'8" | 240 | F | Jr. | Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, California Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California... |
Fairfax HS Fairfax High School (Los Angeles) Fairfax High School is a Los Angeles Unified School District high school located in Los Angeles, USA, near the border of West Hollywood in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles... |
| 44 | Darris Santee | 6'8" | 225 | F | Sr. | Houston, TX Houston, Texas Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ... |
Midland Midland College Midland College was established as an independent junior college in 1972 and held its first classes on campus in 1975. Since that time, the campus has expanded to a main campus on in Midland, Texas, United States - a county seat of over 100,000 people in the Permian Basin region of west Texas... |
Notes: † – denotes the player must sit out the 2009–10 season per NCAA transfer rules.
Rankings
| Poll | Pre | Wk 1 | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Wk 5 | Wk 6 | Wk 7 | Wk 8 | Wk 9 | Wk 10 | Wk 11 | Wk 12 | Wk 13 | Wk 14 | Wk 15 | Wk 16 | Wk 17 | Wk 18 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP | – | – | RV | 24 | 18 | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | 23 | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV |
| Coaches | RV | RV | RV | 21 | 17 | 23 | 20 | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | 25 | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV |
Schedule and results
|-!colspan=8| Exhibition
|-
!colspan=8| Regular season
|-
!colspan=10| 2010 Mountain West Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
2010 Mountain West Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
-External links:*...
|-
!colspan=10| 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:*March 18 / 20*March 25 / 27*March 26 / 28Each regional winner advanced to the Final Four, held on April 3 and 5 in Indianapolis, Indiana at Lucas Oil Stadium, hosted by the Horizon League and Butler University, as per the NCAA's...
See also
- 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball seasonThe 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 9, 2009, and ended with the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament's championship game on April 5, 2010 on the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The opening round occurred on Tuesday, March 16, 2010, followed by first...
- 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankingsTwo human polls made up the 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings, the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll, in addition to various publications' preseason polls.-Legend:-AP poll:...