The UNLV Runnin' Rebels are the men's
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
team that represent the
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is a public land-grant research university in Paradise, Nevada. The campus is about east of the Las Vegas Strip. It was formerly part of the University of Nevada from 1957 to 1969. It includes the S ...
, in the Mountain West Conference of the
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
(NCAA); it plays at the
Thomas & Mack Center
The Thomas & Mack Center is a multi-purpose arena located on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in Paradise, Nevada. It is home of the UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball team of the Mountain West Conference.
History
The facility was fi ...
on campus. As of 2009, UNLV had the fourth-highest winning percentage (.712) in
Division I history, ranking behind
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
,
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
and
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
, but ahead of
UCLA
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
and
Duke
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...
. UNLV is 33–19 all-time in the NCAA tournament with a 63.5 winning percentage. In July 2008,
ESPNU
ESPNU is an American multinational digital cable and satellite sports television channel owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between the Disney Media Networks division of The Walt Disney Company (which owns a controlling 80% stake) and the Hears ...
named the program the eighth most prestigious collegiate basketball program in the nation since the 1984–85 season.
History
The glory years
In 1977, just seven years after joining Division I, The Rebels made the Final Four in a squad today known as the "Hardway Eight". Ten years later, the team made the Final Four with one loss. In
1990
File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...
, UNLV won the
NCAA Championship
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges and ...
by beating
Duke
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...
by a record-setting margin of 103–73,
becoming the first team and only team to score over 100 points in the championship game. Before becoming a basketball powerhouse in the late 1970s, UNLV was often referred to as "Tumbleweed Tech"
due to its relative obscurity.
Led by famed coach
Jerry Tarkanian
Jerry Tarkanian (August 8, 1930 – February 11, 2015) was an American basketball coach. He coached college basketball for 31 seasons over five decades at three schools. He spent the majority of his career coaching with the UNLV Runnin' Rebe ...
, the Runnin' Rebels were among the most exciting teams in the nation. They consistently led the nation in points scored, turnovers forced, and most importantly – wins. The Runnin' Rebels were well known for going on long runs that turned close games into blowouts. They were also known for up-tempo offense and stifling defense.
Tarkanian was suspected of violating numerous NCAA regulations and was forced out in 1992 by then–president Robert Maxson. In 1998 Tarkanian received a $2.5 million out of court settlement when he sued the NCAA for violations stemming from its investigation of UNLV.
The last Rebel squad coached by Tarkanian won their tenth consecutive
Big West Conference
The Big West Conference (BWC) is an American collegiate athletic conference whose member institutions participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I. The conference was originally formed on July 1, 1969, as the Pacific ...
regular season title, but was barred from the NCAA Tournament due to probation. The Rebels had actually been barred from the
1991 tournament only months after winning the title, but a settlement with the NCAA allowed them to play in that tournament and miss the next one.
On November 26, 2005, for his achievements as coach of the Runnin' Rebels (he was 509–105 in 19 years as head coach), the basketball court at the Thomas & Mack Center was renamed Jerry Tarkanian Court, despite the recruiting sanctions and controversies.
The lean years
The years after Tarkanian's departure were tumultuous. UNLV hired away
Villanova coach
Rollie Massimino
Roland Vincent Massimino (November 13, 1934 – August 30, 2017) was an American basketball coach. He served as the head men's basketball coach at Stony Brook University (1969–1971), Villanova University (1973–1992), the University of Nevada, L ...
to replace Tarkanian, but after two seasons and a 15–13 record in 1993–94, he was let go. There was outrage when it was revealed that Massimino had been awarded a secret contract— a deal that ultimately led to Maxson's departure from UNLV.
Massimino was replaced by well–respected Tarkanian assistant
Tim Grgurich
Tim Grgurich (born June 10, 1942) is an American basketball coach. Grgurich served as the head coach at his alma mater, the University of Pittsburgh, for 5 seasons in the mid to late 1970s. He also served as the head coach at University of Nevada ...
, but he lasted just 7 games in 1994 before resigning. Howie Landa and Cleveland Edwards finished the 1994–95 season, which ended with a 12–16 record—the school's first losing season in 34 years, and first since moving up to Division I. The team hired
UMass assistant
Bill Bayno
Bill Bayno (born May 18, 1962) is an American basketball coach who serves as assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was the men's basketball head coach at Loyola Marymount University from 2008 to ...
for the 1995–96 season. With a still-depleted roster, Bayno's first year ended with a 10–16 record, the worst in school history.
However, Bayno engineered a very quick return to respectability. He was an excellent recruiter, bringing in future NBA talent including
Shawn Marion
Shawn Dwayne Marion (born May 7, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player who played 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Marion finished his career as a four-time NBA All-Star, a two-time member of the All- ...
,
Tyrone Nesby
Tyrone Lamont Nesby (born January 31, 1976) is an American retired professional basketball player.
Nesby went to Cairo High School in Cairo, Illinois. He played collegiately at Vincennes University (1994–1996), and at UNLV (1996–1998). After ...
, and
Keon Clark
Arian Keon Clark (born April 16, 1975) is an American former basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Playing career
After a collegiate career at two different junior colleges and UNLV, Clark was selected 13th overall by th ...
. The Rebels returned to the
NCAA tournament in 1997, their first appearance in six years. Bayno was let go in 2000, after the NCAA found that UNLV had violated rules while recruiting
Lamar Odom
Lamar Joseph Odom (born November 6, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player. As a member of the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA), he won championships in 2009 and 2010 and was named the NBA Six ...
. Odom ultimately chose
Rhode Island
Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...
over UNLV.
It was in the wake of Bayno that UNLV began looking for a well-respected coach to act as an anchor for the program. The school intensely pursued former
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentu ...
and
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
coach
Rick Pitino
Richard Andrew Pitino (born September 18, 1952) is an American college basketball coach who is the head coach for Iona College. He was also the head coach of Greece's senior national team. He has been the head coach of several teams in NCAA D ...
, who ultimately spurned the university before choosing to work at
Louisville
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border.
...
. Former
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University (SLU) is a private Jesuit research university with campuses in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, and Madrid, Spain. Founded in 1818 by Louis William Valentine DuBourg, it is the oldest university west of the Mississip ...
coach
Charlie Spoonhour
Charles Graham Spoonhour (June 23, 1939 – February 1, 2012) was an American basketball coach.
Spoonhour was born in Mulberry, Kansas, attended high school in Rogers, Arkansas, and received an education degree from the University of the Ozarks. H ...
replaced Bayno for the 2001–02 season, compiling a 54–31 record before resigning in the middle of the 2004 season.
Lon Kruger era
The anchor turned out to be
Lon Kruger
Lonnie Duane Kruger (born August 19, 1952) is a retired American college and professional basketball coach (sport), coach who was most recently the men's basketball head coach of the University of Oklahoma. Kruger played college basketball for K ...
, who came to Las Vegas after an unsuccessful stint as the coach of the
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Sou ...
, with successful college stints at
Kansas State
Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public instit ...
,
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
and
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
. Kruger's stint at UNLV began with a mediocre 17–15 record in the 2004–05 season that including seven losses in conference play and a poor start to the 2005–06 season that ultimately finished a respectable 17–13 and a loss in the conference tournament semi-finals. Despite being picked to come in sixth in the Mountain West, UNLV started the 2006–07 season 3–0 led by future NBA player
Joel Anthony
Joel Vincent Anthony (born August 9, 1982) is a Canadian former professional basketball player who played for the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, and San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He won two champio ...
and Lon Kruger's son,
Kevin Kruger. Despite losing their next game, UNLV responded by winning a significant road game at
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
58–49, ranked No. 20 in the nation at the time, marking the first time since 1991 that UNLV beat a ranked team on the road. After defeating
Texas Tech
Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sys ...
in late December and upsetting a nationally ranked Air Force squad, UNLV received their first national ranking in 14 years. Winning the
Mountain West Conference tournament over BYU sealed their bid to the
NCAA tournament and UNLV received a No. 7 seed. After narrowly beating
Georgia Tech
The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...
, the Rebels shocked 2nd seeded
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
, sending them to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in over 15 seasons. However, their magical season came to an end as the Runnin' Rebels ultimately lost to
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
in the
Sweet 16, 76–72. The team finished 14th in the polls with a 30–6 record.
![Stacey Augmon UNLV 1988](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Stacey_Augmon_UNLV_1988.jpg)
The next season, 2007–08, despite being picked to finish in fifth Mountain West Conference, UNLV surprised critics by starting the year 12–3. They finished in second place in the conference, with 12–4 record behind BYU. UNLV defeated BYU again to win the 2008
Mountain West tournament. Star guard Wink Adams scored 23 points and was given the MVP title. They received a No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament and beat
Kent State
Kent State University (KSU) is a public research university in Kent, Ohio. The university also includes seven regional campuses in Northeast Ohio and additional facilities in the region and internationally. Regional campuses are located in Ash ...
in the First Round. UNLV lost in the Second Round to
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
. They finished that season 27–8.
The Rebels started the 2008–09 season 5–0, their best start since 1999. A 73–55 loss to the
California Golden Bears
The California Golden Bears are the athletic teams that represent the University of California, Berkeley. Referred to in athletic competition as ''California'' or ''Cal'', the university fields 30 varsity athletic programs and various club te ...
and 67–65 loss to
Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
the next day marked the first time in over 3 years that the Rebels had lost consecutive games. On December 31, 2008, they beat No. 18
Louisville
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border.
...
56–55, on the road, which was the highest ranked opponent the Rebels have beaten on the road since they beat No. 12
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
in 1991. They also started off the first half of their season 13–2, their best 15 game start since they went 15–0 1991. They fell out in the second half of the season, going 8–7 and finished the regular season with a 21–9 record and 5th in their conference, though they did manage to sweep the season series with BYU and upset Utah at home. They were denied a third consecutive Mountain West Conference tournament Championship when they lost to the rival
San Diego State Aztecs
The San Diego State Aztecs are the athletic teams that represent San Diego State University (SDSU). San Diego State currently sponsors six men's and eleven women's sports at the varsity level.
The Aztecs compete in NCAA Division I ( FBS for foo ...
71–57, on March 12, 2009. The Rebels went on to become a No. 5 seed in the 2009
NIT, but suffered a loss against
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
in the first round.
Despite losing three starters from the previous era's squad, the Rebels started off strong once again for their 2009–10 campaign with their second consecutive 5–0 start, the first time since 1989–90 and 1990–91 that they have done so. Their victory over No. 16
Louisville
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border.
...
was their first home victory against a ranked opponent since 2007 and the highest ranked opponent the Rebels have beaten since defeating the
Wisconsin Badgers
The Wisconsin Badgers are the athletic teams representing the University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin). They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level (Football Bowl Subdivisi ...
(ranked 6th in the final AP Poll) in
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
. On November 30, 2009, the Rebels were ranked 24th in the AP Polls and 21st in the USA Today/ESPN Polls, making it the first time the team was ranked since 2007. However, UNLV soon dropped out of the AP Top 25 with losses to
Kansas State
Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public instit ...
and
USC
USC most often refers to:
* University of South Carolina, a public research university
** University of South Carolina System, the main university and its satellite campuses
**South Carolina Gamecocks, the school athletic program
* University of ...
. In early February, however, UNLV upset a No. 14 and
Jimmer Fredette
James Taft "Jimmer" Fredette (born February 25, 1989) is an American former professional basketball player. He last played for the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association. Fredette was the 2011 National Player of the Year in college ...
–lead
BYU
Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day S ...
team. As a result, UNLV returned to the national rankings, but after losing their next three, they soon dropped out, though they recovered at the end of the season, and finished 11–5 in MWC play. On March 6, 2010, they ended their 2009–10 campaign with 74–56 win over
Wyoming
Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...
at home. They finished the season 23–7, their best win–loss season since 2007. Despite losing in the finals of the Mountain West tournament the following weekend, UNLV did manage to defeat BYU for the fifth time in six matchups. On March 14, 2010, the Runnin' Rebels returned to the
NCAA tournament after missing out in 2009. They finished the season with a 25–9 record, losing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to
Northern Iowa
Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...
66–69, thanks to a 3–pointer with under 3 seconds to go by the Panthers.
With all 5 starters back from the 2009–10 season, UNLV entered the 2010–11 season with high expectations. Initially, the Rebels lived up to the hype, starting the year 10–0 and was ranked No. 19 in the polls. However, the team lost their next two games, including one at home and dropped out of the rankings. Although they later went on to upset No. 11
Kansas State
Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public instit ...
in Kansas City, the team never really recovered and lost to
BYU
Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day S ...
at home for the first time since 2005, Kruger's first year at the helm. Like the 2008–09 squad, the Rebels collapsed down the stretch, though the team rallied somewhat towards the very end of the season, losing to a top 10
San Diego State team in a very tight game and defeating two "bubble" teams on the road. After losing to the Aztecs in the conference tournament, the Runnin' Rebels earned their 18th overall
NCAA tournament bid and fourth in five seasons, being picked as an 8 seed in the Southwest Regional. After falling to the 9th seeded
Illinois Fighting Illini
The Illinois Fighting Illini () are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The university offers 10 men's and 11 women's varsity sports.
The University operates a number of athletic faci ...
62–73, their season ended with a record 24–9. On April 1, 2011, Lon Kruger announced that he would be leaving UNLV for the
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two Territories became the state of Oklahom ...
.
Dave Rice era
UNLV soon replaced Kruger with
Dave Rice, a little–known assistant at rival BYU. Rice played for the Rebels when they won the 1990 national title, and promised to bring back the
up–tempo offense that was a trademark of the team prior to Kruger's hiring. On November 26, 2011, the Rebels upset No. 1
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
at the
Orleans Arena
Orleans Arena is a 9,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Paradise, Nevada, in the Las Vegas Valley. It is located at the Orleans Hotel and Casino and is operated by Coast Casinos, a subsidiary of Boyd Gaming Corporation.
The arena is the home to ...
in the
Las Vegas Invitational
The Shriners Children's Open is a golf tournament on the PGA Tour in Nevada. Founded in 1983, it is the fourth event of the Tour's 2019–20 wrap-around season and is played annually in October in Las Vegas. It is currently held at the TPC Sum ...
, 90–80 to start their season 7–0. It was their third consecutive 7–0 start to a season and was also regarded as Rice's first marquee win as coach. This win placed the UNLV Runnin' Rebels well within the Top 25. Despite losing to Wichita State on the road a little over a week later, UNLV then avenged last years lost to Illinois, which was also ranked in the top 25, in convincing fashion. This victory once again placed UNLV in the rankings. Shortly before Christmas, UNLV faced California, which had been ranked in the Top 25 for much of the beginning of the season, winning 85–68. Thereafter, UNLV dropped 124 points in a lopsided win against an inferior Central Arkansas team.
Despite falling to the SDSU Aztecs in their conference opener in a very close game, the Runnin' Rebels responded with soundly defeating New Mexico, the preseason Mountain West favorite, at home in front of a sold out crowd as well as blowing out an up–and–coming Colorado State club that easily beat that at UNLV the previous year. Despite narrowly winning road games against Air Force and Boise State, UNLV was ranked No. 11 in the country, which set up for an early February Top 15 showdown against San Diego State, which won 9 of the last 10 meetings. In front of a rejuvenated UNLV student section and a capacity crowd, UNLV played a near–perfect game, only to let up in the closing minutes, but key defensive stops in the final seconds allowed UNLV to come atop 65–63. However, the Rebels blew an 18-point lead in the following game against lowly TCU, and despite scoring 97 points, they lost in overtime. This set up numerous road losses down the stretch, but still finished a respectable 9–5 in conference play and 3rd seed in the tournament, where they lost in the semi-finals to New Mexico. Granted a six seed in the
2012 NCAA tournament, the Runnin' Rebels were upset in the opening round to Colorado despite trimming a 21–second point deficit to 2 in a 68–64 loss.
Despite the loss in the tournament and losing three starters, as well as two key reserves from the 2011–12 team, Dave Rice brought a highly touted recruiting class for the 2012–13 season. A total of four ESPN Top 100 players were signed as well as two transfers from key players on
Big East schools, highlighted by forward
Anthony Bennett. As a result, UNLV was ranked in the Top 20 to start the season for the first time in 22 years, but suffered an early season loss to Oregon over Thanksgiving weekend. However, UNLV rebounded from the loss, though the Rebels did lose a match to UNC. Road struggles from last year continued to follow them, even though the Rebels did beat the Aztecs on the road, Rice's squad was embarrassed by second–to–last place Fresno State on the road. Although they easily defeated a Top 15 New Mexico team, UNLV lost to a lowly Air Force team on the road 72–56, falling to 5–5 in MWC play. However, UNLV recovered the rest of the way, winning their next five, including a come from behind victory over rival SDSU. Yet, the UNLV Rebels were upset once again to Fresno State at home, but responded to avenge the Air Force loss in the Mountain West tourney and advance the title game where they lost to New Mexico. Awarded a five seed, the Rebels faced California in the NCAA Tournament, which they previously defeated in mid–December. In an ugly game, the team fell behind early and went 11 minutes without a basket in the 2nd half en route to a 64–61 loss. In late June, Anthony Bennett was drafted as the top overall pick in the
2013 NBA draft, marking the first time a Rebel was picked No. 1 overall since 1991.
Despite losing Bennett, as well as two other starters, including one who left the program, the Runnin' Rebels were picked to finish in third in 2013–14 in a highly competitive conference. However, the team did not get onto a good start and lost to
UC Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara (UC Santa Barbara or UCSB) is a public land-grant research university in Santa Barbara, California with 23,196 undergraduates and 2,983 graduate students enrolled in 2021–2022. It is part of the U ...
, which finished 11–20 in one of the worst conferences in the country the previous season, by 21. After losing back to back home games, the Rebels dropped to 2–3, the first time they had a losing record since 2005. They ended up missing the postseason for the first time since 2006. Despite this, Dave Rice received a contract extension through the 2018–19 season.
After going 18–15 in
2014–15, the first time the Rebels failed to win 20 games in a season since 2005–06, the team recruited highly touted prospect
Stephen Zimmerman
Stephen Eric Zimmerman Jr. (born September 9, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka of the Japanese B.League. He played college basketball for UNLV before being selected with the 41st overall pick in the ...
, who helped the Rebels start the
2015–16 season 3–0, their best start since going 8–0 in
2010–11. However, the Rebels failed to capitalize on that start; a 1–5 stretch that included an 0–3 start in Mountain West play led the school to fire Rice on January 10, 2016. His top assistant Todd Simon was named interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
Chris Beard's 19-day tenure
Fresh off a 30 win season at
Arkansas–Little Rock, UNLV hired
Chris Beard
Christopher Michael Beard (born February 18, 1973) is an American basketball coach who was most recently the head coach at the University of Texas at Austin for the men's team. He previously coached at Texas Tech, Little Rock, Angelo State, and ...
as a head coach. Beard was Sun Belt Coach of the Year in 2015–16, and led the
Trojans
Trojan or Trojans may refer to:
* Of or from the ancient city of Troy
* Trojan language, the language of the historical Trojans
Arts and entertainment Music
* ''Les Troyens'' ('The Trojans'), an opera by Berlioz, premiered part 1863, part 1890 ...
to a victory in the
2016 NCAA tournament over
Purdue
Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...
. Nineteen days later, Beard left UNLV to accept the head coaching position at Texas Tech.
Marvin Menzies era
After Chris Beard's sudden departure, UNLV agreed to hire 2015 Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year and former
New Mexico State
New Mexico State University (NMSU or NM State) is a public land-grant research university based primarily in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest public institution of higher education in New Mexico and one of the state's tw ...
head basketball coach,
Marvin Menzies
Marvin Eugene Menzies (born October 15, 1961) is an American college basketball coach who is currently the head men's coach at the University of Missouri–Kansas City. Menzies was hired on April 26, 2022 after former coach Billy Donlon resigned t ...
. In Menzies first season the
2016–17 Runnin' Rebels reached a new low finishing the season 11–21 and in last place of Mountain West Conference. The following year Menzies landed a top 25 Recruiting class. Landing 5 star prospect Brandon McCoy and the Top Junior college player in the nation , Shakur Juiston. The Rebels started the 2017–18 season 6–0 featuring a win over Utah in the MGM invitational championship game. UNLV had started receiving votes for the top 25. UNLV went on to only suffer 2 losses in non-conference play against northern Iowa and Arizona (both in overtime). UNLV started conference play 11–2 and in 1st place. The Rebels went 8–10 in conference play after losing it last five games. UNLV beat NO.23 Nevada on the road before going on a 5 games losing streak. UNLV was 19–12 going into the Mountain West tournament and beat Air Force 97–90 in the 1st round. They took on NO.22 Nevada in the quarterfinal game and lost 79–74. Ending UNLV's season at 20–13. On March 15, 2019, after finishing the season with a 17–13 record, the UNLV athletic department parted ways with Marvin Menzies after 3 years.
T. J. Otzelberger
UNLV announced on March 27, 2019 that its new coach would be
T. J. Otzelberger, former
South Dakota State Jackrabbits
The South Dakota State Jackrabbits are the 19 intercollegiate teams representing South Dakota State University that compete in the U.S. National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I (for football: Football Championship Subdivision). SDSU ...
head coach who posted an overall record of 70–33 in three season as head coach, including two NCAA Tournament appearances and earning
Summit League
The Summit League, or The Summit, is an NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletic conference with its membership mostly located in the Midwestern United States from Illinois on the East of the Mississippi River to the Dakotas and Nebraska on the W ...
2018 Coach of the Year honors.
NCAA Final Four appearances
1976–77
Known as the "Hardway Eight," this was the team that put UNLV on the map as a nationally prominent program. With players such as Lewis Brown,
Glen Gondrezick
Glen Michael 'Gondo' Gondrezick (August 30, 1955 – April 27, 2009) was an American basketball player who operated as either a shooting guard or a small forward ( swingman).
Basketball career
Born in Boulder, Colorado, he attended Boulder Hig ...
, Larry Moffett,
Eddie Owens, Robert Smith,
Sam Smith
Samuel Frederick Smith (born 19 May 1992) is an English singer and songwriter. After rising to prominence in October 2012 by featuring on Disclosure's breakthrough single "Latch", which peaked at number eleven on the UK Singles Chart, they ...
, Tony Smith and
Reggie Theus
Reginald Wayne Theus (born October 13, 1957) is an American basketball coach and former player. He played 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he was a two-time NBA All-Star. He is currently the head men's basketball he ...
, the Rebels ran themselves to a record of 29–3 and a spot in the 1977
Final Four at the Omni in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
. UNLV's record–setting team established
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
marks for most points in one season (3,426), most 100-point games (23) and most consecutive 100-point games (12). The Runnin’ Rebels won their first–ever West Regional Championship and advanced to the national semi-finals. An 84–83
loss to
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
in the semi-finals ended the championship dreams, but a 106–94 triumph over
North Carolina–Charlotte gave UNLV third place and a positive end to the season. The squad was inducted into the UNLV Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987.
1986–87
The 1986–87 edition of Runnin’ Rebels basketball was a special one as it became the first team to end the regular season as the nation's top–ranked team. Led by Freddie Banks, Jarvis Basnight,
Armon Gilliam, Gerald Paddio and Mark Wade, the Rebels ran through the
Pacific Coast Athletic Association
The Big West Conference (BWC) is an American collegiate athletic conference whose member institutions participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I. The conference was originally formed on July 1, 1969, as the Pacific ...
with a perfect record of 18–0. The team's only regular–season loss came at
Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
, 89–88. UNLV entered the NCAA Tournament as the top seed in the West Region, breezing through the first three rounds. The Rebels received a big scare in the regional final when they were forced to overcome an 18-point deficit against a scrappy Iowa squad. The 84–81 triumph earned UNLV a spot in the Final Four at the Superdome in
. Banks shined in the semi-final matchup with
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
, connecting on a tournament–record 10 3–pointers, but it was not enough as the Rebels fell to the eventual champions, 97–93. The loss ended UNLV's season with a record of 37–2. The squad was inducted into the UNLV Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998.
1989–90
The season it all came together for the Runnin’ Rebels was 1989–90. Future NBA star
Larry Johnson transferred from Odessa College, joining
Greg Anthony
Gregory Carlton Anthony (born November 15, 1967) is an American former professional basketball player who is a television analyst for NBA TV and Turner Sports. He played 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Anthony also cont ...
,
Stacey Augmon
Stacey Orlando Augmon (born August 1, 1968) is an American basketball coach and former player. He serves as the player development coach of the Sacramento Kings. He played professionally in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He gained the ...
,
David Butler and
Anderson Hunt. The Rebels began the season ranked No. 1 in almost every poll and rolled through the competition. UNLV suffered a surprising loss at
New Mexico State
New Mexico State University (NMSU or NM State) is a public land-grant research university based primarily in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest public institution of higher education in New Mexico and one of the state's tw ...
and finished the season as co–champions of the Big West Conference. However, Johnson and Co. flexed their muscles in the Big West tournament, running away with the title and the No. 1 seed in the West Region. In NCAA Tournament play, the Rebels toughest game came in the third round at Oakland, Calif., when
Ball State hung tough before falling 69–67. UNLV also ended
Loyola Marymount's Cinderella season with a 131–101 thrashing in the regional final. The win set up a semi-final match with
Georgia Tech
The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...
at
McNichols Arena
McNichols Sports Arena was an indoor arena located in Denver, Colorado. Located adjacent to Mile High Stadium and completed in 1975, at a cost of $16 million, it seated 16,061 for hockey games and 17,171 for basketball games.
Sports use
It was ...
in
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
. Trailing by seven at the half, UNLV rallied for an 89–80 triumph and a date in the championship. The 1990 NCAA Championship was all UNLV as an 18–0 run midway through the second half sent
Duke
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...
reeling as the Rebels ran up the most lopsided victory in championship history, 103–73. Hunt was named
Most Outstanding Player at the
Final Four for his performance as the Rebels finished the season 35–5. The squad was inducted into the UNLV Athletic Hall of Fame in 2000.
1990–91
Billed as one of the greatest teams of all time, the 1990–91 squad became the first team in 12 seasons to go undefeated in the regular season (27–0). A perfect record of 18–0 captured the Big West crown and earned the Rebels the No. 1 seed in the West Region. UNLV also flexed its muscles in a 112–105 victory over then–No. 2
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
in
Fayetteville. The Rebels rolled through regional play with wins over
Montana
Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...
,
Georgetown,
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
and
Seton Hall
Seton Hall University (SHU) is a private Catholic research university in South Orange, New Jersey. Founded in 1856 by then-Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley and named after his aunt, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Seton Hall is the oldest diocesa ...
before a showdown with
Duke
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...
in the Final Four at the Hoosier Dome in
Indianapolis
Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
.
Grant Hill
Grant Henry Hill (born October 5, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player who is a co-owner and executive of the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He attended Duke University and is widely considere ...
,
Bobby Hurley
Robert Matthew Hurley (born June 28, 1971) is an American college basketball coach and former professional player who is the head coach of the Arizona State Sun Devils men's basketball, Arizona State Sun Devils. He was previously the head coach a ...
, and
Christian Laettner
Christian Donald Laettner (, ; born August 17, 1969) is an American former professional basketball player. His college career for the Duke Blue Devils is widely regarded as one of the best in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) hi ...
kept the Rebels in check all evening and ended UNLV's dreams of back–to–back championships and the first perfect season since Indiana in 1976. The 79–77 loss ended UNLV's season with a record of 34–1. The team was inducted into the UNLV Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002.
Rivalries
The Rebels have three major rivalries, including the
Nevada Wolf Pack
The Nevada Wolf Pack are the athletic teams that represent the University of Nevada, Reno. They are part of NCAA's Division I's Mountain West Conference. It was founded on October 24, 1896 with football as the Sagebrushers in Reno, Nevada.
H ...
, the
SDSU Aztecs
The San Diego State Aztecs are the athletic teams that represent San Diego State University (SDSU). San Diego State currently sponsors six men's and eleven women's sports at the varsity level.
The Aztecs compete in NCAA Division I ( FBS for foo ...
and an inactive rivalry with the
BYU Cougars
The BYU Cougars are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Brigham Young University (BYU), located in Provo, Utah. BYU fields 21 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) varsity athletic teams. They are a member of the West ...
. UNLV leads the series with
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
. The Runnin' Rebels lead their all–time conference series with BYU (before their departure from the conference) 19–16 as of the end of the 2010–11 season with back to back wins over BYU in the MWC tournament championship games (07 and 08) and a victory on February 21, 2009 marked the only regular season sweep of the Cougars in the Lon Kruger era. The intensity of the rivalry between SDSU and UNLV grew exponentially during the Lon Kruger and Dave Rice years but has cooled down since Marvin Menzies took over in 2016.
UNLV Head Basketball Coaches list
The Runnin' Rebels program has had 16 head coaches in their history. 14 of the 16 coaches have winning records at UNLV.
Jerry Tarkanian
Jerry Tarkanian (August 8, 1930 – February 11, 2015) was an American basketball coach. He coached college basketball for 31 seasons over five decades at three schools. He spent the majority of his career coaching with the UNLV Runnin' Rebe ...
led UNLV to the
NCAA Division I tournament Championship in 1990 and the
NCAA Regional – NCAA Division I Men's Final Four in 1977, 1987, 1990 and 1991.
Jerry Tarkanian was inducted into the
Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and prese ...
. Rollie Massimino was inducted into the
College Basketball Hall of Fame
The National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Kansas City, Missouri, is a hall of fame and museum dedicated to men's college basketball. The museum is an integral portion of the College Basketball Experience created by the National ...
.
Facilities
Arenas
Thomas and Mack Center (since 1983)
The Thomas & Mack Center is an 18,000 seat multipurpose arena on the southwest corner of the UNLV campus. The arena, which opened in 1983, is named after prominent Nevada bankers
E. Parry Thomas and Jerome Mack, who donated the original fund for the feasibility and land studies. During a game against in–state rival,
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
, in November 2005, the court at the Thomas & Mack Center was renamed in honor of former head coach
Jerry Tarkanian
Jerry Tarkanian (August 8, 1930 – February 11, 2015) was an American basketball coach. He coached college basketball for 31 seasons over five decades at three schools. He spent the majority of his career coaching with the UNLV Runnin' Rebe ...
, who posted a 509–105 record in his 19 seasons, including leading UNLV to 11 conference championships, 12 NCAA tournament berths, and a national title in 1990.
Banners hang in the arena rafters all around the arena that honor former Runnin' Rebel greats (including
Greg Anthony
Gregory Carlton Anthony (born November 15, 1967) is an American former professional basketball player who is a television analyst for NBA TV and Turner Sports. He played 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Anthony also cont ...
,
Stacey Augmon
Stacey Orlando Augmon (born August 1, 1968) is an American basketball coach and former player. He serves as the player development coach of the Sacramento Kings. He played professionally in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He gained the ...
and
Larry Johnson), regular season and conference tournament championships, appearances in
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
and
NIT tournaments, advancements to the NCAA's Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight and Final Fours, and a prominent banner representing the
1990 National Championship team.
T-Mobile Arena (since 2016)
T-Mobile Arena is a multipurpose arena on the Las Vegas Strip that opened in 2016. While the Thomas & Mack Center remains the Runnin' Rebels' primary home arena, they occasionally play at the 18,000-seat T-Mobile Arena. One game against
Duke
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...
was played in December 2016 and two games were played in November 2017, against
Rice
Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima
''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown i ...
and
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
. In December 2018, UNLV defeated
BYU
Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day S ...
92–90 in overtime on a buzzer beater. They are 3–1 all time at the arena. They played no games at the Arena during the 2019–20 season.
Orleans Arena
Orleans Arena is a 9,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Paradise, Nevada, in the Las Vegas Valley. It is located at the Orleans Hotel and Casino and is operated by Coast Casinos, a subsidiary of Boyd Gaming Corporation.
The arena is the home to ...
(2008–2014)
Before moving to the
MGM Grand Garden Arena
The MGM Grand Garden Arena (originally known as the MGM Grand Garden Special Events Center) is a 17,000-seat multi-purpose arena located within the MGM Grand Las Vegas on the Las Vegas Strip.
Sporting events
From its opening on December 18, 1993 ...
and
T-Mobile Arena
T-Mobile Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Paradise, Nevada. Opened on April 6, 2016, it is the home arena of the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). A joint venture between MGM Resorts International and Anschutz En ...
, UNLV previously used the Orleans Arena as a "home" court when the Thomas and Mack wasn't available due to the National Finals Rodeo. UNLV pulled off a notable upset win here against the No. 1 ranked
North Carolina Tar Heels
The North Carolina Tar Heels are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The name Tar Heel is a nickname used to refer to individuals from the state of North Carolina, the ''Tar Heel ...
in front of a sold-out crowd in November 2011, which resulted in Rebel fans storming the court.
Las Vegas Convention Center (1966–1982)
In 1966, UNLV moved to the
Las Vegas Convention Center
The Las Vegas Convention Center (commonly referred to as LVCC) is a convention center in Winchester, Nevada. It is owned and operated by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
As one of the largest convention centers in the world, it h ...
near on Paradise Road in
Winchester
Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...
. The Runnin' Rebels would play 16 seasons at the 6,300-seat Convention Center, before moving back on campus to the newly opened Thomas & Mack Center for the 1983–84 season.
NSU Gymnasium (1960–1966)
The Runnin' Rebels moved to the NSU Gymnasium located on the UNLV campus (then known as Nevada Southern University) for their third season, 1960–61. The Runnin' Rebels would play six seasons at NSU Gymnasium before moving to the Las Vegas Convention Center. The NSU Gymnasium was developed into a natural history museum at UNLV and was renamed in 1989 to honor Marjorie Barrick, a longstanding benefactor of the university. The hardwood basketball court floor is still intact and acts as the floor for the museum.
Dula Memorial Gymnasium (1958–60)
The first season for the Rebels was 1958–59. Since there were only two buildings on the "campus", the team practiced at a nearby junior high and home games were played at the Dula Memorial Gymnasium (off Bonanza Road) for the first two seasons.
Mendenhall Center
Announced in March 2010, the Mendenhall Center is a state–of–the–art basketball practice facility attached to the south side of the
Cox Pavilion
Cox Pavilion is a , multi-purpose indoor arena on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus, connected to the Thomas & Mack Center. The Pavilion serves as the home court for UNLV Lady Rebels women's basketball and volleyball programs as well as t ...
, near the Thomas & Mack Center. The Mendenhall Center has a total of of space on three levels. Included are two full–sized basketball courts, an academic area and film room, locker rooms, athletic training, strength and conditioning, and equipment areas.
Groundbreaking occurred on October 21, 2010 with a tentative completion date of spring 2011, the facility was unveiled to the team in January 2012. The facility was built entirely through the private sector and, upon completion of construction, was gifted to the university.
Several million of the $11.7 million to fund the facility came from Las Vegas Paving CEO Bob Mendenhall.
Aside from the two regulation–sized practice courts, the building features locker rooms for both players and coaches, state–of–the–art strength and conditioning equipment, an academics area, and a team video room along with other amenities. The facility also includes a Hall of Fame at the entrance and a mezzanine that overlooks the practice floors and can be used for receptions.
Postseason
NCAA Division I tournament results
The Runnin' Rebels have appeared in the
NCAA Division I tournament 20 times, with a combined record of 33–19. They were National Champions in 1990.
NCAA Division II tournament results
The Runnin' Rebels appeared in the
NCAA Division II tournament four times, with a combined record of 4–5.
NIT results
The Runnin' Rebels have appeared in the
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitational Tournament (NIT) is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Played at regional sites and traditionally at Madison Square Garden (Final Four) in New York City ...
(NIT) ten times, with a combined record of 8–11.
Retired jerseys
UNLV has retired ten players' jerseys to date, the three latest being
Robert Smith's number 10 in 2022,
Freddie Banks's number 13 in 2021 and
Eddie Owens' number 13 in 2016. Although the jerseys are hanging on the rafters, numbers are not officially retired and can be worn by future players.
‘A real blessing’: UNLV to retire jerseys of basketball greats Freddie Banks, Robert Smith
By Ray Brewer at Las Vegas Sun, 15 Sep 2021
UNLV basketball alumni
* Greg Anthony
Gregory Carlton Anthony (born November 15, 1967) is an American former professional basketball player who is a television analyst for NBA TV and Turner Sports. He played 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Anthony also cont ...
- Former NBA basketball player
* Glen Gondrezick
Glen Michael 'Gondo' Gondrezick (August 30, 1955 – April 27, 2009) was an American basketball player who operated as either a shooting guard or a small forward ( swingman).
Basketball career
Born in Boulder, Colorado, he attended Boulder Hig ...
- Former NBA basketball player with New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...
and Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
; nicknamed “Gondo”, he also served as a sports broadcaster for the Rebels (1992-2004) along with having his jersey retired in 1997
* George Ackles – Former international player and veteran of American minor leagues
* Louis Amundson
Louis Gabriel Amundson ( born December 7, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball, UNLV and 12 years professionally, including 10 seasons in the NBA.
Early life ...
– NBA basketball player with New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...
* Stacey Augmon
Stacey Orlando Augmon (born August 1, 1968) is an American basketball coach and former player. He serves as the player development coach of the Sacramento Kings. He played professionally in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He gained the ...
– Former NBA basketball player
* Joel Anthony
Joel Vincent Anthony (born August 9, 1982) is a Canadian former professional basketball player who played for the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, and San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He won two champio ...
– NBA basketball player with San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Southwest Division ( ...
* Marcus Banks
Arthur Lemarcus "Marcus" Banks III (born November 19, 1981) is an American former professional basketball player.
Banks is tall and . He played college basketball at the UNLV with the UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball, Runnin' Rebels, where he was ...
– Former NBA basketball player, currently with Panathinaikos B.C.
Panathinaikos B.C. ( el, ΚΑΕ Παναθηναϊκός), also known simply as Panathinaikos, is the professional basketball team of the major Athens-based multi- sport club Panathinaikos A.O. It is owned by the billionaire Giannakopoulos f ...
* Romel Beck
Romel Roberto Beck-Castro (born May 29, 1982) is a Mexican professional basketball player who last played for Aguacateros de Michoacan of the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional (LNPB). He also played for the Mexico national basketball team.
B ...
– Veteran of international leagues and the NBDL
* Oscar Bellfield – Veteran of the NBDL, currently with Panteras de Miranda Panteras de Miranda is a Venezuelan professional basketball club based in Miranda. The club competes in the Liga Profesional de Baloncesto
The Superliga Profesional de Baloncesto, commonly known as the SPB, is the Venezuelan first division natio ...
* Anthony Bennett – Former NBA basketball player with Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The t ...
and number one overall 2013 NBA draft pick
* Miki Berkovich
Moshe "Miki" Berkovich (or Mickey Berkowitz; he, משה "מיקי" ברקוביץ'; born 17 February 1954) is an Israeli former professional basketball player. A 193 cm shooting guard, he is considered to be one of the greatest Israeli basket ...
(born 1954) - Israeli former International. Named one of 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors (2008)
The 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors (2008) of FIBA European Champions Cup and EuroLeague history were awarded and chosen on February 3, 2008, in Madrid, Spain. The occasion was the fiftieth anniversary since the founding of the inaugural sea ...
* David Butler – Former international player and veteran of American minor leagues
* Khem Birch
Khem Xavier Birch (born September 28, 1992) is a Canadian professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Pittsburgh Panthers and the UNLV Runnin' Rebe ...
– NBA basketball player with the Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was establ ...
.
* Ben Carter (born 1994), American-Israeli basketball player in the Israel Basketball Premier League
Ligat HaAl ( he, ליגת העל, lit., ''Supreme League or Premier League''), or the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is the top-tier level league of professional competition in Israeli club basketball, making it Israel's primary basketball co ...
* Keon Clark
Arian Keon Clark (born April 16, 1975) is an American former basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Playing career
After a collegiate career at two different junior colleges and UNLV, Clark was selected 13th overall by th ...
(born 1975) – Former NBA basketball player
*Kris Clyburn
Kristopher "Kris" Joshon Clyburn (born April 20, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for Mitteldeutscher BC of the German Basketball Bundesliga. Standing at , he plays at the shooting guard and small forward positions. Clyburn pla ...
(born 1996) - basketball player for Maccabi Rishon LeZion of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
Ligat HaAl ( he, ליגת העל, lit., ''Supreme League or Premier League''), or the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is the top-tier level league of professional sports, professional competition in Israeli sports club, club basketball, making ...
* Bryce Dejean-Jones
Bryce Alexander Dejean-Jones (August 21, 1992 – May 28, 2016) was an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball for Iowa State University after stints with USC and UNLV, and played professionally for the New Orleans ...
(1992-2016) – NBA player with the New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their hom ...
who died in 2016.
* Mark Dickel
Mark Robert Dickel (born 21 December 1976) is a New Zealand-Australian former professional basketball player and coach.
Early years
Dickel attended Logan Park High School in Dunedin, New Zealand. In 1993, he joined the Otago Nuggets of the New ...
– Veteran of several international leagues, currently with OceanaGold Nuggets
The Otago Nuggets are a New Zealand basketball team based in Dunedin
Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes ...
* Gaston Essengué – Veteran of international and American minor leagues
* Armon Gilliam – Former NBA player. Drafted 1st round No. 2 overall in the 1987 NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns.
* Evric Gray
Evric Lee Gray (born December 13, 1969) is an American former professional basketball player. He was a small forward.
College career
Gray played college basketball at UNLV.
Professional career
Gray played in the National Basketball Association ...
– Former NBA and international player
* John Flowers – Veteran of several international leagues
* Sidney Green (born 1961) – Former NBA player
* Anderson Hunt – Former international player and veteran of American minor leagues
* Larry Johnson – Former NBA basketball player Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and pla ...
and New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...
*Derrick Jones Jr.
Derrick Labrent Jones Jr. (born February 15, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the UNLV Runnin' Rebels.
Jones signed with the ...
(born 1997) – NBA basketball player with Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...
. Also played for Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...
, Miami Heat
The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Southe ...
and won the 2020 NBA All Star Dunk Contest.
* Kaspars Kambala
Kaspars Kambala (born December 13, 1978) is a Latvian semi-professional basketball player, currently for BK Jūrmala, and a former professional boxer. Standing at , he plays at the position of forward-center.
High school
A 1997 graduate of Home ...
– Veteran of several international leagues, currently with Pİ Koleji
* Kevin Kruger – Veteran of international leagues and NBA Development League
The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official List of developmental and minor sports leagues, minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development ...
and current head coach of UNLV Runnin' Rebels.
* Shawn Marion
Shawn Dwayne Marion (born May 7, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player who played 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Marion finished his career as a four-time NBA All-Star, a two-time member of the All- ...
– Former NBA basketball player with Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...
, Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conferenc ...
, and Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...
*Patrick McCaw
Patrick Andrew McCaw (born October 25, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for the Delaware Blue Coats of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the UNLV Runnin' Rebels and earned second-team all-conference honors in t ...
(born 1995) – NBA basketball player with Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. They play their home games a ...
. Also played for the Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...
and the Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...
. The only player to win three straight NBA champions in his 3 first season .
* Brandon McCoy
Brandon Lee McCoy (born June 11, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the UNLV Runnin' Rebels. He stands 7’0’’ (213 cm) tall and plays ce ...
– Undrafted player currently in the NBA G League
The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official List of developmental and minor sports leagues, minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development ...
with the Wisconsin Herd
The Wisconsin Herd are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and are affiliated with the Milwaukee Bucks. The Herd play their home games at Oshkosh Arena.
History
On June 29, 2016, it was anno ...
.
* Tyrone Nesby
Tyrone Lamont Nesby (born January 31, 1976) is an American retired professional basketball player.
Nesby went to Cairo High School in Cairo, Illinois. He played collegiately at Vincennes University (1994–1996), and at UNLV (1996–1998). After ...
– Former NBA basketball player
* Isaiah Rider
Isaiah Rider Jr., nicknamed J.R. (born March 12, 1971), is an American former professional basketball player who played 9 seasons in the NBA.
Rider was born in Oakland, California, and was raised in nearby Alameda. He starred in both baseball and ...
– Former NBA basketball player
* René Rougeau
René Anthony Rougeau (born March 25, 1986) is an American professional basketball player for Hermine Nantes Basket of the LNB Pro B. He played college basketball for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where he starred in his four seasons with th ...
– Veteran of international and American minor leagues.
* Moses Scurry
Moses Scurry (born 14 June 1968) is a former college and professional basketball player.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Scurry played power forward for the UNLV Runnin' Rebels during the 1988–89 and 1989-90 seasons. The Rebels beat Duke Univers ...
– Former international player and veteran of American minor leagues.
* Rashad Vaughn
Rashad DeAndre Vaughn (born August 16, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Charge of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the UNLV Runnin' Rebels.
High school career
For the first three years of his ...
(born 1996) – Drafted in the first round (#17) in 2015 by the Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...
. Currently playing abroad for KK Igokea
Košarkaški klub Igokea ( sr-cyrl, Кошаркашки клуб Игокеа), commonly referred to as KK Igokea or as Igokea m:tel due to sponsorship reasons, is a men's professional basketball club based in Aleksandrovac near Laktaši, Republ ...
in Bosnia.
*H Waldman
H Waldman ('ולדמן אייץ; nickname: H; born January 21, 1972) is an American-Israeli former basketball player. He played the point guard and shooting guard positions. Waldman played in the Israel Basketball Premier League from 1996 to 2001. ...
(born 1972) - American-Israeli basketball player; Israeli Basketball Premier League
Ligat HaAl ( he, ליגת העל, lit., ''Supreme League or Premier League''), or the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is the top-tier level league of professional sports, professional competition in Israeli sports club, club basketball, making ...
* Wendell White – Veteran of international leagues and the NBDL, last with San-en NeoPhoenix
is a B.League professional basketball team, based in the eastern Mikawa and Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture region of central Japan.
The team was founded in 1965 as the company team of the OSG Corporation, a Toyokawa-based machine parts manufa ...
* Christian Wood
Christian Marquise Wood (born September 27, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the UNLV Runnin' Rebels. He has also played in ...
– NBA basketball player with the Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
*Stephen Zimmerman
Stephen Eric Zimmerman Jr. (born September 9, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka of the Japanese B.League. He played college basketball for UNLV before being selected with the 41st overall pick in the ...
– Drafted in the second round (#41) in 2016 by the Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was establ ...
. Currently playing for ERA Nymburk of the Czech National Basketball League.
See also
*
References
External links
*
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{{1990 UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball navbox
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Basketball teams established in 1958
Thomas & Mack Center