GOING UP Chopper and Pals Sounds like an old Saturday morning cartoon, doesnÕt it? When Steve ÒChopperÓ Jones and freshmen Anthony Marshall and Justin Hawkins checked into the game in the second half against Nevada-Reno on Wednesday night, UNLV trailed by 12 points. When they went back to the end of the bench, the Rebels led by seven. Heavens to Murgatroyd , Snagglepuss! Lon Kruger There arenÕt a lot of coaches willing to yank three starters from a game that was in danger of getting away — a... Read Full Story
UNLV fired football coach Mike Sanford on Sunday, a day after an ugly loss to Air Force guaranteed a losing season for the Rebels. UNLV President Neal Smatresk and Jerry Koloskie, the interim athletic director, said Sanford will finish the season, coaching the RebelsÕ final game Nov.Ê28. The firing had been long expected. Sanford had never been able to revamp the program. In five years he had time to recruit players and build a program, but it never gained momentum. Although the program was... Read Full Story
ONLINE |For more coverage on UNLV basketball, go to lasvegassun.com/rebels. IF YOU GO What: UNLV vs. Pittsburg State When: 7 p.m. Saturday Where: Thomas & Mack Center Tickets: $8-$28; unlvtickets.com KRUGER AT UNLV 2004-05 17-14 2005-06 17-13 2006-07 30-7 2007-08 27-8 2008-09 21-11 Overall 112-53 UNLV basketball coach Lon Kruger knew Super Bowl Sunday was the pivotal point of last season. His players bolted from the Thomas & Mack Center to watch the big game. The previous night, they won at... Read Full Story
MR. LAS VEGAS TAKES YOUR QUESTIONS As part of our coverage of Wayne Newton, we asked our readers for their questions for Mr. Las Vegas and he was kind enough to answer them. HereÕs a sample of what youÕll find online. Question: ÒI know people have been bringing you gifts for years. What is the most memorable gift youÕve received on stage? Funny or extravagant?Ó — Paula NewtonÕs Answer: The most memorable gift I have ever received on stage was an invitation from a lady to join her in her room... Read Full Story
The 1990 national championship Rebels basketball team will be honored with a halftime ceremony at tonightÕs exhibition game against Washburn at the Thomas & Mack Center. Jerry Tarkanian coached Larry Johnson, Stacey Augmon, Greg Anthony, Anderson Hunt and the rest of the team that belted Duke, 103-73, the widest margin of victory in a college hoops title game. Did 20 years really fly by that quickly? ÒItÕs amazing,Ó said Tarkanian, 79. ÒIt sure went fast.Ó Johnson, the star of the team, was... Read Full Story
For more coverage of UNLV basketball, go to lasvegassun.com/rebels. Darris Santee wears his soul on his shoulders. An elaborate scroll of Psalms 27 is etched in ink on the left: ÒWhom shall I fear? É of whom shall I be afraid? É When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.Ó On his right shoulder, the tattoo reads: ÒOnly God Can Judge Me.Ó ÒThatÕs important to me, too,Ó Santee said. ÒDonÕt worry about what other people think or say... Read Full Story
For more coverage of UNLV basketball, go to lasvegassun.com/rebels. Brice ÒTruckÓ Massamba spent the summer in Sweden lifting weights, conditioning and keeping his diet in check. Massamba, sporting a new Mohawk hairdo, appears to have honed himself into a 6-foot-9, 240-pound weapon. The sophomore is excited by his teammatesÕ play during the first few days of practice. ÒWe look pretty good, defense-wise,Ó Massamba said. ÒWeÕve been killing people on offense, too. WeÕre much quicker than last... Read Full Story
IF YOU GO What: FirstLook 2009, first official practice of the UNLV basketball team When: 9 p.m. Friday Where: Thomas & Mack Center Admission: Free Power forward Chace Stanback will be a focal point when fans get their first look at this yearÕs UNLV basketball team Friday at the Thomas & Mack Center. They will be hoping the sophomore fills the scoring and rebounding voids left by the graduation of Wink Adams, Rene Rougeau and Joe Darger. Stanback sat out last season after transferring from... Read Full Story
Here are 773 thoughts — one for each yard UNLV allowed in the 63-28 debacle at Nevada-Reno on Saturday — about Mike SanfordÕs tenuous status as Rebels head football coach. Just kidding. Unlike the Wolf Pack, weÕre gonna stop at 15. 1. Somebody should send the Board of Regents the check for SanfordÕs $225,000 buyout. They are the ones who ratified his three-year contract extension last year with a rubber stamp. 2. Like Eric the Clown in ÒSeinfeld,Ó it would appear Neal Smatresk, the new UNLV... Read Full Story
At a summer pickup game, top UNLV basketball players goaded Tyler Norman to dunk the ball. Throw it down, they said. Climb some air. Do a windmill! ÒIÕd never windmilled it before,Ó said Norman, whoÕs 6 feet 2 inches and 180 pounds. ÒBut I went up and windmilled it, and the guys just went crazy. TheyÕd never seen a white guy windmill it before. That was a highlight. That was fun.Ó It had been a long time since Norman, a former Nevada 3A player of the year and three-time state champion at... Read Full Story
