Tag: UNLV

Complete list of postponed/canceled college football games this weekend

COVID-19 continues to terrorize the country. Here are all the college football games that were called off this weekend as a result.

In a year like none, we’ve ever seen in college football and one we hope we never see again, at least in terms of trying to play the grand game through a global pandemic.

In the meantime, we continue to have cancellations and postponements for games that were scheduled to be played this week.

As of Friday afternoon, it’s hard to imagine any more college football games being called off for this weekend but it’s certainly a possibility in this strange time.

Here is the complete list that is up to date with every game that has been called off for this weekend:

Ole Miss at No. 5 Texas A&M
Georgia Tech at No. 12 Miami (FL)
Charlotte at No. 15 Marshall
No. 22 Texas at Kansas
Central Arkansas at No. 24 Louisiana
Michigan State at Maryland
Wake Forest at Duke
Houston at SMU
UL Monroe at Louisiana Tech
UNLV at Colorado State
San Jose State at Fresno State
Navy at South Florida
Arizona State at Colorado

Many believed LSU and Arkansas would be canceled as well but as of Friday afternoon reports have that game being all-systems-go for Saturday.

Mountain West Alumni in the 2020 NBA Playoffs

The NBA 2020 Playoffs are almost here. Eight Mountain West alumni will be playing, another one has a chance to earn a ticket this weekend.

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Eight Mountain West alumni have made it into the 2020 NBA Playoffs

Contact/Follow @cisabelg & @MWCwire

The two weeks since the NBA restart have flown by and the regular season has now ended. Here are the teams with Mountain West alumni that have officially made it into the 2020 NBA Playoffs, and a team that is still fighting for a spot.

Memphis Grizzlies – Brandon Clarke (SJSU 2015–2017)

No. 9 seed in the West
Overall Record: 34-39 Bubble: 2-6
Play-in Game 1: Saturday 2:30pm ET

The play-in, first in NBA history, has been activated and Memphis must battle it out with the Portland Blazers this weekend to secure the final playoff spot in the West. The first, and potentially only, game is on Saturday. If the Blazers win, the Grizzlies will be eliminated. If the Grizzlies win, there will be another game on Sunday.

Brandon Clarke is one of the promising young players for the Grizzlies. Clarke might be overshadowed by the Rookie of the Year finalist Ja Morant, but the former SJSU player’s efficiency and shooting percentage speak for themselves. Clarke finished the regular season at 61.8% from the field, which is slightly better than the NBA rookie shooting record by Steve Johnson at 61.34% through the 1981-81 season.

The last time the Grizzlies and the Blazers faced each other was on July 31 with Portland winning in overtime 140-135. Memphis’ leading scorer was Jaren Jackson Jr with 33 points. Unfortunately, the Grizzlies won’t count with him this time as he suffered a torn meniscus and was ruled out for the rest of the season.

Their task won’t get any easier as they have to get through Damian Lillard who has been averaging 37.6 points and 9.6 assists since the restart. He recorded a total of 154 points in the last three games.

If the Grizzlies pull off two victories, they will take on the Los Angeles Lakers on Aug. 18.

Los Angeles Lakers – JaVale McGee (Nevada 2006–08)

No. 1 seed in the West
Overall Record: 52-19 Bubble: 3-5
Game 1: Aug. 18 9pm ET vs Memphis/Portland

The Lakers clinched the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference on Aug. 4, the first time since the 2019-10 season.

The Lakers haven’t been at their best since the restart, but they’ll have to step it up if they’re serious about getting their 17th NBA championship. Anthony Davis and LeBron James lead the team with an average of 26.1 and 25.3 points per game, respectively. The superstar duo hasn’t been performing as expected, so the team has relied on other players like Kyle Kuzma to step up.

Javale McGee, a 7’0 center, is one of the Lakers who has seen the most games this season. He has made 68 appearances, all as a starter.

Head coach Frank Vogel announced that the team is bringing reinforcements. Rajon Rondo, who injured his thumb and had surgery in July, has entered the bubble and is doing the required quarantine.

Los Angeles Clippers – Paul George (Fresno State 2008-10), Kawhi Leonard (SDSU 2009-11)

No. 2 seed in the East
Overall Record: 49-23 Bubble: 5-3
Game 1: Aug. 17 9pm ET vs Mavericks

The Clippers will face the Dallas Mavericks in a playoff game for the first time in NBA history. 

The Mavericks count on the young, but talented, duo of Luka Dončić and Kristaps Porzingis. The Clippers top two players, who happen to be alumni of Mountain West schools, have a lot more experience. Kawhi Leonard is a two-time NBA champion and Finals MVP. Paul George is a six-time NBA All-Star. Meanwhile, this will be Dončić’ and Porzingis’ playoff debuts.

Leonard and George are averaging 27.1 and 21.5 points respectively. The third highest scorer on the stat sheet is Montrezl Harrell, who was not in the bubble due to family matters and hasn’t played an NBA game since March 10. Harrell, a 6th man of the year finalist, has made it into the bubble and is expected to clear quarantine in time for the first playoff game.

Miami Heat – Derrick Jones (UNLV 2015–16)

No. 5 seed in the East
Overall Record: 44-29 Bubble: 3-5
Game 1: Aug. 18 6:30pm ET vs Indiana

The Heat Clinch No. 5 Seed in Eastern Conference after a loss to the Pacers on Friday. The Pacers locked in the No. 4 seed, and the two teams will face each other again for the first round of the playoffs.

Miami is led by Jimmy Butler who is averaging 19.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.8 steals per game. The Heat have been have struck by injuries lately, which have given them mixed results in the bubble. Recent headlines were about Derrick Jones Jr.

Jones Jr. has been dealing with a knee injury but was cleared to play on Friday. He played against the Pacers but had to be carried off the court on a stretcher in the third quarter after a hard collision. It appeared serious but the team announced later that evening that he had suffered a neck strain and would be re-evaluated again over the weekend.

Toronto Raptors – Paul Watson (Fresno State 2013-17), Patrick McCaw UNLV (2014–16)

No. 2 seed in the East
Overall Record: 53-19 Bubble: 7-1
Game 1: Aug. 17 4pm ET vs Brooklyn

The Raptors are the defending NBA champions and this year’s No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.

The canadian team has talent. Six players are scoring in double digits, with Pascal Siakam, Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet at the top of the stat sheet with 22.9ppg, 19.4ppg and 17.6ppg respectively. But there are also other members of the team who can contribute.

Paul Watson trained with player development coach Rico Hines, who has worked with Siakam, last offseason. Watson was a standout at Toronto’s G-League affiliate before signing a two-way deal with the Raptors in January. He showed his worth on Friday when Toronto defeated the Denver Nuggets 117-109 and he helped with 22 points. That performance earned Watson and Fresno a shoutout on ESPN. 

The team has another former Mountain West player, Patrick McCaw as a reserve forward, but he left the bubble earlier this month to receive treatment for a benign mass on the back of his left knee. 

Brooklyn Nets – Tyler Johnson (Fresno State 2010-14)

No. 7 seed in the East
Overall Record: 35-37 Bubble: 5-3
Game 1: Aug. 17 4pm ET vs Raptors

The Nets would be a more intimidating team if they weren’t missing big-name players like Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, as well as shot creator Spencer Dinwiddie. However, Caris LeVert has managed to carry the team with an average of 18.7 points and 4.2 rebounds.

Tyler Johnson, previously with the Phoenix Suns, signed with the team late June. He makes a good pair with Chris Chiozza and has already shown what he can give the Nets. He scored 21 points during a 129-120 win against the Los Angeles Clippers on Aug. 9. After the game, LeVert had a lot of good things to say about his new teammate.

“Tyler’s been huge for us…His basketball IQ is very high,” LeVert said. “He’s huge for us, knocking down shots, being in the right spot defensively and just knowing what to do.”

Orlando Magic – Khem Birch (UNLV 2012-14)

No. 8 seed in the East
Overall Record: 33-40 Bubble: 3-5
Game 1: Aug. 18 1:30pm ET vs Milwaukee

Orlando’s depth has been stretched thin several times during this season, so even making it into the playoffs is an accomplishment.

Mo Bamba, who was diagnosed with COVID-19 on June 11, left the NBA bubble for a “comprehensive post-Coronavirus evaluation,” the team announced Friday. Bamba had been splitting time with Khem Birch as backup center for Nikola Vucevic throughout the season. Birch was seeing more time during the restart. He has has appeared in 48 games this season, starting in 24 of those, while averaging 19.2 minutes per game. 

The Magic finished the regular season with a win against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans had already been eliminated and were resting all of their starters during that game, but the Magic still had a good performance. 

The team shot at 73% from beyond the arc during the first half, hitting 13 out of 18 attempts. Eight different players contributed to this. By the end of the game the team had finished 15-of-28 in three pointers. This stat was a big deal for Orlando since the team had been struggling in this category.

 

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Report: Second Group of Five Conference Cancels Football

The MAC is no longer the only conference to have cancelled football this fall as another Group of Five conference joined them in doing so.

As we went back and forth with the Big Ten cancelling and then not actually cancelling football for the fall earlier today, we do now have word that another FBS conference has pulled the plug on their football season.

The Moutntain West Conference has canceled their 2020 football season in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and over fear of player health and safety concerns.  Brett McMurphy of Stadium was first with the report.

McMurphy’s report adds that the conference will consider playing football in the spring but makes no guarantee to it happening.

The Mountain West Conference is home to Air Force, Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State, Nevada, UNLV, New Mexico, San Diego State, San Jose State, Utah State and Wyoming in football.

The Mountain West Conference joins the Mid-American Conference as the first two to officially cancel the 2020 season.  The addition of Connecticut cancelling football last week brings the total to 26 FBS programs that won’t play football this fall.

Saturday Big 12 morning rush: Headlines from around the conference

The latest stories from the Big 12 Conference in Saturday morning’s morning rush. Including Texas Tech’s Chris Beard on a wedding promise.

Each morning, Longhorns Wire scours the web for the top Big 12 headlines happening around the conference. Today’s stories are courtesy of Twitter, Fort Worth Star Telegram, and SB Nation.

Chris Beard officiates wedding

Texas Tech men’s basketball coach Chris Beard made a promise back on August 1, 2019 and on July 24, 2020 he delivered.

TCU football close to finalizing games for Week Zero, Week 2. Possible opponents?

Drew Davidson of the Fort Worth Star Telegram laid out the potential plan for Texas Christian as they look to fill out their nonconference schedule.

There’s a strong sense that TCU would open the season at UNLV on Aug. 29 in Las Vegas. Similar to TCU, UNLV had a non-conference game against Cal canceled with the Pac-12’s decision.

The game would be played at Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium, which will be the new home to UNLV and the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders. With the NFL canceling its preseason, TCU and UNLV would be the first football game played at the stadium if it happens.

TCU has a history with UNLV. The schools were both members of the Western Athletic Conference from 1996-98 and the Mountain West from 2005-11. TCU owns the all-time series record 9-1.

It’s unclear who the Week 2 opponent may be to replace Prairie View A&M.

“We liked these options because it gave us flexibility,” Donati said. “We have the ability to adapt if needed.”

As of now, TCU’s non-conference schedule would have games on Aug. 29 (possibly at UNLV), Sept. 12 (home opener) and Sept. 26 (at SMU) with Big 12 play starting Oct. 3 (Oklahoma State). But, as Donati said, this also gives the program flexibility to shuffle games, given the unpredictability of the pandemic, with open dates on Sept. 5 and Sept. 19.

Rating Big 12 Coaching Hot Seats

The SB Nation Kansas Jayhawks website wrote about which Big 12 coaches are on the hot seat. It started with Texas Longhorns head coach Tom Herman.

Getting warmer

Tom Herman, Texas

The Longhorn coach isn’t in “win or be fired” mode yet, but that time may be coming. Texas has high expectations as usual, but this year, those expectations actually appear justified considering what the Longhorns return on both sides of the ball. Herman is 1-2 against Oklahoma, having lost the last two matchups. But so far, his best season (2018) still featured 4 losses with too-close-for-comfort games against Tulsa and Kansas.

It’s been a bit of a frustrating tenure so far for Herman; He’s 25-15 in Austin, with 11 of those 15 losses coming by 8 points or fewer.

It’s also notable that Herman almost completely revamped his assistant coaching staff the past offseason, bringing in seven new hires this offseason, including new offensive and defensive coordinators.

Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State

Lukewarm Seat

Matt Wells, Texas Tech

Neal Brown, West Virginia

Cool Beans

Dave Aranda, Baylor

Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma

Gary Patterson, Texas Christian

Matt Campbell, Iowa State

Chris Klieman, Kansas State

Les Miles, Kansas

Notre Dame Schedules First-Time Opponent for 2022

UNLV will be making the trek to South Bend on October 22, 2022 and get a guaranteed $1.35 million for their troubles.

When 2022 gets here, or if it gets here, Notre Dame will be playing an opponent for the first time in school history.  UNLV will be making the trek to South Bend on October 22, 2022 and will get a guarantee of $1.35 million for their troubles.

UNLV Director of Athletics Desiree Reed-Francois released the following statement in regards to the future match-up:

“Nothing says college football history more than playing a game at Notre Dame,” said Reed-Francois. “We are looking forward to taking our team and our fans to South Bend for what is sure to be a memorable experience.”

This game is a result of Notre Dame wanting to schedule Cal in 2022 but Cal having to move their date with UNLV to make things work that year.

If you’re wondering, the Rebels aren’t exactly a powerhouse, having appeared in just two bowl games the last 20 seasons.  In their 42 seasons of playing college football, they’ve gone to a post-season game just four times altogether.

Alabama baseball sweeps UNLV to start season 7-0

The Crimson Tide baseball team traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada to take on UNLV in a 3 game series in which Alabama won every single game. 

Over the weekend, the Crimson Tide baseball team traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada to take on UNLV in a 3 game series in which Alabama won every single game.

On Friday, Alabama won both games by scores of 8-0 and 5-4. And then on Sunday, the Tide completed the series with a 5-1 victory over UNLV.

Game 1 for the Tide was led by Connor Prielipp who struck out a season-high eight and walled one while retiring 14 straight. Offensively for Alabama, recorded nine hits, including three solo home runs. Eedshirt sophomore Sam Praytor had 2 of the 3 solo home runs.

Game 2 was more of a struggle, but the Tide came out on top as they executed an impressive comeback. A ninth inning game ending home run by junior Jackson Tate is what sealed the game for Alabama. On the mound, three different pitchers rotated. The tide started with Casey Cobb who pitched 2 innings and had 4 strikeouts. Next up was Brock Guffey who recorded his first win while only needing 10 pitches to get out of the inning. Lastly, Chase Lee had one strikeout and 2 grand-outs to end the game for Alabama.

Game 3 was all Alabama on Sunday. The Tide was led by Junior Tyler Gentry who recorded 2 home runs while finishing 2-for-4 with a career-high tying four RBI and two runs score. On the mound in game 3 was Antoine Jean who in 4 innings only allowed one run. Jacob McNairy and redshirt freshman Landon Green combined had 5 scoreless frames while allowing only 2 hits, 1 walk, and had 3 strikeouts.

Next up for Alabama (7-0) is UT-Martin on Tuesday, Feb. 25 followed by Middle Tennessee on Wednesday. Both will start at 3PM CT and will be on SEC Network+.

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Michigan State reportedly loses assistant Terrence Samuel to UNLV

The former wide receivers coach is headed back to the offensive side of the ball at UNLV

In a time when Michigan State is attempting to add a coach, they just lost another one.

Former wide receivers coach Terrence Samuel, who was swapped to assistant defensive backs coach in the infamous coaching shuffle of 2019, has been hired away by UNLV to be their wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator. ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg first reported to the news.

Samuel has been with Michigan State for nine years, the first eight of which were spent coaching the receivers. During those eight seasons Samuel’s players earned All-Big Ten recognition eight times, including two Big Ten Receivers of the Year in Tony Lippett (2014) and Aaron Burbridge (2015). Five Spartan receivers have been drafted into the NFL since Samuel’s arrival in 2011 and that number could increase this year with Cody White and Darrell Stewart Jr. as potential selections.

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UNLV needs late surge to survive Wyoming upset bid

Game Recap: UNLV 78, Wyoming 69 (OT) Rebels move to 4-1 in MW; Cowboys still winless Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire UNLV holds steady in second place despite a close call in Laramie TJ Otzelberger’s team found a way to survive on …

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Game Recap: UNLV 78, Wyoming 69 (OT)

Rebels move to 4-1 in MW; Cowboys still winless

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

UNLV holds steady in second place despite a close call in Laramie

TJ Otzelberger’s team found a way to survive on Saturday, preserving the hot streak that has marked their coach’s first season in the Mountain West.

UNLV (9-9, 4-1 MW) beat Wyoming 78-69 in Laramie’s Arena-Auditorium, but the Runnin’ Rebels needed a late push – and an extra five minutes – to save themselves from the Cowboys’ upset bid.

The Rebels were led by Bryce Hamilton’s 19 points off the bench. Jonah Antonio and Marvin Coleman were both also in double digits for UNLV, scoring 15 and 14, respectively. Donnie Tillman also added 10 points from the bench.

Kwane Marble paced Wyoming (5-13, 0-6 MW) in the scoring department with 19 points, followed closely by Jake Hendricks with 18 and Hunter Maldonado with 16. Marble was extremely efficient, going 4-for-4 from the field and 9-for-11 on free throws, but Maldonado and Hendricks combined to shoot just 30% on the game.

Wyoming led by seven points with 1:25, after Hunter Thompson hit the front end of a trip to the free throw line. But a 7-0 run, capped by two Donnie Tillman free throws in the dying seconds, forced overtime.

The Cowboys never led again.

UNLV opened up the extra period with back-to-back three-pointers from Coleman and Antonio. Coleman also hit a three during the late run to push the game into overtime.

The second-year Rebel is averaging nearly ten points per game since being installed in the Rebels’ starting lineup just before Christmas. Antonio, another recent addition to the starting five, reached double figures for the first time since the team’s opening game of the season.

Those adjustment has already paid early dividends for Otzelberger, with the team going 5-1 over their past six games. UNLV has finally climbed back to .500 after losing eight of their first 12 games.

That they were victorious despite a poor offensive showing from Amauri Hardy is especially encouraging for a team that has looked one-dimensional at times.

Saturday’s triumph was the fourth in five tries for UNLV in Mountain West play, keeping them in a second-place tie with New Mexico. The Lobos were also victorious over the weekend, beating Air Force at home. Both teams trail undefeated San Diego State, with the Aztecs moving to 17-0 after an easy win over Boise State.

In stark contrast to the early success of those teams, Wyoming still remains winless on the conference season. The Cowboys are in last place in the Mountain West, trailing Fresno State by a game and a half.

UP NEXT

UNLV hosts San Jose State (6-12, 2-4 MW) on Wednesday night. The Spartans are coming off a loss to Colorado State over the weekend, but they haven’t looked like the pushovers they were a year ago. Jean Prioleau’s club has already beaten New Mexico and Nevada in league play. They also came closer than anyone else to beating San Diego State, with Malachi Flynn’s buzzer-beater serving as the Aztecs’ only saving grace.

Wyoming will head to Reno to take on Nevada (10-7, 3-2 MW) in a Tuesday night matchup. The Wolf Pack have stumbled a bit of late, with the aforementioned loss to San Jose State and another to Utah State making for a very forgettable week. But this team is plenty talented and should have the offensive firepower to outgun the Cowboys. Jalen Harris should be in the mix for MW Player of the Year honors if he can continue to light up the league’s defenses.

Andrew is a current USBWA member, covering college basketball for multiple outlets, including Mountain West Wire of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Busting Brackets of the FanSided Network. He also runs the Dieckhoff Power Index, a college basketball analytics system, and provides bracketology predictions throughout the season.

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Week 7 DPI Rankings: Lobos Rising After Six-Game Streak

It was back to non-conference play last week for the Mountain West. Not everybody was in action—and some who were now wish they hadn’t been.

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Week 7 DPI Rankings: Lobos Rising After Six-Game Streak

The top two stand pat, but plenty of movement below

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

New Mexico, Boise State climbing in the latest DPI rankings for Week 7

It was back to non-conference play last week for the league’s affiliate members on the heels of the opening salvo to the long Mountain West season. Not everybody was in action—and some now wish they hadn’t been.

But it wasn’t all misery.

Some teams are making big strides, including one squad trying to make a move into the uppermost echelon of the MWC.

Below are the DPI rankings heading into the heart of Week 7. If you’re new to the rankings or just want a refresher, head here for a rundown of how the DPI is calculated. The ratings below reflect games played through Tuesday, December 17. As always, non-Division I games are not counted in the DPI.

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#1 — SAN DIEGO STATE AZTECS

Last Week: #1

The Aztecs moved to the #1 spot in the Mountain West last week and with no games since their close shave against San Jose State, they haven’t moved much up or down. Brian Dutcher’s team is still undefeated and boasts one of the best defenses in the country. Malachi Flynn’s star turn has propelled SDSU into the national polls, along with the play of Matt Mitchell, Yanni Wetzell, and Jordan Schakel. If KJ Feagin can provide a little more offense, this team could really turn in a special season.

#2 — UTAH STATE AGGIES

Last Week: #2

It’s been a bit of a rough patch for the Aggies over the past few games. They still have one of the two best rosters in the league, but they aren’t quite living up to preseason expectations so far. After losing to Saint Mary’s and looking underwhelming in their first two Mountain West games, Utah State fell to BYU on Saturday in Salt Lake City. It was only their second loss, but it’s a missed opportunity for a good out-of-conference win to put on their NCAA Tournament resume.

#3 — NEW MEXICO LOBOS

Last Week: #4

The Lobos have won six straight after toppling New Mexico State and Grand Canyon since the last DPI rankings were posted here. Though they aren’t playing at the level of SDSU just yet, this patchwork roster of homegrown talent and incoming transfers has performed admirably in the early going. JaQuan Lyle has been everything that Paul Weir could have wanted and more. Oh, and Carlton Bragg is averaging a double-double. So far, so good.

#4 — NEVADA WOLF PACK

Last Week: #3

The Wolf Pack looked like they were starting to turn a corner over the past few weeks, winning five straight games on either side of Thanksgiving. But last week, Nevada was the second casualty of BYU’s surge, along with Utah State and UNLV. The offense had been clicking on all cylinders, but immediately downshifted from a 100-point performance against Air Force to a 42-point outing against the Cougars. That kind of volatility that makes it tough to trust Steve Alford’s club.

#5 — BOISE STATE BRONCOS

Last Week: #6

Leon Rice is getting things back on track in Boise, but outside of their win over BYU—before Yoeli Childs came back, of course—the Broncos haven’t really beaten anybody. It was another rocky showing for Boise State last week, with a midweek loss to Tulsa preceding a blowout win over Alabama State. Derrick Alston is averaging 21 points and Justinian Jessup is finding his form. But the starting five is not the problem here; Rice’s team suffers from a lack of depth.

#6 — COLORADO STATE RAMS

Last Week: #5

The Rams jumped out to a promising start, but they’ve lost three of their past four games, including both of their opening Mountain West bouts. Mixed in there was a 72-68 win over South Dakota State, and while the Jackrabbits are not a bad squad by any means, that they played CSU so closely gives a good indication of where the Rams are right now. Niko Medved’s team gave in-state rivals Colorado a run for their money, but ultimately fell 56-48 over the weekend.

#7 — AIR FORCE FALCONS

Last Week: #8

The defense still leaves a lot to be desired, but recently, the Falcons have been getting better results than they did during a rough November. The new month has been kinder to the cadets, with Air Force winning four of its past five (Note: Tuesday’s 99-42  win over Johnson & Wales is not counted in the DPI). AJ Walker has taken an important step forward as an offensive option. The sophomore was averaging 20 points per game over the past three games coming into Tuesday.

#8 — FRESNO STATE BULLDOGS

Last Week: #10

Justin Huston finally got his team to a second Division I win on Saturday against Cal Poly. But the bigger story here is the seven losses that they have already incurred. Nate Grimes is doing exactly what was expected of him so far, averaging a double-double with 13.5 points and 10.4 rebounds per night. Guards Jarred Hyder and New Williams both have some good performances under their belts, but they haven’t been able to click at the same time. That needs to change.

#9 — UNLV RUNNIN’ REBELS

Last Week: #9

The Rebels didn’t play last week, so the bad taste of the 33-point loss to BYU back has been lingering for a week and a half. There have been a lot of close calls, with UNLV playing in four separate overtime games so far. They are shooting under 42% from the field and turning the ball over 15 times a night. Games against Pacific and Robert Morris this week offer TJ Otzelberger the chance to start making some headway in his first year at the helm.

#10 — WYOMING COWBOYS

Last Week: #7

Allen Edwards got his Cowboys out to a 3-3 start, but they have dropped five straight games, including their most recent defeat at the hands of Northern Colorado. The Bears didn’t just sneak past Wyoming, either—the Big Sky hopefuls handed the home team a 21-point drubbing at Arena-Auditorium. The defense has been fair to middling, but the offense has been dreadful thus far. The Cowboys are shooting under 50% on two-pointers and just over 30% on threes.

#11 — SAN JOSÉ STATE SPARTANS

Last Week: #11

There’s a bit of a running joke around here about which Spartan is most likely to transfer next year, since the sputtering Spartans have seen five double-digit scorers depart in the past three offseasons—including Brandon Clarke, who parlayed his post-SJSU star turn at Gonzaga into a budding NBA career. All jokes aside, Seneca Knight has separated himself as the Spartans’ top option, scoring 12.5 points per game. Hopefully the sophomore can remain an important building block for Jean Prioleau.

That’s it for this week. Check back next week to see who’s rising and falling in the Mountain West and be sure to visit the Dieckhoff Power Index daily for updated rankings on all 353 teams in Division I basketball.

Andrew is a current USBWA member, covering college basketball for multiple outlets, including Mountain West Wire of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Busting Brackets of the FanSided Network. He also runs the Dieckhoff Power Index, a college basketball analytics system, and provides bracketology predictions throughout the season.

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Bishop Gorman legend Tony Sanchez fired at UNLV. What next for high school coaches making move to college?

Former Bishop Gorman head coach Tony Sanchez was fired as the head coach at UNLV. Will that end the pathway for high school coaches directly to the head of college programs?

After five years, the Tony Sanchez era at UNLV is officially over.

Sanchez was dismissed as UNLV’s head football coach Monday, though the school announced he would remain in place for the team’s final game against Nevada on Saturday. Sanchez finishes his UNLV career with a record of 19-40, pending his final game Saturday. The Rebels are 3-8 in 2019.

Sanchez arrived at UNLV with fanfare after leading Las Vegas high school football powerhouse Bishop Gorman to back-to-back USA TODAY Super 25 national titles. Sanchez and his brother, Kenny, are credited with transforming Bishop Gorman’s football program into a national powerhouse with annual TV dates on the ESPN networks and a handful of major Division I recruits annually. UNLV essentially bet that the elder Sanchez brother could take the success he had at Gorman and replicate it at the collegiate level provided the same commitment to facilities and his resources. To that end, UNLV built the Fertitta Football Complex, a best-in-class football training facility, which just opened on campus in fall 2019. The building was constructed at a cost of $34 million.

While Sanchez may not have driven the results he aimed for, his contract did represent a relative bargain among FBS head coaches: Per the Associated Press, Sanchez has a $300,000 base salary, and is due two more seasons at that rate on his current contract.

For UNLV, the move is likely to be seen as a gross positive. While Sanchez was unsuccessful on the field, he helped instill some of the backbone of other successful programs while also spearheaded the development of significantly improved facilities. Those new practice facilities will be joined by a concurrent move to the Oakland Raiders’ new stadium in fall of 2020, and the combination of brand new practice facilities and a new, sparkling NFL stadium could draw interest from a class of free agent coaches that might have stayed away in years past.

As for Sanchez’s future, there will certainly be at least some speculation that he could return to Bishop Gorman to coach alongside his brother again. Tony Sanchez has provided no indication that’s in the offing, or even a consideration, but he’s also allegedly laser focused on his final game at UNLV, against Nevada, on Saturday.

The secondary questions that are sure to follow relate to larger questions about high school coaches making the leap directly to collegiate programs. In addition to Sanchez, former North Texas coach Todd Dodge lasted less than four years with the Mean Green before he, too, was let go after amassing a 6-37 record.

With those two setting up as the most prominent direct from high school college coaches there’s a natural question about whether another program will be willing to take a similar plunge. It’s instructive to consider the relative profile and similarities of North Texas and UNLV when they made their hires: both were upstart programs coming off abysmal runs under prior coaches. Both were essentially in a no-lose situation where committing multiple years to rebuild the program’s infrastructure would be acceptable, and both committed to the coach for multiple years at the outset.

For what it’s worth, both programs lived up to those promises, too. They just finally reached a breaking point and came to the conclusion that the future looked brighter with someone else at the helm.

Where else could a program like that emerge? There are contenders, but whether they’ll be as bold as North Texas and UNLV remains to be seen.