UNLV looks for revenge in Huskies first road test
November 27, 2002
In its second game of the year the Husky men's basketball team faces another team that made the 2003 postseason: Like Montana State, the Rebels of UNLV participated in the 2002 NIT tournament.
Last season's victory over the UNLV Rebels proved to be one of the Huskies' biggest wins of the season. This year Washington (0-1) gets to play UNLV (1-0) at the Thomas & Mack Center, where the Rebels posted a 16-3 record a season ago.
Last year the Rebels were also three points away from the Mountain West championship after losing 76-73 to San Diego State. UNLV finished 21-11, missing an at-large bid from the NCAA by the skin of its teeth. Surely, the Rebs would have liked to have the Husky game back.
UNLV returns a solid team from last year, including two all-league selections.
Key players to watch for are Husky Doug Wrenn and UNLV's Dalron. Wrenn averaged 19.5 points and 6.5 rebounds as an all-Pac-10 selection while UNLV's Johnson was ranked in the top 10 in the Mountain West Conference in scoring, blocked shots, steals, and rebounding. In last season's head-to-head battle Wrenn had 21 points to Johnson's 23. Wrenn could end up guarding Johnson at times, but 6-foot-9 Jeff Day will be the likely candidate.
"He is their tallest player, so I will probably stick him," said Day. "He has decent range, and is tough in the post."
The guard match up is also intriguing. The Husky tandem of Curtis Allen and Will Conroy will be asked to stop Rebel senior Marcus Banks, who was the MWC's top thief and all-MWC second team. Even though Will Conroy has taken over the point with Allen playing the shooting-guard role, duplicating the effort in last year's win over UNLV is a must if the Huskies plan to leave southern Nevada with some chips in hand.
"Banks is one of the toughest point guards in the nation," said sophomore guard David Hudson. " I think Dub-C (Will Conroy) is the man for the job because he plays nasty defense. Banks could have his hands full."
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