As you may remember from my previous post here, I came across the privilege to dine with Coach Kruger after attending the Coaches vs Cancer Party at the Palms a few weeks back. After a masterful job of matching up the schedules of all the parties involved, the Ladyfriend and myself met up with Coach Kruger, his wife Barb, and another couple from the same event at a restaurant in Mandalay Place last night.

Overall it was a great evening. Coach Kruger and his wife are extremely laid back down to earth people who care about their family and love what they do. It was amazing to get a little insight into the life of a coach, especially one with the stature of Coach Kruger, considering he’s coached in the NBA (Atlanta Hawks) and been to the Final Four (Florida). He’s been successful everywhere he’s coached, so you know his approach works. Community driven good people who care about what they do and truly pay it forward. If you happen upon this, thanks for a great night Lon and Barb.

What does this mean for me? Has Tourney Trip hit the big time? Not so fast. It just so happens that I may live in the basketball capital of the world, which has done a lot to provide me the opportunities the past year or so. No NBA team, but there is NBA Summer League, and USA Basketball hosts several exhibition games as well. In addition are the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels, and several pre-season invitational college basketball tournaments. Both the West Coast Conference and the Mountain West Conference host their conference tournaments here as well. When you add it all up, basketball is always around, and if you love the game, it’s hard to not be involved. This is especially true when there are great events such as Coaches vs Cancer, and great hosts like Lon Kruger.

Looking forward, there are a few more days of Summer League, which may prompt a post towards the end of the week. After that, it’s about a 3 month countdown to midnight madness events, invitational tournaments, and starting down the road to Indianapolis. Until then, continue to follow Sam’s trek down the path of gangster paradise, scumbagville, and the things we’d rather forget about but should always remember. Something tells me there may be a link to the Fab Five coming up.

Good Talk.

The event was scheduled for Sunday May 31st. The week leading up to the party, I was under the impression it was Saturday instead. Just so happens that I have relocated to a different part of Las Vegas, and it lined up perfectly with this weekend. That’s the last thing I needed to do, move and get all sweaty wrong and tired, then go shake hands with basketball coaches. Saturday we move, show up to the party, and it’s a bunch of elmo 13 year old girls for a birthday party. Dar. All done up and no where to go. Stumble back home and get ready for Sunday night.

The Palms has a room called “The Hardwood Suite”. This features a half court basketball venue inside the hotel suite itself. Of course it’s the perfect place to host this event. The party also featured all you can drink and eat, a silent auction, and a “skills” competition with any of the coaches you select (I use skills loosely as all of the participants were half in the bag, with big money hustlers paying off playboy bunny girls to shoot against a coach of their choice. I’ll get into that later). The list of the coaches on site was as follows:

• Mike Montgomery – California
• Frank Martin – Kansas State
• Jim Boylen – Utah
• Heath Schroyer – Wyoming
• Dana Altman – Creighton
• Bill Grier – San Diego
• Tim Jankovich – Illinois St.
• Max Good – Loyola Marymount
• Jerry Tarkanian – UNLV Coach
• Charlie Spoonhour – UNLV Coach
• and of course, Lon Kruger, current coach at UNLV

There were several players I recognized including Curtis Terry, Greg Anthony, and I think Brian Shaw. Place was packed.

Kicked it off with a little thanks from all of the coaches to those in attendance. I was standing right in front of Lon Kruger. Afterwords it was a mix and mingle atmosphere. I tested my “skills” vs Jim Boylen from Utah, making all of my shots but one and forcing Boylen to sink a FT with the pressure squarely on his shoulders, or he’d lose to some clown like myself. Guy is from Grand Rapids, former MSU assistant and long time NBA assistant. Shook my hand. Seemingly good guy. He was at this event, after all. Who likes cancer anyways?

So after that I had a few more pops and got into some of the silent auction gear. A ton of items and experiences were donated by various local busnieses or celebrities. I had my eye on two items: Dinner with Coach Kruger at some high brow joint on the strip, and a miniature basketball signed by all the coaches at the event. After a little haggling with another guy interested in the same items, we agreed to split the donation and the dinner between us, he let me win the bidding on the mini basketball, and that was that.

So the night ends up with me shaking hands and meeting with Lon Kruger for a few mins, an introduction before we dine together in the near future. I interrupted a conversation between Tark the Shark and Coach Jankovich from Illinois State so I could grab a picture with Tark. He wasn’t wearing a crazy sweater, but he obliged, tho it didn’t stop me from feeling shitty for interrupting their convo. I also had a picture with Jim Boylen after he nailed a FT. Jimmy, I needed your reminder to keep my elbow tucked in man. This story would be better if I was good at basketball. Overall, it was an awesome experience, one I will replicate next year of Kruger keeps up his tradition. I’ll be sure to let you all know what I have for dinner when we meet up later this month. In the mean time, enjoy a few pictures.

Me with Tark. He lives Sirus Radio.

—

Kruger and I setting up plans for a recruiting dinner some time later this month. Jimmy, Kruger says he needs a few short guys from the midwest, he’s hoping you can “help him out”.

—

Boylen after nailing a buzzer beater FT to upset me. Cool mural above us, signed by the players from the Nike commercial. For that matter, there are signatures all over the place from various players who’ve stayed since they opened this suite. I peed in the same urinal Gilbert Arenas peed in. I think.

—

Me doing what I do best.

DeShawn Mitchell (F) – Freshman last year, had one decent break out game on the road vs Texas Pan American where he scored 14 points. After that, he struggled to hold his spot in the rotation, with several DNP’s and few minutes when he did play (And this was on a squad STARVING for meaningful minutes from a forward. Come on now. They were playing 6′3 guys at Center vs a 7′3 freak from Utah. ANYBODY could have had minutes at the three front court spots had they shown even the desire to play defense). It comes down to playing defense, which Mitchell did not. He was a high flier and shook the place when he dunked, but that’s all he could do. Plus, with the additions of several promising forwards and guards (Chase Stanback, Derek Jasper, to name a few), I’m sure he could see the writing on the wall. The two mentioned players have been able to practice with the team for the past year. Couldn’t have been hard for Mitchell to figure out.

Beas Hamga (C) – The hype in this town about his prep rankings killed him before he even stepped foot onto the floor. The idea of having an athletic 7 footer to go toe to toe with whoever the Mormons recruit from Australia or some meteor was a nice thought. What actually turned out was a timid unprepared lanky kid who was 3 steps late on defensive rotations, had no concept of an offensive game, and was just not ready. He was not ready, yet he wanted the playing time. He’ll get it at whatever small Indiana school he ended up at, so good for him. UNLV does not change diapers.

Marcus Lawrence (G) – Joke. This is UNLV (I don’t say this like UNLV is some elite school. They’ve gone through the garbage before. Kruger is clean and won’t stand for crap). He should have known what was expected of him having been born and raised in Las Vegas. Coming to practice drunk? C’mon man. Didn’t get a lot of run, but showed a little promise. I think UNLV was glad to have him as a local guy just for people to get excited about, but if he were still around this coming season, he’d be on the bench. Belfield and Willis would have been all over this guy.

Lamar Roberson (F) – Did this guy even play? I only remember reading a news paper article about the guy being lazy. Whatever. Kruger isn’t going to fight with somebody who wants to leave when during his stay he didn’t even act like he wanted to be here in the first place.

Emmanuel Adeife (F) – Rumor has it this guy interrupted a post game meeting by leaving, even when Kruger told him to stay put. Kruger flips out and kicks him off the team on the spot. Good riddance to bad rubbish.

Troy Cage (F) – I remember he seemed promising. Didn’t play much really. The ol’ internets say he moved onto a JC in Texas to play more. Good for him I guess. Can’t imagine him playing much this next year either.

So that’s the 6. Lots of forwards bounced, which was noticed this year. What I see is the changing of the guard. The caliber of player that left is below the caliber of player that is coming in. UNLV has attracted transfers from UCLA, Kentucky, Memphis, and evidently, soon to be Kansas with Quintrell Thomas, a big forward who played sparingly last year for the Jayhawks.

When a program makes a step, and better talent is attracted to the team, the old guard can see they’re soon to be put to the bench and makes their move to another spot in order to play. That and some of these other guys were just clowns that didn’t have a good enough idea that Lon Kruger is going to make you play defense and work hard. Those things are important.

So you outsiders with your negative aspirations as to the route the UNLV hoops program is headed – think again. Can’t wait for some midnight madness, and the changing of the guard is completed.

It was fun while it lasted. Time to get back to work.

The past three seasons have been great ones for UNLV Runnin’ Rebel fans. Two tournament appearances, three victories after getting there. One year they lost to a hot shooting Oregon team after getting to the sweet 16. The next year they hung with eventual National Champion Kansas. Coach Lon Kruger was righting the ship, getting his kids to play hard defense, team basketball, and believe they could be an elite program.

Well, none of that has changed. Except the post season part.

When you are watching selection Sunday in a few hours, you probably will not see UNLV as one of the chosen 65 to duke it out for the national championship starting this coming week. UNLV, which has wins at Louisville, home against Arizona, Utah, and a season series sweep over BYU, also has lost a slew of horrible games including at TCU, and at Colorado State. They also were beaten three times by San Diego State (including in the first round of the MWC tournament, thus, ending UNLV’s chances to secure an auto-bid to the big dance on their home floor. Guess we won’t have to hear from Steve Alford anymore about how its a sham to have this here in Vegas, even though this is the only way the thing sells tickets, and there is no other practical place to have it. Idiot) and their walking dead gangster coach of a team mentioned in the post below Steve Fisher. In the end, Vegas could not compete with true athletic teams. Due to several subtractions from the program over the past two years for various reasons, the front court is bare. UNLV starts a 3 point shooting, no rebound getting 6′7″ 225 pound Center in Joe Darger, who should not be banging with the big boys on a nightly basis. Their other front court player. Rene Rougeau is 6′6″ and 210. Should be playing a guard spot, and often does on defense. After that, its three point guards in Tre’Von Willis, Oscar Belfield and Wink Adams. Neither one is over 6′4″ and neither one tips the scales past 200 lbs. When they go to the bench, its even worse. With a 7-man rotation they’ve used, the only front court sub has been Mo Rutledge, who rolls out at 6′3″ and 225. No joke. We had a 6′3″ 225 “power forward” guarding player of the year in the conference Luke Nevill, who’s 7′2″.

Now, check a team like San Diego State. Forwards Ryan Amoroso (6′8″), Billy White(6′8″), Tim Shelton(6′7″ and 241), and Lorenzo Wade(6′6″), all out class UNLV on the front line. When you’re grinding it out in conference games with teams that know your system, your style of play, it all comes down to the athletes you put on the floor, and the match-ups between them. That’s why UNLV was able to handle BYU fairly easily, because of the match-ups.

So when you’re filling out your NIT brackets this week, these are the reasons why UNLV will be on there, and not dancing with the rest of the better teams in the country. In some aspects they are deserving to do so, but when it comes down to it, they can’t compete. I’ll highlight what Lon Kruger has done to combat some of this later on this summer.