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"We knew we had a target on our back in every game and had to play our best.". 1 seed and arrived at the 1991 round of 32 in Tucson, Arizona, with a 31-0 record. Video & Recruiting Coordinator. All subsequent tournament games played in Atlanta are now played at either the Georgia Dome (since demolished) or Mercedes-Benz Stadium. People can try to deny this, but UNLV was like the Yankees in baseball, the Notre Dame of college football and the Mike Tyson of boxing. UNLV hasnt been back to the Final Four, reached the Sweet 16 just once in the ensuing three decades and hasnt even played in the tournament since 2013. Duke, coached by Mike Krzyzewski, won a rematch of the previous year's . If you doubled Larry Johnson in the post or tried to collapse the driving lanes of Augmon or Anthony, you paid the price. As motivation, Krzyzewski told his players in a brief aside that his 1985-86 team, which lost the national championship to Louisville, was the best collective he had coached. Buckley, Brandon Kruger, Carlin Point guard Greg Anthony skillfully ran the offense often pounding the ball to Johnson, the college Player of the Year, or finding Anderson Hunt behind the three-point arc. Tarkanian's group easily captured the Big West's automatic bid and, at 29-5, was given the top seed in the West region. "They were brutal," he said, and that was just what he expected and wanted. The guy had the power of a post player with the shooting touch of a perimeter man. Hartman, Tim 4,032 fans showed up to see the Rebels cruise to a 104-83 win. Why many fans could not forget David Butler, coaches proclaimed that Ackles, not Butler, was the better fit despite not being much of a scorer. Do you have a blog? The NCAA had announced in August 1990 that due to recruiting violations committed by Tarkanian and UNLV beginning in 1977 (yes, 77), the school would be banned from the 1991 NCAA Championship. That and the fact that perfect regular seasons are exceedingly rare in college basketball. With 1991 UNLV there was absolutely no disputing it. Learn more and register, College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com Blog and Articles. Russell Westbrook is being left wide open on offense, and hes still hurting the Clippers. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. To mimic the Runnin' Rebels' swarming defense -- which shifted between man-to-man and the Amoeba, a 1-1-3 zone that combined ball pressure and corner traps with man-to-man concepts -- Duke starters played 5-on-7 against the bench in practice. This was the first NCAA Tournament to feature all four of the, The Final Four was also the first to include both halves of the. Its simple those teams are mentioned in passing - never with the reverence of 91 UNLV. Reggie Manuel was recruited to UNLV by legendary men's basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian shortly after the Rebels won the NCAA championship in 1990. Larry At the time, we knew the defeat ended UNLVs undefeated season after 34 wins. Now I know what everyone will say - they didnt even win the title that year! This is a discussion on PS3 NCAA Basketball 10/March Madness Legacy: 2020-21 and Classic Team Rosters within the EA Sports NCAA Basketball Rosters forums. After a freshman season at Georgia Spencer transferred to Connors State Junior College. The perfect season was over, and so was the pressure that accompanies maintaining perfection. But the 1990 team is for another article at another time. . If ever there has been a coach unintimidated by the NCAA it was Jerry Tarkanian. If this two-time all American honors and 1991 Wooden Award winner isnt in your list of top 20 college players of all time, chances are you need to get some old film and watch pure dominance at work. After all, in the big scheme of things they didnt win. Senior Director of Administration & Alumni Relations. IT WAS TOUTED as the game of the year in college basketball, and it would tip at 11:20 in the morning local time on a Sunday in February. "We were tougher and more defensive-minded. It wasn't. Coach K's team stayed reasonably close for the game's first 24 minutes before the roof fell in on them. It began on March 14, 1991, and ended with the championship game on April 1 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Lets pick a winner in every mens college basketball conference tournament. UAB did the best it could. Usual start times were noon and 7:30 or 8 p.m. Eastern time on each of the Thursdays and Fridays. Nuga, Justin UNLVs roster included three of the eventual top 12 picks in the 1991 NBA Draft: Larry Johnson (first overall), Stacey Augmon (9th) and Greg Anthony (12th). Why would anyone want to research someone like Wooden who has been built up saintly? Director of Basketball Operations. Be sure to subscribe to SB Nation's YouTube channel for highlight videos, features, analysis and more. West Boys Roster. Not an undefeated squad to be found. Not really. Dikembe Mutombo was 7-foot-2, Alonzo Mourning was 6-10 and Georgetown slowed the pace of the game down to a crawl. By the time he graduated in 1995, he had . More School Info. Games played in Detroit since have either been at The Palace of Auburn Hills, Ford Field or, starting in 2018, Little Caesars Arena. And as I look around the college basketball landscape, I see failure and defeats everywhere. The Duke and UNLV programs went on wildly divergent paths following the game. Instead, the Rebels played without their point guard and managed just three points over their final four possessions. "We had something to prove. Im so happy for all of them. Bob Knight wasn't going to go that far, but he did predict that the Rebels would beat the team coached by his own onetime player at Army and assistant at Indiana, Krzyzewski. Spencer was armed with a soft touch around the basket, effective rebounding and solid passing with true center size. The Rebels got some extra time to prepare for Air Forces unique offense, but are likely to be without two starters again as they try to snap a three-game losing skid. It still hurts," Stacey Augmon says when reached a few days before the 25th anniversary of the game. Thomas Hill can recall the exact moment when he knew Duke would achieve one of the biggest upsets in NCAA tournament history: it was during the pre-game lineup introductions. It was a strange affair. Dembele, Justin Athletic Trainer. Thus concluded UNLVs perfect regular season. The UNLV-UAB contest capped off a day of basketballa girls game at 12:15, a boys game at 2:15, a matchup between the University of British Columbia and the University of Victoria at 4:30, and then finally UNLV. Greg was our leader.". UNLV beat in-state rival Nevada by 50. Baker, Trey Iwuakor, Michael UNLV came down court with one final chance at keeping its dreams alive, but Anderson Hunt's 3-pointer with 2 seconds to play bounced off the rim. Instead, the Rebels overcame a one-point deficit midway through the second half and won going away, 95-75. Only Michigans Fab Five in recent memory has captivated the nation like the Rebels did. Join our linker program. Two nights later, Duke concluded its NCAA run by beating Kansas 72-65 to claim the title. Laettner was especially good, finishing with 28 points and seven rebounds while holding UNLV star Larry Johnson to 13 points on 10 shots. "Even at halftime, you're thinking we're going to go out and do what we usually do, and it just never happened.". 1991 McDonalds All-American Rosters. UNLV shredded Duke with an 18-0 second-half run to leave no doubt as to which was the countrys finest team. For a guarantee of $75,000, UNLV played its season opener at B.C. Previous Season Next Season. Just never let down. Williams, Jordan I still have the game when they played Arkansas at Arkansas -- when Larry Johnson swung on Todd Day and missed -- on tape. 1991-92. "Beating that UNLV team was a pivotal moment in Duke basketball history," Grant Hill says. Then the NCAA handed down its verdict. First LJ (who wasnt called that yet) picked Vegas. Running their offense above the three-point line created spacing for Hill, who befuddled Johnson with his quickness. "In hindsight, I think it's less of a surprise that we won that game than when it happened. Even the Late John Wooden couldnt stand the idea that the 1991 Rebels were better than any of his teams. The Jayhawks had been unable to defend their 1988 national title in Williams' first season because of NCAA penalties. It would easy for people to say Im not seeing the big picture when talking about this team. Re-read that line a couple times. Say what you want about level of competition, but while the Big West wasnt the Pac-10 or ACC, think of Memphis in conference USA. . The semifinal upset also ended the run of one of the most culturally influential college basketball teams ever. "I'm in awe.". "I was a fan of theirs," Grant Hill says. But what most didnt realize was that, as superb a returning starting five as UNLV had that evening in 91, Duke put on the floor three players (Christian Laettner, Grant Hill and Bobby Hurley) who would also be considered among the best in college history. (Editor's note: ESPN reached out to multiple starters from that team as well as to one member of the coaching staff. He was one of the strongest players in the post with a 36 + vertical, a post-up game, face-up game, ball handling and 3-point range. Though UNLV led 43-41 at halftime, Duke remained confident. Augmon would like to refute a few notions surrounding the upset. Copyright 2019 Las Vegas Review-Journal, Inc. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service, In this March 30, 1991, file photo, UNLV's Anderson Hunt (12) and unidentified teammates leave the floor after losing to Duke in an NCAA national semifinal game in Indianapolis. The Blue Devils were playing in their fourth Final Four in five years, but Mike Krzyzewski had yet to win it all and his team had a reputation as, in the Chicago Tribune's phrasing, "the familiar bridesmaids." Still, those of us who grew up with Jerry Tarkanians Rebels will tell you, theres been no team better in the history of college basketball history than those 1990-1991 Runnin Rebels, even without a championship cherry on top. Heres an important piece of the UNLV puzzle. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. 2 under their Hall of Fame coach. By this point in his career he had already taken the NCAA all the way to the Supreme Court. And Hurley controlled the tempo, knowing when to attack in transition and when to be patient. Amazingly these same sports writers who have jumped on Tarkanian throughout his coaching career, especially after his team lost to Duke in 1991, either havent or only lightly brushed the Sam Gilbert connection to Woodens legacy. The Rebels swallowed up the Blue Devils, overwhelming them from the start and cruising to the biggest rout in a national final. Menu. On February 10, #1 UNLV traveled to Fayetteville to face #2 Arkansas. Hunt totaled 29 points for the game and was named Most Outstanding Player at the Final Four. ESPN reported in January of 1990 that Augmon would reunite with his 1988 Olympic team coach, John Thompson, and transfer to Georgetown if the Rebels were ineligible to play in the 1991 postseason. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Augmon was an award-winning defender and an elite finisher near the rim. Hurlburt, James Can we imagine a recent Duke or Kansas or Kentucky team finishing off a regular season in such a humble circumstances? We can also describe in great detail the championship game the previous year, a 103-73 victory over Duke. Marred records from the Sun Belt, to the American East, to the West Coast Conference, and everywhere in between. Why Wooden changed his verbage is unknown, but Im sure some of it had to do with Jerry Tarkanian. As the ball left Anderson Hunts hands, we naturally assumed it would find its mark, desperate and deep as the 3-pointer might have been in the waning seconds of the national semifinal game. Almost everything to say about this team has been said. VICTORY NO. He went on to express his view that the Rebels, in effect, played by a different set of rules and that the UNLV program should be investigated from top to bottom, up to and including the players' grades, class attendance, cars and summer jobs. Former Chicago Bears running back Walter Payton had by this time become a vocal fan of the No. As for Johnson, it was widely assumed that he would enter the 1990 NBA draft and quite possibly be taken as the first overall pick. ", Yet the risk of a mental hangover persisted. On March 2, 1991, the UNLV Runnin Rebelscoached by perennial NCAA-tormentor Jerry Tarkanian and led by future NBA first rounders Larry Johnson, Stacey Augmon, and Greg Anthonyfinished off a perfect regular season. Led by AP All-Americans Stacey Augmon and Larry Johnson, UNLV appeared unbeatable. Some Duke players reportedly cried in the locker room after the 103-73 defeat and starting point guard Bobby Hurley later admitted that during the summer of 1990 he had recurring dreams of swimming with sharks. The 1990-91 UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball team represented the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in NCAA Division I men's competition in the 1990-91 season.The Runnin' Rebels, coached by Jerry Tarkanian, entered the season as defending national champions and entered the 1991 NCAA tournament unbeaten, but lost in the national semifinal to eventual champions Duke when Anderson Hunt's . No team has won 40 games or more in a row in the 30 years since. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Its a record that still stands 5th all time. Essence Booker, one of four honored on Senior Salute afternoon, made key plays late to lift UNLV to an 18th straight win in beating San Diego State. The UNLV mens basketball team got a steal and a layup in the final seconds to rally past Air Force on Friday at the Thomas & Mack Center. The Runnin' Rebels have one Sweet Sixteen appearance since 1991. As for specific tactics, Duke sagged an extra defender, often center George Ackles' man, on Johnson whenever he caught the ball down low. Augmon used good ole fashioned foot speed and length to disrupt positions 1-through-3. At the other end of the floor, however, Duke was overwhelmed on its defensive glass as the Rebels pulled down half of their missed shots and Johnson personally recorded eight offensive boards. Chappell, DeShawn Always winning. Stacey Augmon: To say that Augmon should be ranked among the best defensive players in college basketball history is not an idle boast. The largest margin of victory ever. Wins over Utah and Seton Hall at the Kingdome in Seattle carried the Rebels to the national semifinals in Indianapolis and a rematch with Duke. We all loved him." It was also the first time a team reached 100 points in the championship game. USU's head coach, Kohn Smith, had broken a taboo of his profession in early 1989 when he went on the record as being "happy" that Tarkanian had lost a road game at Louisville by 18 points. 1 the entire season and had just one game decided inside double digits, a 112-105 road win at Arkansasa squad that went on to claim one of the other three No. ", "We're the greatest team to have not won a national championship. Coleman, Cameron By Ryan Swanson | As 7,963 Canadians looked on (in a stadium that could seat 60,000), the Rebels rolled. He gave Duke sophomore Christian Laettner (5-of-12 shooting) fits in the final. 1990-1991 UNLV Runnin' Rebels Roster # Player Class Pos HT WT . This year also saw the final appearance of the Pontiac Silverdome and two former Final Four venues, in Cole Field House and Freedom Hall. 1 UNLV Runnin' Rebels during this 1990-91 season, and he was afforded a special seat for the contest. Justin Webster called the Rebels 91-66 loss Wednesday to Utah State the worst game hes ever played in during his basketball career. "I realized I had to play a near perfect game to beat that team," he says. Students at Arkansas -- ranked No. As the sideline reporter assigned to the Duke bench, Brown related to Nantz and Billy Packer that "Coach K wanted his team to get out to a fast start and not allowing his guys a chance to get scared.". He also converted a key three-point play with 1:02 remaining. We had three of the top college players of all time, but we didn't know that then.". On November 29, 1990, Jerry Tarkanianwho was already in Canada for the teams opening gamereceived a phone call from UNLV President Robert Maxon. Hunt never seemed to missed big shots, and the Rebels were on a historic run during which they seemed unbeatable until the shot hit the back of the rim and bounced away. Director of Basketball Operations. Duke led 79-77 with 12.7 seconds left in the game. And in game situations, he had no qualms telling you how he felt. Johnson, Cheickna Krzyzewski's team would go on to defeat Kansas in the championship game and earn Duke its first national title. Find out more. Coming off the 1989-1990 title season, UNLV got every teams absolute best shot the next year. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. From there the gauntlet was thrown, but not before former UCLA ball player Bill Walton wrote in his 1978 book On the Road with the Portland Trail Blazers, UCLA players were so well taken care of far beyond the ground rules of the NCAA that even players from poor backgrounds never left UCLA prematurely (for pro basketball) during John Woodens championship years. After defeating Dennis Scott and Georgia Tech 90-81 at the Final Four in Denver, the Rebels would face Duke for the national championship.