ESPN Men's Basketball

Updated: October 28, 2009, 2:12 PM ET

Team preview: UNLV

Blue Ribbon Yearbook previews the 2009-10 season, exclusively on Insider

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Blue Ribbon Yearbook

Editor's Note: ESPN Insider has teamed with Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook to provide a comprehensive look at all 334 Division I teams. To order the complete 2009-10 edition of Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, visit www.blueribbonyearbookonline.com or call 1-877-807-4857.
(Information in this team report is as of Oct. 1.)

COACH AND PROGRAM

After 57 victories and trips to the NCAA Tournament the previous two seasons, many thought 2008-09 would be a same-case, different-season type of thing for UNLV.

The Runnin' Rebels returned some talented players, and coach Lon Kruger had the program rolling in similar fashion like during the days of former coach Jerry Tarkanian.

But something happened along the way.

Not that UNLV had a bad season. It won 20-plus games for the third straight year, finished 9-7 in the Mountain West and made it to the postseason.

But 9-7 was good for only fifth place in the conference, and despite playing the league tournament on its home floor at the Thomas & Mack Center, UNLV was ousted in the first round.

UNLV went to the NIT and lost, 70-60, at Kentucky in the first round.

"It was a good year in a lot of ways, and yet we didn't finish the year like we needed to accomplish everything we wanted to," Kruger said. "I think this year's group will learn from that. Sometimes you get on a little bit of a roll and you start thinking things are going to happen, and you forget that you have to continue to make progress and work to make things happen. We just didn't do that down the stretch.

"One, the other teams in the league were really good. We didn't play at the level we needed to. And two, we had a couple of injuries. Wink never really did bounce back and play like he wanted to."

Kruger is referring to senior guard Wink Adams (14.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.8 apg), who pulled an abdominal muscle during the non-conference portion of the season. Adams still was a second team All-MWC pick, but the Rebels never seemed to be the same team after Adams' injury, despite a win at then-No. 18 Louisville.

Three other key players UNLV must replace are guards Rene Rougeau (10.9 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 2.0 bpg, 1.7 apg), Mareceo Rutledge (4.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg) and sharp-shooting forward Joe Darger (9.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg).

PLAYERS

Kruger has two starters returning: 6-4 junior Tre'Von Willis (11.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.3 apg) and 6-2 sophomore Oscar Bellfield (6.2 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 3.4 apg).

Willis, a transfer from Memphis, was second on the team last season in scoring and assists, and tied for second in rebounding. Willis was a big-time scorer at Washington Union High School in Fresno, Calif. -- he scored 2,842 career points to set the CIF Central Section career record -- but he barely got off the bench for a veteran Memphis team, thus his decision to leave after one season.

PT wasn't an issue at UNLV; Willis earned 21 starts and averaged 28.4 minutes. He responded by demonstrating once again he can score. He reached double figures 18 times, with a high of 22 points against Utah. Willis also set career highs in rebounds (nine against Colorado State), assists (11 against Air Force) and steals (four against Wyoming).

Willis struggled a bit from the field (.388), but was an effective three-point shooter (.344, 32-of-93) and free-throw shooter (.732).

Bellfield drew 19 starts and averaged 26.3 minutes. He reached double-figure scoring seven times, with a high of 17 against Nevada. He was also a three-point threat (.342, 27-of-79).

"They're both more experienced and that will help both of them," Kruger said. "Both had good moments last year and worked really hard this spring and summer. We need each of them to become more effective scorers and I think both can do that.

"The other players will look to them for leadership and they have done a good job in that role also."

A key to the Rebels' success will be how quickly several Division I transfers can integrate themselves into actual games after learning the system as red-shirts last season.

Blue Ribbon Previews

Take an Inside look at the Mountain West with Blue Ribbon's 2009-10 team reports:

Air Force BYU Colorado State New Mexico San Diego State TCU UNLV Utah Wyoming

Kentucky transfer Derrick Jasper, a 6-6 junior, is a versatile player who started 33 times in two seasons at Kentucky -- 27 as a freshman -- despite missing the first 10 games of his sophomore year after undergoing knee surgery.

At his best, Jasper is a stat-sheet stuffer who can pass (career-high eight assists), rebound (career-high 10), block shots (17 as a sophomore) and, if he needs to, score. He shot .432 from three-point range as a sophomore after just .214 as a freshman.

A couple of other Division I transfers Kruger is high on is 6-1 senior Steve Jones, who came in from Arizona State, and 6-8 sophomore swingman Chance Stanback from UCLA.

Jones played in 27 games and earned two starts for ASU in 2006-07, but left after just seven games the following year.

Stanback played in 25 games for UCLA's 2007-08 Final Four team, averaged 1.8 points and shot .333 (7-of-21) from three-point range. He's a winner who helped lead Fairfax High School of Los Angeles to a pair of state championships in 2004 and 2007.

"For sure. They'll be on the floor and contributing right away," said Kruger on his D-I transfers. "To what degree? Questions abound and a lot of that will be determined what they do in the fall."

Kendall Wallace (4.6 ppg, 1.6 rpg), a 6-4 junior guard, is the nephew of former Hawaii coach Riley Wallace. He gives UNLV a good shooter off the bench. Last season he shot an exceptional .414 from three-point range (36-of-87). He scored in double figures four times, twice coming up with 15 points against Southern Utah and Air Force.

Sophomore Todd Hanni is coming off a redshirt year after coming in last season from junior college.

Six-foot-3 freshman Justin Hawkins, from Taft High School in Woodland Hills, Calif., along with 6-3 freshman and local Las Vegas prospect Anthony Marshall were a highly touted high school recruits.

Marshall was rated a four-star recruit and the No. 17 shooting guard in the country by Rivals after averaging 25 points, five rebounds, six assists and two blocks as a senior. He was chosen the Gatorade Player of the Year in Nevada.

The most experienced forward coming back is 6-8 senior Darris Santee (5.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg). He started in 21 of the 30 games he played and was a 52 percent shooter from the field.

"I think Darris will really have a good year," Kruger said. "Last year from junior college was a year of transition. He never did gain the confidence he needed to really let it go and do the things he's capable of doing."

Kruger is excited to see how 6-8, 240-pound junior Matt Shaw responds after missing last season with a knee injury. During the 2007-08 season Shaw averaged 6.9 points and four rebounds per game. He reached double figure 10 times that season and was fourth on the team with 24 three-pointers.

UNLV hasn't had a true post player in recent years, but could if 6-10, 240-pound sophomore Brice Massamba (2.0 ppg, 1.3 rpg) continues to improve and develop.

"He'll play a real important role," Kruger said. "He's dropped some weight. He's got a little more mobile. He's got a good feel for the game. He's a good competitor. I think with the additional experience and a year of growing, maturing and developing he will be important to us this year."

The Rebels' tallest player is 6-11 freshman Carlos Lopez, who is from Puerto Rico and came to UNLV from Findlay College Prep School, the same school attended by Massamba.

BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS

BACKCOURT: B
BENCH/DEPTH: C
FRONTCOURT: C
INTANGIBLES: B

The Rebels should again be one of the top teams in the Mountain West with Willis and Bellfield leading the way along the guard line.

How well the newcomers fit in, especially the Division I transfers, will likely determine how successful UNLV becomes.

"I'm really intrigued by the number of new people," Kruger said. "The uncertainty is a little bit concerning, yet exciting. It will be interesting to see who assumes what roles and who steps up and who other players look to. There are a lot more questions here than we've had the last three or four years going into the season.

"[But] everyone [in the MWC] has got a lot of new people. Whoever gains some confidence early might put themselves in position."

For the most comprehensive previews available on all 334 Division I teams, order the "Bible" of college basketball, the 2009-10 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, at www.blueribbonyearbookonline.com or call 1-877-807-4857.