"Let's show UNLV fans and players that we at Utah State University are a class act," USU's president and athletic director jointly urged in the ad. Simple attrition I suppose. Yet the Rebels were untouchable, outscoring opponents by nearly 30 points on average. 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. Re-read that line a couple times. Justin Webster called the Rebels 91-66 loss Wednesday to Utah State the worst game hes ever played in during his basketball career. The 1990 NCAA tournament concluded with UNLV winning the national championship thanks to a 30-point rout of Duke in the final, 103-73.The margin set the record for largest in championship game . Coming off the 1989-1990 title season, UNLV got every teams absolute best shot the next year. "They were brutal," he said, and that was just what he expected and wanted. Lindl, MS, LAT, ATC, Connor Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Kansas made its second trip to the National Championship game in four seasons, the prior appearance being 1988 when they defeated Oklahoma. He still can't bring himself to click on the link provided by the NCAA's March Madness channel on YouTube. In it, Dukes head coach confesses that the 1990 team were exceptional and destroyed his team. The team blitzed through the regular season. 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. The wins came one after another. The Rebels sank three resulting free throws, and a win streak was born even as trouble loomed off the court. UNLV never let down. Neither team looked the least bit scared. As the game wore on at timeouts, at halftime we were like, Yo, we can win this.'". A fourth player, George Ackles, went . But the 1990 team is for another article at another time. And all five UNLV starters would be recognized as All-Americans (Augmon and Johnson as First Teamers; the rest as Honorable Mentions) for their efforts. I still have the game when they played Arkansas at Arkansas -- when Larry Johnson swung on Todd Day and missed -- on tape. Ja Morants allegations of aggression off the court, explained. The Runnin' Rebels have one Sweet Sixteen appearance since 1991. 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. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. Weve never discussed going undefeated.. Larry Johnson scored 26. Dave Rice: (UNLVs new head coach): Fundamentally sound player who received minor minutes. 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. "It still hurts. They played championship-caliber ball. You call a jump shooting team getting to the free throw line 23 times to a post oriented teams 15 times better? Those teams entered the tournament with double digit loses. This tournament marked the first time a #15 seed upset a #2 seed since the tournament field expanded to 64 teams in 1985, when Richmond accomplished against Syracuse in the East region. "Um, no. Baker, Trey Regardless though, the real possibility of the Rebels putting out on the floor one of the greatest teams of all time in the 1991 regular season, and then not having the chance to go to the tournament loomed. After blowout loss, UNLV refocuses for rivalry game with UNR, Lady Rebels rally to complete perfect run through Mountain West, Its been a blessing: UNLV honors seniors ahead of Utah State game, Layup in final seconds gives Rebels victory over Air Force, A privilege: Lady Rebels celebrate banner with fans after blowout, UNLV hopes practice pays off against Air Forces Princeton style, Lady Rebels want fans to help honor history with banner ceremony. UNLV stormed back in the fourth quarter to beat UNR in Reno and finish off an 18-0 season in the Mountain West. Four of Fresno State's 10 wins have come in true road games (three in conference play). One of the few figures associated with that UNLV team who's willing to revisit the subject of 1991 in 2021 is Jerry Koloskie, who then served as athletic trainer for the Rebels before later becoming the school's senior associate athletic director. Fresno State is now 5-4 against UNLV in Hutson's five seasons. Simply put, most opponents were already beat before the game even started. 1991 UNLV Roll Call: The Starters. Two of the program's prize recruits, Ed O'Bannon and Shon Tarver, promptly withdrew their verbal commitments to Tarkanian and enrolled at UCLA instead. Coach: Jerry Tarkanian. Will Saxon. The margins were ridiculous. Defensively, his foot speed was tremendous, which was crucial for disrupting passing lanes in UNLVs Amoeba Defense. "I would watch their games. Not an arena it was a bleachers and lines all over the floor gymnasium. Students at Arkansas -- ranked No. Christin Hinton. Be sure to subscribe to SB Nation's YouTube channel for highlight videos, features, analysis and more. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). UNLVs 91 team remains one of historys absolute best, Prime, socially distanced March Madness viewing spots around the Valley, Nevadans in Congress go to bat for resorts as Biden goes after 'junk fees', Video shows CCSD Police slamming Black teen to ground near school, U2 confirms 2023 MSG Sphere residency in Las Vegas, Father, son open their 17th McDonalds location in Las Vegas, Golden Knights win at Minnesota, but lose Thompson to injury. Stacey Augmon had 31 points, Anderson Hunt. By Ryan Swanson | But with three new starters the 1990-91 Duke squad was a much different team both in roster and disposition. Men's 2021 Final Four: Will anyone disrupt the Gonzaga-Baylor collision course? Fresno State is now 5-4 against UNLV in Hutson's five seasons. 25 years later, UNLV players still feel the heartbreak of losing toDuke, The Clippers Russell Westbrook experiment is off to a terrible start. Senior Director of Basketball Administration & Alumni Relations, Head Strength & Conditioning Coach for Men's Basketball and Volleyball, Allegiant Stadium - UNLV Football Fan Guide, TicketSmarter - Official Ticket Resale Partner, Hide/Show Additional Information For Victor Iwuakor, Hide/Show Additional Information For Michael Nuga, Hide/Show Additional Information For Justin Webster, Hide/Show Additional Information For Donovan Williams, Hide/Show Additional Information For Jordan McCabe, Hide/Show Additional Information For Keshon Gilbert, Hide/Show Additional Information For David Muoka, Hide/Show Additional Information For Bryce Hamilton. The Rebels eked out a two-point win against surprising No. The official 1990-91 Men's Basketball Roster for the Duke University Palmer, Clay Rather than no-really-hold-me-back shoving match, Johnson tried a quick jab at Day. We definitely werent backing down from anyone. UNLV coach Kevin Kruger is 3-0 against the Wolf Pack, but the Rebels are regrouping after a 91-66 loss to Utah State on Wednesday. Why? While they knew they werent thugs or convicts they played with swagger and gave menacing stares after destroying the rim. 1990-1991 UNLV Runnin' Rebels Roster # Player Class Pos HT WT . Dembele, Justin Duke, meanwhile, won the first of five National Championships (1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015) two nights later. The 1991 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. And Hurley controlled the tempo, knowing when to attack in transition and when to be patient. Thus concluded UNLVs perfect regular season. Johnson then tied the game after hitting one of three free throws -- Thomas Hill was called for a lane violation. With their black sneakers, anti-establishment attitude and gold fronts, Jerry Tarkanians Rebels embodied youth and hip hop culture2Pac rocked the schools gear in the"Brendas Got a Baby" videobefore the Fab Five even existed. A 30-point blowout doesnt usually have much pride or excuses associated with it. 4,032 fans showed up to see the Rebels cruise to a 104-83 win. I love the city of Las Vegas. "UNLV were so cool and nonchalant like, Yeah, it's going to be a cakewalk. Basketball; Football; Baseball; . Now free to defend its title, UNLV was expected to confront its first real test in December when it played Steve Smith and Michigan State at the two-year-old Palace of Auburn Hills. 1991 McDonalds All-American Rosters. So the back-on title defense began. No team has won 40 games or more in a row in the 30 years since. That remains the largest margin of victory in any tournament finalan amazing achievement by UNLVs fantastic title team. 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. It was, at a minimum, a pivotal turning point. Though his team had gone 0-3 against the Rebels that season, Long Beach State head coach Seth Greenberg said Tarkanian's "biggest vulnerability is if Greg [Anthony] gets in foul trouble." As for specific tactics, Duke sagged an extra defender, often center George Ackles' man, on Johnson whenever he caught the ball down low. 1 UNLV Runnin' Rebels during this 1990-91 season, and he was afforded a special seat for the contest. Hunt totaled 29 points for the game and was named Most Outstanding Player at the Final Four. "We heard some of the worst comments," Tarkanian would recall in 2009. Although not on the trash-talking level of todays college players, Anthony was clearly the kind of player that make you regret any trash-talking you dished out. After defeating Dennis Scott and Georgia Tech 90-81 at the Final Four in Denver, the Rebels would face Duke for the national championship. Hartman, Tim Johnson joined an already loaded squad. George Ackles: The most forgotten of all the members of the 1991 UNLV team, Ackles played the 1989 season for UNLV after transferring from junior college. Don't miss the big stories. It wasn't. Kansas defeated Williams' mentor Dean Smith and North Carolina (where Williams later coached) in the semifinal. On Nov. 29, 1990, the Committee on Infractions announced that, after hearing UNLV's appeal, it was giving the program two options. I just feel so happy and fortunate that we got here and were able to win it., Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski: We were overmatched. Augmon was an award-winning defender and an elite finisher near the rim. Or write about sports? What happened: As upsets go, this is considered one of NCAA lore. Ranking the top 25 players in the 2021 Final Four, Anonymous coaches scout the men's Final Four teams, ESPN Insider college basketball contributor, First began covering college hoops in 2004, Has written for Basketball Prospectus and the Wall Street Journal. Kruger, Carlin Led by AP All-Americans Stacey Augmon and Larry Johnson, UNLV appeared unbeatable. Equally impressive was Augmons ability to finish in transition. And Tarkanian had to promise to pursue no further legal action against the NCAA. We present them here for purely educational purposes. 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. Can we imagine a recent Duke or Kansas or Kentucky team finishing off a regular season in such a humble circumstances? UNLV had its way with UAB. Now I know what everyone will say - they didnt even win the title that year! Day responded with a feeble, flailing punch of his own. Henry, Will A LITTLE MORE than three months after the title game, the NCAA ruled that UNLV was indeed ineligible for the 1991 postseason due to violations dating back to 1977. Scoring was distributed across the team, too. (AP Photo/Al Behrman), Wahlbergs $14.5M bungalow leads 2022 new home luxury, 3 women linked to robbery before police shooting, You can tell they love football: Raiders make big impression on young QB, Convicted Las Vegas killer overdosed on meth, coroner rules, Graney: Lady Rebels success increasingly hard to ignore, Graney: Booker comes through late as Lady Rebels win 18th straight, Rebels dismantled by San Diego State as series skid continues, Shooting woes doom UNLV in loss to San Jose State, Thats not UNLV basketball: Senior guard apologizes after blowout loss, Short-handed Rebels fall short against Boise State. In the first three rounds, games were shown on a regional basis, except for one game each on Saturday and Sunday in the second round. UNLV's semi-final loss in the NCAA tournament brought an end to their astounding 45-game win streak. After the game, Miller said simply of UNLV, "They need to go to the NBA. With Anthony on the bench, UNLV managed just three points the rest of the way. 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). "We wanted to show him that we were his best team," Grant Hill says. Before the 1990 season Ackles injured his wrist in a pickup game and redshirted. 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. Senior Director of Administration & Alumni Relations. The 1991 Final Four birthed the Duke dynasty, giving Mike Krzyzewski the first of his five championships. Do you have a sports website? Title. "I was a fan of theirs," Grant Hill says. Tarkanian died in 2015.) 2023 Duke Athletics. Krzyzewski's team would go on to defeat Kansas in the championship game and earn Duke its first national title. After a timeout, he calmly swished both free throws. "I'm not real big on their whole operation," the first-year head coach had said of UNLV. United States top collegiate-level basketball tournament for 1991, 1991 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, East Regional East Rutherford, New Jersey, Southeast Regional Charlotte, North Carolina, 1991 NCAA Basketball National Championship Game, NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, 1991 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournaments, Duke Blue Devils men's basketball 199091 NCAA champions, 1991 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, 1991 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Game, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 1991 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament, 1991 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament, 1991 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament, 1991 NCAA Division II women's basketball tournament, 1991 NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament, 1991 National Women's Invitation Tournament, 1991 NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament, 1991 NAIA Division I women's basketball tournament, "Florida Gulf Coast vs. Georgetown Game Recap March 22, 2013 ESPN", "College Basketball; Smith Ejected on 2 Technicals", "Fordham's road to NCAA blocked by St. Francis, 7064", "The longest winning streaks in college basketball history | NCAA.com", Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Live Sports Series, 1988 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, 1990 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, 1992 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, TCA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sports, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1991_NCAA_Division_I_men%27s_basketball_tournament&oldid=1136549342, 199091 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, Basketball competitions in Charlotte, North Carolina, March 1991 sports events in the United States, April 1991 sports events in the United States, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Bobby Dibler, David Bair, and Harrell Allen, This was Duke's fourth (of five) consecutive Final Four trip, the first team to achieve such a feat since UCLA.
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