Dave Rice hired as Head Coach.

[robe]

On 4/10/2024 at 4:09 PM, Rosegreen said:

 

I saw him on the bench at Cal Baptist in the WAC tournament I believe. He was a really good offensive coach when he had Jimmer.

[bigd]

On 4/10/2024 at 7:45 PM, VincentVegaBond said:

9 years later, it's still absolutely mind boggling how much the program plummeted under his watch.

Menzies elevated the program from the shambles Rice left it in.

TJ openly mailed in his 2nd year here.

KK had a better year this past year than Rice did any of his past 3 years.

It's simply legendary how thoroughly Rice destroyed the UNLV program.

According to Kenpom Rice's worst team was better than Menzies' best team. 

 

Not sure how you come to that conclusion. 

[VincentVegaBond]

On 4/11/2024 at 7:52 AM, bigd said:

According to Kenpom Rice's worst team was better than Menzies' best team. 

 

Not sure how you come to that conclusion. 

Because after he left the team was in such shambles that an entirely new team had to be assembled from scratch.  Of course, Menzies was hired super late and after the Beard fiasco like Ricegreen mentioned, but the culture had been so utterly destroyed by the Rice years that Menzies was in deep doo doo from day 1 just assembling a full roster.  Remember how many legitimately feared Menzies might not be able to cobble together enough players to even field a team in his first year.  He had to clean up a huge mess that was largely the fault of the administration, but Rice has some culpability as well.

And again, Kruger's team this year was better than any of Rice's NBA-laden teams his last 3 years.

[VincentVegaBond]

On 4/10/2024 at 6:54 PM, Rosegreen said:

Menzies took over for Beard, conveniently  nobody remembers that Beard told remaining players to take a hike and then he himself bailed after dealing w/incompetence. Rice was long gone and any roster changes is on the administration that bungled the whole program. 

conveniently, you never remember what a train wreck Rice's last 3 years were.  Not one year, not two, all 3 years were complete train wrecks!  It's amusing how ardently you argue for Kruger's ousting after 3 underwhelming years while slobbering all over your boy Rice's nuts at every opportunity and completely discounting his last 3 years (after he completely blew the rock solid team he inherited).

[quickdraw]

Chicken or the egg scenario. The Athletic Department and the Admin have been dysfunctional for decades until just recently. Everyone is still trying to dig out from this generational incompetence. Coaches have come and gone never really having the tools or support to succeed. But by all means…

 

[Rosegreen]

On 4/11/2024 at 8:01 AM, VincentVegaBond said:

Because after he left the team was in such shambles that an entirely new team had to be assembled from scratch.  Of course, Menzies was hired super late and after the Beard fiasco like Ricegreen mentioned, but the culture had been so utterly destroyed by the Rice years that Menzies was in deep doo doo from day 1 just assembling a full roster.  Remember how many legitimately feared Menzies might not be able to cobble together enough players to even field a team in his first year.  He had to clean up a huge mess that was largely the fault of the administration, but Rice has some culpability as well.

And again, Kruger's team this year was better than any of Rice's NBA-laden teams his last 3 years.

Ricegreen! 
 

 

Very well done. 

[818SUDSFan]

On 4/11/2024 at 9:23 AM, quickdraw said:

Chicken or the egg scenario. The Athletic Department and the Admin have been dysfunctional for decades until just recently. Everyone is still trying to dig out from this generational incompetence. Coaches have come and gone never really having the tools or support to succeed. But by all means…

 

Years ago on either Aztec Mesa or its predecessor there was a lengthy thread started by a Rebel concerning a guy - UNLV grad IIRC - who had been on Nevada's state board of higher education. Even though that guy had retired to someplace in Idaho, rumor had it he still had so much clout in Nevada state politics that he was mucking up the hiring process for UNLV coaches. The thread was supported by several publications so seemed to be a legit tale. I'm curious whether any Rebels here might be able to resurrect that story and provide intel as to whether that interloper might still be sticking his nose where it no longer belongs.

[mundyc3]

The Zaon Collins connection is wild to me especially with him playing for Rice's brother. 

[Poorohman]

I have a lot of love for Dave.  Was good friends with Grant back in the day.

However It would have been a whole lot easier and better for the program if the cult of Dave Rice didn't block TKM hiring Howland the previous offseason.  It just got way too messy and dysfunctional and destroyed the program.  Guys like Grg undermining the AD isn't a good look.  Then we had the fanbois of ex-players like Augmon, LJ and Theus jumping into the dogpile.  A lot of burned bridges need to be rebuilt imo.

[Rebels2k3]

On 4/12/2024 at 9:34 AM, Poorohman said:

I have a lot of love for Dave.  Was good friends with Grant back in the day.

However It would have been a whole lot easier and better for the program if the cult of Dave Rice didn't block TKM hiring Howland the previous offseason.  It just got way too messy and dysfunctional and destroyed the program.  Guys like Grg undermining the AD isn't a good look.  Then we had the fanbois of ex-players like Augmon, LJ and Theus jumping into the dogpile.  A lot of burned bridges need to be rebuilt imo.

Not sure if Ben Howland would have faired much better at UNLV 

[4UNLV]

On 4/12/2024 at 11:22 AM, Rebels2k3 said:

Not sure if Ben Howland would have faired much better at UNLV 

But we would have avoided the dysfunction that followed a mid season firing. Howland would have done better after Dave’s 4th year than his 5th, for sure. That was a mess.  

[rebelcuff]

On 4/10/2024 at 9:54 PM, Rosegreen said:

Menzies took over for Beard, conveniently  nobody remembers that Beard told remaining players to take a hike and then he himself bailed after dealing w/incompetence. Rice was long gone and any roster changes is on the administration that bungled the whole program. 

I blame Tubby Smith 

[agswin]

There is a long and interesting history at UNLV with the BB program.

Keep in mind UNLV was not a squad from an upstart MWC level program.  They were a Big West program.  That is right. Big West.

And for a few years, they were at the very top of college basketball.

I recall during the Tark days walking in through the tunnels at the Thomas and Mack and seeing the lineup of UNLV player vehicles.  It was pretty fun.

Their flashy sports cars and SUV's could hardly match up to the old pickup trucks and beat up family sedans that most of the Aggies were driving at the time.

Draw your own conclusions as to whether everything was on the up and up.

 

[robe]

On 4/16/2024 at 4:55 PM, agswin said:

There is a long and interesting history at UNLV with the BB program.

Keep in mind UNLV was not a squad from an upstart MWC level program.  They were a Big West program.  That is right. Big West.

And for a few years, they were at the very top of college basketball.

I recall during the Tark days walking in through the tunnels at the Thomas and Mack and seeing the lineup of UNLV player vehicles.  It was pretty fun.

Their flashy sports cars and SUV's could hardly match up to the old pickup trucks and beat up family sedans that most of the Aggies were driving at the time.

Draw your own conclusions as to whether everything was on the up and up.

 

Every good team was cheating then. Any tarnish on the team seems pretty minimal now especially with NIL

[Rosegreen]

On 4/16/2024 at 2:55 PM, agswin said:

There is a long and interesting history at UNLV with the BB program.

Keep in mind UNLV was not a squad from an upstart MWC level program.  They were a Big West program.  That is right. Big West.

And for a few years, they were at the very top of college basketball.

I recall during the Tark days walking in through the tunnels at the Thomas and Mack and seeing the lineup of UNLV player vehicles.  It was pretty fun.

Their flashy sports cars and SUV's could hardly match up to the old pickup trucks and beat up family sedans that most of the Aggies were driving at the time.

Draw your own conclusions as to whether everything was on the up and up.

 

My conclusion is you were watching blue chips and didn’t go to the Mack to check out player cars. 

[SharkTanked]

On 4/16/2024 at 10:54 PM, Rosegreen said:

My conclusion is you were watching blue chips and didn’t go to the Mack to check out player cars. 

Not to mention SUV's didn't even exist back then.

[SharkTanked]

On 4/16/2024 at 2:55 PM, agswin said:

There is a long and interesting history at UNLV with the BB program.

Keep in mind UNLV was not a squad from an upstart MWC level program.  They were a Big West program.  That is right. Big West.

And for a few years, they were at the very top of college basketball.

I recall during the Tark days walking in through the tunnels at the Thomas and Mack and seeing the lineup of UNLV player vehicles.  It was pretty fun.

Their flashy sports cars and SUV's could hardly match up to the old pickup trucks and beat up family sedans that most of the Aggies were driving at the time.

Draw your own conclusions as to whether everything was on the up and up.

 

[Poorohman]

On 4/16/2024 at 2:55 PM, agswin said:

There is a long and interesting history at UNLV with the BB program.

Keep in mind UNLV was not a squad from an upstart MWC level program.  They were a Big West program.  That is right. Big West.

And for a few years, they were at the very top of college basketball.

I recall during the Tark days walking in through the tunnels at the Thomas and Mack and seeing the lineup of UNLV player vehicles.  It was pretty fun.

Their flashy sports cars and SUV's could hardly match up to the old pickup trucks and beat up family sedans that most of the Aggies were driving at the time.

Draw your own conclusions as to whether everything was on the up and up.

 

That's a lie. 

I was there and good friends with players.  Only a few had cars. In fact since I had a car and they did not, I was driving around a few guys all the time.

FFS Anderson Hunt didn't even have a whip.  Mo Scurry didn't have one either.  In fact he used to have to come upstairs to my apartment to make phone calls to his mom back in MI because he didn't even have a phone.  No furniture in his apartment either.  Just a sleeping bag and a 13" TV on the floor.

LJ's Vette was purchased by his mother.  Ackles drove his girlfriend from Kentucky's Honda Prelude.

You don't know what the fck you're talking about.  But I'm sure you'll continue on with nonsense.

[Rosegreen]

On 4/18/2024 at 11:48 AM, Poorohman said:

That's a lie. 

I was there and good friends with players.  Only a few had cars. In fact since I had a car and they did not, I was driving around a few guys all the time.

FFS Anderson Hunt didn't even have a whip.  Mo Scurry didn't have one either.  In fact he used to have to come upstairs to my apartment to make phone calls to his mom back in MI because he didn't even have a phone.  No furniture in his apartment either.  Just a sleeping bag and a 13" TV on the floor.

LJ's Vette was purchased by his mother.  Ackles drove his girlfriend from Kentucky's Honda Prelude.

You don't know what the fck you're talking about.  But I'm sure you'll continue on with nonsense.

Ricky Roe got a Tractor! 

[masterfrog]

On 4/18/2024 at 1:48 PM, Poorohman said:

LJ's Vette was purchased by his mother. 

I would have been willing to bet that it was purchased by his grandmama.