University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Travel to Vegas to Take on the Runnin' Rebels
12/20/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Game No. 13
MINNESOTA (5-7)
vs.
UNLV (10-2)
DECEMBER 22, 2006 • 9 p.m.
Thomas & Mack Center • Las Vegas, Nev.
Television: mtn network - Tim Neverett, PBP; John Griffin, analyst
RADIO: Gopher Radio Network - Mike Grimm, PBP; Kevin Lynch, analyst
STORYLINES
• The Gophers return to action after a nine-day break for final exams.
• UNLV is playing its fourth game of the week after sweeping through the Duel In the Desert with a 3-0 record.
• Minnesota leads the all-time series 1-0. The Gophers won last year’s meeting at Williams Arena, 72-67.
• Jim Molinari and Lon Kruger played collegiate basketball together for one season at Kansas State University and have remained close friends.
MATCHUP
Minnesota travels to the desert to play its second road game of the year against the Runnin’ Rebels of UNLV. The Rebels are 10-2 and are playing their fourth game of the week after defeating Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (67-57), Norfolk State (103-56), and South Florida (74-59) at home in the Duel in the Desert Tournament.
SCOUTING the Runnin’ Rebels
Head Coach Lon Kruger is in his third season at the helm of the UNLV program and has improved the stock of the Runnin’ Rebels each season. Last season, the Rebels finished 17-13 and advanced to the second round of the NIT. In addition, UNLV won 10 Mountain West Conference games, its most as a member of the MWC. Coach Kruger has a familiar face on his team this season, his son Kevin. A transfer from Arizona State, Kevin is eligible to play this season because of a new NCAA rule that allows players with a fifth-year of eligibility to transfer and play immediately provided they have graduated with a bachelor’s degree. Kruger faced the Gophers as a Sun Devil last season and scored a career high 27 points in an overtime loss in Tempe. He’s one of three Rebels that average in double figures. The others, senior guard Wendell White leads the team at 14.7 ppg., and sophomore guard Wink Adams is second on the team at 14.3 ppg.
