They put on a show, soaring down the court in transition, and harassing opponents on defense. The Runnin' Rebels were the defending national champions on a 45-game winning streak. The 1991 Final Four birthed the Duke dynasty, giving Mike Krzyzewski the first of his five championships. Kansas made its second trip to the National Championship game in four seasons, the prior appearance being 1988 when they defeated Oklahoma. 1983 Houston and 85 Georgetown were defeated by complete underdogs that many didnt even peg as final fours participants. Palmer, Clay
and playing out the string on another losing Big West season on March 2, 1991. There the Rebels handled Arkansas-Little Rock, Ohio State, and Ball State, before crushing the dreams of Bo Kimble and Loyola Marymount. 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. 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. But lets cut through all the PC rules and regulations when it comes to picking the best team of all time and just come out honest and swinging. Duke, meanwhile, won the first of five National Championships (1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015) two nights later. It wasn't. The 1991 Runnin Rebels are the greatest college basketball team of all time. With 99 Duke they werent even ranked as the number one team in the country. Arkansas raced out to an early lead. 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. Thus concluded UNLVs perfect regular season. Before that St. Josephs in 2004. EJ Harkless, Jordan McCabe, Elijah Parquet and Cameron Burist will be honored during senior night when UNLV plays Utah State on Wednesday at the Thomas & Mack Center. For the game, Fullerton nearly doubled its average attendance. Gilbert, David
It almost worked. Don't miss the big stories. Video & Recruiting Coordinator. While they knew they werent thugs or convicts they played with swagger and gave menacing stares after destroying the rim. . Thats the beauty of college basketball and its blemish. Koubek, Brian
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. Larry Johnson shot 66% from the floor for the season. As for specific tactics, Duke sagged an extra defender, often center George Ackles' man, on Johnson whenever he caught the ball down low. Greg Anthony: He was quite simply the engine that ran the rebels and quite possibly the most hated Rebel. Gambling problem? Varnado Jr. Bryan
Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? ESPN and CBS analyst Jay Bilas was a Duke assistant coach for both the 1990 national title game, UNLV's 103-73 rout, and the following year's 79-77 Final Four upset that stopped the Rebels two . UNLV Rebels Men's. Roster and Stats. Anthony was icing his shooting hand during timeouts, Hunt was also banged up, UNLV was assessed a technical for protesting a hard foul by Bobby Hurley, countless 50/50 calls went Duke's way including an egregious non-call on Laettner with 1:31 remaining. I should get it converted.". "I think it's the best a team has ever played against me," Krzyzewski said afterward. Hunt had a sweet shooting stroke, solid perimeter defense and above average athleticism to finish above the rim. The Rebels met Duke in back-to-back Final Fours in 1990 and 91. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Krzyzewski. But in looking back at UNLVs historic season, Im overwhelmed by one pervading sentiment: 1991 was such a different time in college sports. "We wanted to show him that we were his best team," Grant Hill says. There is no additional information to display:
"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. Things were already more competitive than expected, a fact captured nicely on the telecast by James Brown. Augmon was an award-winning defender and an elite finisher near the rim. 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." Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. The Rebels eked out a two-point win against surprising No. The tournament was notable for its upsets. On March 2, 1991, before a crowd of 24,310 at Rupp Arena, Kentucky defeats Auburn, 114-93, to claim the best record in the Southeastern Conference and end its two-year probation. 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. When the two teams met in Las Vegas in February of 1990, a brawl erupted after UNLV's Chris Jeter head-butted one Utah State player and punched another. The left-hander often backed up Ackles or Larry Johnson depending on foul trouble and opposing team personnel. Or write about sports? The semifinal upset also ended the run of one of the most culturally influential college basketball teams ever. One 34-year-old coach in particular had made what turned out to be a strikingly prophetic observation to Sports Illustrated. No team has won 40 games or more in a row in the 30 years since. "Even at halftime, you're thinking we're going to go out and do what we usually do, and it just never happened.". How could he not take up for what he had built? March 2, 2018 2:48 pm MT. Awaiting them was the rare opponent who actually had better size than the Rebels. Koloskie wholeheartedly believes the game's outcome turned on Anthony fouling out. Ill see you after the game, Johnson threatened as the referees pulled the players apart. Because they were vicious and explosive, while destroying everyone by an average of 26.7 points. Lindl, MS, LAT, ATC, Connor
And it wasnt really that close. 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. More School Info. At the time, we knew the defeat ended UNLVs undefeated season after 34 wins. The Rebels swallowed up the Blue Devils, overwhelming them from the start and cruising to the biggest rout in a national final. Zaon Collins, a star basketball player at Bishop Gorman High School and the top recruit of this year's UNLV class, was ordered released from jail Thursday, a . 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 the lack of having our point guard out there. And many still question the charging call that knocked him from the game with under four minutes to play. If you doubled Larry Johnson in the post or tried to collapse the driving lanes of Augmon or Anthony, you paid the price. John Bishop and Tyler Clement will call the action. . Stacey Augmon had 31 points, Anderson Hunt. Hamm Jr. Reece
Wooden teams were dominant with NBA greats Bill Walton and Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar). Ray Brewer, a proud local, has been part of Greenspun Media Group since the mid-1990s. Todd Day, Oliver Miller, and Lee Mayberry anchored the Arkansas squad. 6th Man. 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. 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. Check out the detailed 1990-91 Virginia Tech Hokies Roster and Stats for College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. The core five of Butler (15.8), Anthony (11.2), Augmon (14.2), Hunt (15.9), and Johnson (20.6) each . Nuga, Justin
Its simple those teams are mentioned in passing - never with the reverence of 91 UNLV. Any of them could have left early for the NBA, but they returned to try for title No. Thirty years later, that 79-77 upset loss to Duke in the 1991 Final Four still stings. Within the span of just 2:43, Hunt scored 12 points and UNLV uncorked an 18-0 run on its way to a 103-73 win. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 6:03AM. "We knew we had a target on our back in every game and had to play our best.". And their opponent in the Final Four was the same team they had defeated 103-73 in the previous year's national championship. On This Day In UK Basketball History On March 2, 1970, Dan Issel scored 42 points against Auburn. Why? Larry
Twenty-five years later the question is still asked: How did Duke pull it off? The guy had the power of a post player with the shooting touch of a perimeter man. But with three new starters the 1990-91 Duke squad was a much different team both in roster and disposition. 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. Its difficult to imagine a group like that making such a decision in todays pro-oriented environment. The protagonist/antagonist characters are so striking you would have to be blind not to see. "They had blown everyone out that year," Grant Hill says. Games played in Detroit since have either been at The Palace of Auburn Hills, Ford Field or, starting in 2018, Little Caesars Arena. Henry, Will
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. During the UNLV golden age they won an impressive 45 games straight when you include their final 11 games of the 1990 championship season. One of the biggest upsets in NCAA Tournament history ushered in the Duke Dynasty and ended the run of one of the most influential college basketball teams of all time. On the court Duke trained for UNLV's length, athleticism and speed. UNLV reeled off its next 16 wins by an average score of 103-71 before encountering what experts forecasted to be an actual challenge, a true road game at Arkansas. 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. The largest margin of victory ever. Duke's game plan worked from the opening tip, with the Blue Devils hitting their first five shots for a 13-5 lead. Anthony's shot on the play went in the basket, and if it had counted, the Rebels would have had a 76-71 lead. Who will win each 2023 conference tournament? Unsung hero: David Butler of UNLV, one of the toughest and best defenders in school history. There is no additional information to display. Fresno State is now 5-4 against UNLV in Hutson's five seasons. Be sure to subscribe to SB Nation's YouTube channel for highlight videos, features, analysis and more. The Tarkanian connection began before the Sharks coaching career at UNLV when, at Long Beach State, Tarks growing program was continually investigated by the NCAA. Duke lost to UNLV by 30 points in the previous season's championship. Four of Fresno State's 10 wins have come in true road games (three in conference play). There was no way we were going to beat them. Unsung hero: Brian Davis, a reserve wing for Duke, scored 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting in 21 minutes. They were the number one team that entire season. We may never get the full story because the media creates and destroys what it wants not what it is. Depending on how you wanted to defend UNLV, Hunt could have 15 or 30 points. Coming off the 1989-1990 title season, UNLV got every teams absolute best shot the next year. Kentucky did it in 2015. "I would watch their games. The Runnin' Rebs lived up to their nickname, sprinting on fast breaks off misses and turnovers, but they were also a juggernaut in the half court. 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. Greg was our leader.". You call getting a bogus and now famous Duke charging call that resulted in UNLV Greg Anthonys foul disqualification better? Larry Johnson, Stacey Augmon, Greg Anthony, Anderson Hunt, George Ackles and their teammates would enter the 1991 Final Four having trailed their opponents for a total of just one minute and 20 seconds in any second half all season. As the game wore on at timeouts, at halftime we were like, Yo, we can win this.'". We lost to the best team in the country. What happened: You can count on hand how many times an NCAA final has seen such dominance created by defense. It began on March 14, 1991, and ended with the championship game on April 1 in Indianapolis, Indiana. We had three of the top college players of all time, but we didn't know that then.". We havent talked about it once, Tarkanian told the Los Angeles Times when it was all over. If youre in a war you want him in the foxhole with you. A fourth player, George Ackles, went in the second round. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Missing two starters, UNLV stayed close with Boise State but still lost its third consecutive game Sunday in Boise, Idaho. For the first time in tournament history a 15-seed defeated a 2-seed. "I looked over at Brian [Davis] and said, We got these MF's. ", Bobby Hurley adds, "Coach K did a tremendous job instilling confidence in us in the week leading up to the rematch with UNLV.". Hunt totaled 29 points for the game and was named Most Outstanding Player at the Final Four. H Waldman: Smart player with solid 3-point shot and quality passing. But what was pegged a mismatch became one of the most compelling games in NCAA history, with the fallout ushering in a new era in college basketball. After a 113 to 64 humiliation of Fresno State, UNLV stood at 19-0. We present them here for purely educational purposes. 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. ", Duke had also added a freshman sensation. UNLV never let down. Buckley, Brandon
(Rebel coach Jerry Tarkanians nickname was Tark the Shark.) 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. You call a last second shot that hits the backboard and grazes the rim better? Christin Hinton. "UNLV were so cool and nonchalant like, Yeah, it's going to be a cakewalk. ", Yet the risk of a mental hangover persisted. A defensive ball hawk and who ran the UNLV offense as smooth as a Cadillac. [2] This was the first National Championship game for Williams as a head coach. 4,032 fans showed up to see the Rebels cruise to a 104-83 win. This tournament adopted the NBA's 10ths-second timer during the final minute of each period in all arenas. Either Tarkanian could serve a personal suspension from coaching during the 1991 tournament and watch his team from afar before facing a postseason ban for both himself and the Rebels in 1992, or UNLV could play in the 1991 postseason in exchange for a ban on all live TV appearances and on any postseason play for the 1991-92 season. With NCAA sanctions banning UNLV from postseason play, Tarkanian announced in June 1991 that he would resign after the upcoming season. Hinton. UNLV would eventually reach the national semifinal 30 years ago this weekend having won 45 straight games over a period of 13 months. Hill almost atoned for his mistake, missing a short pull-up, but Laettner grabbed the offensive rebound and was fouled. Yeah, we're about to go back-to-back and go undefeated,'" Hill, Duke's starting two guard, says today. There is no additional information to display:
Simple attrition I suppose. Join our linker program. Stacey Augmon, who had set off an impromptu autograph mob scene on the campus of UBC the night before, opened the game with a thunderous dunk. 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. 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. 2023 Duke Athletics. He also doesn't put stock in the theory that UNLV did not execute down the stretch because of a lack of playing close games. 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. To this day, the Rebels are the only team to top 100 points in the title game, and the win over Duke still stands as the largest margin of victory ever recorded in a championship final. "I'm not real big on their whole operation," the first-year head coach had said of UNLV. Odds & lines subject to change. Lets pick a winner in every mens college basketball conference tournament. He gave Duke sophomore Christian Laettner (5-of-12 shooting) fits in the final. Find out more. Wichita State in 2014. Because many people forget or simply ignore the plain truth - LJ kicked everyone's ass on the court. Because many people forget or simply ignore the plain truth - LJ kicked everyones ass on the court. UNLV point guard Greg Anthony: The only thing that surprised me was that we didnt play as hard as we normally do. Although UNLV is becoming one now. 1990-1991 UNLV Runnin . ", The game was referred to in basketball circles afterward as "40 minutes of layups.". That is the fourth-longest consecutive-game win streak in NCAA Division 1 basketball history, and the longest win streak since the longest one ever (by UCLA) ended in 1974. Fresno State is now 5-4 against UNLV in Hutson's five seasons. Spencer was considered by many to be a top 25 high school player. Georgia Tech, with Kenny Anderson and Dennis Scott, gave UNLV a game in the Final Four, but UNLV pulled out a 90-81 victory. Sure, Duke was a dangerous team, but pre-season, everyone had them pegged as top 3 team. The following are the sites that were selected to host each round of the 1991 tournament: Regional semifinals and finals (Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight), National semifinals and championship (Final Four and championship). Veterans from that IU roster fielded a high volume of calls from the media that week. Stoeckinger. Duke was 30-7 and had won the Midwest region as the No. Do you have a blog? And in game situations, he had no qualms telling you how he felt. "I was a fan of theirs," Grant Hill says. We could have played them 20 times and not beaten them in any.. As it happened, that loyalty would be rewarded by the least likely entity of all, the NCAA itself. The Rebels earned their second consecutive West region No. UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian: This win is for the kids, but mostly its for the state of Nevada. (Editor's note: ESPN reached out to multiple starters from that team as well as to one member of the coaching staff. "We had something to prove. The game turned when UNLV point guard Greg Anthony fouled out with 3:51 remaining. 1 seed and arrived at the 1991 round of 32 in Tucson, Arizona, with a 31-0 record. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. Beating UNLV team legitimizes us as a serious program.. This isnt the NBA where you need to be consistent in a best of seven series. 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. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). Instead, the Rebels overcame a one-point deficit midway through the second half and won going away, 95-75. Hartman, Tim
Daly, Torrence
But that wide-ranging influence was rooted first in UNLV's dominance on the basketball court. 2 in the nation and standing at 22-1 behind stars Oliver Miller and Todd Day -- had been camping out in front of Fayetteville's Barnhill Arena for a full week in advance of the game, and Rebels coach Jerry Tarkanian sought to put the tent city to good use for his own team. Even the Late John Wooden couldnt stand the idea that the 1991 Rebels were better than any of his teams. Just stop it. Previous Season Next Season. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. 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. What happened: As upsets go, this is considered one of NCAA lore. That remains the largest margin of victory in any tournament finalan amazing achievement by UNLVs fantastic title team. Thats like saying the 1983 North Carolina State Wolfpacks victory over Phi Slamma Jamma meant they were better. But he picked up his dribble and passed to Hunt, who was about 30 feet from the basket. The two stars could have transferred and received immediate eligibility, but both elected to remain in Vegas. Solid scorer; a starter at any other school. 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. Brown, Josh
Scoring was distributed across the team, too. Updated December 31, 2020 - 7:44 pm. I never felt I could win this. UNLV defeated the Aggies 84-82 thanks in part to two technical fouls called on the Utah State crowd. Johnson joined an already loaded squad. The Hoyas pulled to within four before falling 62-54. By this point in his career he had already taken the NCAA all the way to the Supreme Court. 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). Radio Broadcast InformationCreighton (18-11, 12-6 BIG EAST) plays its final home game of the regular-season on Wednesday, March 1, when it hosts Georgetown (7-23, 2-17 BIG EAST). I should know; I was there, ball-boying my way as close the Rebels as possible. Students at Arkansas -- ranked No. 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.It began on March 14, 1991, and ended with the championship game on April 1 in Indianapolis, Indiana.A total of 63 games were played. Then Michigan State by 20. A total of 63 games were played. Hes covered high school and UNLVs Anderson Hunt scores a basket as teammate Larry Johnson looks on during an NCAA Tournament first-round win over Montana on March 15,1991. Although the times would be adjusted, the same basic format was in place until 2010. The timing of the NCAA's ruling left Johnson and Augmon in a difficult spot because by then the 1990 NBA draft had already taken place.
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