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Rebels get another heavyweight

The UNLV Runnin' Rebel basketball program rarely gets to host a team the caliber of a Kansas at the Thomas & Mack Center. On Thursday, three days from Christmas, the Rebels will get the opportunity to give their fans an early present.

The task is pretty daunting. At 6 pm, UNLV will be lacing its shoes up against a roster that is just as, if not more, potent as the Duke team the Rebels faced a couple weeks ago.

That didn't go so well.

Kansas, the lone school to upend the Blue Devils this year, has senior leadership and explosive newcomers. Finding a way to stay close to the Jayhawks will be a major chore for this group of Rebels.

The Jayhawks are quite formidable on the offensive end ranking 13th in the country in points per game (88), fourth in field goal percentage (52%) and eighth in three point field goal percentage (42%). Those numbers are likely to improve in this game.

Of all years for the Rebels to have a schedule littered with top 20 teams, this is probably the least competitive UNLV squad in the last 10 seasons to have to face this onslaught of quality opponents.

UNLV lost by nearly 50 points to Duke at the T-Mobile Arena. One week later, the Rebels hung around with Oregon before being hammered on the road. This game most likely will follow suit with those previous two.

One area where UNLV has to be better to stand a reasonable chance against the Jayhawks is ball security. The Rebels have turned the ball over more than their opponents in their last six games, including a staggering 23 times in a win over Southern Illinois on Monday night.

With a starting backcourt of Frank Mason III and Devonte Graham, KU has a potent combination of elite playmaker and elite shooter. Mason is having a dominating senior season, shooting 56% from the point guard spot, while averaging more than 20 points and five assists. If you pay too much attention to Mason, Graham will light teams up, hitting 50% from the field.

And we haven't even begun to talk about super freshman, Josh Jackson, who many believe is a top five NBA Draft pick this year.

Yes, Kansas is predictably loaded, while the Rebels are in full blown rebuild mode. It will take an A+ effort from UNLV and a strong Christmas look ahead by Kansas to keep this thing close for 40 minutes.

If you are Marvin Menzies and the Rebels' coaching staff, this one is more about winning as many offensive and defensive possessions as possible to be able to show your team that they can compete. That would be a step in the right direction after the dismantling the Rebels suffered to Duke.

A step forward, no matter how small, would be a welcome sight.


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