The annual announcement of the non-conference schedule has long been one of the most exciting days of the Summer for long time supporters of the UNLV Runnin' Rebels.

Who are we playing? Where? When?

Trying to figure which games will be wins and losses. Are the Rebels going to be able to build up a solid enough resume for at-large NCAA Tournament chances come March?

That has always been the joy of the release of the men's basketball schedule.

The general rule of thumb every year is that your early schedule should be based around experience, talent, and expectations. Rosters are always a little bit different, which means the same type of scheduling varies from year to year.

When glancing over the 2017-18 non-conference schedule, it's very easy to see what the predetermining factor was when constructing it game-by-game - winning.

And UNLV should win a lot this season.

The Rebels will leave the city of Las Vegas only two times before the calendar switches to 2018. UNLV plays five teams that garnered postseason births in 2016-17, but only one that competed in the NCAA Tournament a year ago (Arizona).

POSITIVES

Of UNLV's first 13 games, it very well could be a significant favorite in 12 of them. Coming off a season where the Rebels notched just 11 victories, you can understand why head coach Marvin Menzies made sure that his team would gain confidence in itself while earning some valuable experience.

With only two of the top eight scorers returning from last year's squad, Menzies has given his group a chance to get off to the type of start that the Rebels in 2016 wasn't able to.

The first competitive game won't come until November 22 when the Rebels will face either Ole Miss from the SEC or Utah from the Pac 12. From there, UNLV will play its first of two road contests in the MWC/MVC Challenge against Northern Iowa.

Highlighting this non-conference schedule is a home challenge against Arizona, which is favored to win the Pac 12 and should be a top 5 team whenever the Wildcats visit the Thomas & Mack.

Unlike every other season since the National Finals Rodeo has come to town, UNLV won't be escaping the city. The Rebels will play a pair of contests at the MGM Garden Arena against Oral Roberts and Illinois.

In fact, there will be four non-conference games played on the Las Vegas Strip during November and December. UNLV season ticket holders will be given complimentary tickets to all four games.

Menzies said in a press release, “We are happy to be playing four times on the Las Vegas Strip and very pleased that our season ticket holders will have access to each of those games.”

NEGATIVES

Although the wins are going to be nice to see, this isn't the type of schedule that is going to get any UNLV fan excited enough to run to the nearest box office and sign up for season tickets.

If you exclude Arizona's No. 5 ranking, the average RPI at the conclusion of the 2016 for the remaining 12 teams is a miserable 231. Seven of those teams had an RPI of 226 or higher, including Florida A7M (349), Prairie View (306), Southern Utah (341) and Mississippi Valley State (333).

The entire Rebels' schedule doesn't improve a whole lot more from a competition standpoint. The average RPI for the 31 games UNLV plays is 160.

It wouldn't be out of the question for this Rebel squad to reach the 20-23 win area. The problem is that, despite a fabulous record, it would be nearly impossible for UNLV to earn an at-large bid with this schedule. Only a victory over Arizona would be enough to help propel the Rebels into the "bubble" mix.

Another area of concern with this type of schedule is that if you are going to recruit elite players, like Menzies has shown he will and can, you have to be willing to compete against the best.

This isn't something to be shy about commenting on. That's what these types of highly ranked athletes want. They want to be going up against the best competition possible. Piling up statistics against Mississippi Valley State doesn't catch scouts' attention. On a side note, the last time a Rebel posted a triple-double was against the Delta Devils (Mark Dickel).

Of course, if this is just a one time deal, it won't matter much. Coming back with a much more arduous non-con schedule in 2018-19 will make fans forget about this one very quickly.

For this year, expect a whole bunch of wins. Let's be clear, that's what the program needs at this time.