Kruger nears 400th win, focuses on No. 18

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SALT LAKE CITY — In his typical low-key style, UNLV coach Lon Kruger shrugged off the significance of a personal achievement with a quick answer and a smile.

"It’s not something you think about at all," Kruger said in reference to reaching 400 career wins as a college basketball coach, something he has an opportunity to do today.

It’s just another round number, in reality, and there will be no plans for a parade if it happens. Kruger always reflects the unselfish attitude he preaches to his players.

What does matter to him is how the Rebels have put together a 17-4 record this season, putting him in position to reach 400 sooner than most expected.

"I feel like this team is achieving nearly to its potential, perhaps more than any group we’ve ever had, and I think that’s what you’re always looking for," he said. "Every day, every week they’ve gotten a little better. It has been very consistent progress."

UNLV, in a first-place Mountain West Conference tie with Brigham Young at 6-1, puts its five-game winning streak on the line against Utah (12-8, 3-4) at 5:30 p.m. at the Huntsman Center.

The Utes, who lost 55-52 to BYU at home on Jan. 19, are coming off a blowout victory at Colorado State on Saturday. Their leading scorer is 7-foot-1-inch center Luke Nevill.

The Rebels’ tallest starter is 6-7 junior Joe Darger. What has made this season’s challenge unique for Kruger is that he has a team with one returning starter, junior guard Wink Adams, and no true center.

"We really don’t think we’re overachieving," Adams said. "We just put a lot of time into playing defense, and we know what it’s going to take to get back to where we were last year."

Kruger said "it’s hard to believe how similar" this year has been to last year, when UNLV followed five seniors to a 30-7 record and the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16. That team also started 17-4.

The personnel has changed dramatically. Senior point guard Curtis Terry, senior forward Corey Bailey, junior swingman Rene Rougeau and Darger were reserves last season.

"We’re definitely not the most athletic team. We have some talented guys, but not your conventional point guard, shooting guard, small forward and big man," Terry said. "We have a lot of good basketball players, and we have guys who can play multiple positions.

"We have a lot of guys who are playing out of position right now. But we’re getting it done. We feel like we can outwork teams and have more defensive energy and intensity."

Rougeau has turned into the wild card. He came off the bench in November, earned a starting role in early December and exemplifies the Rebels’ blue-collar approach.

"We go into a game expecting to win," Rougeau said. "We’re getting used to trying to smack teams around. It has not been fluke wins at all. We definitely feel like we can hang with any team in the country now.

"Coach probably has us playing our best defense now of all four years I’ve been here."

In his first two years at UNLV, Kruger went 34-27. In the past two years, the Rebels are 47-11.

Kruger’s critics are in hiding and expectations for his team are rising. He is focused only on the goal of winning the next game and staying atop the Mountain West.

"This group keeps raising the bar a little bit," Kruger said. "As they do that and they accomplish something, now the challenge is to do a little bit more and do it a little bit better.

"That’s what you want. This group has earned kind of the right to have more expected of themselves. The alternative is not good. If you haven’t done anything to this point, then people wouldn’t have high expectations. But also there’s a responsibility that comes with that, and kind of a healthy burden.

"Now we’ve got to finish. You can’t just think it’s going to happen. Good things have happened to this group because they’ve worked hard and been unselfish and focused every day. If we stop doing those things, it won’t keep happening."

In his 22nd year as a college head coach, Kruger started his career in Texas at Pan American in 1982. He won his 100th game at his alma mater, Kansas State, in 1988.

He also coached at Florida (1990-96) and Illinois (1996-2000) before going 69-122 in a short stay with the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks (2000-03).

If Kruger does not reach 400 today, his next chance would come Saturday, when UNLV hosts Colorado State.

Contact reporter Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or (702) 387-2907.