RUNNIN’ REBELS TO FACE ILLINOIS AT MGM SATURDAY NIGHT
9 p.m. game at Grand Garden Arena to be televised nationally on ESPN2
UNLVtickets | MGM Game Tickets | Game Notes vs. Illinois | Schedule | @UNLVAthletics | @TheRunninRebels
| UNLV Men’s Basketball | ||
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| Matchup | Illinois (7-3, 0-2 Big Ten) vs. UNLV (7-2, 0-0 Mountain West) | |
| Date | Saturday, December 9, 2017 | |
| Time | 9:00 p.m. | |
| Site | MGM Grand Gardena Arena (12,916), Las Vegas | |
| TV | ESPN2 (Eric Rothman, Tom Crean) | |
| Radio | ESPN Radio 1100 AM/100.9 FM (Jon Sandler, Robert Smith) | |
| Audio | UNLV Gameday App & UNLVRebels.com | |
| Stats | Gametracker at UNLVRebels.com | |
| @TheRunninRebels / @UNLVAthletics | ||
With the National Finals Rodeo taking over the Thomas & Mack Center, the UNLV men’s basketball team (7-2) will play its second consecutive game at MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday, Dec. 9 vs. Illinois (7-3) at 9 p.m.
The game will benefit Coaches vs. Cancer, which is celebrating its 25th season since launching as a collaboration between the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the American Cancer Society. The Coaches vs. Cancer program has raised more than $110 million since its inception. Tickets for the game may be purchased at RunninRebelsOnTheStrip.com.
Saturday will mark UNLV’s seventh game on the Las Vegas Strip since MGM Resorts began hosting basketball in 2013. After Wednesday’s win at MGM over Oral Roberts, the Runnin’ Rebels are 4-2 all-time on the Strip (3-0 this year) with a 2-1 mark at the Grand Garden Arena.
The Runnin’ Rebels rank as the No. 2 rebounding team in the country with 46.4 rpg, while they are third in assists (20.3 apg), fourth in 3-point field-goal percentage defense (24.7) and sixth in scoring (91.8 ppg).Individually, junior forward Shakur Juiston and freshman forward Brandon McCoy rank in the top 10 in the country in rebounding. Juiston is fifth with 11.9 rpg, while McCoy is seventh with 11.2 rpg. McCoy is sixth with six double-doubles and Juiston is 10th with five. Senior guard Jordan Johnson is fourth in the nation in assists with 8.1 apg.
The 2017-18 season marks the second under head coach Marvin Menzies for the Runnin’ Rebels. Menzies and his staff brought in a recruiting class for this year that has been ranked as high as No. 12 in the country and features McCoy, who was a McDonald’s High School All-American, and Juiston, last year’s National Junior College Player of the Year. The Runnin’ Rebels also return their leading scorer from last season – senior guard Jovan Mooring. Five Runnin’ Rebels are averaging double figures, led by McCoy’s 20.0 ppg.
Saturday’s game will televised by ESPN2 with Eric Rothman and Tom Crean calling the action. Jon Sandler and former Runnin’ Rebel Robert Smith will handle the UNLV radio call, which may be heard live on ESPN Radio 1100 AM/100.9 FM and online via the UNLV Gameday App and TuneIn (link at UNLVRebels.com).
Summary
Article Name
UNLV MEN'S BASKETBALL NEWS: Runnin' Rebels To Face Illinois At MGM Saturday Night
Description
UNLV MEN'S BASKETBALL NEWS: Runnin' Rebels To Face Illinois At MGM Saturday Night
Author
Judy Reppart
