UNLV Runnin' Rebels Coach Dave Rice Must Deliver In His Fifth Year

Published November 13, 2015 at 10:59 AM PST

UNLV Athletic Department — UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball pregame activities at the Thomas and Mack Center

Renewed defensive intensity, a talented sophomore class and a standout seven-foot freshman are among the reasons UNLV fans are optimistic.

But, as a new Runnin' Rebels basketball season tips off Friday at the Thomas & Mack Center against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the questions remain the same – Will UNLV return to the postseason?

"I had them third in my preseason (Mountain West Conference) poll," Taylor Bern, a sports reporter with the Las Vegas Sun, told KNPR's State of Nevada. "I think .... gun to my head ... right now before a game has been played yet, I don't think they'll make the NCAA Tournament."

And, if they don’t make the NCAA Tournament, will Dave Rice’s five-year tenure as head coach come to an end?

Bern said if UNLV falls short of expectations this could be the last year for Rice as head coach. Bern told KNPR that UNLV "should be an NCAA tournament team, fighting for a conference title."

UNLVhosts Call Poly Friday, which is followed by home games Monday against New Mexico Highlands and Wednesday versus Southern Utah. The Runnin' Rebels then head to Maui for games with UCLA and possibly Kansas.

UNLV defeated Whittier 94-57 in its only exhibition game on Nov. 6. In the exhibition game, freshman Derrick Jones Jr. scored 20 points and Stephan Zimmerman Jr. added a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds.