Early Saturday morning about a 600 loyal runnin rebel fans piled into the Thomas and Mack Center to get a chance to see the team practice and meet the players. I am not typically a morning person but I managed to leave the comforts of my warm bed to spend a morning with the players and rebel basketball fans. As I walked into the arena it was like a semi-game as one side was filled with fans. The band even made a partial appearance along with the rebel girls and the cheerleaders. People were wearing red or decked out in the UNLV gear. The chanting of “Rebels” could be heard, getting everyone pumped for the season. There was a lot of potential little rebels, eager and excited to meet the team. It was especially a great experience to see these young ones get a chance to interact with the players. One young girl looked like she was on the verge of tears as she got a chance to hug player Corey Bailey, who is in his senior year.
The team looked confident and chemistry seemed to be there as all the players were interacting with each other. There was a lot of laughter and joking going on. One thing I learned briefly from my observation during the scrimmage, they are lacking in a consistent outside shooter. It is still early on and plenty of time for someone to step up. One thing for sure, the team is a confident bunch and ready to go this season.
