UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball

The UNLV Runnin' Rebels are the men's basketball team that represent the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in the Mountain West Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); it plays at the Thomas & Mack Center on campus. As of 2023, UNLV has the seventh-highest winning percentage (.687) in Division I history. UNLV is 33–19 all-time in the NCAA tournament with a 63.5 winning percentage. In July 2008, ESPNU named the program the eighth most prestigious collegiate basketball program in the nation since the 1984–85 season. History The glory years In 1977, just seven years after joining Division I, The Rebels made the Final Four in a squad today known as the "Hardway Eight". Ten years later, the team made the Final Four with one loss. In 1990, UNLV won the NCAA Championship by beating Duke by a record-setting margin of 103–73, becoming the first team and only team to score over 100 points in the championship game. Before becoming a basketball powerhouse in the late 1970s, UNLV was often referred to as "Tumbleweed Tech" due to its relative obscurity. Led by famed coach Jerry Tarkanian, the Runnin' Rebels were among the most exciting teams in the nation. They consistently led the nation in points scored, turnovers forced, and most importantly – wins. The Runnin' Rebels were well known for going on long runs that turned close games into blowouts. They were also known for up-tempo offense and stifling defense. Tarkanian was suspected of violating numerous NCAA regulations and was forced out in 1992 by then–president Robert Maxson. In 1998 Tarkanian received a $2.5 million out of court settlement when he sued the NCAA for violations stemming from its investigation of UNLV. The last Rebel squad coached by Tarkanian won their tenth consecutive Big West Conference regular season title, but was barred from the NCAA Tournament due to probation. The Rebels had actually been barred from the 1991 tournament only months after winning the title, but a settlement with the NCAA allowed them to play in that tournament and miss the next one.