3 hours ago
Stanford is favored by 1.5 and the over/under is 152.5 - implied score is 77-75.5. Stanford remains in the 61-91 range in the 5 ratings systems that I monitor. UNLV ranges from 89 to 111.
The season starts to get real tonight. After 3 home wins in what will likely be Quad 4 games, Stanford will be at the Thomas & Mack Center with a chance to pick up what will likely be a Quad 2 win. Last season the Runnin' Rebels upset Stanford at Maples. For any masochists who might want to relive that game (one of 4 Quad 3 losses that spoiled Stanford's post-season tournament resume), here is the Cardboard thread and box score. Only 2 players that made an appearance for each team last year might be involved tonight - Aidan Cammann & Kristers Skrinda for Stanford and Tyrin Jones & Isaac Williamson for UNLV.
https://thecardboard.org/board/thread-25...light=UNLV
https://gostanford.com/boxscore/26039
UNLV is 2-0 with wins at home vs. Northern Arizona (89-77) and Samford (88-79). Their roster includes 3 returning players, 9 transfers, & 2 freshmen. The Rebels were picked to finish 4th in the Mountain West Conference behind New Mexico, Grand Canyon, & Nevada Reno.
Starters for UNLV in both of their games so far were:
#24 Sebastian Mack (6'4/195 Sr G) Transfer from Mizzou, Pac-12 Freshman of the Year back in 2023-24 for UCLA in the good old days when Stanford played UCLA twice a season, leads the team in scoring with 24.0ppg (and in TOs with 10);
#2 Cam Miles (6'2/180 So G) Transfer from Florida State, 17.5ppg, leads team with 6 3s (16 attempts) 13 FTs (13 attempts) & 3.0 assists/game;
#6 Tyrin Jones (6'10/200 So F) 2025-6 All-Mountain West defensive team & HM All-Mtn West, 2026-7 preseason All-Mtn West, 14.5ppg, leads team with 6.5 rebounds/game, 4.0 blocks/game, & 2.0 steals/game;
#0 Dontrez Williams (6'6/200 Jr G) WAC All-Frosh at Abilene Christian, then 2nd team All-Ohio Valley at Lindenwood, 11.0ppg;
#1 Jeremy Foumena (6'11/255 RSr C) played at URI, Mississippi State, & UCF, 6.5 rebounds/game.
Also averaging double figure minutes are:
#9 Jackson Kiss (6'8/235 Fr F) Preseason Mtn West Freshman of the Year, from New Zealand;
#12 Isaac Williamson (6'1/200 So G)
#5 Kota Suttle Jr. (6'3/205 Fr G)
#10 MJ Thomas (6'8/226 Jr F) Transfer from New Orleans , led Southland Conference in rebounds & offensive rebounds.
UNLV had one more player selected for the preseason All-Mtn West team - AJ Storr (#22 6'5/205 5th G). But he is ineligible at this time, caught in legal limbo trying to get a 5th year. He could be the poster boy for the new landscape of high school and college sports. He played at Bishop Gorman through his jr. year of HS, then moved on to AZ (Arizona) Compass Prep. Then he had a postgraduate year at IMG Academy (Florida). His college journey includes St. John's (Big East All-Frosh), Wisconsin 2nd team All-Big 10), Kansas & Ole Miss. I don't know if he earned a degree yet, but maybe in geography??
This should be a bigger test for our bigs. Will Donavin Young be able to return to action? Will Kristers Skrinda &/or Tallis Toure make a season debut? Hopefully Austin Maurer can build on the double-double he had vs. Rice, and Nick Townsend & Aiden Cammann can continue with their steady play.
It will be interesting to see how Julius Price, Christian Bliss, Aziz Alajuwon, & Isaiah Rogers respond to the higher level of competition. And to see (tonight and as the season progresses) how Coach Smith utilizes upperclassmen Evan Stinson & Anthony Batson and freshmen Elias Obenyah & Drew Anderson.
The season starts to get real tonight. After 3 home wins in what will likely be Quad 4 games, Stanford will be at the Thomas & Mack Center with a chance to pick up what will likely be a Quad 2 win. Last season the Runnin' Rebels upset Stanford at Maples. For any masochists who might want to relive that game (one of 4 Quad 3 losses that spoiled Stanford's post-season tournament resume), here is the Cardboard thread and box score. Only 2 players that made an appearance for each team last year might be involved tonight - Aidan Cammann & Kristers Skrinda for Stanford and Tyrin Jones & Isaac Williamson for UNLV.
https://thecardboard.org/board/thread-25...light=UNLV
https://gostanford.com/boxscore/26039
UNLV is 2-0 with wins at home vs. Northern Arizona (89-77) and Samford (88-79). Their roster includes 3 returning players, 9 transfers, & 2 freshmen. The Rebels were picked to finish 4th in the Mountain West Conference behind New Mexico, Grand Canyon, & Nevada Reno.
Starters for UNLV in both of their games so far were:
#24 Sebastian Mack (6'4/195 Sr G) Transfer from Mizzou, Pac-12 Freshman of the Year back in 2023-24 for UCLA in the good old days when Stanford played UCLA twice a season, leads the team in scoring with 24.0ppg (and in TOs with 10);
#2 Cam Miles (6'2/180 So G) Transfer from Florida State, 17.5ppg, leads team with 6 3s (16 attempts) 13 FTs (13 attempts) & 3.0 assists/game;
#6 Tyrin Jones (6'10/200 So F) 2025-6 All-Mountain West defensive team & HM All-Mtn West, 2026-7 preseason All-Mtn West, 14.5ppg, leads team with 6.5 rebounds/game, 4.0 blocks/game, & 2.0 steals/game;
#0 Dontrez Williams (6'6/200 Jr G) WAC All-Frosh at Abilene Christian, then 2nd team All-Ohio Valley at Lindenwood, 11.0ppg;
#1 Jeremy Foumena (6'11/255 RSr C) played at URI, Mississippi State, & UCF, 6.5 rebounds/game.
Also averaging double figure minutes are:
#9 Jackson Kiss (6'8/235 Fr F) Preseason Mtn West Freshman of the Year, from New Zealand;
#12 Isaac Williamson (6'1/200 So G)
#5 Kota Suttle Jr. (6'3/205 Fr G)
#10 MJ Thomas (6'8/226 Jr F) Transfer from New Orleans , led Southland Conference in rebounds & offensive rebounds.
UNLV had one more player selected for the preseason All-Mtn West team - AJ Storr (#22 6'5/205 5th G). But he is ineligible at this time, caught in legal limbo trying to get a 5th year. He could be the poster boy for the new landscape of high school and college sports. He played at Bishop Gorman through his jr. year of HS, then moved on to AZ (Arizona) Compass Prep. Then he had a postgraduate year at IMG Academy (Florida). His college journey includes St. John's (Big East All-Frosh), Wisconsin 2nd team All-Big 10), Kansas & Ole Miss. I don't know if he earned a degree yet, but maybe in geography??
This should be a bigger test for our bigs. Will Donavin Young be able to return to action? Will Kristers Skrinda &/or Tallis Toure make a season debut? Hopefully Austin Maurer can build on the double-double he had vs. Rice, and Nick Townsend & Aiden Cammann can continue with their steady play.
It will be interesting to see how Julius Price, Christian Bliss, Aziz Alajuwon, & Isaiah Rogers respond to the higher level of competition. And to see (tonight and as the season progresses) how Coach Smith utilizes upperclassmen Evan Stinson & Anthony Batson and freshmen Elias Obenyah & Drew Anderson.