Runnin’ Rebels to open MWC play at BYU

UNLV released it men’s 2009-10 Mountain West Conference basketball schedule on late Friday afternoon. And you probably couldn’t have planned a tougher start to league play for Lon Kruger’s squad if you had tried.

The Runnin’ Rebels open with back-to-back road games at BYU and New Mexico, arguably the two toughest places to play on the road in the Mountain West, if not the entire west coast. Five of UNLV’s first eight games are away from the Thomas & Mack Center.

“We open with a couple of tough road games, but everyone plays everyone twice, so it will even out,” Kruger said.

The Rebels open MWC play in Provo on Wednesday, Jan. 6. They travel to Albuquerque to play Steve Alford’s Lobos in The Pit three nights later on Jan. 9.

UNLV’s league home opener will be against San Diego State on either Tuesday Jan. 12 or Wednesday Jan. 13 depending on which television network picks up the contest.

Here’s a link to the complete 2009-10 Runnin’ Rebels schedule.

http://tinyurl.com/nqw8fd