Fab 5 vs Runnin' Rebs

Submitted by JMo on November 20th, 2021 at 12:39 AM

In honor of this clash, let's jump in our wayback machines and do a good ole fashioned "who ya got."

Fab 5 vs Runnin' Rebels

I'm going with the 89-90 National Championship UNLV Team (although you could make an argument for the 90-91 team, but these guys won the National Championship)

 

Versus the Sophomore Fab Five team. A little more experience and a better team by the end of year 2.

 

UNLV's David Butler is forgotten and an underrated player. But the Butler/Johnson matchup just can't line up against Webber/Howard. I think one of the undermentioned aspects of Chris and Juwan's game was their ability to double-down in the post, and how truly deadly that was. Larry Johnson in his peak college days may be as good or better than Juwan or maybe CWebb, but the double down made it hard for a true post to do much against the tandem.

I guess you'd have to match up Jalen on Stacey Augmon due to size? The plastic man was a heck of a slashing wing. I dont know if he could check Jalen on the ball though. 

So, maybe Augmon on Jackson and Hunt checking Jalen on D? Jalen's height is such a mismatch problem for opposing defenses. 

Anderson Hunt was a true weapon, he could score from almost anywhere on the court, and Greg Anthony was your prototypical college PG. I think I'd give them the edge over Ray and Jimmy overall, but not by much.

I think for me this may come down to the benches. Riley, Talley, Pelinka and Voskuil vs Scurry, Young, Bice and Jones. 

UM 76 UNLV 68

 

 

 

 

blueheron

November 20th, 2021 at 9:13 AM ^

This picture reminds me of something I've long believed: Jalen Rose was 6'8" in the same way that Magic Johnson was 6'9". As in, not really. He's more like 6'6". (Magic is about 6'7".)

OP, I think Augmon (known for many years in the NBA for his defense) could've easily guarded Jalen.

Overall, I like UM in that match-up.

Joined: 03/26/2009

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SeattleWolverine

November 20th, 2021 at 1:29 AM ^

It's a little hard to evaluate that UNLV team because of the Big West competition, but that 90 UNLV team and the one the next year that lost to Duke in the Final Four was probably the best college basketball team of the era since the shot clock and 3 point line were introduced (and before the high level talent all started leaving after one year) in my opinion. Defense was relentless.  

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Ronswanson13

November 20th, 2021 at 3:24 AM ^

I’m pretty sure that Larry Johnson (Hornets) and Webber (Bullets) were the first two NBA jerseys I ever owned as a kid.

Wow, I never realized Jalen was 6’8 and how tall the Fab 5 was.

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DMill2782

November 20th, 2021 at 3:33 AM ^

Fab Five easy. Running Rebels were great, but who on their team is checking Juwan? They're undersized as is and would have to devote extra attention to C-Webb, which wouldn't work well because he's a phenomenal passer. What is 6' Greg Anthony doing against more talented 6'8 Jalen? 

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Blue Ninja

November 20th, 2021 at 7:43 AM ^

I think the athleticism, height and length of the Fab Five would have been too much for UNLV to overcome. Then throw in the deeper bench and I am sure they would defeat UNLV despite the best efforts of Grandmama.

Joined: 11/17/2009

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jerseyblue

November 20th, 2021 at 10:01 AM ^

UNLV won a title. Fab Five didn't. They did it in the same era so there's no "Well the game was different then. Better athletes now, etc." So any debate ends there. Plus, the '90 UNLV team wasn't just another champion so to speak. They dominated. Maybe the Fabs could have reached that status if they had all stayed together in '94 and '95 but we will never know.

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gmoney41

November 20th, 2021 at 11:02 AM ^

I would take that UNLV team over the fab five simply because that title winning 90’s team played havoc creating defense.  The Amoeba defense was as intense as it got and they would have never been held to 60-70 points in any game.  Love the fab five but they’d get beat by double digits. 

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JMo

November 20th, 2021 at 1:22 PM ^

It's been 30 years, but this was a pointless topic of conversation between friends back in the day. Both of these teams were dominant in their own way.

Here's what I'll say about the matchup, I'm not sure that "UNLV won a title therefore UNLV would win the game".  UNLV v Duke is the perfect example of this right?  UNLV beats Duke by 20 in 90. UNLV loses to Duke in the next year's Final Four. UNLV had the Championship, Duke didn't But what Duke did have is different matchups. Winning a championship is as much who you play as who you are.

Now, your point about UNLV's "amoeba D" that is a legit gamechanger. Stacey Augmon's size and athleticism wasn't as common at the 3 as it is on the wing here in 2021. He was big, long and smothering. They were switching more at the time than teams were used to, that's what made them so deadly on D. 

But still, I'm not sure that the matchups favor UNLV. I think the front court of Michigan is too much and with Riley rotating in off the bench there's size and fouls to give. Jalen is a matchup problem that either opens up Jimmy or forces Augmon to guard the point. 

Totally respect UNLV's defense, but no way they boatrace the Fab Five by 10+.

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