NCAA Bracket 2012: How UNLV Basketball Got To March Madness

Former UNLV Runnin' Rebels player and first-year head coach Dave Rice inherited a squad that finished 24-9 in 2011, made its fourth NCAA Tournament in five seasons, and returned over 75 percent of its scoring (including its leading scorer, Chace Stanback). As a result, the Rebels received four of 26 first-place votes in the Mountain West Conference preseason media poll, which ranked second behind New Mexico.

Sophomore forward Mike Moser is the Rebels' leading scorer and rebounds in 2011-12, averaging 14.0 points and 10.7 rebounds per game while adding a team-high 60 steals. Stanback is right behind Moser with a 13.0 points per game due largely to his sterling 74-of-159 (46.5 percent) effort on three-point attempts. Junior guard Anthony Marshall is the third Rebel averaging double-digits points per game (12.0) and is second on the team with a 5.1 rebounds per game average. Senior point guard Oscar Bellfield averages 9.8 points and a team-high 5.3 assists per game.

UNLV's 25-7 regular season included a perfect 17-0 record on their home floor and 2-0 mark in neutral sites. The Rebels opened the season 13-2 and were 20-3 entering February, where they went 4-3 and hit a low point with a 20-point loss to New Mexico.

The Rebs earned the No. 6 seed in the South Region and will face Pac-12 Tournament champion Colorado in the Second Round.

Join our 2012 NCAA Bracket pool to compete against the best and brightest from around the network.

For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stay with SB Nation's Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on who was snubbed, who got the best bracket, and who will make it all the way to New Orleans and the Final Four.