Utah @ UNLV preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 20, 2014 ) Utah 59, UNLV 46

UNLV and Utah once had a pretty heated rivalry when both teams were among the Mountain West Conference elite from 2000-11, and late Utes' coach Rick Majerus was known to pound a scorers' table or two when a call didn't go his way. The two teams will square off again late Wednesday night in the championship game of the MGM Resorts Main Event at T-Mobile Arena.

Both teams are off to 4-0 starts and scored impressive victories in Monday night's semifinals. UNLV, trying to bury the memories of a 11-21 season a year ago that was the worst in school history, clobbered Rice, 95-68, and has scored 91 or more points in all four games this season. Utah, meanwhile, improved to 2-0 against SEC competition with a 83-74 victory over Ole Miss, as 5-foot-8 Long Beach State graduate transfer Justin Bibbins scored a game-high 23 points, including 5-of-8 3-pointers, and dished out four assists. "It just happened for me," Bibbins said. "I knew one of these games was going to be a breakout game for me. The coaches just told me 'always be ready for the moment' and tonight it was."

TV: 12:30 a.m. (Thursday) ET, ESPN2

ABOUT UNLV (4-0): This will be the first true test for second-year head coach Marvin Menzies' squad which has steamrolled the likes of Florida A&M (108-66), Prairie View A&M (98-63), and Eastern Washington (91-76) at home before easily disposing of 1-3 Rice. Brandon McCoy, a 7-foot freshman center and McDonald's All-American, is off to a good start, leading the team in scoring (20.0) while also ranking second in rebounding (11.8) while 6-7 forward Shakur Juiston, the reigning National Junior College Player of the Year, is grabbing a team-best 14.8 rebounds to go along with an average of 13.3 points per game. Senior guard Jovan Mooring (15.3 points, 5.0 assists) and senior point guard Jordan Johnson (12.8 points, 7.0 assists) also are averaging in double figures for the Runnin' Rebels, who are shooting 52.0 percent from the floor.

ABOUT UTAH (4-0): The Utes had to replace three starters from a 20-12 squad that lost to Boise State, 73-68, in the first round of the NIT including current Los Angeles Lakers star Kyle Kuzma. Four players are averaging in double figures led by 6-10 senior forward David Collette (13.8), who tormented the Runnin' Rebels at Utah State before transferring to the Utah. Junior guard Sedrick Barefield (13.0 points), Bibbins (12.5) and 6-10 senior forward Tyler Rawson (11.8) also are averaging double digits with Rawson also grabbing a team best 7.8 rebounds per game.

TIP-INS

1. UNLV leads the series 24-23 but Utah has won four of the last seven meetings including a 59-46 victory at the MGM Grand Showcase at MGM Grand Arena in their last meeting on Dec. 20, 2014.

2. Bibbins averaged 13.1 points and 4.6 assists last season at Long Beach State where he was a two-time second-team All-Big West pick.

3. The last time UNLV began a season 4-0 while scoring 90 or more points each game was in the 1987-88 season under Jerry Tarkanian when the Runnin' Rebels finished 28-6 and lost to Iowa 104-86 in the first round of the NCAA West Regional in Los Angeles.

PREDICTION: Utah 84, UNLV 79