If you mention UNLV Basketball, most Las Vegans speak proudly of the 1990 National Champions, its 45-game winning streak from 1990 through 1991, or the heartbreak of being upset by Duke in 1991. However, there is more to the program than just its championship team, so let’s go back to where it all began. Here are your Top Five Runnin’ Rebels of the 1970s.
Take a step back to the 70s. Richard Nixon was in the White House, the Vietnam War was in its final years, and basketball players wore way-too-short shorts and big hairdos. The 1970s were also the decade in which UNLV basketball entered the national conversation.
UNLV’s first season as a Division-I program was 1969-70. Three years later, UNLV hired Jerry Tarkanian from Long Beach State. In 1974, UNLV had its first 20 win season, and, a year later, they earned their first NCAA tourney bid and NCAA tourney victory. The following year, they added the Runnin’ to their name. The “Run & Gun” revolutionized college basketball, culminating in UNLV’s first Final Four appearance in 1977, losing to UNC in a nail biter, 84-83.
They broke records in most points scored in a season (3,426), most points scored per game (110.5), most consecutive 100-point games (22) and most point scored in a single game (164). In honor of the decade that started the “Rebellion” in college basketball, we are going to name the top five UNLV players of the first “Golden Era” of UNLV hoops.
No. 5 Glen “Gondo” Gondrezick (1973-1977) — Forward
Gondo was part of Tarkanian’s first recruiting class at UNLV in 1973. He ranks 16th in career points (1,311) and ninth in rebounds (831). Gondo was a three-year starter for the Rebels and played a pivotal role in helping the Rebels reach the Sweet Sixteen three times in a row, including their first Final Four appearance in 1977.
Gondo was the 26th pick in the 1977 NBA draft for the Knicks where he played for two years and the Nuggets for four more. One word that describes Gondo’s impact in both the NBA and at UNLV is HEART. He did not put up overly impressive stats, but it was his heart that made him the player he was. Every coach that he ever played for praised him for his efforts of diving for loose balls, fighting for rebounds, and taking charges.
In fact, Coach Tarkanian once said “If they kept a stat on charges per game, Gondo would have led the nation.” Gondo’s No. 25 UNLV jersey was retired in 1997 and he was a radio color commentator for Rebel basketball for 17 years. He died on April 19, 2009, at the age of 53, following complications of heart transplant surgery.
No. 4 Robert Smith (1974-77) — Point Guard
Robert Smith had a major impact during his three years as a Rebel. In his first year, he helped guide UNLV to their first Conference Title and NCAA Tournament appearance. His second year he led the Rebels as they broke all the NCAA scoring records. That same season, UNLV reached its second Sweet 16. In his final year, he help guide the Rebels to their first Final Four. During his career, he averaged 10 points and 4.8 assists per game.
In 1977, he led the nation in free throw shooting at 93 percent. He was known for his tenacious defense, leadership on the court, and money shots from the free throw line. He played seven years in the NBA and was fourth in NBA assists with the Denver Nuggets in 1978-79. Following his NBA career, Robert played seven years in France.
After his professional playing days concluded, Robert coached at College of Southern Nevada and currently coaches locally in the AAU. Robert Smith was an extremely intelligent player and point guard on the court for the Rebels during their early tournament runs and this is why he comes in at No. 4.
No. 3 Ricky Sobers (1973-75) — Guard
Sobers was also a member of Coach Tarkanian’s first recruiting class. He averaged nearly 16 points, five assists and four rebounds per game. His career highs with the team were 18 points, 5.7 assists, and 3.7 rebounds per game. Ricky was the MVP of the WCAC, led UNLV to their first NCAA appearance, and made UNLV’s first Sweet 16 run in the tournament.
The Bronx-born point guard was the first Rebel to be a first round NBA draft pick, taken 16th by the Phoenix Suns. Sobers played 10 years in the NBA and had a career average of 13 points, 4.3 assist a game. In 1978, he averaged 17.3 points and was third in the NBA in assists at 5.6 per game for the Indiana Pacers. His leadership with the Rebels and his success in the pros lands him as the No. 3 player for the Runnin’ Rebels in the 1970s.
No. 2 Eddie Owens (1973-77) — Forward
Owens was arguably the best player in the Rebels’ recruiting class of 1973 as he was a High School All-American from Houston, Texas. He was an elite scorer averaging 19 points and five rebounds per game. Eddie was the leading scorer on the most prolific scoring teams in NCAA history. Over the course of his time at UNLV, Owens set a school record of 2,219 career points, a record still held to this day. What makes the mark more incredibly remarkable is he did it without the luxury of a three-point line.
In a Las Vegas Sun article, Owens joked, “That they owe me another 500 points” because he played without the three-point line. Owens was later drafted to the Buffalo Kings in the second round. He only played one year in the NBA. Eddie is second on our list because he was the leading scorer and arguably the best player on UNLV’s record breaking team in 1976 and the first Final Four team in 1977. On November 16, 2016, Eddie Owens’s jersey was retired and hung from the rafters at the Thomas & Mack.
No. 1 Reggie Theus (1975-78) — Guard
Jerry Tarkanian once bragged that Theus was the first recruit in which he beat out UCLA’s legendary coach, John Wooden. His career averaged 12.9 points, 4.4 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game. In his final season with the Rebels, he averaged just under 19 points, seven rebounds and 4.5 assists per game.
His presence was an integral part of those early teams that brought the Rebels to national prominence by using the “Run and Gun” offense, back-to-back NCAA Sweet 16 appearances, and the first Final Four appearance. Reggie was a special player for the Rebels because he had a hint of Magic Johnson with his great playmaking abilities.
Theus was the first player in UNLV history to be drafted in the Top 10, going ninth to the Chicago Bulls in the 1978 draft. In the 1978-79 season, he was runner-up for Rookie of the Year while averaging 16 points and five assists per game. He played 12 years in the NBA and was a two time All Star. His career highs were 23.8 points and 9.6 assists per game while he finished in the Top 100 in points per game for his career.
After retiring from the NBA, Reggie coached New Mexico State in the NCAA tournament, Cal State Northridge, and the NBA’s Sacramento Kings. Reggie’s contribution to the Rebels best teams of the decade, combined with his success in the NBA, places him on the top of the list of greatest Rebels of the 1970s.
Honorable mentions: Sam Smith, Bobby Florence, Tony Smith, and Jackie Robinson.
