Dave Rice came back to be the head coach at UNLV for one reason and one reason only - to get the Runnin' Rebel basketball program back to the top of the mountain. The very same peak it stood at

when Rice was a playing member.

Nobody really had an idea of how long it would take to achieve this type of goal.

Some predicted it would be years, while others stated that there was no chance that Rice could hit the pinnacle that legend Jerry Tarkanian once had the Rebels.

Now, just one year after he was appointed the position, Rice's UNLV program is the hottest topic during the college basketball offseason. ESPN has jumped on board the bandwagon. So to has CBS and the like.

It's almost unthinkable what Rice has been able to create in such a short time frame. A project that would take most years and years at the helm to produce, Rice will unleash the most talented roster of UNLV players since Tark roamed the sideline 20+ years ago.

is is almost like a dream that they are living in. It's like every night when UNLV supporters put their heads on their pillows and say their nightly prayers, whenever they wake up those wishes have already been granted.

ROSTER TRANSFORMATION

When Rice took over for former coach Lon Kruger, the cupboard was certainly not empty. Kruger had left a plethora of talented, upperclassmen for the new regime to break in smoothly.

Seniors Oscar Bellfield, Chace Stanback, Brice Massamba and

Kendall Wallace were eager to enter a new chapter in their careers. They welcomed Rice's new up-and-down style with open arms.

Despite their excitement, the crew was ill-equipped to function in that capacity for an entire year. Sure, the Rebels knocked off No. 1 ranked North Carolina

in the early season, but the squad faded down the stretch, leaving Rice and staff without answers on most nights, usually when the Rebels were hitting the road.

Rice never wavered in thanking Kruger for the great job he did building up UNLV to that point, though. He brought his predecessor's name up frequently during the season, with only the most flattering remarks for Kruger and his group of coaches.

In the near future, Rice won't have to heap praises on Kruger any longer. That's because only four members are left from Kruger's tenure -

Quintrell Thomas, Carlos Lopez, Anthony Marshall and Justin

Hawkins. Three will graduate this year, leaving only Lopez a member once the 2013-14 season rolls around.

That's a pretty quick turnaround. I remember once saying three years into the Kruger era that it was still former coach Charlie Spoonhour's "guys".

Obviously, Rice didn't want to wait that long. He wanted this to be his "guys" from Day 1, but because that was unrealistic he had to wait until after last year concluded to lay the foundation for his program to start to come to fruition.

Seven new players, seemingly all with different identities and skill sets, ready to lead UNLV back to the glory it once was known for. He brought in a five-star shot blocking center

Birch), a powerful five-star forward in the mold of Rebel great Larry Johnson

Katin Bennett), a hot shot point guard with swagger and a sweet stroke (

Bryce Reinhardt), a take no prisoners shooting guard (

Demetris Jones), a high flying athlete that brings fans to their feet (

DaQuan Morant), a tough-minded guard that has no fear (

Roscoe Cook), and finally, a former National Champion role player (

Smith).

Transformation complete.

EXPECTATIONS RISE

It didn't take long for Rice to impose his will on the college basketball scene by bringing in a group of players that would make most top 10 teams drool over. Yes, Rice has already officially won the recruiting battle, which most say is the most important.

But now that he has his "guys", Rice will now have to win the next battle - on the court and in the court of public perception.

When preseason rankings come out and UNLV is listed in the top 10, or possibly even top 5, fans' will immediately be happy with nothing but something in the realm of a Final Four visit.

While that's all well and good, Rome wasn't built in a day and some of the greatest coaches of all time have struggled putting together championship caliber teams. Heck, most coaches have never sniffed a

Final Four, let alone a title.

That's what makes Rice's situation so unique. He's doing all this after just one year on the job.

The challenges for Rice will be many with a team this loaded. Who gets certain minutes? Who gets to start? Who will have the ball in his hands when the game is coming down to the wire? Who gets scolded and who gets coddled?

To think that the hard part is out of the way is being naive, it only gets tougher from here on out. UNLV is going to be expected to win every time out. Its players are going to expect a certain amount of touches or shots on a nightly basis.

Rice's philosophy is that you get what you earn, but there is inevitably going to be some disappointment at some point. That's just the way it goes in this day and age of high stakes transferring, which the Rebels have certainly taken advantage of this year and in the past.

How Rice handles this much talent and this many personalities is anyone's guess. What his results are in this area, though, will ultimately determine the success of the season.

BOUQUETS ABOUND

It's actually difficult to grasp the concept that Rice was able to make so much progress in such a minute amount of time.

And it's not like the coaches that came after Tark and prior to Rice were chopped liver. Names like Rollie Massimino, Billy Bayno, Spoonhour and Kruger are legends in their own rights in different areas of this country.

But it never felt like any of those just mentioned believed in the Runnin' Rebels like Tark did and now Rice does. They both had the idea that this was the best city in the country and that UNLV should be the best program in the nation.

When it boils down to it, I think it's just easier to accomplish something when

you truly believe it. Coming to this program isn't a hard sell when you can look at a potential player or parent and tell them that to be the best you should be playing here in Las Vegas.

Young people know when you are B.S.'ing them. They also know they need to be somewhere where they can be utilized properly for their benefit, as well.

Rice is offering all of that. He's giving kids a chance to be great on a great team in a great city in front of great fans.

He believes it. The nation will soon, too.