UNLV welcomes back 1990 title team

LAS VEGAS — UNLV honored the 1990 national championship team,
including coach Jerry Tarkanian, during halftime of an
exhibition game against Washburn.

Greg Anthony, the point guard on the school’s only championship
team, and Tarkanian received the loudest ovations during
introductions Tuesday night.

Larry Johnson and Stacey Augmon, two of the team’s top players,
didn’t attend. Augmon is an assistant coach with the Denver
Nuggets and Johnson attended a dinner reunion for the team on
Monday.

“Thank you for all the memories. We are honored to be here with
you tonight,” Anthony told the crowd.

The Runnin’ Rebels beat Duke 103-73 in the championship game,
setting an NCAA record that still stands for largest margin of
victory in a title game.

The next season the same nucleus of players won their first 34
games and advanced to the Final Four before losing in the
semifinals to Duke. That team is widely considered one of the
best in college basketball history.

The 79-year-old Tarkanian was limited to sitting on a chair in
front of his former players for a video highlight package of the
championship game. He broke two ribs during a fall this summer
and has had multiple back surgeries.

“It’s great to be here with my guys,” Tarkanian said. “That was
a special time in all of our lives.”

UNLV rallied from a five-point second-half deficit for a 62-52
victory over Washburn, a Division II school from Topeka, Kan.