In Las Vegas, why wouldn't the dice tell the story?
For craps players, what are the two numbers you don't want to see on the come-out roll? Two and 12, of course ? which, by the way, is UNM's record at the Thomas and Mack Center.
"We know this is going to be monumental task," head coach Steve Alford said.
The Lobos' last two wins in Las Vegas came in 1998 and 2005. UNM suffered a 79-60 loss at UNLV last season. But the Lobos enter this conference tilt as winners of six of their last seven games, including a sweep over in-state rival NMSU.
Likewise, UNLV comes in streaking. On New Year's Eve, Oscar Bellfield boosted the Runnin' Rebels to their seventh straight victory, this one a 56-55 win at No. 18 Louisville.
With 16 seconds to go, Bellfield drove hard; Samardo Samuels met him in the lane. And Samuels got to see the ball drop firsthand, as Bellfield's shot sashayed through the nylon.
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UNLV was also without the services of Wink Adams, who sat out due to a lower-abdominal strain.
"We haven't heard anything. I know they were holding him out," Alford said. "They were trying to get him better, but we won't know until we get there."
Adams, who is averaging 14.1 points per game, is only one of the Lobos' concerns. The Runnin' Rebels have two other players averaging in double figures: Rene Rougeau is averaging 11.5 points per game, and Tre'Von Willis comes in with 10.7.
But they're not the only spectacle Alford is worried about heading into Sin City.
"Our young guys will probably get wrapped up in the fireworks show," Alford said, joking. "We might leave them in the locker room during introductions. It's Vegas."
Alford said it's crucial the Lobos minimize turning over the rock. UNM is averaging 14.1 turnovers per game.
Last year, the Lobos had 10 or fewer turnovers 16 times and averaged 10.5 turnovers in MWC play.
"We're not going to change - when we get to league play - who we are," Alford said. "One of the big keys is whether we can take care of the ball or not. If they turn us over a lot, we have no chance; if we value the ball, then we give ourselves a better chance."
And in Vegas, that's all you can ask for.
The Runnin' Rebels averaged around the same amount of turnovers per game as UNM, but many of them can be attributed to their up-tempo, run-and-gun offense. UNLV averages 71.3 points per game.
Head coach Lon Kruger said his team could run into trouble if they aren't able to get up the court in transition.
"Teams that will try to control the tempo (give us trouble)," he said. "We don't mind getting out and going. (So,) teams that slow it down and try to control the tempo and reduce the number of possessions in the ball game will cause us more trouble."
At home, UNLV has posted 24 straight wins over MWC opponents, dating back to the 2005-06 season.
"It's a big challenge for us," Lobo freshman Philip McDonald said. "I'm ready and I'm glad we get to play UNLV first."
UNLV is defending back-to-back MWC Tournament championships and is the preseason favorite to win the regular-season title.
"It's going to be a test," McDonald said. "We'll see."
