LAS VEGAS - I wasn't planning on taking in a game last night, but I got back to Las Vegas in time to catch nearly the entire pasting that Lon Kruger's UNLV put on BYU.

Kruger's Running Rebs were coming off a disappointing loss at Air Force, but showed no ill effects - blowing out BYU basically from start to finish.

Trent Plaisted was invisible for the Cougars. Jonathan Tavernari was 1-for-9 and was abysmal. The only one of the "Big Three" to show up was Lee Cummard, but he couldn't beat UNLV's cast of no-names by himself.

One current walk-on and a former walk-on supplied the 1-2 punch for Kruger - Curtis Terry (21 points) and Rene Rougeau (15 points, 7 rebounds) were impressive and 6-foot-6, 215-pound wing Joe Darger did a nice job on the 6-foot-11 Plaisted in the post.

Plaisted finished with five points and six rebounds and didn't resemble a player who could play in the NBA.

After the game, Darger had to run to the bathroom and vomit just prior to talking to me. I guess maybe I have that effect on people.

While Darger actually threw up, it looked as though BYU coach Dave Rose was close to vomiting after watching his team's lackluster performance.

The Cougars, once a Top 25 team, have stumbled lately - losing three of their last five.

"We need to do a better job spacing offensively," Rose said. "We need to get deeper low-post touches and get our guys in position to be more efficient offensively."

Kruger lost virtually his entire starting five from last year's Sweet 16 team and doesn't have a true post player on the roster, but his team defends and makes enough shots.

"I've never seen anyone be so positive with the kids," UNLV assistant Greg Grensing said of Kruger.

SKINNER'S SYSTEM

Boston College coach Al Skinner is doing it again. Seemingly every year, people count the Eagles out - and every year, Skinner's team proves the skeptics (myself included) wrong.

This year's team has Tyrese Rice and not a whole lot else.

But the Eagles can state a valid case right now for being the No. 3 team in the ACC after opening league play with three consecutive wins - at Maryland, a home blowout against Wake and a win last night against Miami.