Jerry "The Shark" Tarkanian and his UNLV Runnin' Rebels walloped Duke by a record 30 points in the NCAA Championship Game to become the first team ranked Number 1 in the pre-season to win the title since North Carolina in 1982.
Pre-Season No. 1 With Johnson, Augmon, Anthony, Hunt
UNLV was ranked number one to start the season as the Rebels were loaded with stars such as Larry Johnson, Stacy Augmon, Greg Anthony and Anderson Hunt as well as Moses Scurry and James Jones.
64-Team Field
The NCAA field included 64 teams for the fifth consecutive year. The tournament ran from March 15 to April 2, 1990 with the Final Four being played in the McNichols Arena in Denver, Colorado.
No. 1 Seed In West
UNLV went through the season with a 29-5 record, earning them a number one seed in the West region. During the year, Anthony took a hard fall against Fresno State and broke his jaw but never missed a game. And Johnson averaged 22.7 points and 10.6 rebounds in winning national player of the year honors.
Big Opening Win Over Ark-Little Rock
Tarkanian's men opened the first round with a 30-point, 102-72, thrashing of Arkansas Little Rock. The second round saw the Rebels knock off Ohio State 76-65 and then they beat Ball State 69-67 in the Sweet Sixteen.
Elite Eight Win Over Emotional Loyola Marymount
The 1990 NCAA tournament also saw the emotional run of Loyola Marymount, UNLV's opponent in the Elite Eight. The Lions' star Hank Gathers had collapsed and died during the semifinals of the West Coast Conference and Loyola Marymount was awarded the league's NCAA bid. Gathers's childhood friend Bo Kimble guided Marymount to the Elite Eight with an impressive run including a 34-point win over defending national champion Michigan.
And Kimble paid tribute to Gathers by taking his first foul shot in each game left-handed - though he shot right-handed. But in the Elite Eight, the Lions were no match for UNLV, who ran past LMU 131-101.
Tough Win Over Georgia Tech's Lethal Weapon Three
In the Final Four in Denver's McNichols Sports Arena, UNLV faced off with Georgia Tech, making their first Final Four appearance on the strength of the trio Dennis Scott, Kenny Anderson, and Brian Oliver - known as Lethal Weapon Three. But Augmon helped shut down the Yellow Jackets and Hunt tallied 20 points in a 90-81 win over Georgia Tech to reach the final.
Duke Run Out Of Gym
UNLV forced Duke into 14 first half turnovers and then used an 18-0 run over three minutes in the second half to put the game out of reach - 75-47 with 13 minutes left. Most Outstanding Player Hunt pushed ahead for layup and three-pointer after layup and three-pointer in scoring 29 points in a 103-73 thrashing of the Blue Devils.
The Runnin' Rebels shot 61% from the field for the game and Johnson added 22 points as UNLV became the first school to score 100 points in a championship game. And the Runnin' Rebels' 30-point margin of victory set another record as the title game's most lopsided ever.
Finally A Title For Embattled Tarkanian
The celebrations were especially sweet for Rebels coach Tarkanian, who battled the NCAA since 1977 over alleged recruiting violations.
