The UNLV documentary promises to be awesome

File this under “things I must watch.”

On the night before the NCAA Tournament starts, HBO will be airing a documentary on the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels program under the watch of Jerry Tarkanian. Tark was in Vegas for 18 years, building a program that, in the early 90’s, was one of the most exciting teams, at any level, to watch in the history of basketball.

From their emailed press release:

HBO Sports has begun production on RUNNIN’ REBELS OF UNLV, a documentary about the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels men’s basketball team and their controversial coach, Jerry Tarkanian, it was announced today by Ross Greenburg, president, HBO Sports. Debuting in 2011 on the eve of college basketball’s March Madness, the exclusive HBO presentation revisits the period from 1973 to 1992, when the Runnin’ Rebels embodied the brash, swaggering spirit of Las Vegas and the notion that winning and winning big was all that mattered.

My fellow lowly blogger Matt Norlander makes a great point -- UNLV was like basketball’s version of The U. The Runnin’ Rebels were just so much better than everyone, and they weren’t afraid to let you know it after tuning you up by 40 points. Throw in the recruiting scandals, the betting scandals, and the fact that this program was located in Vegas, and UNLV was that team you loved to hate. That team that you simply couldn’t turn away from.

Yeah, I’m excited for this documentary. You should be too.

Here’s to hoping they get everyone -- Tark, Larry Johnson, Stacey Augmon, Greg Anthony, everyone -- involved in its production.

Rob Dauster is the editor of the college basketball website Ballin’ is a Habit. You can find him on twitter @ballinisahabit.