Analysis:

Bern’s-Eye View: Examining several of UNLV’s lineup options

The UNLV basketball team’s Patrick McCaw #2 is held up on a loose ball by Kendall Smith #0 during a scrimmage on Saturday, November 1, 2014.

By Taylor Bern

Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2014 | 2 a.m.

UNLV's Got (Don't Say) Talent

On this episode of UNLV's Got Talent, Rebels beat writer Taylor Bern tells colleagues Ray Brewer and Case Keefer why they need to stop using that word as the go-to for UNLV's basketball program.

More than on recent rosters at UNLV, there are some limitations on the disparity among different lineups the Rebels can run out there this season.

The biggest difference is size and UNLV’s relative lack of it, but within that there are still plenty of options for the Rebels’ coaching staff. And whether they need them or not — they don’t — I have some thoughts on a few different rotations, some realistic and some not, that the Rebels could use.

So as we near Friday’s season opener against Morehead State, a game that tips off at 7:30 p.m. and streams on the Mountain West Network, here are some options the Rebels could tinker with this season:

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The Starters
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• Cody Doolin

• Rashad Vaughn

• Patrick McCaw

• Christian Wood

• Goodluck Okonoboh

This is one off from the starting lineup the Rebels used in the exhibition game, with the freshman McCaw in place of senior Jelan Kendrick. If I had to bet right now I’d take this lineup as the predominate one down the road, though it requires McCaw to continue to improve.

When he’s dialed in — and certainly early in the season — Kendrick is the better option, as he appears ready to be a more consistent player this season. But at this stage of their careers there’s more upside going with the younger player, so long as McCaw can get himself ready to handle the minutes.
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Small Ball

• Doolin

• Kendall Smith

• Jelan Kendrick

• Jordan Cornish

• Dwayne Morgan

It’s funny to call a lineup with no one shorter than 6-foot-3 and three guys at least 6-6 small, but without a true big that’s what this would be.

This is a lineup that would likely only appear if both Wood and Okonoboh get into foul trouble, but that’s certainly a possibility. Morgan is going to be one of the team’s leader in minutes coming off the bench at power forward, and in a pinch he would slide over to center with a more stout body like Cornish playing the undersized power forward.

Smith is interesting because he’s looked much improved at point guard in the preseason but he will likely get just as much if not more minutes off the ball. Last year was a struggle sliding between the two, so we’ll see how he’s developed in that area.
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Let’s Run

• Smith

• Vaughn

• McCaw

• Morgan

• Wood

Grab the ball out of the basket (or grab a rebound) and go. That’s the way Rice has talked about his team playing for years now, and if we see a lot of it this season this would be a fun lineup to execute it.

Doolin’s going to be the primary trigger man this year and he certainly looks capable, but Smith in the open court has a tremendous amount of speed with power, and this is a group that could stay right with him and give the Rebels nice options on the fast break.
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The True Freshmen

• Cornish

• Vaughn

• McCaw

• Morgan

• Okonoboh

This probably isn’t going to happen unless Rice decides to trot out a symbolic lineup. Still, to me it’s the sign of a great recruiting class if you could conceivably trot them out as a team.

Vaughn or Cornish would be limited as the point guard but could probably handle it, and then you’ve got four out/one in with Okonoboh manning the post and kicking out to shooters. If nothing else, I wouldn’t want to see these guys walk into the UNLV Rec Center courts together.
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Let it Rain

• Dantley Walker

• Vaughn

• McCaw

• Morgan

• Wood

The 3-point line is a great equalizer, and this lineup that you’ll never actually see could help hide Walker with a zone defense and then unleash him as one of five outside shooters.