Instant Analysis: Down to 6 players, UNLV’s effort can’t be overshadowed in defeat

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Wednesday, March 4, 2015 | 10:20 p.m.

Here are some observations from the UNLV basketball team’s 60-58 loss to visiting San Diego State in the final home game of the season.

How the game was lost: The Rebels lost one player to a head injury early in the second half, while another played with a banged-up hand. Two others were in street clothes recovering from knee surgery. Down to just six scholarship players, including one who picked up four fouls with about 10 minutes remaining, the Rebels deserve credit for nearly beating their top rival and the best team in the Mountain West. They trailed by five points with about eight minutes to play and appeared headed for another second-half blowout. But Jordan Cornish drained two crucial 3-pointers, and UNLV fought and clawed its way to keep the game close. They played with energy and didn’t quit. Considering the Rebels have a 16-14 record and have underachieved most of the season, the effort speaks volumes. But it doesn’t disguise the result. The Rebels dropped their fifth straight game to San Diego State. They had awful turnovers and other head-shaking miscues. But even the program’s biggest critics have to recognize the effort. And they have to recognize the program’s foundation — Dwayne Morgan, Pat McCaw, Cornish — have each improved.

Dwayne Morgan’s progression starting to take shape: If only Dwayne Morgan played like this all season. The ultra-talented freshman forward was slowed at the beginning of the year because he was constantly in foul trouble and lost defensively, but is starting to show signs of figuring it out. Tonight, we saw some of his potential. Morgan had 10 first-half points, the product of being aggressive offensively and playing with control. There was no doubting his talent — Morgan was a four-star recruit and one of the nation’s top-30 recruits for the class of 2014. He’s starting to play with confidence, which allows his unquestioned ability to shine. I was critical of his development, failing to realize he’s a work in progress and it takes some players longer than others to flourish. Imagine how good he’ll be after one offseason of workouts. Or how good he would have been tonight if not for picking up his fourth foul with about 10 minutes to play.

Cody Doolin has been solid: This is the Cody Doolin the Rebels expected to get when he transferred to UNLV for his final season of eligibility. Doolin had flashes of good play on his Senior Day, scoring 12 points with four assists and three rebounds. He was the facilitator on offense, scoring when needed and getting others involved. It was like the beginning of the season when he tallied seven assists in each of UNLV’s initial two games and drew comparisons to Kevin Kruger. Kruger also transferred here for his senior season and led UNLV to the Sweet 16. But Doolin quickly cooled — including a stretch in January where he managed just one assist in three straight games — and hasn’t lived up to the preseason hype. That might be a bit too harsh. While his numbers didn’t always jump off the stat sheet, he’s been a mentor to younger players and remained positive in defeat. And those numbers aren’t too bad. His four assists per game lead the Mountain West and he maintains an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.4, which is fourth-best nationally.

The rivalry with San Diego State: A rivalry takes years to develop. It has a storied past, legendary players and games, and causes to get fans to caught up in emotion. UNLV-San Diego State is working in that direction, but will never reach heights of other rivalries because it is limited to one sport. It’s a good college basketball rivalry. Just not great — probably never will be. Yes, it’s the most important game on the schedule for both teams. And, yes, it’s the best rivalry in the Mountain West. Playing San Diego State is always one of the best fan experiences of the season at the Thomas & Mack Center. Even in defeat, that was the case tonight.

Up next: UNLV closes the regular season Saturday at two-win San Jose State, who is easily the worst team in the more than 15 years of the Mountain West. It will be a chance for the Rebels to gain some confidence ahead of next week’s league tournament. The only way UNLV will qualify for the NCAA Tournament is by winning four games in four days to win the Mountain West. That will be an uphill climb considering the Rebels haven’t won four straight all season.

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21