Scrimmage shows UNLV basketball’s desire to play at fast pace

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Friday, Oct. 16, 2015 | 2 a.m.

If Thursday’s Scarlet & Gray Scrimmage is any indication, the UNLV basketball team this season will finally resemble what coach Dave Rice has long promised.

The Rebels played pressure defense and looked to push the ball up the court in transition, which is a style of play Rice’s Rebels haven’t been able to master in his previous four seasons.

This season appears to be different. At times the scrimmage was ragged, but the fast-paced approach produced plenty of exciting plays. And you could see the potential, especially with Mercer transfer Ike Nwamu, who scored a game-high 13 points and had two highlight-reel style dunks.

“We are trying to learn how to play fast and if you stop it every time you make a mistake, you’ll never learn how to play fast,” Rice said.

The Red ream, led by nine points from sophomore wing Jordan Cornish, won 36-33. The final, though, was secondary.

With the season about three weeks away, playing in front of fans for the first time was the next step in the team’s progression. They open Nov. 13 against Cal-Poly at the Thomas & Mack Center.

“Defense turns into offense,” Cornish said. “We wanted to pressure the ball and get into the passing lanes. Get deflections. Get steals and get out and run. Play Runnin’ Rebel basketball.”

Here are some more observations from the game:

• Nwamu, a senior who in 2014 helped Mercer upset Duke in the NCAA Tournament, is as good as advertised. He’s 6-foot-5, 210 pounds and has the physical appearance of a football linebacker. He drained a 3-point shot and looked crisp in transition. He also made 6 of 6 free-throw attempts.

• Stephen Zimmerman, the freshman McDonald’s All-American from Bishop Gorman, had seven points on 3 of 5 shooting to go along with 10 rebounds.

• The Rebels, who made 66 percent of their free throws last season, continued to struggle at the line. They combined to make 15 of 29 attempts, including 1 of 7 from Goodluck Okonoboh. Last season, Okonoboh was just 34 percent from the line.

• On 3-pointers, the teams combined to make 6 of 23 attempts. But junior Tyrell Green, a 6-foot-7 forward from Toronto, made two of his four attempts.

• Oregon transfer Ben Carter had seven points, four rebounds and three steals. The junior forward brings a high basketball IQ to the floor and another big body on the inside.

• Freshman Jalen Poyser had seven points, four rebounds and two assists. But he didn’t dunk. Poyser won multiple high school dunk contests and will be one of the featured attractions Oct. 22 during the Runnin’ Rebel Madness in downtown.

• Pat McCaw and Jerome Seagears, who will handle most of the point guard duties, each had four assists. But they also combined for seven turnovers. Seagears had seven points and McCaw managed just three on 1 of 5 shooting.

• Assistant coach Stacey Augmon, who is usually reserved on the sideline, was active all night in yelling encouragement and instructions.

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