Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

ray brewer:

Instant Analysis: This is how the Rebels were supposed to play all season

UNLV forward Stephen Zimmerman Jr. Dunks

L.E. Baskow

UNLV forward Stephen Zimmerman Jr. (33) dunks the ball against New Mexico at the Thomas & Mack Center, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016.

Everyone has an opinion on whether Dave Rice should have been fired midseason or who the next UNLV basketball coach should be.

Tonight, those talks took a backseat for a few hours.

There are still games left on the schedule, and the Rebels still have one of the most talented teams in the Mountain West. That was evident in a 86-74 victory against New Mexico.

Here are some observations:

What the game means: The season, no matter what UNLV officials want players and fans to believe, is a failure. That’s the message that comes with firing the coach three games into league play. But playing with nothing to lose sure suits the players well. At times, it felt like a different team. They were relaxed and played with confidence. More important, they didn’t squander the lead in the final five minutes. Instead, they continued to build on the lead in the second half and had a big enough cushion to hold off a late New Mexico push. Better late than never, right?

The ‘Runnin’ Rebels: This was how the Rebels were supposed to look all season: Pressure defense, oftentimes starting with a full-court press, and plenty of offense in transition. At one point when the Rebels were racing the ball up the court in transition, interim coach Todd Simon enthusiastically yelled instructions for where he wanted Pat McCaw to be on the court. McCaw found himself open in the corner by the UNLV bench, receiving a pass and easily draining a 3-pointer. It was a thing of beauty. Also, the Rebels weren't reckless like in recent games, only committing seven turnovers. Go ahead, Rebel fans. It’s OK to sing Simon’s praises. He had the players prepared and they executed. Now, let’s see if they continue once the emotion of the week fades.

McCaw more assertive: McCaw, the sophomore guard who some believe is be the Rebels’ best player, sure played like it tonight. After only scoring once in double digits in the past six games, and taking just three shots against Fresno State, McCaw was aggressive from start to finish in scoring a team-best 18 points. More important, he shot the ball 10 times. It’s a simple strategy: When he is good, so are the Rebels. The Rebels were 1-5 when he scored less than 10 points during the stretch of poor play that cost Rice his job.

It was one game, but ...: One problem with firing Rice with 15 regular season games left is it gives Simon, the interim coach, plenty of time to prove he deserves the job full-time. My bet is he’s not the coach you have in mind moving forward. Already tabbed as a strong recruiter and tireless worker, he showed tonight he’s also a good game-day manager. If that continues, UNLV is going to have a decision to make. Again, it’s just one game, but Simon sure looks like a good fit on the Rebels' bench. He’s probably the most affordable fit, too.

A look at the stats: UNLV was 27 of 33 from the free throw line, a slight improvement in an area that’s always in question. ... The Rebels, after committing 18 turnovers against Colorado State and Wyoming, had just seven tonight. ... Stephen Zimmerman had one of his best games of the season, recording a double-double of 15 points and 15 rebounds. ... UNLV made just 7 of 30 of its 3-pointers, including missing its initial 10 attempts. ... New Mexico guard Elijah Brown, son of former NBA coach Mike Brown, had a game-high 24 points. Mike Brown was one of the first names to surface in the UNLV coaching vacancy.

Up next: Air Force, one of the worst teams in the Mountain West, comes to town Saturday to give the Rebels a perfect chance to continue building momentum.

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

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