In quest for better team defense, Menzies coaxes introverted Rebels out of their shell

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017 | 2 a.m.

San Diego State may come into today’s matchup against UNLV with an uncharacteristically mediocre win-loss record, but Marvin Menzies can still look to his former program as an example of how to play defense.

As usual, the Aztecs field the best defensive team in the Mountain West, as they rank No. 40 nationally in KenPom.com’s adjusted defense ratings, and though it’s led to mixed results so far — the team is 10-7 on the season and just 2-3 in conference play — their ability to get stops should have them in contention by the time the league tournament rolls around.

Longtime SDSU coach Steve Fisher has done an excellent job of ingraining a defensive mindset into the program. The Aztecs recruit players who will fit the system, teach them how to play it, and never stop emphasizing defense. Fisher has worked hard to build and sustain that kind of culture, and Menzies wants the Rebels to eventually operate at that level.

That’s why Menzies seemed so encouraged by UNLV’s most recent win, a 71-66 victory at New Mexico in which the Rebels held UNM to 39.1-percent shooting in the second half and just one field goal in the final six minutes (while forcing three turnovers during that span).

“The defense was the reason we won the game,” Menzies said with pride before Friday’s practice.

The Rebels have struggled to defend in Menzies’ first year, as UNLV is 152nd in adjusted defense and 257th in points per possession allowed (0.914), according to Synergy Sports data. Menzies is trying to mold a disparate group of newcomers into an effective defensive unit, and the New Mexico win provided the biggest sign of progress to date.

Junior point guard Jovan Mooring is one of the Rebels learning to prioritize defense. Against New Mexico, he took two charges and racked up a career-high five steals, and he credits Menzies with pushing him to shore up that aspect of his game.

“The game is not played on one end [of the court],” Mooring said. “Coach asks a lot of us. It was one of those things where I had to progress defensively … it’s just part of the process.”

Mooring made the game’s biggest defensive play, stripping the ball from UNM leading scorer Tim Williams and going the other way for a tie-breaking layup with less than three minutes on the clock. Mooring saw that Williams had his back turned and streaked in from the blind side to poke the ball away, a play Menzies chalked up to smarts.

“That’s part of his basketball IQ,” Menzies said. “He was very aggressive but not very technically sound when we first had him here. He was aggressive but he just wasn’t understanding his spacing and footwork and things like that. He’s progressing in that area, so he’s developed as a defender now as a result, as an on-ball defender and off the ball … You have to give him credit for making the right decisions and anticipating the passing angles.”

Menzies has spent most of the season tinkering, tweaking and prodding, trying to get the Rebels to play that kind of winning defense consistently. He has played man-to-man defense, mixed in various zone alignments, and changed up his rotation. Against New Mexico, he inserted freshman Cheickna Dembele into the starting lineup alongside senior forward Christian Jones, giving UNLV two big men on the court at the same time, and it worked. Dembele had a team-high three blocks, while Jones pulled down a team-high eight rebounds.

With Jones and Dembele holding down the paint, Mooring and senior guard Uche Ofoegbu (four steals) were free to pressure the ball more aggressively.

Can that be a winning strategy for UNLV going forward? Menzies hinted that he would continue starting two big men, but more important than personnel will be the team’s continued efforts to understand Menzies’ defensive concepts. The coach preaches on-court communication above all else — Menzies wants every player to be in constant conversation on the court, calling out switches, pointing out assignments, etc. — but so far, he doesn’t think the Rebels talk nearly enough.

“I don’t know if it’s generational, but this is the quietest team that I’ve ever had,” Menzies said. “They’re kind of introverted. Really nice kids, but they are a little more introverted than they are extroverted, so you’ve got to pry that out of them. You’ve got to demand talking.”

Menzies pointed to an adjacent court, where players were going through a shooting drill that required them to keep a verbal count of made shots. The simple exercise was designed not for shooting mechanics, but for coaxing the players into talking to one another.

“We’re forcing them into situations where they have to communicate,” Menzies said.

The communication issues have mostly tripped up UNLV in transition, where the Rebels have displayed a tendency to lose track of shooters. That has led to way too many open 3-pointers for Menzies’ liking.

For the season, UNLV is allowing 1.106 points per possession in transition, ranking them 298th in the nation.

Mooring said the players are quickly learning how important communication is at the college level.

“Our key thing is talking,” Mooring said. “I think coach makes it real simple, but we make it hard [on ourselves] sometimes … at times we don’t communicate like we’re supposed to, but I feel like we’ve done a better defensive job throughout the games.”

The soft-spoken Mooring doesn’t consider himself a natural talker but said he’s learning how to pump up the volume for the sake of better team defense.

“If you talk, that fixes so many problems on the court.”

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.