Marvin Coleman leads Rebels into Boise looking for fifth straight win

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020 | 2 a.m.

Statistics can quantify just about anything in basketball — except for UNLV's current four-game winning streak, it seems.

It takes more than numbers to explain how the Rebels have transformed from the sorry squad that lost at home to Pacific on Dec. 18 to the team that is now 3-0 in Mountain West play. And that's especially surprising, considering UNLV is led by one of the most analytics-minded coaches in the country in T.J. Otzelberger.

Ask Otzelberger or his players how they've flipped the switch and their answers are uniform: better focus, more intensity, a deeper level of commitment. And while that may be the case, it's not really possible to capture that on a spread sheet.

The poster boy for the turnaround has been sophomore point guard Marvin Coleman, the former walk-on from Foothill who is now the Rebels' starting point guard. His statistics don't jump out of the box score — 4.3 points, 1.3 assists per game on 40.9-percent shooting — but there's just something about him that has translated into winning basketball.

Even Otzelberger had a hard time seeing Coleman's value at first, but he's a big believer now.

"At the start of the year, obviously he didn't get any minutes," Otzelberger said. "This opportunity is something he has earned every single day. I didn't see it coming initially, but saw as time went on how every day he approached with a winning attitude and mentality. It's a great life lesson because he stayed ready for that opportunity, and when it presented itself he not only stepped up, he stepped up and helped our program win."

Whatever Coleman has been doing lately, it's working. Over the first 12 games of the season (in which he appeared in eight), Coleman posted a plus/minus rating of -13.1 per 40 minutes. But since settling into the starting role he has found a groove and is currently one of UNLV's most impactful players. During the four-game streak he has posted a plus/minus of +7.6 per 40.

In UNLV's win over Air Force on Saturday, Coleman posted a most unusual stat line for his position: six points, 10 rebounds, six assists. And most importantly, the Rebels outscored AFA by nine points in the 36 minutes he was on the floor.

"I'm just trying to do everything I can to help our team win," Coleman said. "If that's like last game, 10 rebounds, six assists, I don't really care about my stats. It's different every single game what I can bring to help my team win."

Coleman will again be a key factor on Wednesday when UNLV tries to keep the win streak going at Boise State (6 p.m., ESPN3). He'll be tasked with running the point while also defending the Broncos' dangerous backcourt scorers.

Coleman and the Rebels are confident heading into the contest — even if he can't quite explain exactly why.

"At the end of the day, it comes down to us and doing what we do," Coleman said. "If we do what we've been doing these last four games and stick to our principles, I feel like we'll do pretty well."

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