Biggest difference for Runnin’ Rebels in 2020 might be shooting

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Tuesday, June 9, 2020 | 2 a.m.

UNLV struggled to put enough shooting on the floor in T.J. Otzelberger’s first year as head coach. A combination of injuries and players not performing up to expectations left the 2019-20 Rebels especially inadequate from 3-point range, where they shot 31.8 percent and ranked No. 302 in the country.

For the season, no UNLV player shot 35 percent from beyond the arc, and there were times when the Rebels ran with lineups that featured only one or two capable shooters at a time. That lack of spacing hindered the team’s ability to run Otzelberger’s offense, which is predicated on spacing and ball movement.

On paper, UNLV’s shooting should take a big step forward in 2020-21. In fact, it may be the biggest difference between last year’s plucky overachievers and this season’s squad, which is expected to contend for a Mountain West title.

The biggest addition is junior guard David Jenkins, who will be eligible after sitting out as a redshirt transfer last year. Jenkins hit 45.3 percent of his 3-point attempts in 2018-19 and can make a legitimate claim to being the best shooter in the country. Also has two years of playing experience under Otzelberger, plus his redshirt year, so he should be able to hit the ground running.

The rest of the backcourt isn’t loaded with sharpshooters on Jenkins’ level, but the Rebels should be able to make opposing defenses pay for leaving them open. Junior guard Bryce Hamilton is more of a driver, but he improved his shooting as the year went on and hit 35.2 percent from 3-point range in Mountain West play on nearly four attempts per game. Junior guard Marvin Coleman shot 34.4 percent from deep in conference play and hit 35.5 percent of his catch-and-shoot jumpers, which ranks him fourth among returning MWC players (fifth if San Diego State forward Matt Mitchell returns for his senior season).

While the backcourt will be relying on a mix of internal improvement and new additions to upgrade the shooting, the frontcourt could look completely different in terms of style and personnel.

Last year, the team’s forwards and centers combined to shoot 26.8 percent from 3-point range (34 of 127). There was very little skill in the frontcourt, which led to Otzelberger leaning on four-guard lineups in order to get enough shooting onto the floor.

Otzelberger should have more options this season. Incoming transfer Edoardo Del Cadia made 37.7 percent from 3-point range last year at the junior college level, and Moses Wood hit 37.3 percent from deep as a freshman at Tulane in 2018-19. Wood spent last year redshirting and seemingly making every shot in practice, and at 6-foot-8, 210 pounds he has the frame to man either forward position (and possibly some center in extreme small-ball lineups). Del Cadia is listed at 6-foot-7, 235 pounds and can play power forward or center.

To demonstrate the potential improvement in the shooting department, consider that UNLV could theoretically throw out a lineup of Coleman, Hamilton, Jenkins, Wood and Del Cadia. That group combined to shoot 39.6 percent from 3-point range in their most recent seasons, respectively. That collective percentage would have ranked No. 2 in the nation as a team last year.

It’s not realistic to expect UNLV to vault from being a bottom-50 shooting team to a top-2 shooting team in one offseason, mostly because those five players aren’t going to be taking every 3-pointer for the Rebels. But the improvement will be dramatic, and that hot shooting should allow the Rebels to surge toward the top of the Mountain West.

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