Las Vegas Sun

March 19, 2024

Finish line in sight for slumping Rebels

UNLV Loss to San Jose

L.E. Baskow

UNLV forward Tyrell Green (3) fights to the rim between San Jose State forward Brandon Clarke (15) and San Jose State forward Brandon Mitchell (4) during their game at the Thomas & Mack Center on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017.

The Rebel Room

Where does UNLV go from here?

UNLV beat writer Mike Grimala and sports editors Ray Brewer and Case Keefer dive into the Rebels' seven-game losing streak. They discuss the causes of the terrible season, chances of salvaging something in the Mountain West Conference tournament and the focuses of the rebuilding effort going forward.

For UNLV, the final two weeks of the regular season will be all about finishing — first, finishing off a seven-game losing streak, and then crossing the finish line with some momentum heading into the conference tournament.

In order to achieve those goals, the Rebels will have to start finishing easy shots.

That’s been a difficult chore for UNLV, which is shooting a pedestrian 51.0 percent on attempts around the rim this season, according to Hoop-math.com. Layups, dunks and points in the paint have proven hard to come by, and that’s a big reason why the Rebels have gone winless in the past month and currently sit in last place in the Mountain West (3-11).

The first six losses during the seven-game skid were adventures in ineptitude when it came time to convert around the basket. UNLV made just 58 of their 111 layup and dunk attempts (52.3 percent), including a disastrous 8-of-23 showing in a two-point loss at San Jose State on Jan. 28.

Guards and big men alike were equal-opportunity perpetrators. The inability to make easy shots became such an issue that Marvin Menzies and the coaching staff had to start emphasizing it in practice, running drills that forced players to finish layups while being struck by foam paddles.

The good news is that UNLV did show improvement in Saturday’s loss at San Diego State, making 8-of-11 at the rim.

Menzies has been consistent in his belief that the Rebels have been running good offense and generating good, open shots for most of the season. If they can keep finishing like they did against San Diego State, it will go a long way toward getting back into the win column.

“The players know that they’re capable of winning some of the games that we’ve lost here over the last seven games,” Menzies said. “They’re definitely aware that they need to pay attention to details and make shots that they’re capable of making, especially the ones close to the rim. They’re aware and I think they’re taking the opportunity to prove it to themselves that they can do it.”

Against San Diego State, senior forward Christian Jones went 2-for-2 on inside finishes and freshman big man Cheickna Dembele converted his only attempt around the rim. Senior guard Uche Ofoegbu flushed two breakaway dunks, and junior guard Jovan Mooring connected on both of his layup attempts.

The Rebels will need that kind of production against Air Force. The Falcons are tied with UNLV at 3-11, so the winner of this contest will climb out of the MWC basement, if only temporarily. The first meeting between the teams went to double overtime on Jan. 21 before UNLV pulled out an 87-85 victory, so one missed layup either way could be the difference tonight.

UNLV could also use a surge in 3-point shooting, as the Rebels rank 274th nationally in 3-point percentage (33.0 percent) and 226th in makes (186). It’s been even worse during the losing streak, as they’ve made just 30.3 percent over the last seven games, including a 5-of-21 showing at Wyoming and a 4-of-24 brickfest against Colorado State.

It would help if sophomore guard Jalen Poyser could find his shot sometime before the end of the season. Poyser sat out Sunday’s loss at SDSU due to a violation of team rules, but his shooting slump was costing him playing time was diminishing even before that. After making 38.0 percent of his 3’s during non-conference play, Poyser has slipped to 18.6 percent (8-of-43) against Mountain West competition.

Menzies said he would reevaluate Poyser’s situation and make a decision on his status before tipoff today.

“It’s probably going to be a game-time decision,” Menzies said. “I’ve got to make sure he continues to do the right things. If he slips, then he won’t be able to get back on the floor.”

With just four games remaining, there isn’t much room left for tinkering. And there’s not much room for downward maneuvering, either — all that’s left is for the Rebels to figure out a way to make easy shots and get better before the season is over.

“I still feel like we can produce offensively at a higher rate,” Menzies said. “There’s obviously room for improvement on both sides of the ball. They have to keep their eyes on the prize and understand that improvement is the key to getting wins here on the way out.”

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

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