Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Marvin Coleman trying to connect Rebels during quarantine

UNLV v. Fresno State

Sam Morris/Las Vegas News Bureau

UNLV Rebels guard Marvin Coleman (31) celebrates his game-winning, last-second basket against the Fresno State Bulldogs after their NCAA Mountain West Conference basketball game Saturday, February 8, 2020, at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. UNLV won the game 68-67 to end a four-game losing streak.

Marvin Coleman emerged during the 2019-20 season not just due to his hustle on defense or his ability to run the Rebels’ offense. His leadership was a big part of the equation as he fought for — and earned — the starting point guard job, and he has extended that role into the long offseason.

Like everyone, the UNLV basketball team has been separated and quarantined for more than a month now. Coleman, who is heading into his junior season, is doing his best to keep the squad together virtually while they await an eventual on-court reunion.

“The hardest thing is not seeing my teammates every day,” Coleman said.

While holed up at his sister’s house in Henderson, Coleman has worked to keep the lines of communication open between he and his fellow Rebels. That includes the incoming 2020 recruits who have yet to reach campus.

Coleman thinks that by developing chemistry with the newcomers now, UNLV can hit the ground running whenever the team is cleared to resume playing basketball.

“It’s just a matter of us getting to know each other,” Coleman said. “I’m trying to make sure we’re doing that right now. I made a group chat with all of the guys, so we’re texting each other every day, FaceTiming each other, doing the little things that people might not think equate to wins and losses, like checking up on guys to make sure they know you care about them. We’re having those FaceTime calls now so it will make a smoother transition when we get together.”

Coleman is also engaging with the coaching staff on a daily basis. Though they can’t provide any hands-on instruction, Coleman said just hearing from assistants Tim Buckley, Kevin Kruger and DeMarlo Slocum has helped him maintain his workout routine.

“The coaches are doing a great job being proactive,” Coleman said. “Coach Buck sends us a text every day. Coach Kruger, coach Slocum, I’ve talked to all of them a lot in the last couple days. My phone keeps ringing. That’s one thing I love about our coaching staff. I feel like they really care about us. Especially in a time like this when it could be easy to lose communication, they’ve really picked it up.”

As for actual basketball work, Coleman said finding a regulation hoop has been his most difficult challenge. With the UNLV campus closed and the city taking down some outdoor hoops in order to dissuade large gatherings of people, options are limited for college students who don’t have a full-court setup in their homes.

Coleman has had to get creative in order to practice his shooting.

“In terms of shooting and getting shots up, it’s pretty hard right now,” he said. “I’ve gone to a couple high schools and parks. Anywhere you go [is closed]. I’ve found a couple high schools and middle schools that have hoops outside. That’s how I’ve been getting my workouts in.”

In addition to ball-handling drills every morning, Coleman has also been running and biking in an effort to maintain his fitness. He is also waking up at the same time and going to bed at the same time as if this offseason were business as usual.

Coleman thinks that kind of willpower will serve the Rebels well, and he hopes his teammates follow his example.

“You really have to be locked in on your goals and what motivates you,” Coleman said. “I tell the guys all the time, we don’t want to be one of those teams that has to spend weeks or months catching up when we get back. We want to stay ready right now. It’s all mental. There are routines, like being disciplined enough to wake up and go to bed at the right times. I think that’s what is going to set us apart.”

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

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