Rebels want Hamilton and Hardy clicking together

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020 | 2 a.m.

The high point of the Runnin’ Rebels’ campaign to this point was probably their New Year’s Day dismantling of preseason favorite Utah State at the Thomas & Mack Center. That convincing victory propelled UNLV to a surprising 6-1 start in conference play; now, after dropping three straight games, the Rebels will look to recapture some of that magic today when they travel to USU for the rematch.

A lot has changed since UNLV posted that impressive, 70-53 win. On the Utah State side, the Aggies have settled in after an injury-plagued start to the year, and sophomore center Neemias Queta — who didn’t play on Jan. 1 due to injury — once again looks like the Mountain West’s most dominant big man.

The Rebels, meanwhile, have gone from a slow-tempo, grind-it-out team to one that relies on an increasingly efficient offensive attack to win games.

The key driver of that evolution has been sophomore guard Bryce Hamilton, who is now the Mountain West’s No. 2 scorer at 22.8 points per game in conference play. But as Hamilton has ascended, the Rebels have gotten less production from junior guard Amauri Hardy.

Hardy led UNLV in scoring in non-conference play with 15.7 points per game. During that time, Hamilton averaged just 8.7 points.

Now that Hamilton is north of 20 points per game against MWC opposition, Hardy has dipped down to 12.0 per game in league play. In the Rebels’ last two contests (both losses), Hardy totaled just six combined points on 3-of-12 shooting.

The natural question is whether both players can be “on” at the same time in the UNLV offense.

Head coach T.J. Otzelberger believes their skill sets are varied enough and that Hardy and Hamilton should be able to play off each other without cutting into each other’s production.

“They can both be successful offensively together,” Otzelberger said. “Their games are different. Hamilton is more of a slasher, finish at the rim. Hardy is more of a downhill-drive guy. They can both make shots.”

While Hardy attempted six shots apiece in the last two games, he also handed out three total assists, well below his average of 3.4 per game. That suggests Hardy isn’t just shooting less — he’s less involved overall.

Otzelberger wants Hardy to make the right play, but he also wants one of his most gifted bucket-getters to force the issue when the situation calls for it and make things happen on the court.

“We need him to be aggressive,” Otzelberger said. “We need him to look for his opportunities. We also need him to make plays for others and be a great ball mover, so it’s a bit of everything.”

Otzelberger also suggested that it isn’t just a matter of Hardy and Hamilton learning to play together as co-scoring options, but that the Rebels’ ball movement as a team can influence how naturally the offense flows.

Against Utah State, the best way to get Hardy and Hamilton cooking at the same time might be to pass the ball effectively.

“There’s plenty of room for both of those guys to thrive offensively,” Otzelberger said. “The better we move the basketball and the more we share it, the more it creates opportunities for both guys.”

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