2011-2012 UNLV Rebels Basketball Preview

UNLV Rebels - Mountain West Conference (MWC)

2010-11: 24-9, 11-5

2010-11 postseason: NCAA

Coach: Dave Rice (First year at UNLV, 0-0 overall)

Former UNLV coach Lon Kruger got an offer at Oklahoma that he could not refuse. And Kruger did what he was going to do with the Runnin’ Rebels and it was time for him to look for the next project. Coach Dave Rice steps into a great situation on a team that has a slew of talent returning from a tournament squad. Coach Rice has brought together a great staff and did not have to do too much work on the recruiting trail for his first season with hardly any turnover on the roster. This is a team that just made the NCAA Tournament last year. This year they will try and win a game or two.

Who’s Out:

UNLV is not without some big losses, most notably Tre’Von Willis and Derrick Jasper. Willis led the Rebels with 13.2 points per game last season and added 3.6 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.6 steals. Willis was not a great shooter, but he was a dynamic scorer who could score in bunches and help out the team in a variety of other ways. Jasper started 21 games during the 2010-2011 campaign, averaging 5.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists. The depth on the perimeter would seem to be an issue without those two, but that is not the case and Coach Rice will have plenty of options in trying to replace the lost production.

Who’s In:

Reggie Smith will be one of the players asked to fill that void once he is eligible following the fall semester. The 6-0 transfer from Marquette will not even need to be ready right away with the talent on the perimeter, but he will force himself into the mix at the point and should see quality minutes. The bigger name is Mike Moser. The former Bruin should step right into the starting power forward spot after sitting out last season. Two years ago Moser spent most of his time on the UCLA bench, but he was highly regarded coming out of high school and the Bruins would like to have him around. Moser has nice size at 6-8, but he plays bigger than that. He has a huge wingspan and will be a force on the glass.

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Who to Watch:

Oscar Bellfield and Anthony Marshall are a couple fine distributors who can score too. Bellfield ran the point for three seasons, but he will likely spend more time off the ball this year. That is in part due to his ability to score, but also because Marshall has proven to do a better job of taking care of the ball. The addition of Smith, in December, should allow Bellfield to spend all of his time off of the ball if that is what Coach Rice wants to do. Bellfield averaged 11.2 points per game last season and knocked down two three-pointers per contest. He could turn into a superb scorer now that he does not have to worry about passing quite as much. Marshall is no slouch in the scoring department either. He totaled 9.7 points per game as a sophomore and added 3.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds. Those two will create and make a ton of shots for UNLV. The return of Kendall Wallace, who missed all of last season with an injury, adds quality depth on the wing. Wallace is a good shooter and has enough size to attack the basket. Chace Stanback will join Bellfield and Marshall in the starting backcourt. The 6-8 wing is difficult to defend because of his size and ability to shoot the ball. He did get in some trouble over the summer and Coach Rice has some disciplinary decisions to make. However, Stanback will probably not miss too much time. Justin Hawkins averaged nearly 20 minutes per game last season, but he will have to fight pretty hard for more minutes this season.

Final Projection:

Coach Kruger pretty much ran a three man rotation at center with Quintrell Thomas, Carlos Lopez and Brice Massamba. With Moser playing by their side and Stanback sliding down to his natural three spot, the frontcourt should be more productive this time around. Thomas proved to be the most constructive of the three big guys, averaging 6.7 points and 5.2 rebounds during just a little more than 15 minutes per contest. Lopez is the best shot blocker of the bunch and Massamba is the biggest body of the bunch at 6-10 and 240 pounds. Thomas may emerge as the starter and play a few more minutes, but Lopez and Massamba will still play an important role on this team. With a loaded backcourt, the frontcourt will be key as Coach Rice tries to make an immediate splash on the national stage. If Moser lives up to his potential and Thomas, or one of the other big men, can emerge as a consistent threat, this team will run most Mountain West opponents out of the gym.

Projected Postseason Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Anthony Marshall, Junior, Guard, 9.7 points per game
Oscar Bellfield, Senior, Guard, 11.2 points per game
Chace Stanback, Senior, Guard, 13.0 points per game
Mike Moser, Sophomore, Forward, DNP last season
Quintrell Thomas, Junior, Forward, 6.7 points per game

By Joel Welser courtesy of www.CollegeSportsMadness.com
CollegeSports-fans.com Senior Basketball Writer

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