Rebel report card: Frontcourt, coaching stand out

BACKCOURT: B-

Cody Doolin bounced back from a disappointing game on Friday night with a very solid performance in a 57-50 win over Temple on Saturday. Doolin did an outstanding job setting the offense and displayed his typical solid leadership. There was little doubt his influence helped UNLV’s young players avoid a crisis of confidence after what could have been a demoralizing loss on Friday. His backcourt mates weren’t as good. Rashad Vaughn struggled with his shot once again and wasn’t even in the game on several crucial late possessions. Jelan Kendrick had a couple big moments and made two key free throws late, but wasn’t enough of a consistent factor..

FRONTCOURT: A+

Even if Chris Wood was the only forward to play on Saturday, this grade was warranted. Wood finally showed the ability to completely take over a game that has been expected of him since the day he stepped on campus. He was awesome. Wood went to the rim with a purpose and finished with authority. He also patrolled the paint on the defensive end and prevented Temple from getting easy looks. This was a coming out party for Wood. The only question will be whether Wood uses this game as a turning point in his career of if it proves to be an anomaly. Goodluck Okonoboh was also a factor on both ends of the floor.

BENCH: B+

There can be no downplaying the importance of the play Patrick McCaw made late in the game, chasing down a loose ball and racing down the court for a layup when Temple had got back within one possession. It was the kind of play that helps teams win close basketball games. McCaw wanted the ball more and made something good happen to help the Rebels win a close game. That’s what you want from bench players. McCaw also knocked down a key jumper. Jordan Cornish and Dwayne Morgan struggled to make an impact on offense, but gave UNLV valuable minutes.

COACHING: A

Credit Dave Rice and his staff for not allowing one bad loss on Friday turn into two. The coaches were able to right the ship in a hurry and bounce back for a win just 24 hours after the Stanford debacle. There were also tactical improvements. UNLV played inside-out on several occasions in the first half to set up open jumpers that helped the Rebels stay close. After halftime, when it was clear Temple was ready for a zone, Rice switched back to man-to-man and confused the Owls. That spurred a big UNLV run. The staff also must be given credit for finally getting through to Wood and convincing him how much impact he could have in the paint.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj.