Revamped UNLV Rebels ready to open season against South Alabama

Given UNLV’s brutal December schedule, an even greater sense of urgency greets the Rebels in November.

UNLV has the opportunity to pick up some victories this month, including Friday’s 7 p.m. season opener against South Alabama at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Capitalizing on those chances is the key.

“All these games definitely get us prepared for games in December against big-time teams like Duke and Kansas and Oregon,” forward Christian Jones said. “We were picked eighth in our conference. These games are to show people what we bring to the table.”

After facing South Alabama, the Rebels host UC Riverside, Cal State Fullerton, Northern Arizona and Texas Christian over the next two weeks. Those five teams combined to go 55-104 last season.

That doesn’t mean UNLV will sweep those games because the Rebels have their own questions with only three players back from an 18-15 season as well as a new coaching staff. So no game should be listed as a gimme.

TCU, for example, now is coached by proven winner Jamie Dixon, and the Horned Frogs return four starters and added former UNLV commit Jaylen Fisher at point guard. Plus, former Rebels assistant coach Ryan Miller is on their bench.

UNLV’s more immediate concern is South Alabama, which returns three double-digit scorers and a veteran team returning from a 14-19 season. The Jaguars also added point guard Dederick Lee, who helped lead his junior college team to a 29-5 record last season.

“I know we’ll be ready to get after it,” UNLV coach Marvin Menzies said. “I’m sure they’ll be ready to get after it because they’ve got experience. There are a lot of really good players on their team.

“They’re going to be excited to come in here and have the opportunity to try to knock off a brand name. So we’ve got to be ready to match that and exceed their passion and their energy on the floor.”

This is the first regular-season game UNLV will play under Menzies, but the team has played five exhibitions.

Three were in August in the Bahamas as part of a three-week stretch of extra practices. Last week, the Rebels played two exhibitions at the Thomas & Mack, beating Dakota Wesleyan 96-80 and New Mexico Highlands 92-66.

The Rebels made noticeable gains from the Wesleyan to the Highlands game, particularly on defense, and they hope that carries over against South Alabama.

“You’ve got to take it up a whole new level,” UNLV guard Uche Ofoegbu said. “Coach has been challenging us each day in practice. We’ve got to be sharp from the jump.”

Menzies and his players would love nothing more than to open the season with a victory, and given the schedule ahead, it’s more of a need than a want.

But the Rebels are excited, too, to hit the floor with an essentially brand new team and see what they have.

“This is our first game with the new coaches, new players, so you can definitely feel it,” Jones said. “A lot of these freshmen are nervous. You can see it in practice. It’s building up. But as a fifth-year guy, we’ve got to tell them, ‘Everything is going to be all right.’”

Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow @markanderson65 on Twitter.