UNLV basketball readies for season with final exhibition game
Al Green believes UNLV can learn from it, can find things from which to improve.
The senior guard for the men’s basketball team knows this: Any opportunity for the Rebels to play someone else is a positive right now.
UNLV will do so in its second and final exhibition when it takes on Lincoln University (Calif.) on Tuesday night at 7 at the Thomas &Mack Center.
The Rebels fell to Washington 77-62 in its first exhibition.
“Every game is important,” Green said. “Whether we’re playing Washington or Lincoln or anyone else, you need to treat it with the same intensity. That’s important for us. You should always play as hard as possible and get used to everything by the time the (regular season) comes.”
That will arrive at home Nov. 4 against Tennessee-Martin.
For now, UNLV will play a Lincoln side (school enrollment: 573) that resides in Oakland and plays in the South Western States Intercollegiate Conference.
Translation: The Rebels can name their score.
“My excitement is I want to see us get better as we move from one game to the next,” UNLV coach Josh Pastner said. “Yes, we can take a lot from this. How is our execution? How is our transition defense? How are we on the glass? How are we attacking the rim? Are we playing off two feet? Is the ball moving? Are we valuing the ball and not turning it over?
“All those things can really give us a chance to evaluate and see where we’re at.”
UNLV had seven healthy scholarship players at Washington and expects eight for Tuesday.
One of the reasons Pastner scheduled the game was to treat it as a dry run for when things begin for real.
To give his players the opportunity to play under the lights of the Thomas &Mack and in front of a crowd.
“How we come out of the tunnel, how it all works, all that stuff,” Pastner said. “I didn’t want it all to be the first time come Nov. 4. I wish the NCAA would give us more exhibition games, more opportunities for scrimmages. We should have more opportunities to play.”
