Season’s ceiling high for Rebels

The concept makes sense because it gives college basketball coaches the best of both worlds before a season begins for real, an opportunity to see players under lights and in front of fans in one setting and against a team of equal or better quality in another.

A chance to play more than 40 minutes and stop the action to instruct and design segments on things like zone defense and late-game situations and out-of-bounds plays during one closed-door scrimmage and do everything not to embarrass an inferior side in an everyone-is-welcome exhibition.

Unless you're Utah State and the one being embarrassed.

More on that later.

UNLV has concluded both such preseason contests and the reviews are more positive than not, a team with definite depth and skill and an ability to put on the floor the sort of combinations that will make preparing for the Rebels a challenge.

Scouting them this season will take more than a few minutes near the end of an opponent's practice.

Whittier College was the team chosen for Friday night's exhibition rout, a 94-57 victory for the Rebels before an announced gathering of 10,232 interested folks at the Thomas & Mack Center.

The Poets of Whittier are from the Division III family and were expectedly overmatched at every spot, and yet Frost and Poe and Yeats never really were all that athletic.

Billy Shakespeare never was known for his jump shot.

It took until the lead reached 30 with 2:13 remaining where you could almost hear the kids from Whittier asking about a dagger before them and if they should be clutching its handle. As it is, the Rebels shot 52 percent and made 20-of-26 free-throws but also allowed a much smaller opponent 17 offensive rebounds, apparently believing that old line about poets being stronger than warriors and kings.

"We have to have a sense of urgency every year," UNLV coach Dave Rice said. "It's time to take the next step in the process. We're trying to be a great team."

These sorts of shows tend to get really sloppy in parts, and you could qualify the second half as such. But in building a 53-27 halftime lead, UNLV had 13 assists on 21 baskets. That's important for all sorts of reasons, none more so than the Rebels didn't get free with the ball against a lesser team. They stayed within themselves as the margin grew.

They waited for the second half to stop moving the ball, offering just three assists on 12 baskets.

The Rebels ranked third nationally in assists in Rice's first season as coach.

They ranked ninth the following year.

The last two seasons: 125th and 89th.

The change from a 35-second shot clock to 30 might force more action and cause fewer stagnant sets of players standing for stretches, so you figure the ball will be swung more. You also figure more creative offense will be a byproduct of UNLV's depth.

"I was disappointed in how we took care of the ball in the second half," said Rice of 12 of his team's 18 turnovers coming over the final 20 minutes. "We had issues with defensive rebounds and turnovers. I don't think the (lack of assists in the second half) was a selfish issue. We were just trying to hit too many home run plays.

"We can't let the pace of the game affect our shot selection. When we play inside-out, good things happen."

Things officially begin for UNLV against visiting Cal Poly next Friday night, and it wouldn't be wise for the Rebels to sleep on the Mustangs, who have led the Big West Conference in scoring defense the last five seasons. They will be stingy and test UNLV.

What we know about the Rebels following a scrimmage against Southern California and an exhibition against Frost and Poe and Yeats and Billy S.: That the ceiling is definitely high for UNLV this season, and the expectation of returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in three years is more than possible if things like toughness and consistency become part of the equation.

What we also know: The Rebels didn't pull a Utah State.

The Aggies, picked third and one spot ahead of the Rebels in a preseason Mountain West media poll, lost an exhibition to Division II Cal State Monterey Bay 77-60 on Friday night. It's a terrible result. You can fall to the Otters in things like water polo and surfing, but not basketball, not as a Division I team with five returning starters.

It was probably just a rumor that newspapers across Utah were held past deadlines in hopes Stew Morrill came out retirement to save the Aggies.

We think.

"One thing about an exhibition game and a closed-door scrimmage is that I was able to take a look at a lot of guys in different situations," Rice said. "They gave us an opportunity to take a look at guys for longer periods of time.

"A lot of good things; a lot to work on. We will come back to practice Sunday and get ready for a tough game against Cal Poly."

The tuneups are over.

The Poets have gone quietly into the night.

Everything is for keeps now.

Ed Graney can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4618. He can be a heard on "Seat and Ed" on Fox Sports 1340 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. On Twitter: @edgraney