5 burning questions for UNLV basketball this week
Five burning questions for when UNLV’s basketball team plays Mississippi Valley State at 8 p.m. Wednesday and Northern Colorado at 7 p.m. Friday at the Thomas & Mack Center:
1. Could either team pose any real threat?
They shouldn’t. UNLV is No. 72 in the latest Kenpom rankings, Mississippi Valley State is No. 350 (second from last) and Northern Colorado is No. 186. There is little reason for the Rebels to be in danger in either game.
2. What is the biggest concern?
That the Rebels aren’t mentally focused. That happened on the other side last season when Kansas visited the Thomas & Mack three days before Christmas, and UNLV actually outscored the distracted Jayhawks 33-29 in the second half. That made the 71-53 loss to Kansas closer than it appeared. The games could be more competitive than expected, though it’s difficult to envision UNLV actually losing either one.
3. What would the victories mean?
They would close out the nonconference schedule at 11-2, equaling UNLV’s number of victories all of last season. That should provide momentum going into Mountain West play against Boise State at home on Dec. 30.
4. What do the Rebels need to improve most before facing the Broncos?
They average 15.6 turnovers, which is tied for 302nd nationally and is surprising for a senior-led backcourt. UNLV can get away with 19 turnovers at Pacific on Saturday and win 81-76, but the Rebels can’t expect to excel in conference play with that kind of sloppiness. Part of the problem is the difficulty against zone defenses, which the Rebels will see a lot more of the rest of the season.
5. How should UNLV fans feel in general about where the team stands at this point?
Very good. There are always questions of chemistry when a roster goes through so many changes, but other than the turnovers, this is a team that learned to play together quickly. This also is a team that has the ability to compete in the Mountain West and have something legitimate to play for in March.
More Rebels: Follow all of our UNLV coverage online at reviewjournal.com/Rebels and @RJRebels on Twitter.
Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @markanderson65 on Twitter.
