5 players to watch in UNLV games against Incarnate Word, Oregon this week

Five players to watch when the UNLV basketball team plays Incarnate Word at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Thomas & Mack Center and No. 22 Oregon at 8 p.m. Saturday in Portland, Oregon:

1. Dillon Brooks, junior forward, Oregon: The Findlay Prep product led the Ducks to the Elite Eight last season after averaging 16.7 points and 5.4 rebounds. He was named a preseason All-American, but foot surgery in July caused Brooks to miss the first three games. Being eased into back into playing time off bench, Brooks still has managed to average 13.1 points.

2. Tyler Dorsey, sophomore guard, Oregon: He and Brooks considered turning pro after last season, and both gave it serious thought. As Brooks works his way back into top form, Dorsey has stepped up to lead the Ducks with 14.3 points per game. He made 5 of 8 3-pointers and scored 19 points in Oregon’s 65-56 victory over Alabama on Sunday.

3. Shawn Johnson, junior guard, Incarnate Word: The 6-foot 5-inch Johnson averages nearly a double-double with 19.3 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. He not only has three double-doubles, but has made 24 of 46 (52.2 percent) of his 3-pointers.

4. Chris Boucher, senior forward, Oregon: The NCAA granted Boucher a sixth season of eligibility, a huge boost to the Ducks’ frontcourt. Boucher averages 13.2 points and 6.7 rebounds, but the attention-grabbing number is 3.0 blocked shots per game .

5. Jalin Hart, junior guard, Incarnate Word: The junior college transfer is the team’s point guard, and has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 37-to-18. Hart also is the Cardinals’ second-leading scorer, averaging 12.8 points while also pulling down 4.1 rebounds per game.

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