Freshman Goodman sees progress as Rebels roll into Wyoming

LARAMIE, Wyo. — A young and restless freshman, Savon Goodman must see optimism in everything.

Despite playing for a UNLV basketball team that has been getting mugged almost every time it leaves home, he was eager to leave home again. He’s either naive or believes in the power of positive thinking.

“I think we’re in a good place right now,” Goodman said. “We’re coming off some big wins, and we’re just trying to keep this bus rolling.”

The Rebels’ bus has been rolling slowly on flat tires over the Mountain West road, the team losing nine of its past 10 conference road games under coach Dave Rice, who continues to search for a sign that could help turn things in the right direction.

He is seeing something in a freshman who “makes something happen every time he’s on the floor” but who spent most of the first half of the conference season riding the bench.

“I see a lot more minutes for Savon moving forward. Savon brings a toughness, and he brings energy,” Rice said. “His energy is extremely important to our team.”

UNLV (20-7, 7-5) is seeking a spark of some sort when it faces Wyoming (18-8, 4-8) at 4:30 p.m. today at the Arena-Auditorium, where the Rebels’ 1-9 stretch on the league road started with a 68-66 loss to the Cowboys last February.

Goodman, a 6-foot-6-inch forward from Philadelphia, has appeared in only five of UNLV’s 12 conference games, for a total of 36 minutes, but he “absolutely” will play today, Rice said. A team that too often seems emotionally flat on the road could benefit from a fresh face and a boost of energy from a reserve.

“I like motivating guys,” Goodman said. “I like getting things going. I’m going to try my hardest to make sure when I’m out there that our team is playing a hell of a lot better on defense.

“You’re just a freshman, so you don’t see many freshmen barking at a couple seniors. But our guys take constructive criticism pretty well. We’re still working on bonding together. We need to come together more defensively.”

Rice said he decided against changes in his starting lineup, although he realized some change was needed after the Rebels’ lackluster efforts in their most recent losses at Air Force, Fresno State and Boise State.

“The last three games have been unacceptable,” Rice said. “I don’t want to make it into something bigger than it is, but it is a big deal. We’ve had a hard time on the road. We’re not going to run away from that. We’re definitely talking about it.

“The way we practice every possession gets us ready for the first possession at Wyoming. It’s just a matter of being 100 percent committed to the cause. I don’t think there’s anything that’s some magical fix. It’s very simple: We just show up and execute what we’re supposed to do.”

Greg Anthony, Rice’s former teammate and the point guard on UNLV’s national championship team in 1990, spoke to the players after Thursday’s practice in Las Vegas. But he won’t be on the team bus today.

The current player who speaks up the most is senior Anthony Marshall.

“Anthony, being our point guard as the leader,” Goodman said, “he tries to rally everyone every day in the locker room and keep us together.

“Playing hard and never taking possessions off, Coach has been preaching that to us all year. But I think it’s just starting to click. I think going on the road is hard for any team. It’s been a struggle for us.”

The Rebels are in a better place than they were a week ago, off a 71-56 loss at Air Force. They rebounded with narrow home victories over San Diego State and Colorado State, with Goodman scoring four points in each game and providing energy in his expanded role off the bench.

So, in a way, they are rolling into the rematch with the Cowboys, who missed leading scorer Leonard Washington in a 28-point loss at San Diego State on Tuesday. Washington, a power forward, is listed as questionable but is expected to return from an ankle injury.

Goodman, who did not play in UNLV’s 62-50 victory over Wyoming last month, will back up sophomore Bryce Dejean-Jones at small forward.

“Savon has remained positive,” Rice said. “I’m very pleased with his development. He’s made a tremendous amount of progress in terms of understanding our defensive and offensive concepts.

“He still makes freshman mistakes. But he makes up for those mistakes with effort and commitment to team.”

Contact reporter Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907. Follow him on Twitter: @mattyoumans247.