Mbacke Diong energizes UNLV in key defensive role

FRESNO, Calif. — Ten NBA scouts, including three assistant general managers, showed up at Colorado State’s Moby Arena on Saturday, presumably to watch UNLV freshman forward Brandon McCoy.

They saw him total nine points and 10 rebounds in 28 minutes, yet McCoy was off the floor down the stretch with the game still in doubt.

Enter another freshman, Mbacke Diong, who played the final 3:08 and was instrumental in shutting down the Rams’ offense while the Rebels closed the game on a 14-0 run for a 79-74 victory.

As the Rebels (14-5, 3-3 Mountain West) prepare for Tuesday’s 8 p.m. game against Fresno State (14-6, 4-3) at Save Mart Center, it’s becoming increasingly clear UNLV coaches are trusting Diong more often in key situations. The 6-foot-11-inch native of Senegal has played double-digit minutes in each of the past five games after reaching double figures only once in the previous 10.

“At the end of the day, he’s got the right stuff in terms of character and attitude and the engagement in his own development,” UNLV coach Marvin Menzies said. “So that’s what makes him special. Plus he’s earned it a little bit. He’s playing good minutes. If you play good minutes, you get more minutes. It’s a pretty easy formula.”

UNLV hopes to build on its big finish at Colorado State when it faces Fresno State. The Rebels are 4½-point underdogs in a game that will be televised on CBS Sports Network.

They likely will need Diong to provide defense and energy to have a realistic shot at beating Fresno State and other Mountain West opponents on a consistent basis.

His statistics — averages of 2.0 points and 2.5 rebounds — are modest, but Diong’s impact goes well beyond numbers. He often substitutes into games when the Rebels need defensive stops given the difficulty McCoy has experienced in that area.

“We’ve been practicing defense a lot,” Diong said. “We’ve got to do what we do in practice in the game.”

Against Colorado State, Diong made two critical defensive plays. He came up with a steal that led to a Jovan Mooring layup that brought UNLV within 74-72 with 2:23 left. With the Rebels ahead 77-74, Diong went out to the 3-point line to defend Nico Carvacho and forced a missed shot with nine seconds remaining.

McCoy, a five-star recruit, was the headliner of the Rebels’ most recent recruiting class. He mostly has lived up to expectations in averaging 17.6 points and 9.7 rebounds. His defensive struggles, however, have created an opening for a player like Diong to get more playing time and make an impact.

Menzies said he still has “quite a ways to go,” but though he might not put up the kind of numbers McCoy is posting, Diong has found an important role in UNLV’s lineup.

“It means a lot to me,” Diong said. “I’ve just got to keep going hard.”

Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @markanderson65 on Twitter.