Moser finds niche on offense

Mike Moser took a lot of shots in UNLV's 85-57 victory over UC Irvine on Wednesday night - 16 to be exact.

But the junior forward took 13 of them inside the 3-point arc. From coach Dave Rice's perspective, that can be considered a sign of progress as Moser restructures his game and his role for the 24th-ranked Rebels on the fly.

He's not always going to be the main man offensively, and he certainly can't camp out on the perimeter and launch 3-pointers all game. Not unless he dreams of playing in the NBA Development League someday. And even the D-League is loathe to embrace chuckers.

"I want to be more aggressive and attack inside-out," said Moser, who had 19 points on 6-for-16 shooting from the floor along with nine rebounds. "We're redefining our roles as a team. It's an adjustment, but I wouldn't say it's a hard adjustment."

Rice is sensitive to the need for Moser to showcase his talents while at the same time making sure he blends in with his teammates and gives the Rebels (4-1) the best chance to win each night.

"The thing that stands out is his work ethic," Rice said. "Mike worked so hard over the summer and into the fall on his game, and he knew he would have to adjust some things from the past. But he's never complained. He's one of our captains and team leaders, and he is a much more versatile player."

Moser did not settle for jumpers Wednesday. He drove the ball hard, getting to the rim or getting fouled. He took three 3-pointers, going 1-for-3. In his first four games, Moser was 2-for-12 on 3-pointers.

"We don't want to shoot 30-something 3s every night," Moser said. "We're more effective playing the way we did (Wednesday), working inside and driving, then kicking it out for open 3s."

Moser said he was pleased with his shot selection.

"I'd like to shoot a better percentage," he said. "But if I'm getting in the paint and getting shots, I'm doing my job."

Moser's newfound aggressiveness got him a favorable whistle Wednesday. Moser made seven trips to the foul line and was 6-for-7.

"I think he needed to take advantage of his length," Rice said. "He worked extremely hard on his post-up game."

Of course, having 6-foot-8-inch Anthony Bennett as his wingman doesn't hurt. And when Khem Birch becomes eligible Dec. 17, Moser figures to get more space to work with inside.

"We have great chemistry and look for each other on the court," Moser said of Bennett, who also had 19 points.

The Anteaters thought they could slow Moser and the Rebels with a 2-3 zone. But they were too quick to become stagnant on the perimeter, and Moser was effective against Irvine's zone.

"I wanted to attack the zone, whether it was from the wing or from the middle," he said. "We were able to stretch the floor, and that helped us get open looks against the zone."

Rice said the Moser he saw Wednesday is the one who can help UNLV get to where it hopes to go come mid-March - a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

"Mike Moser has been absolutely terrific in terms of leadership," Rice said. "He understands there are a lot of new faces, and he brings great energy to practice every day. It's not easy doing what we're asking him to do. But he's so unselfish, and he is doing a great job in making the transition and intergrating his game into what we're doing as a team."

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.