With tough season behind them, Rebels hope better days not far away

San Diego State had just come back from 21 points down Wednesday to eliminate UNLV from the Mountain West tournament and end the worst basketball season in Rebels history.

Aztecs coach Steve Fisher, however, wasn’t in a celebratory mood. Sure, he was happy to keep playing when it looked like his team was done, but was saddened it came at the expense of his former assistant coach, Marvin Menzies, who is now in charge of the Rebels.

“I’ve known Marvin for 18 years now, and I’ve watched how he handles every situation,” Fisher said. “He’s tough-minded. He’s fair. He’s relentless in his approach to recruit. And this game starts with recruiting. You need players. Everybody needs players. And he was working with less than a half-filled deck.”

Now Menzies will try to get closer to a 52-card deck, though he probably won’t get there in just one year.

He was late to the recruiting card game and had to piece together a roster for this past season, but has secured four commitments for this year’s recruiting class. With three scholarships available, that means at least one player on the current roster will be gone.

And it probably will be more, but Menzies has to be careful because too many transfers could hurt the Rebels’ Academic Progress Rate. Also, if players leave, Menzies and his staff need to be sure they’re replacing them with higher-quality recruits, or there will be no purpose in making changes.

“This will be our first year I can get a class together, even though we’re still kind of behind the clock on this class,” Menzies said. “But combining junior college guys, transfers, potential transfers, things like that, I think we could at least get a solid foundation in. We have a good culture. We have a good staff. We have some guys that are returning. I can see them being an integral part of our future.

“At the end of the day, I think it’s going to come back down to balancing the classes the right way and not try to be knee-jerk and just go get guys. We’re going to have to tier (the classes) up a little bit.”

UNLV junior guard Jovan Mooring, a third-team All-Mountain West selection by the coaches and media, said the program has potential moving forward.

“I think next year there will be a little more structure,” Mooring said. “We’re pretty much put together on the fly, and I think we did a great job coming together and fighting the way we did. … I think we are headed in the right direction.”

Menzies said he has received encouragement from many fans on the way to an 11-21 season, which was five losses worse than the Rebels’ previous low. But the Thomas & Mack Center felt like a lonely place all season, and Menzies knows winning is the only way to bring back large crowds.

Most UNLV fans have shown patience, but that will last for only so long.

“I’m positive about the future based on a whole set of dynamics that exist at UNLV — the brand, the support, the community, the fan base, the city,” Menzies said. “So there are things that I understand now from the head coaching chair that I didn’t quite understand or experience when I was here as an assistant with Lon Kruger (in 2004-05). So I feel even more inspired that we will be successful and that I’m glad I have the job.

“From a basketball standpoint, I think there’s nowhere but up, right? And so I think the climb is going to be fruitful, and I think it will be enjoyable.”

UNLV’S RETURNING PLAYERS?

Not everyone will be back next season, but these are the players who could return. Their classes are listed for next season:

Jaylan Ballou, G, So.: Played in five games and scored two points. Future remains uncertain because walk-ons sometimes come and go.

Troy Baxter Jr., F, So.: Four-star prospect was UNLV’s highest-rated recruit, but injuries helped to keep him out of nine games and he didn’t start any. Was inconsistent, but at times flashed potential of why he was so highly rated. Could stay and try to develop into a key player, or could try his luck elsewhere.

Larry Bush, G, Sr.: The walk-on made a small impact at times at point guard, appearing in 11 games. His experience could be valuable again next season.

Kris Clyburn, G, Jr.: Showed so much promise early, but didn’t display the same athleticism most of the season. Potential still is there to be the kind of player who does a lot of little things.

Ben Coupet Jr., F, So.: Played in 17 games, though he started twice. Was not part of the rotation down the stretch.

Cheickna Dembele, F, So.: No one improved more as the season went on. Started 17 games, and while his offensive game is very much a work in progress, showed signs of becoming a good defender with a team-high 35 blocked shots.

Jordan Johnson, G, Sr.: Sat out this season after transferring from Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he played under current Rebels assistant coach Rob Jeter. All signs point to him being the starting point guard. Averaged 8.1 assists a year ago, second in the nation.

Jovan Mooring, G, Sr.: A natural two-guard, was forced to play the point and became a third-team All-Mountain West selection. Should move back to the two next season. Led the Rebels with 12.6 points per game.

Dwayne Morgan, F, Jr.: Losing him to hip and shoulder injuries in December was a crushing blow. Averaged 9.4 points and 7.3 rebounds in eight games, six of them starts. UNLV hopes the NCAA approves an extra season of eligibility. His athleticism down low should be a big boost.

Zion Morgan, G, So.: Was a really good defender, which helped get him five starts, but averaged only 2.8 points per game. Will have to improve that part of his game to be in the rotation.

Jalen Poyser, G, Jr.: Began the season as UNLV’s best player, but then went into a massive shooting slump and never recovered, moving moved to the bench. Still managed to average 10.4 points, but often looked lost in trying to play point guard, which is not his natural position.

Djordjije Sljivancanin, F, So.: Appeared in 11 games and scored 15 points. Could remain on the roster because teams always need practice players.

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