Lady Rebels target a return to postseason play

Time’s almost up, and Olivier appears poised to deliver on her promise.

The Lady Rebels open their season Friday with a 5 p.m. game against Southern Utah at the Thomas & Mack Center. Though her squad’s schedule looks tough, Olivier has never been so upbeat.

“We’re talking postseason this year, and we’ve never talked about it before,” said Olivier, who learned a few things about winning during her 15-year stint as head coach at UCLA. “We’re hoping we can do it this year.”

The Mountain West Conference coaches didn’t give the Lady Rebels much respect in their recent preseason poll, choosing UNLV to finish seventh. That’s where the team finished last season after going 13-18 overall and 6-10 in league play.

But a couple of key roster additions, combined with the fact that Olivier returns all of last year’s starters, could make a surprising difference.

“At first I thought, ‘Wow, we got picked seventh?’ ” Olivier said of the poll. “But it’s obviously the poll at the end of the year that counts.”

Indeed, and it appears the coach has the personnel to prove the skeptics wrong.

Perhaps most importantly, junior Jamie Smith will return to her natural positions. Due to UNLV’s roster shortcomings, Smith spent her career as an underclassman primarily at center and power forward because of her rebounding abilities. But Olivier will have many more options in the paint this season, a luxury that will allow Smith to put in most of her time as a shooting guard and small forward.

“This is a different team and a different year,” Olivier said. “We’re a lot deeper than we’ve been in the past, and we have a lot more options. That will allow Jamie to move outside.”

Smith, a 6-footer, averaged 8.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game last year despite playing out of position. Though she was already considered the team’s leader, her production could jump through the roof this season.

“This is a role change for me because of the bigger lineup,” Smith said. “I’ll be a 2-3 this year, and that’s a good thing. I think this team is going to be a good running team.”

Among the primary reasons for all the optimism is the awakening of 6-3 center Markiell Styles. The Oakland, Calif., native showed moments of brilliance after transferring to UNLV as a sophomore last season, but her performances were somewhat inconsistent.

Olivier said Styles, who averaged 5.5 points and 4.3 rebounds, has made some adjustments that will change the team’s complexion.

“Markiell is showing new enthusiasm,” the coach said. “We’re going to be so much stronger and deeper in the paint.”

Junior Sandrine Nzeukou, a 6-2 forward/center, should add to that depth. She averaged 6.3 points and 5.3 rebounds last season, and figures to help Smith in the leadership role.

Junior newcomer Lenita Sanford (6-3), a former top-five national high school recruit, and transfer junior Tia Morrison (6-2) will add even more options in the paint.

“We’re going to be very physical,” Olivier said.

Aside from Smith, a pair of sophomore guards will highlight UNLV’s perimeter game. Mia Bell, a Durango High graduate, and Kelly Thompson, a Long Beach, Calif., native, both showed promising signs last year. Senior point guard Erica Helms, who led the team with 13.3 points per game, also should play a key role.

But nothing will be easy for the Lady Rebels, as the schedule is loaded with top-notch competition. Games against North Carolina, Nebraska, Texas, SMU, Hawaii and Rutgers will precede a tough league schedule.

“It’s going to be brutal,” Olivier said. “But these are games that are going to help us in conference.”

Olivier said she has great respect for her team’s MWC opponents, noting that five or six teams from the league could potentially earn postseason invitations.

“We want to finish in the top half of the conference,” said the coach, who noted that TCU is favored to lead the pack. “Last year, we had six teams go to the postseason. If we finish in the top five this year, I think we’ll have a good chance.”

Smith said she and her teammates feel a sense of urgency.

“For me, there are only two years left,” she said. “I’m setting my goals high because I really want a ring. The good thing is, if we fall a little short this year, I still have next year.”