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UNLV Runnin’ Rebels Prepare to Face a Daunting Non-Conference Schedule

By Chris Godfrey

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Las Vegas is known for hosting major events, and that may be why the UNLV Running Rebels have once again loaded their non-conference schedule with marquee matchups worthy of being displayed in lights. After a disappointing 2014-2015 season, the Runnin’ Rebs have stacked the deck against them again, as they will face a daunting schedule once more. However, this year, they may be a legitimate threat to navigate their way to more victories along the way.

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It’s not often that a team projects to make a major improvement after losing it’s best two players well before they completed their eligibility. UNLV won’t even return a double-digit scorer from a team that went 18-15 last year. Surprisingly, that’s where head coach Dave Rice has found himself as he prepares a team that lost Rashad Vaughn and Christian Wood to professional aspirations (Vaughn was a first round pick, but Wood went undrafted).

The primary reason is the arrival of McDonald’s All-American Stephen Zimmerman. The skilled seven-footer is the highest rated prospect to pick UNLV since the Jerry Tarkanian years. He’ll replace Wood in a frontcourt that still has plenty of talent.

Since the loss of Vaughn was slightly more expected, the Rebels were already prepared with a plan of contingency. Not only does the team return guards such as rising sophomores Patrick McCaw and Jordan Cornish, but they’ll also add touted Canadian combo guard Jalen Poyser and ESPN’s #30 prospect Derrick Jones to the mix.

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    • In the frontcourt, the aforementioned Zimmerman will be joined by  forwards Dwayne Morgan and Goodluck Okonoboh, a pair of former top prospects that are poised to take the next step in their development.

    This string of solid recruiting efforts that has landed the likes of McCaw, Cornish, Morgan and Okonoboh has left the team with something that they have lacked in recent editions. The Rebels have depth, which means they’ll now have the ability to outlast some of the powerful teams that will be dotting their early schedule. This will be key, as UNLV has assembled a murderer’s row of non conference opponents for the upcoming season.

    After tuneups against inferior competition, UNLV will travel to Maui for the prestigious Maui Invitational, where they will square off against UCLA. A win in that opening matchup would pit them against Kansas in the semifinals. Programs such as St. John’s, Indiana, Vanderbilt, and Wake Forest also loom as potential opponents.

    The Rebels will also host Dillon Brooks and the Oregon Ducks at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on December 4th, while Arizona State will visit the Thomas & Mack Center later in the month.

    The schedule also includes road dates against the likes of Wichita State, who will return All-America candidates Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet. There is also a trip to the desert, where they will meet the Arizona Wildcats.

    It’s possible that this schedule may have been compiled with dreams of still having Vaughn and Wood on the roster. In that instance, the Rebs may have been a top 15 team. However, even after the early departures, the talent pool in Vegas is starting to get deep. That also means that expectations are sure to follow. This mixed roster of top-tier talent and gritty mid-major experience will be expected to make the NCAA Tournament.

    The Rebels lost Rashad Vaughn and Christian Wood without ever seeing him play for UNLV in the Big Dance. That is a fate that they hope will not be duplicated as they welcome another uncharacteristic one-and-done prospect to Sin City.

    Next: 2015 Maui Invitational Field Set For November

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