UNLV basketball: 2017-18 season preview for the Rebels

Expectations for the season

This may be the most difficult team to judge before the season starts. On one hand, they lose a ton of players, but not necessarily talent. The players coming in are talented, but Mooring and Clyburn are the only projected rotation players with any division one experience.

There were two main issues from last year’s team — shooting and overall defense. While those concerns don’t have anything to do with this squad, we still don’t know how this turns out. Having McCoy down low will be great for the surrounding players, but, if they can’t shoot, it’s all for nothing. Right now Mooring is the only confirmed quality shooter on the team, with the others remaining to be seen.

There is an argument though that the Rebels may have the best overall athletes in the entire conference. That certainly helps in rebounding and some defensive elements, but whether or not these guys can become great basketball players will determine their fate this season.

This team can finish as high as potentially third and as low as ninth or even tenth. There’s just too many questions surrounding the entire roster to make guarantees, even with McCoy. Is he a Marques Bolden or a Joel Embiid? And even if he’s great, do the role players pick up their games and support him or does it become another Markelle Fultz/Ben Simmons situation?

Next: Mountain West predictions for 2017-18

Let’s hope not, because UNLV is a storied program with a great history. When the Rebels are great the Mountain West is great and college basketball as a whole is great. Younger people may not know, but this program stood toe to toe with the likes of Duke back to the late Jerry Tarkanian days. Menzies may never take this school back to those heights, but, starting this year, things are taking a positive turn, regardless of this team’s place in the standings.