Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Jasper continues to provide all-around support on the road for UNLV

Junior guard’s well-rounded stat line spikes when Rebels play away from home

Derrick Jasper

Steve Marcus

UNLV junior guard Derrick Jasper, shown here in the team’s Nov. 21 home victory over Southern Illinois, is on pace for an early March return from a partially torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee.

Click to enlarge photo

UNLV guard Derrick Jasper drives past Davis Baker on Dec. 15 as the Rebels took on Southern Utah at the Centrum Arena in Cedar City, Utah. UNLV dominated the second half and came out with a 77-59 win.

UNLV vs. TCU

  • UNLV Rebels (15-4, 3-2) vs TCU Horned Frogs (10-9, 2-2)

  • Where: Daniel-Meyer Coliseum

  • When: 3:00 p.m.

  • Coaches: Lon Kruger is 127-57 in his six seasons at UNLV and 445-290 in 24 overall seasons; Jim Christian is 24-26 in his two seasons at TCU and 162-84 in seven overall seasons.

  • Series: UNLV leads 12-2

  • Last time: UNLV won, 71-57, in Las Vegas on Feb. 10, 2009.

  • Line: UNLV by 6.5

  • TV/Radio: CBS College Sports/ESPN Radio 1100-AM

  • THE REBELS

  • G Oscar Bellfield (6-2, 180) 10.0 ppg, 4.6 apg, 2.6 rpg

  • G Derrick Jasper (6-6, 215) 6.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.8 apg

  • G Tre'Von Willis (6-4, 195) 16.9 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.1 apg

  • F Chace Stanback (6-8, 210) 9.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg

  • F Matt Shaw (6-8, 240) 6.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg

  • Bench: G Kendall Wallace (6-4, 190) 6.8 ppg, 1.9 rpg; F Darris Santee (6-8, 225) 4.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg; G Justin Hawkins (6-3, 190) 3.8 ppg; F Brice Massamba (6-10, 240) 4.2 ppg, 2.1 rpg; G Anthony Marshall (6-3, 200) 4.9 ppg, 2.1 rpg; G Steve Jones (6-1, 220) 1.9 ppg.

  • What to watch: Chace Stanback has taken apart opposing defenses with his mid-range offensive game of late. How will he do against all-conference forward Zvonko Buljan? His success against Buljan, who hurt UNLV big-time in TCU's upset victory last year in Fort Worth, could be pivotal.

  • THE HORNED FROGS

  • G Ronnie Moss (6-2, 210) 13.7 ppg, 6.4 apg, 3.1 rpg

  • G Keion Mitchem (5-10, 175) 4.7 ppg, 2.1 rpg

  • G Edvinas Ruzgas (6-6, 215) 12.7 ppg, 3.1 rpg

  • F Zvonko Buljan (6-9, 235) 13.4 ppg, 9.3 rpg

  • F Nikola Cerina (6-9, 235) 4.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg

  • Bench: G Greg Hill (6-2, 215) 6.5 ppg; F Kevin Butler (6-5, 210) 6.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg; F Garlon Green (6-7, 210) 4.6 ppg, 2.4 rpg; G Xavier Roberson (6-2, 200) 3.7 ppg.

  • What to watch: TCU beat UNLV last year both by hitting 3-pointers efficiently and by making hustle plays. At the root of both was Buljan. His production — both scoring and rebounding — is what could keep the Horned Frogs hanging around with the Rebels.

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FORT WORTH, Texas — Playing his first two years of college basketball in the Southeastern Conference, Derrick Jasper entered his initial season of eligibility at UNLV with a wealth of experience playing in rowdy road environments.

And while Tre'Von Willis has been the Rebels' go-to-guy when buckets are needed in games away from the Thomas & Mack Center, Jasper quietly has been the team's rock outside of the scoring column.

He's filled the stat sheet anywhere and everywhere as Lon Kruger's club has gone 6-1 in true road contests.

He was just as helpful Wednesday, as the Rebels scrapped through a tough second half to knock off a pesky Colorado State squad at Moby Arena, 80-72.

Jasper finished with six points, nine rebounds and three assists in 32 minutes.

This season he's averaging 25 minutes per game, tallying 6.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists.

Those numbers have seen a spike on the road, though.

In those aforementioned seven games, he's playing an average of 30.1 minutes, scoring 7.9 points, grabbing six rebounds and dishing out 3.33 assists per contest.

There's no reason to expect those numbers to drop off as UNLV (15-4 overall, 3-2 Mountain West) gets another road test at 3 p.m. Saturday against TCU (10-9, 2-2) at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.

"I feel like with my ability to jump, I can get rebounds and just get the ball from the guard position," said the 6-foot-6 Jasper, who on the season is the team's second-leading rebounder. "I've stepped my game up the last couple of games and have been rebounding well.

"I'm never really satisfied. I still feel like I can do a lot more. My shot's not falling right now, and I have to be a lot more aggressive, take more shots."

Jasper has been the target of some outside criticism this season for not producing more points. However, a look at his track record previous to landing at UNLV shows that in two seasons at Kentucky he never was known for burning up the nets.

Jasper only scored in double figures four times during his time with Wildcats, and it was his all-around presence at the point-guard position that made losing him painful for former Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie.

This season alone, Jasper has reached double figures in scoring five times, including two of his finest performances of the year.

The Jasper everyone wants to see more of is the same guy who had 14 points, seven rebounds and three assists Dec. 23 in a 77-53 victory over Hawaii and a 12-point, seven-rebound, five-assist showing in a 74-72 double-overtime Dec. 2 win at Arizona.

At Arizona, he hit what proved to be the game-sealing 3-pointer from the left wing in the second overtime.

In his search for consistency, Jasper still is dealing with the typical struggles that come with adjusting to playing after sitting out for a year per NCAA transfer rules. The difference with Jasper, though, is that he spent the year rehabbing a left knee that never fully healed from microfracture surgery after his freshman season in Lexington, making his adjustment back to a full-time schedule twice as tough.

"There's a little pain here and there, but that's the best it's going to get," he said of the knee, which he'll continue to rehab after the season. "I don't want to put a percentage on it, but it could get a lot better."

Added Kruger: "He's physically been good. He continues to strengthen it and work on it. That'll be something he has to do the rest of his career."

No longer a full-time point guard in Kruger's system, Jasper has found a nice role as a resident do-it-all guy. He's even earned a reputation, given his long reach and exceptional leaping ability, for being able to provide highlights above the rim for the Rebels.

His latest installment was an alley-oop jam in Wednesday's second half. In transition, the lob from Oscar Bellfield almost looked as if it would wind up 10 rows deep in the CSU student section.

"The teammates say I have 'go-go gadget' arms," Jasper said, dropping an Inspector Gadget reference. "I knew I'd get my hands on it, and if I get my hands on it, I get a good grip."

Jasper truly will feel like himself again if he ultimately can translate his offensive efficiency from the practice floor into games.

At practice he's made a habit of taking apart opposing defenders off the dribble, be it going all the way to the rack or pulling up for mid-range jumpers.

Most of his scoring in recent games has come from high-percentage spots up close.

"I think he's moving in that direction," Kruger said. "He's been more aggressive, which we need him to be. He wants to be."

Jasper added that in no way has he lost confidence in his jumper when it comes to game situations.

"I'm still going to keep shooting, but coach said I have to use my legs more," he said. "I still feel like I'm adjusting."

A look at TCU ...

TCU has struggled to string together wins this season, but Kruger and his staff are well aware of the danger that could lurk at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum, as several key players from last year's squad that tripped up the Rebels are back.

Most notable is senior forward Zvonko Buljan, who posted two double-doubles against UNLV as a junior, including 20 points and 13 rebounds in the upset in Fort Worth. This year the preseason all-conference selection is averaging 13.4 points and 9.3 boards a night.

"They've got an experienced lineup with guys who have been through it," Kruger said. "They've got guys who feel good about what they're doing. Buljan is a talented all-around player. There are a lot of good players around him, too."

One of them is sophomore point guard Ronnie Moss, who scored 15 points in each of the Horned Frogs' meetings with the Rebels as a freshman. He's currently scoring 13.7 points per game and dishing out a Mountain West-leading 6.4 assists per contest.

Despite the overall struggles Jim Christian's club has had in his second season in Fort Worth after coming from Kent State, one thing TCU has done well is excel against good teams.

The Horned Frogs have held second-half leads in losses this season to Arizona State (52-49), San Diego State (67-62) and Texas Tech (80-70).

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