Off a week-long break, Kruger shuffles starting lineup for Wednesday

By Ryan Greene

Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2011 | 2:15 a.m.

Refreshed off a week-long break from game action, UNLV will come out against Utah on Wednesday night with its optimal lineup on the floor.

That means a bit of shuffling is being done by coach Lon Kruger.

For the first time in his two seasons at UNLV, senior guard Derrick Jasper will play off the bench. The starting five against the Utes will include Oscar Bellfield, Tre'Von Willis, Anthony Marshall, Chace Stanback and Quintrell Thomas.

"It's a case of confidence as much as anything," Kruger said of Jasper's recent struggles. "When you're not making shots, it's hard. We've kind of gone full circle as far as staying aggressive, driving, kicking, making plays for others — whatever will free him up to play with confidence.

"Derrick can still make good plays, but right now he's just not shooting the ball with confidence."

In the team's last four games, he's hardly shot the ball at all, taking only four attempts in that span.

As Kruger alluded to, Jasper was urged following an ugly shooting performance at San Diego State on Jan. 12 to get back to focusing on defense and distribution in hopes that his offensive production would come back as a result of success in those areas.

In the team's next game at Air Force, he had 11 rebounds, six assists and no turnovers.

Now he'll have to find the scoring touch again as a reserve.

"I have no problem with it," he said following Monday's practice at the Thomas & Mack Center. "I haven't been producing the last couple of games. We're putting people out there who are producing. It's good for the team, and I'm just ready to come off of the bench."

The lack of offensive confidence has some roots beyond missed shots. And unfortunately for Jasper, they're tied to the left knee that has plagued him now for the majority of his college career.

After spending his redshirt season in 2008-09 rehabbing all over again from microfracture surgery a year earlier, he sprained the medial collateral ligament in that same knee late last season, missing the team's final 13 games.

Jasper got it back in good shape for the start of this season, and looked as explosive and willing to attack the basket as ever during the team's torrid run out of the gates, but soreness in the knee has limited him since the start of Mountain West Conference play.

The 6-foot-6 wing averaged 9.3 points and 8.1 shot attempts over 13 non-conference games, but those numbers are down to 2.4 and 3.3, respectively, in seven MWC contests.

"I've been kind of sore lately, my knee hasn't been as explosive as it was in the beginning of the year," Jasper said. "I'm trying to get back in the weight room, trying to get more strength back in it. I just don't have much confidence in it right now. Maybe coming off of the bench will be a little better for me."

While Jasper will essentially try to work his kinks out in the bullpen, it's hard to argue that either Marshall or Willis should be held out of the starting rotation.

Marshall is UNLV's steadiest offensive producer to this point in conference play, averaging 12.9 points a game on 52.4 percent shooting to go with four rebounds and 2.6 assists.

Playing Jasper's role on the wing is nothing new for the 6-foot-3 sophomore, who thrived in those shoes during the stretch run last season with Jasper on the mend.

His best game at that spot, oddly enough, came in UNLV's much-needed victory over Utah in the quarterfinals of the MWC tournament last March, when he had 13 points, a career-high 12 rebounds and five assists, helping the Rebels finally figure out how to attack 7-foot-3 Utes center David Foster.

"Just being in that position allows me to create for our shooters — Chace, Oscar and Tre," he said. "I'm able to get in the seams and attack the basket a little more. Also, it allows me to attack the boards a lot more, rebound and help out the team that way."

As for Willis, he exited the practice floor soon after Monday's session, before he was able to discuss his visibly improving health.

After missing two games with a sore right knee, Willis labored through 25 minutes as a reserve against New Mexico last Saturday, then looked worlds better three days later in the come-from-behind win at Wyoming.

As Willis scored 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting, he appeared not to be hampered at all physically.

He said after the win that no one on the team probably needed the break in the schedule as much as him.

Kruger believes that Willis might finally be finding some normalcy with his health, which has been rare to this point in a frustrating senior campaign.

"I think he's improved another level," Kruger said. "You'd have to ask Tre how he feels, but he looks like he's got some bounce back, some pop in his step, is shooting with better balance.

"It looks like he's moving in that direction of feeling as he did last year, so that's the hope."