Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Analysis:

Bern’s-Eye View: Preseason league picks as UNLV begins practice for 2014-15 season

UNLV vs. Boise State - Feb. 1, 2014

Sam Morris / Las Vegas Sun

UNLV guard Kevin Olekaibe defends Boise State forward Anthony Drmic during their Mountain West Conference game Saturday, Feb. 1, 2014 at the Thomas & Mack Center. UNLV notched a 73-69 come from behind victory.

The Rebel Room

Pivoting to the Hardwood

Las Vegas Sun sports writers Ray Brewer, Case Keefer and Taylor Bern use UNLV's opening basketball practice as an excuse to push the 1-5 football team to the end of the show.

There will be a lot of milestones for this year’s UNLV basketball team, the one replacing all five starters from a team that didn’t make the postseason. Today is one of them.

Today the Rebels will hold their first official practice of the 2014-15 season, the first chance for media to get a look at the six newcomers and three returners who will make up UNLV’s primary rotation. The public’s turn comes on Thursday, Oct. 16, at the Scarlet and Gray Showcase.

Guys like Rashad Vaughn and Dwayne Morgan headline arguably the best recruiting class in program history, and transfer Cody Doolin could be the point guard this team has been looking for, for one season at least.

Nearly every team in the country is into its preseason practice schedule now, which means it’s time to start looking toward the season in earnest. That means making picks for the preseason All-Mountain West team, and I certainly hope to improve on my disastrous predictions last year.

I tabbed the Mountain West champion San Diego State Aztecs to finish fifth, so obviously I know what I’m doing. The prediction I’m confident making is that the regular-season all-league team won’t look much like mine, because there are so many talented freshmen and transfers who will emerge in the Mountain West this year.

There are several worthy returners, too, and that’s where I focused my votes. As for my predicted standings, I’m just hoping for a better result than last season:

Preseason All-Conference Team

Daniel Bejarano, G, Colorado State

• When he wasn’t getting in altercations with his coach, Bejarano was doing a little bit of everything for the Rams last season. Could be similar this year.

Winston Shepard, G/F, San Diego State

• Is the Findlay Prep product ready to lead a team? He’s been good as a secondary option, but the Aztecs’ hopes might depend on his consistency.

Anthony Drmic, F, Boise State

• My personal favorite player in the league this year. Drmic is finally a senior, and if healthy, he’s going to put up monster numbers. That’s a big if, though.

J.J. Avila, F, Colorado State

• The Navy transfer was a huge addition for the Rams last season. Finished with 16.6 ppg, 7.4 rpg and 3.4 apg. Numbers will likely go down on better team, but he’s earned the benefit of the doubt.

Larry Nance, F, Wyoming

• Is he healthy? If so, this is your frontrunner for Player of the Year. However, I’m not going to believe Nance is completely past his torn ACL until I see it.

Player of the Year — Drmic

• Shepard will get some votes. Nance will get some votes and might even win it. But even though I don’t think there’s any way Drmic wins the real award, he deserves this recognition.

Newcomer of the Year — Cody Doolin, G, UNLV

• Point guard is the position UNLV most needs to be a success. Doolin has looked the part through his career and through workouts thus far. Can he be that guy this season?

Freshman of the Year — Rashad Vaughn, G, UNLV

• Vaughn has enough hype that he’ll get some votes for the preseason all-conference team. I’m not even sure he’ll be the most impactful freshman on UNLV’s roster, but he’s the guy in the best position to succeed.

Predicted order of finish

1. San Diego State

2. Colorado State

3. UNLV

4. Wyoming

5. Boise State

6. New Mexico

7. Fresno State

8. Air Force

9. Utah State

10. UNR

11. San Jose State

• The top six, and some would argue seven, teams in this league will play a role in the conference title race. There are so many unknowns that it’s possible one team just runs away with the league again, but I see the new rosters leading to inconsistency that’s going to keep this interesting.

As for UNLV, the Rebels have the talent to win the league and enough question marks to finish middle of the pack. Sound familiar?

Taylor Bern can be reached at 948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Taylor on Twitter at twitter.com/taylorbern.

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