Rebels trying to focus on one game at a time entering MW tourney as 7 seed

By Taylor Bern

Wednesday, March 11, 2015 | 2 a.m.

No team in the Mountain West has ever won four games in four days at the league tournament, and in its quest to become the first, UNLV has to start with one win against a team that already has a win in the Thomas & Mack Center this year.

Then another against the league’s co-champ that won here a week ago and then, if the seeds hold, it would be the team that overcame an 18-point deficit in its only meeting this season against UNLV before a Saturday showdown with the league’s other co-champ, which is 2-0 against the Rebels.

But it all starts with one win, today at 2:30 p.m. against UNR with the game streaming on the Mountain West Network. UNLV has never before been in a Mountain West play-in game, and any hope of cutting down the nets for the first time since 2008 by winning four straight games for the first time this season starts with the Silver State’s rubber match.

“We are focused on them first and foremost,” said senior guard Cody Doolin. “They have beaten us up pretty good on the offensive glass.”

Specifically, UNR junior AJ West grabbed 20 offensive rebounds and 30 total over the two games against UNLV this season. Sophomore Christian Wood said West is a “bruiser” who gets low to the ground and pushes opponents out of the way. UNLV coach Dave Rice said there are possessions where it appears West’s sole objective is to get into position to grab a miss.

“It’s instinct, it’s technique and it’s desire,” Rice said. “He understands that that’s his niche and he understands that that’s what makes him very, very good.”

If the Rebels contain West that would probably be enough to get past a Wolf Pack team that’s likely playing its last games with David Carter as the coach. It certainly helps that UNLV expects to get back Pat McCaw, who was a full participant at Tuesday’s practice after missing Saturday’s win at San Jose State because of a concussion.

Rice said that, barring any setbacks, McCaw won’t have a minutes limit and could immediately return to his role as a Swiss army knife playing multiple positions.

“I have a hard time taking him off the floor,” Rice said.

As expected, Rice confirmed that it’s “highly unlikely” freshman Rashad Vaughn returns for any of the conference tournament after tearing his meniscus a month ago. Freshman guard Dantley Walker practiced Tuesday but he’s still out with a sprained MCL.

As important as McCaw’s return is, Wood will probably be the catalyst for any type of run the team is able to go on. The sophomore, who was named All-Mountain West second team Tuesday, reflected on how the team ended up in the No. 7 seed.

“A lot of injuries, we were a young team in the beginning. I don’t think we’re a young team anymore, we can’t say that anymore,” Wood said. “… I don’t know. I guess it just happens sometimes.”

In conference play the Rebels are 2-8 in games decided by six points or fewer. All of those late-game mistakes and narrow defeats could wear on a team’s mentality and shake its confidence. The other response, the one UNLV is trying to instill in itself, is the belief that with so many games coming down to the final possessions it shouldn’t take much more to get those losses to turn into victories now that it’s win or stay home.

Before the Rebels can really put that theory to test and see what they’re capable of over four days, it has to start with one.

“I still have faith in this team,” Wood said. “If we take it one game at a time I think we have a good chance of winning it.”

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