LAS VEGAS — UNLV spent October creating extra possessions with its pressure and rebounding, then giving too many of them back. After 53 turnovers in three exhibitions, Josh Pastner’s Rebels open Tuesday against a Northern Arizona team that wants to press them into more.
Utah beat the Rebels by 10. BYU erased a 12-point deficit and won by 12. Against Missouri, UNLV recovered from a nine-point second-half deficit and finished its preseason with a 90-81 victory.
"The biggest thing is we got better from Utah to BYU to Missouri," Pastner said Monday. "We improved. And we’ve got to keep improving as the year continues to progress."
UNLV opens its second season under Pastner on Tuesday against Northern Arizona at 7 p.m. at the Thomas & Mack Center. Tyrin Jones is back. Cam Miles is finding his feet. The careless giveaways have followed UNLV right up to opening night.
Pastner can live with some mistakes at this pace. Giving the ball away when the defense has barely made UNLV work for it is harder to stomach.
Against Missouri, the Rebels won second-chance scoring 20-5 but were outscored 26-25 off turnovers. That is a lot of work on the glass to keep handing the opponent another chance.
"We’ve just got to eliminate some of those silly turnovers," Pastner said. "Because basketball is a possession game."
Pastner acknowledged Monday that the Rebels entered October with considerably less contact practice than he would ordinarily prefer. After Tyler Harris suffered an MCL injury in June, Pastner reduced physical work and did not resume contact practice until September 21.
"I think the three exhibition games playing against two Big 12 teams and an SEC team is really good for us," Pastner said.
Cam Miles entered the preseason competing for a place in UNLV’s backcourt. Injuries forced him into a larger role, including extended minutes against BYU and Missouri while Terrance Ford Jr. remained in concussion protocol.
He played 38 minutes against Missouri and finished with 16 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. More important to the offense, Miles began moving the ball sooner and finding teammates in scoring positions rather than allowing possessions to slow around him.
He said Monday that his early struggles were partly the result of trying to make difficult plays instead of recognizing simpler opportunities.
"I was thinking a little too much," Miles said.
The improvement against Missouri came from trusting his teammates to run the floor and making the available pass. Miles credited the players around him for producing his 10 assists, describing many as straightforward plays created by their movement.
Ford will be available Tuesday after missing the final two exhibitions, although Pastner said he has not been practicing and would not commit to how much he might play.
Harris and Issac Williamson remain out, and AJ Storr has not received eligibility clearance.
Against BYU, UNLV’s defensive pressure became more difficult to sustain late in the game as players accumulated minutes. Pastner said a system built around pressing requires enough available bodies to maintain its intensity.
Tyrin Jones believes UNLV has more players capable of contributing than it did last season. The sophomore said Monday that the team’s depth and rebounding were the two biggest differences he had noticed.
Jones returned from shoulder surgery against Missouri and immediately became an important part of the defense. He scored 21 points, grabbed eight rebounds and recorded four steals in his first exhibition appearance.
"I think last game I finally found myself," Jones said. "So I’m excited."
Pastner frequently changes defensive alignments and expects players to recognize their assignments without losing their intensity. He wants at least 35 deflections per game, but he has warned that aggressive pressure cannot become an excuse for missed rotations or gambling for steals.
Jones said he is learning to direct teammates through those changes, particularly when a player is uncertain about an assignment.
Shane Burcar’s eighth Northern Arizona team has added size after finishing last in the Big Sky in rebounding. He wants the Lumberjacks to run off those rebounds and attack before UNLV can organize its defense.
His goal is to create a shot within the first eight to 10 seconds of a possession.
Ryan Abelman, a Bishop Gorman graduate returning to Las Vegas, provides the Lumberjacks with an experienced perimeter shooter. He averaged 10.5 points and made 52 three-pointers last season.
Sophomore Chris Komin gives Northern Arizona another scoring option after averaging 10.8 points during Big Sky play. His ability to handle the ball has become more important following the season-ending knee injury to projected starting point guard Brennan Peterson.
Pastner said Northern Arizona defeated Grand Canyon, the Mountain West preseason favorite, by double digits in a recent scrimmage.
"They play fast, they press," Pastner said. "They play with good pace. They’re an up-tempo team."
He believes UNLV’s best basketball may not come until December or January, when injured players return and the roster has spent more time together.
Jones was asked Monday how the Rebels intended to maintain the same effort against Northern Arizona after facing three power-conference opponents during the preseason.
"We can’t kind of play to our competition," Jones said. "We just got to play every game like it’s a Missouri or like it’s a BYU."
