UNLV Runnin' Rebels: "Let's Run" Style of Play Will Take Time to Hit Stride

As made painfully evident in the UNLV Runnin' Rebels' first game under their new head coach Dave Rice, the "Let's Run" style of play will not be a transformation made overnight.

UNLV beat the Division-II Washburn Ichabods team, 58-50, in an ugly game that the Rebel faithful was hoping would be on highlight reels.

UNLV was led by junior guard Anthony Marshall, who scored 14 points and nabbed 11 rebounds to go with four assists and four steals.

The Rebels showed that the new run-and-gun style of play is still a work in progress, but with the athletic players on the UNLV team, it seems like it will just be a matter of time before the running really takes off.

The Rebels were a team that would use most of the 35-second shot clock under its former head coach Lon Kruger, who left the team to become the head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners this past spring.

The 58 points is a far cry from the level fans expect with the new run-and-gun style, but shooting 31 percent from the field on 15-of-48 shooting and going 2-of-18 from beyond the arch will do that to a team.

With a scrimmage this Friday against Loyola Marymount, the Rebels will have a chance to work on their new style of play without a crowd or media members there to view their progress, as it is closed to the public and media alike.

The next chance for the public to see what adjustments coach Rice and staff have made will be against Grand Canyon on November 11th.

If the Rebels come out looking anything like they did against Washburn, the UNLV fanbase will surely begin to worry. There has been much hype around this team, and any more early struggles will turn the excitement into nervousness.

UNLV plays in-state rival Nevada-Reno as its second regular season game, and will get back its leading returning scorer and rebounder, Chace Stanback, who has to sit out the the first two games of the season due to his offseason D.U.I. arrest.

Stanback's return will help the Rebels' new system of up-tempo play, as he is comfortable scoring in transition and has the range to hit outside jumpers, which will help his teammates get all the attention penetrating the lane and kick out passes for wide open three-pointers all season long.

Don't let the stumble off the blocks scare you; the solid UNLV staff is sure to correct the problems seen in the exhibition and have the Rebels sprinting towards the NCAA tournament come March.