Rebels Aim To Bounce Back Against Zips

The Rebels return from Flordia looking to rebound from back to back loses.

UNLV’s lost week in the Sunshine State included subpar performances against FSU and Richmond. The Rebels battled hard against FSU but were never in the Richmond game, which is concerning and usually speaks to depth or lack there of. The Rebels have relied heavly on the quartet of DJ Thomas, Luis Rodriguez, Justin Webster, and Jalen Hill, each playing 32 minutes or more per game. Against FSU they each played over 34 minutes. Look for Jackie Johnson to get additional minutes as he’s been the most consistently, productive sub, having three double digit games off the bench, including 17 against Richmond. Akron comes in on a two game slide, having lost to Drake and Mountain West Counter part Utah St. They are led by John Groce who has compiled a 54-38 Record at Akron. The Zips had three point shooting issues of their own, shooting just 24% from the arc in their last outing against Drake. Seniors Enrique Freeman, Mikal Dawson and Sammy Hunter lead the team, averaging 16.5, 10.7, and 10.3 per game.

Game Notes

Key Stat: 9-35 That’s UNLV’s three point shooting during the two game stretch, equating to slightly over 25% from behind the arc.

We Are Family: Akron has 8 players who have only played for their school, including 3 5th Year Seniors. In a heavy Transfer Laden era, this is a remarkably high number.

Freshman Watch: Freshman DJ Thomas leads the team with 5.8 assists per game.

Kenpom Rating:

Akron 121

UNLV 128

Action:

UNLV -2.5