March 15, 2011

UNLV are characterised by a pressure defense, which all four of the above are key components even. Another big defensive piece is 6'3 sophomore guard Anthony Marshall, who lacks for advanced ball handling and a decent outside shot, but who is, to put it bluntly, really freaking athletic. Marshall runs round, creates pressure, grabs rebounds, deflects passes and takes charges, a truly disruptive help defensive presence. In terms of big men, UNLV offer Kansas transfer Quintrell Thomas, their best offensive player in the low post and a prolific rebounder, with plenty of upside down the road. Speaking of upside, 6'11 freshman Carlos Lopez has plenty of it - he is really quite thin at the moment and thus limited defensively to the foul, yet he's getting bigger, learning to play tough, and sports an intriguing height/wingspan/athleticism combination that co-exists nicely with Thomas's grounded strength. (He's also a considerably better option on the pick-and-roll, on both ends.) 6'10 junior Brice Massamba doesn't really do much statistically, but he is at least a space eater, tall and with a great frame, and a little things type of player. The Rebels are certainly rather guard orientated, but they have big guards, small pesky guards, ballhandlers, shooters and athletes. They can give you almost any kind of look.

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