‘Measuring-stick game’: UNLV faces major test against Dayton

UNLV coach Kevin Kruger and the Rebels have a chance to make a statement.

Through two games this season, UNLV has flashed some elite defense and played cohesively enough on offense to start their season with a pair of victories. However, its opponents have been Southern from the Southwestern Athletic Conference and Incarnate Word from the Southland Conference.

Tuesday will be the Rebels’ first chance to test themselves against competition closer to their level when they face No 21 Dayton of the Atlantic 10 at the Thomas & Mack Center. “It’s a great opportunity to see where we’re at,” Kruger said.

Kruger called the matchup a “measuring-stick game.” He is particularly excited to see how his defense performs against a veteran Dayton squad with NCAA tournament ambitions.

“We’ve got some guys who are pretty excited,” Kruger said.

Fifth-year wing Elijah Parquet has more big-game experience than most of the players on this Rebels roster. The Beaumont, Texas, native spent four seasons at Colorado before transferring to UNLV for his final season. He was part of the Buffaloes 2020-21 NCAA Tournament team.

Parquet said mental preparation will be the most important factor for the Rebels Tuesday.

“The better teams we play, the margin of error goes down,” he said. “We’ve got to keep everything sharp and stay locked in, especially on the defensive end.”

The Rebels already have made their defensive presence known. UNLV forced Southern into 28 turnovers in the season opener, then harried Incarnate Word into 25 turnovers, including 17 steals. Kruger said he knew the Rebels had defensive potential, but even he has been surprised at how quickly they’ve come together.

Parquet has played a large role in the Rebels’ revamped defense. An athletic, 6-foot-4 wing, he’s been tasked with hounding the opponent’s lead playmaker during an effective full-court press. The fifth-year wing believes this is the most athletic team he’s ever played on, but he says it will take complete buy-in from every player to make something special happen this season.

“We’ve got to make sure we’re playing for each other and have each other’s back,” he said.

UNLV has a difficult challenge in front of them, regardless of the team’s buy-in factor. Dayton just missed out on the 2021-22 NCAA Tournament, and the Flyers have entered this season with something to prove.

Dayton is led by Mustapha Amzil, a sophomore forward from Finland, who is averaging 17 points a game. DaRon Holmes II, a sophomore forward, is not far behind, scoring at a clip of 16.5 points per game.

The Flyers beat Lindenwood in its season opener, 73-46, before defeating SMU Friday, 74-62. Kruger called the Flyers a big, physical team which plays with a chip on its shoulder. One area where Dayton’s size and strength advantage may impact Tuesday’s game is rebounding.

The Rebels have struggled rebounding this season, averaging 35 rebounds per game compared to the Flyers’ 43. Incarnate Word had 13 offensive rebounds against UNLV during the Rebels’ 88-63 win Saturday. Dayton grabbed 14 offensive rebounds against SMU.

Parquet said UNLV will have to be more purposely physical Tuesday to counter the rebounding threat.

“We have to actually go and hit somebody,” he said. “Usually we’re trying to outjump people because we’re athletic. But this game, especially, we have to seek contact, hit them and box them out early.”

Contact reporter Andy Yamashita at ayamashita@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ANYamashita on Twitter.