Rebels’ improved defense faces challenge vs. No. 20 Utah State

A month ago, UNLV’s perimeter defense was scuffling. The Rebels were allowing teams to shoot 40.9 percent from 3, ranking 348th out of 351 Division I men’s basketball teams.

Since UNLV’s 79-64 upset win against No. 22 Creighton on Dec. 13, however, the Rebels have held opponents to 34-for-139 — 24.5 percent — from distance. Kruger credited his perimeter players for staying in front of New Mexico during UNLV’s 83-73 win Tuesday. The Lobos were 2 of 11 from 3.

“We’ve worked on that, ad nauseam now, for what feels like about five weeks,” UNLV coach Kevin Kruger said. “I feel like our season definitely took a turn.”

The Rebels’ new and improved perimeter defense will face another challenge at noon Saturday when UNLV takes on No. 20 Utah State at the Thomas & Mack Center. The Rebels (8-6, 1-1 Mountain West) have won four of their past five games, but Kruger called the Aggies (15-1, 3-0) one of the most confident teams in the country.

“We’ve got to know and understand that we’ve got a ranked team coming in on Saturday,” Kruger said.

UNLV’s defensive improvement has been a key part of its recent hot streak. Only two teams have shot better than 30 percent from 3 during UNLV’s past seven games. The Rebels now rank 154th among Division I teams in 3-point defense. Utah State has only shot 31.5 percent from 3 this season.

The Rebels’ wings have been a major part of the rejuvenation. Sixth-year player Luis Rodriguez, a defensive standout last year before injuries derailed his season, has re-emerged as a stout perimeter defender. He had four steals against the Lobos.

Rodriguez was the primary defender against top New Mexico scorer Donovan Dent on Tuesday. The Lobos’ sophomore wing entered the game averaging 16.6 points per game and was shooting 38.1 percent from 3. Rodriguez held him to three points on 1-for-6 shooting. Dent never attempted a 3.

The 6-foot-6-inch Rodriguez’s role has shifted this season. He was one of the team’s biggest players last season and provided significant value because of his positional versatility. He often started games guarding forwards and was relied upon to rebound and defend the low post despite being undersized.

This season, Rodriguez has been asked to be the team’s primary stopper on the perimeter. His length and quickness have been invaluable for UNLV during the past few weeks, with Rodriguez holding up against scoring wings at the point of attack while still being a rebounding presence and transition threat.

Rodriguez hasn’t been alone in his defensive effort. Fifth-year forward Keylan Boone made the first start of his UNLV career against New Mexico amid the rash of injuries and had a block.

Junior guard Jackie Johnson III’s defensive renaissance has made him impactful even when his shot isn’t falling. His defense has allowed Kruger to pair him with freshman guard Dedan Thomas Jr. or fifth-year guard Justin Webster in the backcourt despite their lack of size. Injuries also pressed freshman guard Brooklyn Hicks back into the rotation in part because of his defensive energy.

“At some point it just clicked, and we recognized as a group how important it was,” Kruger said. “At the end of a lot of the games we’ve won, we’re going to be able to look back and say we guarded the ball really well. We forced tough shots.”

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