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LAS VEGAS – Just like in his limited playing time last season, Christian Wood put up an efficient stat line for UNLV, as the Gray team beat the Scarlet team 46-28 in the Scarlet and Gray Showcase.
Wood led all players with 15 points, seven rebounds and two blocks. Wood’s efficiency was boosted by going to the line six times.
"Wood passed up a lot of shots that last year he would have been tempted to take. He attacked inside; he got to the free throw line," head coach Dave Rice said.
His best basket came when blew by Dwayne Morgan on the baseline from the three-point line and finished off with a layup. Wood didn’t show a lot of post up moves, but his ability to face up and get to the rim shined. The Gray team had 32 point in the paint compared to just 10 for the Scarlet team.
Rosters (starters in bold):
Gray team: Kendall Smith, Rashad Vaughn, Jordan Cornish, Ben Carter, Christian Wood, Jerome Seagears, Barry Cheaney.
Scarlet team: Cody Doolin, Dantley Walker, Dwayne Morgan, Goodluck Okonoboh, Jelan Kendrick, Charles Rushman, Patrick McCaw.
More positives:
The opening tip was won by the Scarlet team, and they had a set play for Dantley Walker to get an open three, which he buried.
Kendall Smith played point guard for the Gray team, and he was tremendous in pushing the pace. Smith ended up with eight points, five rebounds and four assists.
Smith looked comfortable as the point and as the two guard when Jerome Seagers played point guard.
Running big men were key. Wood, Dwayne Morgan and Goodluck Okonoboh all had transition baskets, most of which came off of grabbing rebounds while trailing the fast break.
Overreacting to a 20-minute scrimmage with negatives:
"(We have to) make sure we manage our shot selection. One of the things that’s a byproduct of being tired is taking early quick shots that aren’t necessarily good shots," Rice said.
Dwayne Morgan was the main culprit, taking 12 shots, most of which were 15-foot or longer jump shots. Morgan did finish with 14 points on 12 shots.
Cody Doolin only attempted two shots. One came at the end of the first half, as he tried race up the court and score in the final four seconds; Wood swatted his shot. The second came from the elbow after he looked to multiple teammates for a pass before realizing he was open. He missed and finished with no points and two assists. Rice has described Doolin as a "pass first, pass second, pass third" player, but he’ll need to look to score more.
Goodluck Okonoboh was 3 of 8 shooting for six points. He mostly stayed outside of the paint for his shots. With limited interior presence, Okonoboh should play closer to the block.