How Dave Rice put Chris Wood in position to succeed against Temple

After three games Chris Wood had not asserted any sort of dominance even though UNLV had played two undersized opponents. But the sophomore forward finally got rolling in the second half against Temple.

Wood finished up with 18 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks in 34 minutes. He shot 8 of 15 from the field, which isn’t as efficient as Wood can be, but is still a good start. But Wood got rolling by scoring around the rim, something will make his efficiency soar.

Dave Rice got Wood going by running a simple play that got Wood in position to score.

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That’s a high ball screen for Cody Doolin and a simultaneous cross screen on the block for Wood. The screens from Goodluck Okonoboh and Patrick McCaw are what opens this up. McCaw gets Wood popping free to the block, and Okonoboh gets Doolin enough time and space to make the entry pass.

The Runnin’ Rebels ran this play a lot, and as a result Temple adjusted. On the very next possession, the Owls are ready to prevent Wood from getting to the block so easily. But Wood makes a tremendous read.

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Wood goes the opposite direction, and Doolin finds him on the wing. The pass and catch aren’t pretty, but that mishandle may have taken away the three from Wood, and allowed him to drive for the layup. That’s a very simple play that allows Wood to excel in two different areas.

The UNLV offense has been extremely inefficient, ranking 289^th in offensive efficiency. But getting Wood the ball in areas to make a play will help the efficiency rise.

Wood also made some plays on his own, like this offensive board and dunk.

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Taking advantage of loose balls and using athleticism to cash in is something Wood can do on a consistent basis. It is another UNLV can get points when the offense is struggling.

Wood passed up a couple three pointers in this game as well. He did drain a deep three to start the second half, but UNLV will be much better off with Wood attacking the basket. A big guy that can step out and drain threes is certainly a weapon, but until Wood proves he's an efficient three-point shooter, he should eliminate most of those shots.