Preview: UNLV Basketball vs. Cal State Fullerton

The last 24 hours have been good to UNLV. First, they notched their first victory of the Marvin Menzies era with a win against UC Riverside. Secondly, they received a letter of intent from Jay Green, a 6-5 guard out of Hillcrest Prep in Arizona to join their upcoming 2017-2018 class. Next up, Cal State Fullerton.

So far, the predictable bright spot in UNLV’s young season is the sophomore emergence of returner Jalen Poyser. His outside shooting ability combined with his patience for the game are paying off for the Rebels’ back court. Additionally, their junior power forward, Dwayne Morgan, made his season debut against Riverside after an injury sidelined him for pre-season play. His front court presence will be much needed as the Rebels will face more formidable teams as the middle of the non-conference schedule approaches quickly.

In the meantime, the Rebels face another Big West opponent after their match up with UC Riverside: the Cal State Fullerton Titans. In the past, the Titans always were in the mix of things amidst their conference foes. However, more recent lackluster seasons have Fullerton fans hoping for better days to come.

What to watch for?

Poyser will be matching up with a scoring guard on the other side in Tre’ Coggins. A transfer from Air Force, last season he averaged over 15 points per game. Further, like many other teams that the Rebels will face who possess much more experience, the Titans are projected to start at least 3 seniors in their line-up: Coggins, Darcy Malone, and Leslie Lionheart. Cal State recently defeated Portland State in double OT and have demonstrated the kind of mental toughness (that often comes with experience) to stick the tight games out to the very end.

Nonetheless, look for the Rebels to take care of business again as they blend together even more in this third non-conference match-up.

Prediction: UNLV 85, Cal State Fullerton 74