Tag: cameron oliver

UNLV vs. Vanderbilt: Keys to Victory, How to Watch, Odds, Prediction

The UNLV Rebels come into the game 1-1; last week, they suffered a 35-7 loss at Michigan. The Rebels beat Bryant 44-14 at home in the opening game.

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WHEN: Saturday, September 16, 2023, 4:00 PM PT

WHERE: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada

TV: CBS Sports Network

STREAM: FuboTV with a free trial

RADIO:  ESPN 1100 AM & 100.9 FM

WEBSITES: UNLV | Vanderbilt

ODDS: Vanderbilt -4.5

The UNLV Rebels come into the game 1-1; last week, they suffered a 35-7 loss at Michigan. The Rebels beat Bryant 44-14 at home in the opening game.

The Vanderbilt Commodores come into the game 2-1, winning home games against Hawaii and Alabama A&M; they suffered their only loss to Wake Forest 36-20.

Quarterback Doung Brumfield leads UNLV; he has 186 passing yards this season with no touchdown passes and one interception. Last week against Michigan, he struggled and only threw for 86 yards in the blowout win against Bryant.

Will Sheppard led Vanderbilt in receptions last year with 60; he has 20 catches so far this season. Commodores quarterback AJ Swann is completing 61.85 of his passes.

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Keys to the game

Brumfield needs to show up

The Rebels need to get Brumfield going; I know they are running a new offense, but it’s their third game, and it’s time to get the passing game going. Ricky White had 51 catches last year; this season, he only has four catches for 36 yards. UNLV must have a better game from Brumfield to win this game.

Run the ball

Vanderbilt comes into the game averaging 34.7 points per game; when you go against an offense that scores a lot, you should run the ball to keep them off the field. Vincent Davis Jr. led the Rebels in rushing with 96 yards on nine carries, but 69 came on one carry. Jai’Den Thomas has 61 yards and two touchdowns. If the Rebels offensive line can play physically and open up some running lanes for their running backs, it would bold well for UNLV. Running the ball well opens up the play-action passing game.

Defense

Although they bet Bryant, the Rebels gave up 409 yards in that game. UNLV will need to put pressure on Swann; if he has too much time to pass, he will crave up the UNLV defense. Along with Sheppard, Vanderbilt has some other targets to throw, too. They can run the ball as well but want to throw it around. UNLV will have only one sack on the season; they must step it up on Saturday. Linebacker Jackson Woodard and Cameron Oliver must lead this defense and have them ready to play.

Prediction

I got Vanderbilt winning this game; UNLV will have difficulty stopping the Vanderbilt offense. The Rebels do not pressure the quarterback enough to slow down the Vanderbilt. If they can pull out a win, they will need Brumfield to step up as well as the defense.

Vanderbilt 38, UNLV 21

 

Three Players to Watch on UNLV Defense

If the UNLV Rebels want to improve on a 5-7 record, along with their offense, UNLV will need to improve on defense. Last season the Rebels gave up 28.5 points per game and 157.5 rushing yards per game.

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If the UNLV Rebels want to improve on a 5-7 record, along with their offense, UNLV will need to improve on defense. Last season the Rebels gave up 28.5 points per game and 157.5 rushing yards per game.

That is not a good defense; new Rebels head coach Barry Odom is a defensive guy who has hired Mike Scherer to try to improve the defense.

Defensive Tackle Naki Fahina

Senior defensive tackle Naki Fahina will be counted on to help stop the run. The Rebels will need to win at the line of scrimmage, and Fahina will help them do that. Fahina is 6-3 300 pounds and will need to stay healthy.

Odom has brought in other big bodies to help Fahina and the rest of the defensive linemen slow down opposing teams rushing attacks.

“I’m going to try to do everything I can to establish the line of scrimmage,” Odom told the Las Vegas Sun. “On defense, to be able to stop the run, that starts up front. I think if you have that ability within your program, the depth that that looks like, then your program takes off a little bit quicker.”

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Linebacker Jackson Woodard

Jackson Woodard is a linebacker transfer from Arkansas, and he has experience in the system that Odom and Scherer want UNLV to run. He has taken the liberty of teaching his UNLV teammates the defense.

Woodard played in 13 games totaling seven tackles; he will play a much more significant role with the Rebels and be the quarterback of the defense.

Cornerback Cameron Oliver

Cornerback Cameron Oliver led UNLV in interceptions with three last season. Oliver will be entering his third year as a starter. Odom likes to run DB heavy scheme that will give the Rebels a lot of speed on the field, and they can play fast.

Creating turnover will be a big part of the Rebels’ defense. If UNLV can be better on both sides of the ball, they will be a fun and exciting team to watch.

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NBA hardship contracts: Top performances by 10-day signees

Rookie Wire took a look at the top performances by players on 10-day hardship contracts.

The month of December proved to be a rather difficult time for teams and players alike in the NBA after dealing with the latest outbreak of the coronavirus.

Over 200 players entered the health and safety protocol in December and 11 games were postponed as a result of the outbreak. Teams have called up nearly 100 players from the NBA G League to replace those in the protocol, creating opportunities for under-the-radar guys.

With several roster players sidelined in the protocol, teams relied on those call-ups to field teams and avoid further postponements. Several players signed via hardship exception took advantage of the opportunity and made a name for themselves.

The performances by those players will go a long way in securing long-term contracts in the NBA. The latest obstacle surrounding the coronavirus certainly proved to be difficult but one uplifting consequence is seeing several players realizing the opportunity of a lifetime.

With most teams through the worst of the latest coronavirus outbreak, Rookie Wire took a look at some of the top performances by players signed via hardship contracts. We will continue to update this list with each notable outing.

Note: List current through games played on Jan. 4

Hawks sign South Bay Lakers forward Cameron Oliver

The Atlanta Hawks have signed a forward from the Los Angeles Lakers’ G League team.

The Atlanta Hawks have signed South Bay Lakers forward Cameron Oliver to a 10-day deal via the hardship exemption, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Oliver, a 6-foot-8 forward, has been with South Bay all season after playing for the Los Angeles Lakers in the preseason on a training camp deal.

In 14 games (six starts) with South Bay, Oliver averaged 14.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.4 steals. He shot 56.4% overall and 31.8% from 3-point range.

This is the second time in two days the Hawks have inked a former member of the Lakers to a deal. Atlanta signed Chaundee Brown Monday to a 10-day deal after the Lakers waived his two-way contract.

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Full South Bay Lakers G League 2021-22 roster tracker

The South Bay Lakers of the G League announced its 2021-22 training camp roster. See who is on the team.

The start of the 2021-22 NBA season also signals the G League is beginning soon.

The Los Angeles Lakers‘ G League affiliate is the South Bay Lakers, which plays its home games at the UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, California.

South Bay’s schedule doesn’t start until Nov. 5, but the team, head coached by recently promoted Miles Simon, announced the training camp roster for the new season.

South Bay is where the two-way players on the Lakers’ full 17-man roster spend the majority of their time, so Sekou Doumbouya and Jay Huff are two of the prominent names.

Here’s the full roster tracker for the 14 players:

Report: Lakers sign Cameron Oliver to Exhibit 10 deal

The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly added a 6-foot-8, 25-year-old wing to an Exhibit 10 deal.

The Los Angeles Lakers signed Cameron Oliver to an Exhibit 10 deal, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic.

Oliver, 25, has only four games of NBA experience under his belt. The Houston Rockets signed Oliver to a 10-day contract last season, where Oliver averaged 10.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 blocks in 21.8 minutes per game.

Oliver, a 6-foot-8 forward, shot 57.6% overall on 8.3 attempts and 30.8% from 3-point range on 3.3 attempts. Ninety-five percent of his minutes came from the center spot, as Houston has been known to often run small-ball lineups.

The Nevada product went undrafted in 2017 but has played with three G League teams and made Summer League appearances as well. He most recently suited up for the Golden State Warriors squad.

There’s a chance Oliver could end up on the South Bay Lakers G League team, head coached by Miles Simon.

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Cam Oliver double-double leads Rockets in season-ending loss at Atlanta

Oliver had 10 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocks, but it wasn’t nearly enough for the short-handed Rockets versus the playoff-bound Hawks.

The severely short-handed Rockets played hard over the final weeks of the 2020-21 regular season, including Friday’s upset win over the Los Angeles Clippers, but they finally seemed to run out of steam in Sunday’s 124-95 loss (box score) at Atlanta. The Hawks (41-31) are headed to the playoffs as the East’s No. 5 seed, while Houston (17-55) ends the year with the NBA’s worst record for the first time since 1982-83.

DJ Augustin and Armoni Brooks led Houston with 18 points apiece, including four 3-pointers by Augustin and six by Brooks. Kelly Olynyk scored 16, while big man Cam Oliver had his first career double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. He also blocked three shots.

Atlanta had eight players in double figures, led by Onyeka Okongwu’s 21 points (76.9% FG) and 14 rebounds. All-Star guard Trae Young had 10 points, 9 assists, and 2 steals in limited playing time of 16 minutes.

Here’s a sampling of highlights, postgame reaction, and analysis from Sunday’s loss. The NBA’s play-in tournament for the 2021 playoffs will begin Tuesday, with the playoffs officially starting Saturday.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVkgdNVQjDQ

Armoni Brooks scores career-high 24 as Lakers hold off pesky Rockets

Houston went on a 9-0 run in the final three minutes, but Kyle Kuzma connected on a driving layup with 6.9 seconds left to secure the win.

On the unveiling night of their 2019-20 championship banner, the defending champion Lakers had to survive in Wednesday’s 124-122 win (box score) over the visiting Rockets, who have the NBA’s worst record.

Rookie guard Armoni Brooks scored a career-high 24 points at Staples Center to lead the Rockets, who went on a late 9-0 run and briefly led until Kyle Kuzma’s runner in the final seconds sealed it for Los Angeles. Kuzma finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists.

Talen Horton-Tucker (22 points, 10 assists) and Andre Drummond (20 points, 10 rebounds) led Los Angeles in scoring, while other standouts for Houston included Kelly Olynyk (24 points, 8 assists), KJ Martin (20 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks), and Cameron Oliver (17 points).

Though they were expected to play earlier in the day, superstars LeBron James (ankle) and Anthony Davis (groin) were late scratches. With the win, Los Angeles (40-30) stayed a game behind Portland and Dallas (41-29) in the race to avoid the Western Conference’s No. 7 seed — which would require winning a play-in tournament game to make the playoffs.

Houston (16-54) was missing 11 of the team’s 17 players under standard contracts: Christian Wood (right ankle), John Wall (right hamstring), Eric Gordon (right groin), Sterling Brown (head/face lacerations), Kevin Porter Jr. (left ankle), Avery Bradley (personal reasons), Dante Exum (left calf), Danuel House Jr. (right ankle), DaQuan Jeffries (right ankle), David Nwaba (right wrist) and D.J. Wilson (health and safety protocols). The Rockets, who have been ravaged by injuries throughout the 2020-21 season, reached the required number of eight active players with Oliver and Khyri Thomas — who are on hardship exceptions.

The Rockets return to play Friday with their regular-season home finale at Toyota Center against the Los Angeles Clippers. Tipoff is set for 8:00 p.m. Central. For now, here’s a roundup of postgame highlights, analysis, and reaction from Wednesday’s late game versus the Lakers.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2HMdJk9WCI

In Cameron Oliver debut, Rockets set NBA record for most players in a season

The Rockets have now had 29 players with playing time in the 2020-21 regular season, which breaks the former NBA record of 28 players.

With Monday’s debut for newly signed big man Cameron Oliver, the Houston Rockets set an NBA record with 29 players having now played for the team in the 2020-21 season. The previous record was 28, shared by this season’s Rockets, the 2015-16 Grizzlies, and the 2018-19 Magic.

The number reflects a turbulent year for the Rockets and new head coach Stephen Silas, who began the season having to navigate James Harden’s trade demand alongside widespread injuries and COVID-19 health concerns. While Harden was traded to Brooklyn in January, which added to the changing roster, the injuries and health woes have yet to abate.

As of Monday, 10 of the roster’s 17 players under standard contracts were listed on the team’s injury report. In recent days, the NBA approved two hardship exceptions (for Oliver and Khyri Thomas) just to allow the Rockets to have enough players to finish out the season.

It’s also important to remember that this is a shortened NBA regular season of only 72 games. With Oliver’s debut in the 69th game, Houston set the mark 13 games prior to when a normal 82-game slate would end.

The complete list of this season’s 29 players includes Harden, Oliver, Victor Oladipo, Christian Wood, John Wall, Kevin Porter Jr., Kelly Olynyk, PJ Tucker, Jae’Sean Tate, Eric Gordon, Khyri Thomas, Danuel House Jr., Armoni Brooks, Sterling Brown, Avery Bradley, David Nwaba, Kenyon Martin, DaQuan Jeffries, DeMarcus Cousins, DJ Augustin, Justin Patton, Ben McLemore, Anthony Lamb, D.J. Wilson, Mason Jones, Ray Spalding, Rodions Kurucs, Brodric Thomas, and Bruno Caboclo.

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Rockets to sign big man Cameron Oliver for remainder of season

Oliver, who was in training camp with Houston before the 2017-18 season, was averaging 17.3 points and 9.9 rebounds per game in Australia.

The Houston Rockets are signing 6-foot-8 big man Cameron Oliver for the remainder of the 2020-21 season, according to ESPN’s Olgun Uluc. Oliver had most recently played in Australia for the Cairns Taipans.

After playing in college at the University of Nevada, Oliver declared for the NBA’s 2017 draft before signing a deal with the Rockets as an undrafted free agent. At the time, current Houston general manager Rafael Stone was on the basketball operations staff of Daryl Morey.

Oliver didn’t make the team after injuring his hand during 2017-18 training camp, but he played two seasons in the NBA G League before transitioning to Australia’s National Basketball League (NBL) in 2019.

Now 24 years old, Oliver averaged 17.3 points (49.8% FG, 31.9% on 3-pointers), 9.9 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game for Cairns this season.

Per Uluc, Oliver is signing a 10-day deal with the Rockets, which covers the rest of the season — since it ends on May 16. Though Houston does have a full roster, the NBA granted them a hardship exception (based on their historic wave of injuries) for the recent signing of Khyri Thomas. If they could get a second hardship exception approved, that could allow them to add Thomas to a 10-day deal without making a release.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ijNItE2WdE