By Brent Ingram, UTA Athletics Communications

ARLINGTON, Texas -- UTA men's basketball coach Scott Cross faced a tough decision on creating a starting lineup in 2016-17.

His club entered the season as the preseason favorite to win the Sun Belt Conference and boasted the preseason league player of the year, junior forward Kevin Hervey.

With a roster that boasts a bevy of players who could make a case for being a starter, Cross was going to have to disappoint someone.

When junior guard Kaelon Wilson, who had started 12 games a season ago, sent him a text in the preseason Cross knew he had the makings of a special team.

"Kaelon is a starter in my mind," Cross said. "Kaelon was as good or better than any of our other guards in the preseason. He actually sent me a text that said he had no problem coming off the bench. That made things a lot easier for me. We need that. We need a go-to guy coming off the bench. He's been awesome for us and he's provided that punch."

Wilson has headlined a deep UTA bench that has seen 10 players average double-digit minutes. He has averaged nine points and 19.2 minutes per game for the Mavs

As the Mavs head to Bradley on Friday, sporting a seven-game winning streak, Wilson had joined forces with bench stalwarts DJ Bryant, Nathan Hawkins, Julian Harris and Faith Pope.

"They are a big reason for our success," Cross said. "Those guys that come off the bench, as well as those starters that don't get the attention, they are the biggest reason we have success. This year, what differs from last year, is we have so many different options that are scoring the ball efficiently."

Wilson, along with starting junior guard Jalen Jones, has excelled at attacking the basket and getting to the charity stripe.

"It is huge for us to be able to score in different ways," Wilson said. "We are a big 3-point shooting team. We like to drive and kick to open threes. If they are not falling, it is nice to have that back-up plan to help provide some scoring."

Along with Wilson, UTA has utilized Hawkins in a super-sub role off the bench. A 6-foot-5 guard, Hawkins has been consistently credited for his energy, versatility and impact on the lineup.

"Nate has really helped us," Cross said. "He has always been an unbelievable passer. He is a ball mover, he is so smart and intelligent. He can help us because not only does he have good size, great vision, good passing ability but he has become one of our best defenders. When he is able to stick his shot, that helps us even more."

Hawkins has accepted his role as an energy creator off the bench and believes the chemistry of the team has helped UTA find an identity.

"We are finding out who we are again," Hawkins said. "Things have changed from last year. We are not sneaking up on anybody now. Teams are ready for us. It is really just about getting back to what UTA basketball is all about, which starts defensively and realizing that when one person breaks down it hurts the whole team. I just want to be able to help the team any way I can and defensively seems to be a way that I can do that."

Junior point guard Erick Neal has established a reputation as one of the better distributors in college basketball and Bryant, a freshman, has emerged in a vital role as his backup. His effort in the first half at Texas - when Neal was battling foul trouble - helped the Mavs take complete control of the contest.

"DJ is providing a nice 10 minutes per game for Erick and is giving him a breather," Cross said. "DJ runs the team, get the ball where it needs to go and plays extremely hard and he has been solid defensively."

While Cross worked to break Hervey, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2015-16, into the lineup gradually through the first four games of the year, he turned to Pope to start in his stead. Pope provided valuable minutes in the starting lineup and has shined in his role as an athlete off the bench since Hervey's return to the lineup for the seven-game winning streak, which most recently included a historic win at No. 12 Saint Mary's.

"Faith Pope, who has been an energy guy, a spark for us, has been big," Cross said. "He is a great athlete and he's helped us a ton on baseline out of bounds. Getting dunks and getting the crowd involved. He's starting to get a little more confidence in what he is doing as well."

With such a deep, veteran bench, it has allowed Cross to bring Hervey back gently without a significant amount of pressure on the shoulders of its 6-9, 230-pound standout.

"Even if Kevin wasn't hurt, playing 35-40 minutes a game is tough on anybody," Hawkins said. "Especially coming back from injury, it is nice that he doesn't have to feel pressed to do anything he doesn't have to do. If he is tired or not feeling 100 percent, he can be comfortable to speak up and say he needs a break. We have people that can come in and keep the level of play up."

In addition to the group of talented guards off the bench, UTA has benefited from 7-foot transfer, Link Kabadyundi, who has improved each game and is giving the Mavs a physical presence in the paint. With Kabadyundi and Harris coming off the bench to help in the post, the Mavs have been able to spell Hervey and senior Jorge Bilbao.

"JuJu (Julian Harris) hasn't got any credit but that guy has been unbelievable coming off the bench and being a guy that has been a great defender for us," Cross detailed. "Scoring when he has to but he is not going to take any unnecessary shots. He's going to be 1-for-1, 2-for-2 or 1-for-2, grab a couple of rebounds, crash the boards every time, and he's going to play good defense. And Link is starting to have some success. He played a couple of really good minutes against Saint Mary's that helped us out."

The unselfishness of the team hasn't been limited to the players who have graciously accepted roles off the bench. Senior guard Drew Charles, who has started all 11 games, has been a great example. Charles is shooting 51 percent from 3-point land on the year and has been a key ingredient for UTA's winning streak and team-first mentality.

"Drew was 4-for-6 from the 3-point line at Texas and he played only 15 minutes," Cross said. "He didn't say one word. He didn't complain, it was just part of it. I remember specifically it was less than 15 minutes for him and he hit four threes. He doesn't say a word, he knows that Kaelon is a great player, Jalen is a great player, Nate is a great player. Drew just wants to help the team win."

It is easy for coaches to preach a team-first mentality but the hard part comes for players to buy in, focus on doing their part to ensure strong team chemistry and have a positive impact on the roster.

"I love our bench," Cross said. "To me, if we don't have the bench, we are nothing. Because those guys have bought it, because its team first for them, we are having some success."