Mountain West Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2022-23 season

Last season, Bryce Hamilton led Mountain West Basketball in scoring with 21.8 ppg. With he and Donovan Williams gone, that leaves no one returning that produced more than 6.4 ppg. But with several returning veterans combined with seven newcomers, there’s a recipe for a successful roster.

Among the returning players are 5th-year senior guards, Jordan McCabe (6.4 ppg and 4.8 apg) and Justin Webster. Victor Iwuakor and David Muoka are solid depth in the frontcourt and should have larger roles in the rotation. West Virginia transfer Isaiah Cottrell, who started 28 games last season, gives the Rebels size at 6’10 and 240 pounds.

The key to UNLV will be on the wings and in the backcourt. There are several power conference transfers joining the roster, including Luis Rodriguez from Ole Miss, Shane Nowell from Arizona, All-Pac12 defender Eli Parquet from Colorado, and Elijah Harkless from Oklahoma. Add Jackie Johnson III, who had multiple 30-point games at Duquesne as a freshman and you have a nice mix of offensive and defensive playmakers on the perimeter.

The concern for UNLV is that there’s a lack of frontcourt depth and a bunch of role players on the perimeter but none that are stars like Hamilton was. Are they any double-digit scorers on the roster? That remains to be seen. But there are some quality defenders and capable scorers for the Rebels to work with.