UNLV Basketball: 2023-24 season preview for the Rebels
By Jay George
It was a tale of two halves for UNLV Basketball last season. Starting off with a strong 10-0 record, the Rebels looked ready to make a run for the top of the Mountain West Conference. They even picked up some respectable wins against a ranked Dayton and a power 6 opponent in Minnesota. However, in their final 22 games of the season, they only picked up 9 more wins. Granted, they still had some high points with those wins such as knocking off then ranked #21 New Mexico as well as playing San Diego State close late in the season.
In a general sense, a season like that might seem pretty deflating with the future looking bleak in future seasons. However, this is not necessarily the only possible outcome. In fact, the program is at a point where they can choose their path going forward. This team is full of new talent via the transfer portal and freshman recruiting. On top of that, a majority of the returners that are still there have only been in the program since last season. Just from a roster perspective, this team is interesting to look at.
Of the 14 guys on the roster, you have three freshman, one sophomore, three juniors, two seniors and six fifth years. That’s four underclassmen to eleven upperclassmen. As far as returners, UNLV only brings back seven with six of those guys only having one season with the Rebels under their belts. Top that with the four incoming transfers in Jalen Hill from Oklahoma, Kalib Boone from Oklahoma State, Keylan Boone from Pacific, and Rob Whaley Jr. from Southern Idaho and the three freshman recruits, and you’ve got a fresh look for this season. The lineup also is forward heavy with only a few guards to potentially run the offense at the one.
Head coach Kevin Kruger will be entering his third season with the UNLV Rebels as head coach after a stint as an assistant on the team. So, having some time to figure out a culture for the team, he’ll look to head into this season with the follow lineup.