RUNNIN’ REBELS BACK AT HOME TO HOST SAN FRANCISCO SATURDAY AFTERNOON
UNLV men’s basketball is off to its best start to a season in 32 years; Will face Dons at 2 p.m. in first home game in 21 days
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Off to its best start to a season in 32 years (1990-91) and one of only seven undefeated teams remaining in the country, the UNLV men’s basketball team (10-0) will host San Francisco at the Thomas & Mack Center on Saturday, Dec. 17 at 2 p.m. It will mark the Runnin’ Rebels’ first contest on their home court in 21 days, as the facility was being used during that time for the National Finals Rodeo.
LAST TIME OUT: Keshon Gilbert scored a career-high 25 points and EJ Harkless added 20 as the Runnin’ Rebels defeated Washington State 74-70 Saturday afternoon in the Las Vegas Clash at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Gilbert was 10 of 15 from the field, including 2 of 5 on 3-pointers, while collecting a team-high five rebounds, three assists and three steals. Harkless was 7 of 18 from the field. UNLV forced Washington State into 22 turnovers, marking the seventh time this season that a UNLV opponent committed at least 20 miscues.
ABOUT THE ROSTER: This season’s UNLV squad features six returners, nine newcomers, including six transfers from the Division I level, and a total of 10 upperclassmen. The lone returning starter is 6-foot guard Jordan McCabe, who was a senior last season and returns for his fifth year for 2022-23. Other returners include 6-3 senior guard Justin Webster, 6-10 senior center David Muoka, 6-4 sophomore guard Keshon Gilbert, 6-7 senior forward Victor Iwuakor and 6-3 senior guard Cameron Burist.
The newcomers include 6-10 redshirt sophomore forward Isaiah Cottrell, who is originally from Las Vegas and transferred to UNLV from West Virginia, 6-7 freshman guard Keyshawn Hall from Cleveland, Ohio, 6-3 fifth-year guard EJ Harkless, who transferred from Oklahoma, 5-11 sophomore guard Jackie Johnson III, who transferred from Duquesne, 6-10 junior forward Karl Jones, who transferred from LA Southwest College, 6-6 sophomore guard Shane Nowell, who transferred from Arizona, 6-4 fifth-year guard Elijah Parquet, who transferred from Colorado, 6-6 senior guard Luis Rodriguez, who transferred from Ole Miss and 6-1 junior guard Nick Walters, who transferred from the College of Southern Nevada.
After 10 contests, Gilbert leads the team in scoring with 15.5 ppg, while shooting 53.8% from the field and 56.7% on 3-pointers, in addition to averaging 3.7 assists and 2.1 steals per game. Harkless is scoring 14.6 ppg with 4.1 rebounds per game, and 2.8 apg and 1.2 spg. Rodriguez is also averaging double figures in scoring at 11.9 ppg and rebounding with 5.5 rpg, while leading the team in steals at 2.4 per game (26th in the nation). David Muoka is leading the team in rebounding and blocks with 6.2 rpg and 1.7 bpg.
ABOUT THE OPPONENT: San Francisco (8-3) started the season 6-0 before dropping three of its last five games. The Dons are coming off a 67-64 loss to New Mexico at Mandalay Bay’s Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas on Monday. USF has three players averaging in double figures in scoring, led by Khalil Shabazz with 14.3 ppg. Shabazz and Zane Meeks lead the team in rebounding, each with 5.8 rpg, while Shabazz is the team’s assists (4.0 apg) and steals leader (2.4 spg). San Francisco ranks 14th in the country in 3-point attempts per game (28.8). USF finished the 2021-22 season with an overall record of 24-10, finishing fourth in the West Coast Conference with a 10-6 league mark. The Dons were an at-large selection to the NCAA Tournament, falling in the first round to Murray State in overtime. This season’s team was picked to finish tied for third in the WCC’s preseason poll. Shabazz was named to the preseason all-conference team. The Dons’ 15-man roster includes nine upperclassmen. USF is coached by Chris Gerlufsen, who is in his first season at the school. He was acting head coach at Hawaii for 13 games during the 2019-20 season, so his career head coaching record is 16-8 (.667).
TICKETS: UNLV men’s basketball season ticket pricing has been adjusted for the 2022-23 season, with affordability and family-friendly value at the forefront of the changes. Tickets may be purchased online at UNLVtickets.com, on the phone by calling 702-739-FANS (3267) or in person at the Thomas & Mack Center Box Office.
PROMOTIONS: UNLV Athletics is offering the Family 4-Pack for Saturday’s game, which includes four tickets and four chicken finger baskets for as low as $52. In addition, Saturday’s game features the UNLV Students Friends and Family Deal – students can claim up to four free tickets to the game. New UNLV football head coach Barry Odom will be introduced to and address the crowd at halftime.
BROADCAST INFO: Saturday’s game will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network in addition to the Silver State Sports and Entertainment Network (Cox 125 and over the air digital 5.2) with Matt Neverett and Steve Cofield calling the action. Jon Sandler and former Runnin’ Rebel Curtis Terry will handle the UNLV radio call, which may be heard live on ESPN Radio 1100 in Las Vegas. All streaming links and live stats will be available at UNLVRebels.com and through the UNLV Rebels App.
LAST SEASON: The Runnin’ Rebels turned in a successful season in 2021-22, their first under head coach Kevin Kruger, winning 18 games, which marked the most for UNLV in four years. The team went 10-8 in Mountain West play, exceeding preseason expectations with a fifth-place finish in the league standings. With a revamped roster that included nine transfers, the team continually improved as the season progressed, advancing 43 spots in the KenPom ratings along the way. Under Kruger’s leadership, three UNLV individuals earned All-Mountain West accolades last season: Bryce Hamilton (First Team), Donovan Williams (Sixth Man of the Year) and Royce Hamm Jr. (Honorable Mention).
