Welcome to my team preview series for 2024-25. Each day between now and the start of the college basketball season, I will preview one team or conference, both on Instagram (@collegehoopsoutlet) and through an article here. The preview will go in-depth on the roster build of the team, my expectations for their upcoming season, and the state of the program under their current head coach.
UNLV (Projected: 4th in Mountain West)
Kevin Kruger has now completed three seasons as the UNLV head coach, increasing the Runnin’ Rebels’ win total each year. In 2023-24, UNLV finished 21-13 (12-6), good enough for 4th place in a Mountain West that received six NCAA Tournament bids. The Rebels lose most of their experience, graduating five seniors, but the return of their star freshman point guard should give their fans a great outlook heading into 2024-25.
Dedan Thomas Jr. (14 ppg, 5 apg) is the name of UNLV’s star point guard, a name the casual fan may not be too familiar with right now, but almost assuredly will be by next March. Thomas reclassified last offseason in order to play his freshman season a year early, and he showed through his play that he was more than ready to do so. His playmaking ability and ability to get shots off was already at a high level and if he continues to gain comfortability, the sky is the limit for Thomas. Thomas’ name should be right up next to New Mexico’s Donovan Dent and Boise State’s Tyson Degenhart when talking about the possible Mountain West Player of the Year.
Four other Rebels return to the program for another season, two of which will likely start in the frontcourt. Senior forward Jalen Hill (11 ppg, 6 rpg) battled injury this past season, playing just seven games, but received a medical redshirt and should be healthy for all of 2024-25. Senior forward Rob Whaley Jr. (8 ppg, 4 rpg) returns to the frontcourt as well, likely a solidified starter this season after starting 16 games last season, usually filling in for injured teammates. Junior forward Isaiah Cottrell (4 ppg, 2 rpg) and sophomore guard Brooklyn Hicks (3 ppg) also return, both likely to see increased minutes off the bench.
Five Rebels graduated and two transferred out from last season’s team, leaving lots of holes to be filled this offseason. Twin brothers Keylan Boone (13 ppg, 7 rpg) and Kalib Boone (11 ppg, 5 rpg) are the two biggest losses, both dominant frontcourt players for the Rebels this past season with loads of collegiate experience. The backcourt also loses significant contributors, including senior guard Luis Rodriguez (11 ppg, 7 rpg), senior guard Justin Webster (8 ppg) and junior guard Jackie Johnson III (5 ppg). Junior guard Shane Nowell (2 ppg) and senior forward Karl Jones (1 ppg) also leave the program after playing limited minutes last season.
To replace the experienced players headed out the door, Kevin Kruger did some work in the transfer portal, finding four D1 transfers and a JUCO transfer. The biggest transfer addition of the off-season for UNLV was Jailen Bedford (15 ppg, 6 rpg at Oral Roberts), a 6-4 guard that can score and rebound the ball at a high rate. Bedford is a near-perfect plug-and-play for graduated Luis Rodriguez and instantly replenishes some of the experience the Rebels lose in the backcourt. Jaden Henley (9 ppg, 3 rpg at DePaul) is another guard likely to start for the Rebels, a two-time transfer that has spent a season at each of Minnesota and DePaul.
Senior guard Julian Rishwain (2 ppg, 2 rpg at Florida) is a bit of a wildcard, having only played eight games this past season at Florida due to injury. Rishwain spent three seasons at San Francisco and one season at Boston College prior to playing for the Gators, and if he can return to those production levels after injury, he is another experienced asset for the Rebels’ backcourt depth. Jace Whiting (3 ppg at Boise State) is the final D1 transfer that Kevin Kruger added, stealing away a depth piece from conference rivals Boise State. The final transfer of the class is JUCO center Jeremiah Cherry, who could play meaningful minutes in a frontcourt that lost tons of experience and depth.
The traditional high school recruiting path was also lightly used by Kruger, finding two three-stars in the 2024 class. Center Papa N’Diaye (3*, NAT 141) could see minutes in year one with a thin frontcourt, while guard James Evans (3*, NAT 154) will likely see year one as a developmental year working behind Thomas, Bedford, Rishwain, and Hicks. Redshirt freshman forward Jacob Bannarbie also joins the lineup after redshirting 2023-24, another depth piece for the frontcourt.
Once UNLV had a set rotation last season, they were a pretty good team, but the questionable performances throughout the season kept them from reaching the Big Dance. The Runnin’ Rebels lost games by 14 and 32 on their home floor to Southern and Air Force, something the committee simply couldn’t look past. They then went 12-6 in the Mountain West, vastly exceeding expectations. It was a weird year in 2023-24, and I think 2024-25 will be about the same overall, but a lot more consistency from November to March.
Dedan Thomas Jr. is going to be the guy all season long, and UNLV will go as far as he can take them. He has the ability to take over games by himself while also creating enough to get his teammates involved. Thomas is the obvious X-factor, but two guys I’m looking for to step up are Jailen Bedford and Jalen Hill. Bedford put up good numbers for a struggling ORU team last season, but needs to grow into a consistent piece for UNLV to compete, being a solid second option in the backcourt behind Thomas. Hill played just seven games in 2023-24, and his productivity will be a question mark to start the year, but if he can play at the level he was at prior to injury, he will be a key piece for the Rebels’ tournament hopes.
With a full year of experience under his belt, it’s time for Dedan Thomas Jr. to take another step up in his game and truly become one of the premier players in college basketball , which I think he is in the perfect spot to do at UNLV. This is a guy that has true All-American potential and can realistically average 16-6-6 in 2024-25. If he gets enough help, UNLV can sneak into the NCAA Tournament, but even if not, they should be a safe shout for an NIT bid. I’ve got the Rebels finishing 4th in the Mountain West, with a true possibility of finishing anywhere from 1st to 7th.