RUNNIN’ REBELS SIGN THREE DURING EARLY PERIOD FOR 2021-22 SEASON
Zaon Collins, Keshon Gilbert and Arthur Kaluma all sign commitments to make up a 2021 recruiting class ranked as high as 14th in the nation
@TheRunninRebels | @UNLVAthletics
The UNLV men’s basketball program has received signed commitments from Zaon (“ZAY-on) Collins, Keshon (“KEY-shon”) Gilbert and Arthur Kaluma (“KAH-lew-mah”), head coach T.J. Otzelberger announced Wednesday.
With the three additions to the program, UNLV’s 2021 recruiting class is ranked No. 1 in the Mountain West and as high as 14th in the nation.
“We are very pleased that Zaon, Keshon and Arthur have all chosen to become Runnin’ Rebels,” Otzelberger said. “They are all great young men and very talented basketball players, and we are looking forward to them joining us on campus for next season.”
Collins, a 6-foot-1-inch, 175-pound guard from Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, is a consensus four-star recruit who is rated as the 37th-best player in the class by ESPN. A winner of three state titles as a member of the Gaels, he averaged 14 points, eight assists and three steals as a junior last season. Ranked as the nation’s No. 5, 6 and 7 point guard in the class by 247 Sports, ESPN and Rivals, respectively, he was named to the MaxPrep’s Nevada All-State First Team last season. He has also played for Vegas Elite on the AAU Circuit.
Zaon is a lightning-quick point guard who excels in the open court,” Otzelberger said. “He makes the right play at the right time and is a proven winner. Defensively, he has the ability to pressure opposing point guards 94 feet to dictate tempo and disrupt opposing offenses.”
Gilbert, a 6-foot-4-inch, 180-pound guard from Vashon High School in St. Louis, is originally from Las Vegas where he attended Durango High School. As a junior he led the Trailblazers to the state tournament for the first time in 17 years, while averaging 14 points and five assists. His sophomore season he scored 15.3 ppg on 54 percent shooting and also averaged 4.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists per contest. Ranked No. 29 in the nation among point guards in his class by 247 Sports, he is also rated as a three-star recruit by ESPN and Rivals. He chose UNLV over Arizona, Arizona State, Oklahoma and USC among others. He also played AAU ball for the Las Vegas Knicks and is the brother of current UNLV men’s basketball student-athlete Kendrick Gilbert.
“Keshon is a powerful playmaking guard who impacts winning in a multitude of ways,” Otzelberger said. “He is a fierce competitor who can physically impose his will on opposing guards. Offensively, he has the ability to finish through contact and knock down the 3-point shot.”
Kaluma, originally from Boston, is a 6-foot-8-inch, 225-pound forward from Dream City Christian School in Glendale, Arizona. A consensus four-star recruit, he is ranked as high as the 32nd-best overall player in the class by 247 Sports and the eighth-best power forward. Ranked 39th overall in the class by ESPN, he chose UNLV over Arkansas, Arizona State, Kansas, Oklahoma, Syracuse, USC, and Texas A&M among others. He had played with Houston Hoops in AAU ball before joining Vegas Elite.
“Arthur is a mismatch player with guard skills who uses his high basketball IQ to create an advantage for his team,” Otzelberger said. “He can score off the bounce and from the perimeter, and is a terrific finisher in the paint. Defensively, his size, length and physicality will make him a force.”
Collins, Gilbert and Kaluma will all join the Runnin’ Rebel program starting with the 2021-22 season.