RUNNIN’ REBELS AT AIR FORCE ON NEW YEAR’S EVE DAY
UNLV looking for third straight win in 2 p.m. MST game in Colorado
The UNLV men’s basketball team (7-5, 1-0) will be looking for its third straight win and fourth in five games as it travels to Colorado for its first Mountain West road game of the season at Air Force (3-9, 0-1) on Tuesday, Dec. 31 at 2 p.m. MST/1 p.m. PST.
Tuesday’s game will be the second of the week for the Runnin’ Rebels, as they are coming off an 87-77 home win over Fresno State on Saturday night in their conference opener.
UNLV has four players averaging double figures in scoring, led by Dedan Thomas Jr.’s 16.8 points per game. Jaden Henley, Jailen Bedford and Jeremiah “Bear” Cherry are all averaging between 10.1 and 10.9 ppg, while Julian Rishwain is right behind at 9.3 ppg. Cherry leads in rebounding with 6.2 rpg, field-goal percentage with 64.6% and blocks with 1.7 bpg, while Thomas Jr. is the team’s assist leader with 4.3 apg and Hill and Rishwain leads in steals with 1.5 spg. Rishwain is the team’s top 3-point shooter at 39.5%.
UNLV is in its fourth season under head coach Kevin Kruger. He has a career record of 65-45.
ABOUT THE ROSTER: This season’s UNLV squad features six returners from last year’s team along with 10 newcomers. The newcomers are made up of four Division I transfers, a junior college transfer and five freshmen. UNLV has eight upperclassmen, including two sixth-year players. A total of six players on the roster are playing in their hometown of Las Vegas. The Runnin’ Rebels returned two starters in sophomore guard Dedan Thomas Jr., who was the Mountain West Co-Freshman of the Year last season and was named to this season’s preseason all-conference team, and senior forward Rob Whaley Jr. (currently injured) Forward Jalen Hill is also back for a sixth year of college after suffering a season-ending knee injury in January. Thomas Jr. led UNLV in scoring and assists last year with 13.6 and 5.1 per game, respectively, Whaley Jr. had averages of 7.6 ppg and 3.6 rpg, while Hill averaged 10.7 ppg and 6.1 rpg in seven contests.
LAST TIME OUT: UNLV won its Mountain West opener over Fresno State 87-77 on Saturday night at the Thomas & Mack Center. Dedan Thomas Jr. led four Runnin’ Rebels in double figures in scoring with a game-high 21 points and six assists. Jailen Bedford added 18 points, while Jaden Henley scored a season-high-tying 15 and Pape N’Diaye added a career-high 11. UNLV led by as many as 23 points with four minutes left in the first half (40-17) thanks to a three-plus minute, 12-0 run. The Runnin’ Rebels held a 48-30 advantage at the break, but Fresno State made it a seven-point game with 16:19 to go and eventually trailed by just four with 13 minutes left. However, UNLV used a 7-0 spurt from there and increased its lead back to 18 on a couple of occasions with less than five minutes remaining. UNLV shot 64.5% in the first half (20 of 31), including 53.8% on 3-pointers (7 of 13). The Runnin’ Rebels finished the game at 53.8% from the field (35 of 65). UNLV out-rebounded Fresno State 39-27 and allowed the Bulldogs to grab just six offensive rebounds.
ABOUT AIR FORCE: The Falcons haven’t played since a 77-59 loss at Boise State on Dec. 21. They have lost two straight games and five of their last six. Air Force has two players in double figures in scoring: Ethan Taylor (14.8 ppg) and Wesley Celichowski (10.5 ppg). Taylor also leads the team in rebounding (6.0 rpg), assists (4.2 apg) and steals (1.4 spg). The Falcons are 54th in the country in effective field-goal percentage (.557) and Taylor is 38th in the country in 3-pointers per game with 3.2. Air Force was predicted to finish 11th in the Mountain West this season in the preseason coaches’ poll. The Falcons had an overall record of 9-22 last season, finishing 11th in the MW with a league mark of 2-16. Air Force has just five upperclassmen on its 22-man roster. Head coach Joe Scott is in his ninth season at the school with a record of 93-149 and is in his 21st overall as a Division I head coach with a career mark of 277-326.
BROADCAST INFO: Tuesday’s game will be broadcast on Altitude and the Mountain West Network with Justin Adams and Brian Jerman calling the action. Matt Neverett, former Runnin’ Rebel Curtis Terry and Steve Cofield will provide the call on radio, which may be heard on ESPN Radio 1100 in Las Vegas and worldwide on SiriusXM 384. All streaming links and live stats are available at UNLVRebels.com and through the UNLV Rebels App.
LAST SEASON: The Runnin’ Rebels had their best season in over a decade in 2023-24 as they were invited to the postseason for the first time since 2013, advancing to the NIT quarterfinals and securing their first postseason win in 16 years. In his third season at the helm, Kruger led the squad to 21 wins for the first time since the 2012-13 campaign and guided the team to a 12-4 record over its final 16 games.
UNLV recorded its first win over a top-10 team in four years, its first in non-conference play in nine seasons and beat a total of four ranked teams in a single season for the first time in 11 years. 2023-24 Mountain West Co-Freshman of the Year Dedan Thomas Jr. set the Mountain West’s assists record with 174, also leading the nation in assists among freshmen.
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Runnin' Rebels At Air Force On New Year's Eve Day
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Runnin' Rebels At Air Force On New Year's Eve Day