RUNNIN’ REBELS TO PLAY IN HENDERSON WEDNESDAY FOR FIRST TIME EVER
UNLV is off to its best start to a season in 11 years; Will face Hawaii at 7 p.m. at The Dollar Loan Center
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LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – After starting the season 8-0 for the first time in 11 years, which has included a win over then-No. 21 Dayton and capturing the SoCal Challenge title just before Thanksgiving, the UNLV men’s basketball team will play in Henderson for the first time ever as it faces Hawaii at The Dollar Loan Center on Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 7 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT: UNLV was dominant in its last game, which was its first true road game of the season, at San Diego on Saturday night. The Runnin’ Rebels won 95-78 to improve to 8-0, making 13 3-pointers and scoring 31 fast-break points. Four UNLV players scored in double figures, led by Luis Rodriguez’ career-high 19 points. EJ Harkless added 17, Justin Webster had a season-high 16 and Jackie Johnson III contributed 12. UNLV shot 52.5% from the field for the game, 48.1% on 3-pointers, and led by as many as 31 halfway through the second half.
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 eight contests, Gilbert leads the team in scoring with 14.6 ppg, while shooting 54.5% from the field and 58.3% on 3-pointers, in addition to averaging 3.8 assists and 1.9 steals per game. Harkless is scoring 14.5 ppg with 4.1 rebounds per game and 3.1 apg and 1.4 spg. Rodriguez is also averaging double figures in scoring at 11.9 ppg and rebounding with 5.8 rpg, while leading the team in steals at 2.4 per game (28th in the nation). David Muoka is leading the team in rebounding and blocks with 6.4 rpg and 1.6 bpg.
ABOUT THE OPPONENT: Hawaii (5-2) started the season 5-1 before dropping its last game by two points to Texas A&M Commerce (53-51) last Wednesday. The game against UNLV will mark the Rainbow Warriors’ first of the season on the mainland. UH has two players averaging double figures in scoring: Noel Coleman with 17.4 ppg and Bernardo da Silva with 11.4 ppg. da Silva leads the team in rebounding at 8.1 rpg, while Coleman is the team’s assist leader at 3.0 apg. Hawaii finished the 2021-22 season with an overall record of 17-11, finishing third in the Big West Conference with a 10-5 league mark. This season’s team was picked to finish second in the Big West’s preseason poll. Coleman was named to the preseason all-conference team. The Rainbow Warriors’ 15-man roster includes nine upperclassmen. UH is coached by Eran Ganot, who is in his eighth season with a record of 119-79.
TICKETS: Tickets to Wednesday’s game at The Dollar Loan Center in Henderson are available and may be purchased by visiting https://thedollarloancenter.com/unlv-basketball-vs-hawaii/
BROADCAST INFO: Wednesday’s game will be streamed on the Runnin’ Rebels’ YouTube channel with Tony Cordasco and former UNLV star Wink Adams calling the action. Jon Sandler, former Runnin’ Rebel Curtis Terry and Steve Cofield (sidelines) 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).