Runnin’ Rebels Travel To San Diego State For Saturday Game

After defeating No. 22 Utah State on Wednesday night at the Thomas & Mack Center, the UNLV men’s basketball team (10-7, 4-2) will head back out on the road to play at San Diego State on Saturday, Jan. 18 at 5 p.m. The game will be nationally televised on CBS Sports Network.

The Runnin’ Rebels opened league action with an 87-77 home win over Fresno State, a 77-58 road victory at Air Force and a 79-73 home win over San Jose State, before dropping two straight road games at Boise State, 81-59, and at Colorado State, 84-62. However, UNLV snapped its two-game losing streak with its 65-62 win against the Aggies.

The Runnin’ Rebels have won six of their last nine games. UNLV shot better than 50% from the field in its first three games of the MW season and is 8-1 at home this year.

UNLV has three players averaging double figures in scoring, led by Dedan Thomas Jr.’s 15.6 points per game. Jaden Henley, Jailen Bedford, Jeremiah “Bear” Cherry and Julian Rishwain are all averaging between 9.0 ppg and 11.5 ppg. Cherry leads in rebounding with 5.6 rpg and blocks with 1.5 bpg, while Thomas Jr. is the team’s assist leader with 4.5 apg (3rd in MW) and Rishwain leads in steals with 1.5 spg. Bedford is the team’s 3-point percentage leader at 43.2% (2nd in MW).

UNLV is in its fourth season under head coach Kevin Kruger. He has a career record of 68-47 (.591).

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 last January (in the MW opener at San Diego State). 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: In Wednesday’s win over No. 22 Utah State, which was UNLV’s eighth win in its last 12 games against Top 25 opponents and also pushed its home record this season to 8-1, the Runnin’ Rebels finished the game on a 7-0 run, which was sparked by a Julian Rishwain 3-pointer. A transition layup by Dedan Thomas Jr. came next and was then capped by a Thomas Jr. fadeaway jumper with 18 seconds left. Jalen Hill led the Runnin’ Rebels with 15 points and eight rebounds, while Rishwain scored 13 points on four made 3-pointers. UNLV out-rebounded Utah State 37-34, led in points in the paint 36-20 and held the Aggies to their second-lowest scoring total of the season.

ABOUT SAN DIEGO STATE: The Aztecs, who are receiving votes in both Top 25 polls, have won three of their last four games, including on Tuesday night against Colorado State at home, 75-60. The game prior, SDSU lost at New Mexico, 62-48. The Aztecs have defeated two ranked teams this season in then-No. 21/19 Creighton (71-53) and vs. then-No. 6/7 Houston (73-70, OT), both in Las Vegas. SDSU is ranked 34th in KenPom and is 6-2 at home this season. The Aztecs have two players averaging in double figures in scoring, Miles Byrd with 14.2 ppg and Nick Boyd at 12.3 ppg. Jared Coleman-Jones is the team’s leading rebounder with 5.3 rpg, while Boyd leads in assists with 3.6 apg, Byrd is the steals leader at 2.1 spg and Magoon Gwath leads in blocks with 2.7 bpg (6th in the country). San Diego State is third in the country in field goal percentage defense (35.9),  seventh in blocks (5.7 bpg) and 12th in scoring defense (61.8 ppg). SDSU was predicted to finish fourth in the Mountain West this season in the preseason coaches’ poll, earning two of 26 first-place votes. Reese Waters was named to the preseason All-MW team, while Pharaoh Compton was voted the MW Preseason Freshman of the Year. The Aztecs had an overall record of 26-11 last season, finishing fifth in the MW with a league mark of 11-7. They advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 where they lost to eventual national champion UConn to end their season. SDSU has eight upperclassmen on its 18-man roster. Head coach Brian Dutcher is in his eighth season with a career record of 188-62 (.752).

BROADCAST INFO: Saturday’s game will be televised nationally on CBS Sports Network with Rich Waltz and Darren Collison calling the action. Matt Neverett, former Runnin’ Rebel Curtis Terry and Steve Cofield will handle the call on radio, which may be heard on ESPN Radio 1100 in Las Vegas and worldwide on SiriusXM 385. All streaming links and live stats are available at UNLVRebels.com and through the UNLV Rebels App.