Runnin’ Rebels Open Season Monday Night At Home

The UNLV men’s basketball team will open the 2024-25 season on Monday, Nov 4 at 8:30 p.m. at the Thomas & Mack Center vs. Alabama State.

The Runnin’ Rebels, who are in their fourth year under head coach Kevin Kruger, will begin this season’s campaign by playing each of their first five games at home.

MONDAY’S STUDENT PROMOTIONS: All UNLV students who scan into the men’s basketball home opener will receive a guaranteed lower-bowl student section ticket to the football game against San Diego State on Saturday, Nov. 16, and be entered to win an on-field pregame experience. In addition, UNLV students will receive free energy drinks Monday night at the Thomas & Mack Center, have a chance to win four party suite tickets for the football game vs. UNR and have a chance to win a custom pair of Air Force 1s. Energy drinks and Air Force 1s are courtesy of the Rebellion.

TICKETS: Tickets to UNLV men’s basketball home games are on sale at UNLVtickets.com, by calling 702-739-FANS (3267) or by visiting the Thomas & Mack Center Box Office.

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 return 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. 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.

ABOUT THE OPPONENT: Alabama State went 13-19 overall last season and finished tied for eighth in the Southwestern Athletic Conference with an 8-10 league mark. The Hornets return seven players from 2023-24, including TJ Madlock, CJ Hines and Ubong Okon, who all earned preseason All-SWAC honors. Madlock was named to the first team, while Hines and Okon received second-team recognition. Madlock led his team last season with 15.8 points per game along with 4.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.7 steals per contest, Hines was the team’s assist leader at 2.7 apg, along with scoring 9.7 ppg and recording 1.0 spg, and Okon, who is 7-foot-1, recorded 1.2 blocks per game, shot 56.9% from the field (3.2 ppg) and grabbed 6.3 rpg. ASU, who has eight newcomers, was picked to finish fifth in its conference this season, receiving one first-place vote in the preseason poll. The Hornets, who have 11 upperclassmen on their roster, are coached by Tony Madlock, who is in his third season at the school with a record of 21-42. He was also the interim head coach at Ole Miss for five games during the 2017-18 season and was head coach at South Carolina State for one season (2021-22).

BROADCAST INFO: Monday’s game will be broadcast on the Silver State Sports & Entertainment Network (digital channel 5.2 & 125 on Cox in Las Vegas, also available on YouTube TV) and the Mountain West Network with Matt Neverett, Curtis Terry and Steve Cofield calling the action. The trio will also provide the call on radio via simulcast, which may be heard on ESPN Radio 1100 in Las Vegas. All streaming links and live stats are available at UNLVRebels.com and through the UNLV Rebels App.

LAST SEASON: The Runnin’ Rebels are coming off their best season in over a decade as they were invited to the postseason for the first time since 2013, advancing to the NIT quarterfinals, winning a postseason game for the first time 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.