Taking stock of UNLV basketball as portal closes

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Friday, May 3, 2024 | 2 a.m.

Two distinct sounds were heard across the college basketball landscape this week. First was the door of the transfer portal slamming shut, and second was every coach in America sighing in relief.

After a 45-day frenzy that saw nearly 2,000 players enter their names, the portal officially closed at 11:59 p.m. on May 1. That doesn’t mean the transfer market is dead — players who entered the portal before the deadline can still be recruited and commit to new schools over the coming weeks and months. But players who did not enter the portal are now locked in to start the 2024-25 season with their current team (with the exception of seniors who are on track to graduate with eligibility; grad transfers can enter the portal at any time throughout the year).

It was a painful month and a half for Mountain West basketball, as some of the conference’s most distinguished players departed for greener pastures. Defending champion Utah State lost Player of the Year Great Osobor, while Boise State lost swingman Chibuzo Agbo to USC and San Diego State waved goodbye to stalwart guard and Final Four hero Lamont Butler (Kentucky).

The biggest blow may have come the day before the portal closed, when New Mexico forward JT Toppin — the league’s Freshman of the Year and a promising young talent — put his name in the portal.

UNLV made it to the finish line relatively unscathed. Junior wing Shane Nowell transferred to Portland State, and junior guard Jackie Johnson moved on to (Fordham), but neither figured prominently into the Scarlet and Gray’s plans for next season.

The big win for the program was, obviously, keeping D.J. Thomas in the fold. Though there were no shortage of teams willing to offer him a huge NIL package coming off a freshman campaign that saw him average 13.6 points and 5.1 assists, Thomas opted to stay in Las Vegas and make another run with his hometown team.

Head coach Kevin Kruger always felt confident in his relationship with Thomas throughout the year, but he still probably watched the clock tick down to midnight on Wednesday, counting every second.

So where does UNLV stand now, six months from opening night? The team has at least two starters in place in Thomas and forward Rob Whaley, who will be a senior. Rising sophomore Brooklyn Hicks could compete for a larger role as well.

The team received some very good news two weeks ago, as the NCAA granted Jalen Hill a sixth year of eligibility. Hill, a 6-foot-7 forward, relocated to UNLV last year as a grad transfer but suffered a torn ACL midway through the season. His return should give the team another frontline player, assuming his rehab progresses well (Kruger said he was ahead of schedule).

That’s a better-than-decent foundation for next season. As for additions, Kruger has already pulled two from the portal, landing commitments from DePaul wing Jaden Henley and Boise State guard Jace Whiting, both rising juniors.

There are still two open scholarship spots on the 2024-25 roster, and Kruger and his staff have been busy trying to fill the openings. Butler guard Finley Bizjack was on campus for a visit last week, but ultimately decided to return to the Bulldogs after other defections cleared a path to increased playing time at Butler. And another of UNLV’s top targets, former Saint Mary’s forward Joshua Jefferson, opted to commit to Iowa State.

Bizjack and Jefferson were highly coveted by UNLV, but Kruger is not deterred by the near-misses. With more than 1,800 players in the portal, there are plenty of options to round out the roster, and Kruger has faith in his staff to find the right fits.

The key, according to Kruger, is that they’re recruiting from a position of strength.

“We always cast a pretty wide net,” Kruger said. “In terms of past years compared to this year, it’s probably a smaller number than it’s been in years past. We want to make sure we add the right guys. And we’ve got a staff that has a million connections, so we’re not shy about contacting people and getting as much info as we can.”

Kruger has previously mentioned perimeter shooting and length and athleticism on the wing as two acute needs, and the team’s first signees addressed those concerns. Whiting is a career 39.7% marksman from 3-point range, while the 6-foot-7 Henley could slide into the swingman role vacated by Luis Rodriguez.

The team could still use another plus shooter, which explains the dogged pursuit of Bizjack. There’s also room for another impact post player.

More than any particular skill set, however, Kruger wants newcomers who will complement the core already in place.

“We’re losing a lot of experience,” Kruger said. “So you want to make sure there’s a level of experience [on the roster]. But the most important thing is bringing in guys we know will mesh with the returners we have. We feel like we’re in a good position with what we have, plus what we think we can add.”

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.