Players to watch as UNLV basketball sifts through transfer portal

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Sunday, April 14, 2024 | 2 a.m.

The NCAA transfer portal will remain open until May 1, and UNLV has been active in trying to bring in veteran players to improve the 2024-25 team.

The Scarlet and Gray currently have three open scholarship spots, and head coach Kevin Kruger will likely be looking to fill two or three starting positions via the portal, so the next two-plus weeks will be critical to building next year’s roster.

A look at some transfers being targeted by the UNLV staff:

Jaden Henley, DePaul

Sophomore

2023-24: 8.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, 43.6 FG%, 26.9 3FG%

Henley was in Las Vegas for an on-campus visit this weekend, and it’s clear why UNLV is after the 6-foot-7 wing. He’s long, has an intriguing skill set and would fit in as an offensive threat on the perimeter, plus he’s got two years of eligibility remaining.

Hensley shot poorly from long distance as a sophomore at DePaul, but as a 3-star recruit coming out of high school most scouting reports touted him as a capable shooter. Perhaps that reminds Kruger of Donovan Williams, who shot 21.8% from 3-point range in two years at Texas, then nailed 43.6% once he got to UNLV.

Henley appears to be a little less athletic than Williams, but he is strong on the ball and can muscle his way into the paint, where he finishes well. Last year, he shot 54.5% at the rim, according to Hoop-Math.com, and only 28.35 of those attempts were assisted. There’s upside there.

Finley Bizjack, Butler

Freshman

2023-24: 4.2 points, 0.9 assists, 27.0 3FG%

UNLV wants to add shooters around D.J. Thomas, and Bizjack projects to be a good 3-point marksman. And at 6-foot-4, he wouldn’t be severely undersized as a secondary guard next to Thomas, if he can hold up defensively.

Bizjack was a 4-star recruit coming out of Byron Nelson High School (Texas) last year, and 247 Sports rated him the No. 105 player in the Class of 2023, but he didn’t see a ton of time at Butler, logging just 14.9 minutes per contest. More playing time should allow him to get into a rhythm, which could see his 3-point accuracy skyrocket.

Bizjack flashed his potential in a Feb. 13 game against Marquette, when he scored a season-high 19 points in 18 minutes while connecting on 3-of-7 from beyond the arc.

Jace Whiting, Boise State

Sophomore

2023-24: 3.3 points, 1.1 assists, 50.0 3FG%

Transferring within a conference used to be extremely rare, but that was a different era of college basketball. In this era, UNLV needs shooters and Whiting, formerly of Boise State, is another guy who could potentially project as a 3-point bomber.

An Idaho native, Whiting was unranked coming out of high school but has shown impressive range in two years at Boise, shooting 39.7% from deep on limited volume (1.1 attempts per game). This season, the 6-foot-2 Whiting started six of 33 games and hit an even 50.0% from 3-point range.

Whiting got buried on the depth chart behind experienced imports at Boise State, but he made a good impression on Kruger two years ago, when he hit 2-of-4 from deep and scored a career-high 10 points against UNLV on Jan. 11, 2023.

Joshua Jefferson, Saint Mary’s

Sophomore

2023-24: 10.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 46.9 FG%

Jefferson could very well be Kruger’s top target in the portal. He’s got local roots, having won a state title playing at Liberty alongside Thomas, and his style of play would make him a dream fit in UNLV’s frontcourt.

At 6-foot-8, Jefferson is a proven interior scorer, shooting 54.8% from 2-point range across two seasons at Saint Mary’s.

His physical style has to appeal to Kruger. Jefferson was the Gaels’ second-leading rebounder at 6.5 boards per game, and he also posted the top defensive rating in the West Coast Conference this year.

Jefferson has visits set with Virginia, VCU and Iowa State, and UNLV rounds out his top four at this point.

Kylan Boswell, Arizona

Sophomore

2023-24: 9.6 points, 3.6 assists, 1.4 steals, 37.9 3FG%

This one is a long shot, as Boswell is one of the most coveted players in the portal right now, with interest from power-conference heavy hitters. But UNLV is involved, and it would be a major coup if Kruger were able to land him.

Boswell is a tough, physical athlete at the point guard position. UNLV does already have an entrenched point guard, but at a sturdily-built 6-foot-2, Boswell could play alongside Thomas and give the Scarlet and Gray an elite pair of playmakers in the backcourt.

It would take a minor recruiting miracle — not to mention, a major NIL commitment — to get Boswell to UNLV, but with the portal, you never know.

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