UNLV head coach Kevin Kruger calls out to players in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Boise State during the Mountain West tournament Thursday, March 9, 2023, in Las Vegas.
Saturday, July 1, 2023 | 1:01 p.m.
It took a while, but UNLV basketball finalized its roster for the 2023-24 season on Saturday when prep big man Jacob Bannarbie announced his commitment.
Bannarbie becomes the 13th scholarship player for the upcoming campaign. He chose UNLV over schools such as San Jose State, Washington State, UC Santa Barbara and Southern Utah.
A 6-foot-8 forward, Bannarbie played his high-school ball at Hillcrest Prep in Phoenix. Suiting up with the Oakland Soldiers on the AAU circuit this summer, he averaged 8.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per game in Nike EYBL competition while shooting an impressive 58.8% from the field.
Bannarbie is rated a 3-star prospect by 247 Sports and is ranked as the No. 38 center in his class.
Head coach Kevin Kruger overhauled UNLV’s roster this offseason, bringing in a class of seven new recruits. Three of those newcomers are Division-I college transfers, while one is a juco transfer. The other three are prep prospects, including Bannarbie.
Minutes will mostly likely be difficult to come by in the frontcourt, as the Scarlet and Gray are loaded with fifth-year seniors at the forward positions, so 2023-24 may be a learning year for Bannarbie.
Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.
