Game day: UNLV looks to bounce back at San Jose State

Steve Marcus

UNLV Rebels head coach Kevin Kruger watches play from the sideline during the second half of an exhibition game against the Carroll Fighting Saints at the Thomas & Mack Center Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023. STEVE MARCUS

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024 | 2 a.m.

SAN JOSE, Calif. — 

It’s time to find out what the UNLV basketball team is all about, as they take the court on Saturday for the first time since getting blown out by Air Force, 90-58.

That disastrous home loss dropped UNLV almost 30 spots in the KenPom rankings and all but eliminated Kevin Kruger’s squad from at-large consideration — right when it looked like the team was coming together and gathering steam.

So how will they respond Saturday on the road against San Jose State? Three keys to watch:

Tapping into the resolve reserve

UNLV has been tested this season. After being stunned by Southern on opening night, they bounced back with an easy win over Stetson. After being routed in both games at the Sunshine Slam, they came home and scored a quality victory over a decent Akron squad. So we know UNLV is capable of bouncing back.

The Air Force loss felt different, but maybe Kruger and his crew can surprise us by coming back from the dead again.

Lineup changes?

After the Air Force game, Kruger said he and his staff would review everything before the next game. Could that include lineup changes?

There’s honestly not a lot to be done. UNLV has been down to a seven-man rotation in recent games, with Jackie Johnson and Rob Whaley serving as the only bench players receiving any significant minutes. Elevating one or both to the starting lineup could give give the team a new dimension, or it could be pointless tinkering.

And the starting lineup had been fine until Air Force, usually getting out to good starts and generally outscoring the opposition. It’s doubtful Kruger will make any drastic changes now.

Thomas time

D.J. Thomas has been UNLV’s best player this season, and he’s done it as a true freshman, averaging 11.6 points and 6.3 assists. His consistency was much needed on a team that took nearly half the season to find its stride.

The Air Force game represented Thomas’s first stumble. He appeared hesitant and unsure of how to attack the Falcons’ zone defense, and in 29 minutes he managed just four points on 2-of-9 shooting.

Getting Thomas back up to speed could be the key to getting UNLV back on track.

Who: UNLV (9-9, 2-4 MWC) vs. San Jose State (8-11, 1-5 MWC)

When: Saturday, 6 p.m.

Where: Event Center (San Jose, Calif.)

TV: FS1

Radio: 1100 AM, 100.9 FM

UNLV leaders

Scoring

Kalib Boone: 12.8 points

Rebounds

Luis Rodriguez: 7.1 rebounds

Assists

D.J. Thomas: 6.3 assists

San Jose State leaders

Scoring

M.J. Amey: 15.7 points

Rebounds

Trey Anderson: 5.1 rebounds

Assists

Alvaro Cardenas: 6.1 assists

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