LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV men’s basketball team (1-1) will continue its season-opening five-game homestand on Thursday, Nov. 14, hosting Omaha at 7 p.m. at the Thomas & Mack Center.
The Runnin’ Rebels opened the season with a 93-79 win over Alabama State on Nov. 4, then lost a close game to Memphis on Saturday, 80-74.
Jeremiah “Bear” Cherry led all players in the opener with a double-double of 24 points and 11 rebounds on 10 of 11 shooting. Dedan Thomas Jr. added 17 points and seven assists, while two other Runnin’ Rebels scored in double figures (Julian Rishwain, 13 points on 4 of 8 3-pointers, and Brooklyn Hicks, 11 points). UNLV shot 56.9% from the field and 45.0% on 3-pointers.
Against Memphis, Thomas Jr. led the Runnin’ Rebels with 22 points, while Jalen Hill added 14 with five rebounds, five assists and four steals. Jailen Bedford scored 10 points, while Cherry tallied nine points with team highs of seven rebounds and two blocks.
Over the first two games of the season, Thomas Jr. leads the team in scoring with 19.5 ppg, while Cherry is second at 16.5 ppg and leads in rebounding at 9.0 rpg and field-goal percentage with 93.3%. The Runnin’ Rebels are averaging 83.5 ppg.
UNLV is in its fourth season under head coach Kevin Kruger. He has a career record of 59-41.
THURSDAY’S PROMOTIONS: The game vs. Omaha is being billed as “Throwback Thursday,” turning back the clock with $5 balcony tickets, $20 lower bowl tickets and $3 hot dogs until the game begins. The deadline to purchase discounted Throwback Thursday tickets is Wednesday, Nov. 13 at 11:49 p.m. Visit UNLVtickets.com to purchase.
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: Omaha (2-1) has started this season with wins over Mid-America Christian (85-69) on Nov. 4 and at Stetson (79-76) on Nov. 7, while it lost its last contest at Minnesota (68-64) on Friday. The Mavericks led by as many as six points in the second half against the Golden Gophers. Omaha is in the midst of seven straight road games. Marquel Sutton leads the team in rebounding and scoring with 14.0 ppg and 7.0 rpg, while Lance Waddles is the team’s assist leader at 2.7 apg. Sutton earned Preseason All-Summit League Second Team honors in October. He averaged 14.3 ppg and 6.8 rpg last season. Omaha went 15-18 overall last season, finishing sixth in the Summit League with a 7-9 mark. Omaha was picked to finish eighth in this year’s preseason poll. The Mavericks, who have nine upperclassmen on their roster, are coached by Chris Crutchfield, who is in his fourth year leading the program. He has a record of 26-42 at the school and a career mark of 36-51.
BROADCAST INFO: Thursday’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, former Runnin’ Rebel 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.
UNLV recorded its first win over a top-10 team in four years, its first in non-conference play in nine seasons and beat a total of four ranked teams in a single season for the first time in 11 years. 2023-24 Mountain West Co-Freshman of the Year Dedan Thomas Jr. set the Mountain West’s assists record with 174, also leading the nation in assists among freshmen.
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