Celebrated new recruits ready to lead UNLV revival

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Friday, April 28, 2017 | 2 a.m.

After a year of hibernation, the Runnin’ Rebels are back. In a span of 24 hours, head coach Marvin Menzies added three top-tier recruits and instantly breathed new life into the program, and a team that finished last in the Mountain West a year ago is now poised for a major revival.

Empty sections at the Thomas & Mack Center? A thing of the past. An 11-21 record? A mark that could easily be reversed in 2017-18. An apathetic fan base? Now they’re frothing at the mouth for next season to tip off.

In landing commitments from Brandon McCoy, Amauri Hardy and Shakur Juiston, Menzies has set the stage for UNLV to become a hot ticket in Las Vegas once again, and sooner than anyone could have anticipated.

And no one is more excited about it than the new recruits.

McCoy, the No. 11 player in the Class of 2017 and the centerpiece of UNLV’s incoming class, is embracing the turnaround effort.

“Las Vegas is the mecca of everything,” McCoy said, “and I wanted to start something new. Everybody else is going to these big-name schools, but I know UNLV has a great history. UNLV used to be the No. 1 team in the late ‘80s and ‘90s, so I’m thinking maybe we could bring it back. Maybe I can be that missing piece to help UNLV get back to being that kind of team.”

McCoy was the first domino to fall. After he committed on Tuesday night, Hardy and Juiston quickly followed.

Hardy, a 6-foot-3 Michigan native who scored nearly 30 points per game as a high school senior last year, was in town on an official visit to UNLV on Monday. At that time, he wasn’t sure if McCoy was on board, so Hardy tried to give the big man a nudge.

“When I was on my visit, I got in contact with Brandon and asked him how he was feeling about the school,” Hardy said. “I said, ‘If it works out for you, I’d definitely consider it.’ And it happened.”

Now, McCoy and Hardy are on the same page. Returning UNLV to prominence is priority No. 1.

“I had a chance to talk to Brandon [after we committed],” Hardy said. “We talked about bringing back that UNLV culture, winning games and winning championships like when Tark was there. We want to give the city of Las Vegas some good basketball and turn this thing around.”

McCoy will play a huge role in erasing the unpleasant memories from last season. The 6-foot-11 center is a strong finisher around the rim — a huge need for the Rebels — and Menzies has a long history of getting maximum production out of his big men.

McCoy also believes he can be a game-changing defensive force right away.

“The goal I’ve set for myself is to be the Defensive Player of the Year in the conference,” McCoy said. “I want to lead the conference in rebounds and blocked shots and just play as hard as I can. I just want to be able to help us win. Defend, rebound, finish shots and play hard, that’s my goal.”

McCoy won’t have to do all the dirty work down low, however. Juiston, a 6-foot-7 power forward, is a physical specimen who should help the Rebels on the glass and in the paint. And incoming freshman Mbacke Diong will give the Rebels another four-star frontcourt player to build around.

Add the newcomers to the current core, and McCoy thinks the Rebels are ready to start winning again.

“I feel like the sky is the limit for us,” McCoy said. “We’ve got some great, great, great players. My boy Dwayne [Morgan], Anthony Smith, Jordan [Johnson]. We’ve got some great pieces we didn’t get to show last year. I feel we can be really good and there’s no ceiling.”

How good can UNLV be? After a lost season that seemed to suck the life out of the program, the new guys believe there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

“I think we can give ourselves a good shot at contending for the Mountain West championship,” Hardy said. “We can give ourselves a chance of making the NCAA tournament next year. I know a lot of people are going to say I’m setting high standards, but with this recruiting class and the players that are coming back, we’re going to try to make it happen.”

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