Las Vegas Sun

March 18, 2024

Otzelberger adds Vitaliy Shibel as grad transfer

Otzelberger

Nick Wagner / Austin American-Statesman via AP

South Dakota State coach T.J. Otzelberger yells to his team during a first-round game against Texas in the National Invitation Tournament in Austin, Texas, Tuesday, March 19, 2019. Texas won, 79-73.

UNLV basketball added another recruit on Thursday, as former Arizona State forward Vitaliy Shibel signed with the Rebels as a grad transfer.

Shibel started 22 games as a freshman at ASU and played in 49 contests over two years. He averaged 1.3 points and 1.3 rebounds per game while shooting 32.8 percent from the field. He connected on 25.5 percent of his 3-point attempts.

Shibel is the rare grad transfer with two years of eligibility remaining. He will be able to suit up and play for UNLV in 2019-20, and at 6-foot-9, 210 pounds, Shibel should provide some size. UNLV was relatively thin in that area prior to his commitment, with only centers Mbacke Diong and Cheickna Dembele and swingman Nick Blair looking like contributors in the frontcourt.

Head coach T.J. Otzelberger has now brought in four recruits in his first offseason, with Shibel joining guard Jonah Antonio, forward Moses Wood and guard Elijah Mitrou-Long.

With Shakur Juiston, Joel Ntambwe, Tervell Beck and Trey Woodbury in the NCAA transfer portal, the Rebels still have one open scholarship remaining at this time. Coveted transfer David Jenkins is set to choose between UNLV, Gonzaga and Oregon sometime this week.

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

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