UNLV basketball closes summer practice in front of fans

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022 | 3:24 p.m.

Kevin Kruger didn’t know how many fans to expect at UNLV’s open practice on Saturday, to the point that he contemplated setting up a microphone and PA system to address the crowd before ultimately deciding against it. He was unsure if enough people would show up to make it necessary.

As it turns out, the people seem to be very interested in the 2022-23 Scarlet and Gray.

Approximately 500 supporters packed into the Mendenhall Center to watch UNLV go through its final on-court workout before this week’s exhibition trip to Canada, filling the bleachers, the mezzanine level and even prompting UNLV staff to line the court with folding chairs to accommodate the overflow crowd.

The fans made their presence felt during the 90-minute session, lending the proceedings a distinct feel-good, send-off vibe.

In lieu of addressing the crowd with a microphone, Kruger and his players spent more than thirty minutes after practice meeting with fans, signing autographs, taking photos and generally introducing themselves.

“It was a great turnout,” Kruger said. “It was definitely more than we even expected. We had to run and get chairs to hopefully make everyone as comfortable as possible.”

The day’s format mostly matched what UNLV has been doing for the past nine practices, with individual shooting and team drills kicking things off and 5-on-5 competition making up the second half.

As has been the case for most of the summer, the defense was ahead of the offense, making buckets hard to come by.

Sophomore guard and fan favorite Keshon Gilbert said he and his teammates could feel a different atmosphere with so many people in the building.

“There’s a lot of love in here,” Gilbert said. “Obviously everybody wanted to show the fans what they could do, but we were here to get better today. We weren’t here to show out today. I think we got the job done.”

Gilbert recorded the highlight of the day when he matched up against sophomore guard Jackie Johnson in isolation, tracked Johnson’s drive and blocked his layup attempt. After the final huddle, Gilbert was all smiles as he signed autographs for a long line of admirers.

Junior forward Isaiah Cottrell also made a good impression by swishing a pair of long jumpers during the 5-on-5 scrimmage portion of practice.

Cottrell, a transfer from West Virginia, posed for a number of fan selfies and said the show of support was unlike anything he has experienced.

“It just shows how many supporters we have,” Cottrell said. “It’s 10 in the morning on a Saturday and this is probably the biggest turnout I’ve ever seen at a practice at any place I’ve been. I think everybody’s excited and can see the potential we’ve got this year.”

UNLV will travel north on Monday, then face off against the University of British Columbia (Tuesday), the University of Calgary (Wednesday) and the University of the Fraser Valley (Friday). All the exhibition contests will be broadcast live on the radio (AM1100, 100.9 FM).

Kruger hopes the success of the open practice will have fans more invested in the team when the regular season begins.

“Hopefully everyone got a roster and was able to look at the guys and where they’re from,” he said, “and hopefully they’ll look them up and start following them on social media and following the program and learning about them before November rolls around.”

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