What we’ve learned about UNLV basketball at halfway point

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022 | 2 a.m.

UNLV wrapped nonconference play in impressive fashion on Thursday, pulling away from Southern Miss in the second half to improve to 11-1 on the season.

With 18 conference games remaining, starting at 7 p.m. today at San Jose State, it’s not exactly the halfway point of the season, but the holiday break is a good time to press pause and consider what we’ve learned about this team so far:

UNLV is better than expected

For a team that was picked sixth in the Mountain West poll back in October, the first half of the season could not have gone better for UNLV. The program's 10-0 start was shocking, and coach Kevin Kruger now has his team sitting at No. 76 in the KenPom ratings and No. 51 in the NET rankings. And looking around at the rest of the teams in the conference, there’s no reason they can’t contend for the MWC crown. That’s something no one expected.

The defense is for real

Kruger wanted to instill a defensive mindset in his second year at the helm, and that mission has been accomplished. The Scarlet and Gray rank 23rd nationally in defensive efficiency, 33rd in percentage of shots allowed at the rim, and No. 2 nationally in turnovers forced. But more than the numbers, it’s the style that defines this team. When they are locked in, players like Keshon Gilbert, E.J. Harkless, Luis Rodriguez, Eli Parquet and David Muoka are all plus defenders who embrace their 1-on-1 matchups.

Harkless said it best after UNLV beat Southern Miss despite shooting just 33.3% from the field.

“Don’t let your offense affect your defense,” Harkless said. “That’s something coach (Barret) Peery and the coaching staff say every single day. Don’t ever let your offense affect your defense, because if you always defend, you always have a chance.”

It’s not perfect

As impressive as the Scarlet and Gray have been on the defensive end of the court, there are some weaknesses that opponents have been able to exploit. The most obvious flaw has been rebounding; a defensive possession doesn’t end until the board is secured, and UNLV has struggled at times to do that. For the season, they’ve grabbed just 68.4% of defensive rebounds, which ranks No. 310 in the nation.

Some of that is a calculated tradeoff. Kruger wants his players to swarm to the ball; that means employing smaller lineups, and the system often leaves players scrambling and not in good rebounding position.

There’s really no easy solution. Kruger doesn’t want to play more than one big man at a time, and he wants to force turnovers with pressure defense. Gilbert, a 6-foot-3 point guard, said the perimeter players have to take more responsibility on the boards, but that won’t solve the problem completely.

No defense is perfect, because you can’t cover everything. UNLV is probably going to have to live with giving up its share of offensive rebounds and hope to make up for it by taking the ball away. That formula has worked so far.

Keshon Gilbert is worth the price of admission

It’s been a long time since UNLV has had a homegrown point guard worth getting excited about, but Keshon Gilbert has ended that drought. The sophomore has taken a big leap forward this year and finished nonconference play averaging 14.0 points, 3.8 assists, 2.2 steals and 3.5 rebounds while making 50.5% of his shots and 51.4% of his 3-pointers.

He continues to be a stalwart on defense, leading UNLV in charges drawn while being second in steal rate at 4.2%. Whether he’s hounding an opposing ballhandler, converting an and-1, taking a charge, or finding a teammate for a 3, he has been electrifying on both ends of the court.

They’ve given themselves a chance

When the nonconference schedule was released in the summer, it looked like UNLV had backed itself into a corner by putting so many pushovers on the slate: They’d have to run the table (or come pretty close) to have any shot at an at-large NCAA Tournament bid.

Two months into the season, Kruger looks like a genius for that decision. UNLV almost did run the table, and most bracket projections now have the Scarlet and Gray among the field, or at the least on the bubble.

And due to the surprising resurgence of the Mountain West — Utah State (No. 14), New Mexico (No. 18), San Diego State (No. 36), Boise State (No. 57) and UNR (No. 59) all rank in the NET top 60 — UNLV will have a bunch of chances to score some quality wins in conference play.

The program hasn’t been relevant on Selection Sunday in nearly a decade, but by taking care of business to this point, they’ve given themselves a chance. With a good Mountain West campaign, UNLV will have us glued to the TV when the brackets are revealed in March.

Kruger’s recruiting strategy is paying off

Kruger deduced a couple of things when he was promoted to head coach two years ago. First was that he probably had to win fast. And second, that the transfer portal was the best way to accomplish that.

He went all-in on transfers this offseason, bringing in six players with Division I experience, but there was some risk involved. None were star players. Most, like Harkless, Rodriguez and Parquet, were defensive specialists at their previous schools and looking for a chance to expand their roles.

Now it appears Kruger and his staff hit on all of them. Harkless is the team’s leading scorer (15.5 points), Rodriguez leads in steals (2.6) and made 3-pointers (19), and Parquet is the team’s designated stopper. Gilbert is the only nontransfer in the starting lineup.

Kruger gambled that fit and toughness would be more important than box-score stats, and he has been proved right.

There’s a hole in the middle

UNLV has a fine defensive tandem at center, with David Muoka providing rim protection as the starter and Victor Iwuakor bringing mobility to the position off the bench. Kruger has developed a good feel for which matchups will suit which player. If there’s one glaring role that needs to be filled, however, it’s an offensive-minded big man.

Neither Muoka or Iwuakor are immensely talented with the ball in their hands, and neither is a threat from outside the restricted area. A big man with the ability to step outside and hit a jump shot would open up the middle for dribble-drives from Gilbert and Harkless.

UNLV just so happens to have a player who fits that description on the roster in Isaiah Cottrell. The West Virginia transfer impressed in preseason practice with his shooting touch, but a foot injury has limited him to just one game and eight minutes so far. If Cottrell can make it back on the court by the end of the season, he could be a difference-maker down the stretch.

Fans are starting to come around

The Thomas & Mack Center has been a dreary place for much of the past decade, but the home court atmosphere might be trending in the right direction. UNLV’s winning streak to start the season has gotten people more interested in the team, and the attendance figures for the last two home dates showed it. The Dec. 17 contest against San Francisco (6,446) and the Dec. 22 game vs. Southern Miss (6,093) were the two highest attended of the season.

UNLV will open Mountain West play on the road today at San Jose State, and after that the Rebels will return Saturday to host San Diego State at the Thomas & Mack. That New Year’s Eve showdown should have one of the biggest crowds we’ve seen in a while, and if UNLV keeps winning, they should keep selling tickets.

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