Postponements, portals and more UNLV reader questions

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022 | 2 a.m.

In the midst of a COVID-19 surge that has wrecked the UNLV basketball schedule by creating a 10-day (and counting) gap between games, this is a good time to reset, take a breath (through an N95 mask) and ask some questions about the state of Scarlet and Gray sports.

Let’s jump into another batch of reader questions:

@UNLVgirl

What are the odds we get a #UNLVMBB game Tuesday??

@MikeGrimala

I don’t like the odds. Based on some of Kevin Kruger’s recent comments to me and various other media outlets, it sounds like UNLV has been hit pretty hard by COVID-19, to the point where they don’t have enough healthy players to practice right now. That could change and players could test out of protocols between now and Tuesday’s scheduled home game against New Mexico, but the opposite could happen and even more players could get sick. Or New Mexico could experience a COVID surge of its own; that seems to be how this is trending in the general public. There are too many variables and the virus is raging too intensely at the moment to assume any game is going to be played as scheduled.

With the caveat that I am a sportswriter, not a doctor, I do think this wave will pass. Basketball teams are relatively small (13 scholarship players), so it only takes one or two trips through the locker room for the virus to run its course. Assuming all the players come out the other side healthy, and let’s hope they do, it should clear the way for UNLV and other programs suffering through COVID surges right now to resume a more regular schedule over the next six weeks.

@Reb_Hombre

Will UNLV football land any “big time” transfers? Also is Arroyo officially on the hot seat now that UNLV has an AD?

@MikeGrimala

The first questions depends on your definition of “big time.” Are they going to land someone like former Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams? No. But the Scarlet and Gray are going to lean heavily on the portal to fill the remaining scholarships for the spring signing period, and Marcus Arroyo has done well in that space since taking over the program. I think it would be fair to expect a handful of 2022 starters to be portal products.

As for the hot seat, Arroyo is probably in the same position either way. He wasn’t going to get fired this offseason; any incoming athletic director was going to take the 2022 season to assess the program and make a decision after that. Arroyo might be feeling a little more secure now that UNLV went with an internal hire in Erick Harper, but it will still probably take a bowl berth in 2022 to truly feel safe.

@VegasRebelDrew

Talk about talk about Arroyo not playing Dimitris or Rosas once last year and whether I should be concerned.

@MikeGrimala

Using your word, it was more than a little concerning that neither of UNLV’s top two 2021 high school recruits, offensive lineman Anthony Rosas and defensive lineman Nick Dimitris, logged a single snap this season. Given how the season unfolded, there were plenty of opportunities to get their feet wet.

Sure, Arroyo wanted to avoid a second straight winless season, so he’s not going to load the lineup with true freshmen every week. But once UNLV got its first victory on Nov. 6 at New Mexico, that monkey was lifted. And with only three games left on the schedule at that point, the frosh could have suited up, gained a little experience and still retained their redshirts.

UNLV did get contributions from other true freshmen — most notably quarterback Cameron Friel, who earned Mountain West Freshman of the Year honors — so this wasn’t a blanket policy for first-year players. It seems that in the opinion of the coaching staff, Rosas and Dimitris simply needed a redshirt year before they’re ready to play at the Division I level.

That’s tough for fans; in the midst of a 2-10 season, it’s only natural to look to the future and want to be encouraged by the young guys. But we’ll see what Rosas and Dimitris are made of in 2022.

@mycousiniselvis

Can you change a flat tire?

@MikeGrimala

I’ve changed a few flat tires, and it’s honestly not that intimidating. If you’ve got a jack, a tire iron and a spare in the trunk, the process is pretty intuitive; the hardest part is placing the jack properly, but that can be a trial-and-error thing. Then turn a few bolts, hoist the tire, screw ‘em back in and you’re ready to roll.

Although one time as a teenager I did put a spare tire on inside-out. I couldn’t figure out why the car wobbled all the way home, but it took my dad (once an auto mechanic) literally one second to diagnose the problem. Needless to say he was disappointed.

As long as you’re not stranded somewhere chaotic like on the side of a busy highway with no breakdown lane, changing a flat is a piece of cake. Now, operating an automatic garage door during a power outage? That’s a tough one.

@ThomasBruny

Did UNLV really conduct a "national search" for A.D., and if so, who else was considered?

@MikeGrimala

I’m working on securing an interview with UNLV president Keith Whitfield to pin down some of the specifics of how the hiring process played out, but judging by the publicly available facts — he went with a longtime internal candidate and gave him the same contract as previous AD Desiree Reed-Francois — it seems like a smooth transition was the main priority.

That’s not to say that interim-turned-permanent athletic director Erick Harper isn’t the man for the job. He could turn out to be a great AD. Or it could be an instance of going with the easiest available option. I’ll try to find out more details in the near future.

@LVRebelFanatic

Is the quarterback spot still up for grabs?

@MikeGrimala

It has to be. And unless Arroyo surprises us by bringing in a transfer QB who has the kind of credentials to walk in and immediately be the No. 1 guy on the depth chart, odds are we’ll be talking about this position battle from the start of spring ball all the way through the end of training camp.

Friel had his moments last year when forced into duty but still finished with six touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Doug Brumfield looked explosive at times but completed 43.6% of his passes and was only healthy enough to appear in three games. And incoming recruit Jayden Maiava comes with a 3-star rating but will be a true freshman. A lot of “buts” in that group and not a lot of certainty.

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