Keyshawn Hall hoping to make instant impact at UNLV

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Saturday, June 11, 2022 | 2 a.m.

In his two offseasons as UNLV head coach, Kevin Kruger has been selective about recruiting players from the high school ranks. The program is trying to shift into win-now mode, so 14 of his first 15 incoming recruits were mature, proven performers from the college transfer portal.

Kruger’s philosophy on high schoolers seems to be, sure, he’ll recruit them — but only if he believes they can help the team right away.

So it was noteworthy when the team announced a signed commitment from Class of 2022 prospect Keyshawn Hall on Saturday. Hall is the first high-school recruit in UNLV’s incoming class (of six so far) and only the second under Kruger, joining 2021 guard Keshon Gilbert.

The implication is that the coaching staff believes Hall is one of those select few who can get on the court as a true freshman, and Hall, an Ohio native, confirmed that was a key component of the pitch that swung him to choose the Scarlet and Gray.

“Coach Kruger kept telling me, if I come over here my freshman year, I could be very good,” Hall said. “He let me know what I need to do and let me know I have a shot to play. I have a shot to play as long as I work on my game.”

Hall is unranked on most recruiting sites, but his stock surged last summer when a string of excellent performances on the AAU circuit brought him from zero offers to several dozen in a matter of weeks. His recruitment hit a snag midway through his senior year, when grades prompted him to transfer from The Skill Academy in Atlanta to Denver Prep Academy, but Hall righted the ship, completed his coursework and ended up narrowing his college choices to Arizona State, Saint Mary’s, Missouri and UNLV.

UNLV assistant Brandon Chappell was the lead recruiter and made a strong connection with Hall. Players also had a hand in courting the 6-foot-6, 250-pound forward; a visit to campus in May allowed him to connect with incoming transfer Isaiah Cottrell, and Donovan Williams reached out to Hall via social media to endorse the program.

Hall reported that Williams, who is leaving UNLV early to pursue the NBA Draft, had nothing but positive things to say about the Scarlet and Gray.

“Stretch, he was hitting me up on social media. He was telling me it would be a great move if I go [to UNLV], they’re going to let you play your game, they’re going to help you get better and develop.”

Hall said Kruger’s direct, genuine approach also appealed to him, especially when the second-year coach sketched out a role that would use Hall as a in a variety of ways on offense.

“Coach Kruger was telling me he wants me to be the mismatch nightmare,” Hall said. “I’m a good one-on-one player. Like, it can’t just be one defender on me. I can get past one defender and then I can create for my players. I can do multiple things. I can play all around. I can score from every level; I can score from in the post, in the mid-range area and the 3-point line.”

Hall arrived on campus this week and has been attending UNLV practices, but he has not yet been cleared to take the court. He expects that will happen soon, and he wants to make an immediate impression on the coaching staff.

The surest way to do that will probably be on the defensive end of the court, which is how Gilbert earned his 14.3 minutes per game as a freshman last year. While Hall is known more as an offensive prospect, Kruger is clearly working toward building a tough, defensive-minded identity for the 2022-23 squad (and beyond).

Hall wants to fit in and be that rare freshman contributor.

“I’m working to be a better defensive player,” Hall said. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m more of a scorer, but I can guard. I can move my feet…I’ve just got to keep working on my motor and I feel like we can be a great defensive team.”

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