FSM Feature: UNLV Men's Basketball August Recruiting Update

FSM Feature: UNLV Men’s Basketball August Recruiting Update

Franchise Sports Media

The Runnin Rebels coaching staff are out on the recruiting trail, and Jeff Waddilove gives UNLV Basketball fans an update from the month of August and tells them why Kevin Kruger is making Las Vegas a major priority.

Las Vegas has been a hotbed for big-time D-1 basketball talent for a long while now. UNLV hasn’t gotten all of them to stay home, but they have landed their fair share over the years. Fan favorites like Anthony Marshall, Kevin Olekaibe, Stephen Zimmerman, and Noah Robothom are just a few of the star-studded locals who donned the Scarlet and Gray when it came time for them to choose a college to play for. 

The current Rebel roster is loaded with talent that played prep ball right here in the valley—most notably DJ Thomas. The super sophomore is arguably the best point guard in the country, and many (myself included) expect him to bolster his game considerably after a season where he won Co-MWC Freshman of the Year honors while leading the team in scoring (13.6 ppg) and (5.1 apg) assists.

Thomas is the headliner, but he isn’t the only Las Vegan who decided to play for the Runnin’ Rebels for the 2024-25 campaign. 

Former Nevada Gatorade Player of the Year Jalen Hill is coming off a knee injury but is looking to get back to form for UNLV. The Clark High School alumnus was a glue guy and stat sheet stuffer in the B12 for Oklahoma. Gorman Gaels standout Isaiah Cottrell is looking to find a place in the rotation for the Rebels and live up to his billing as a blue-chip prospect when he originally signed with West Virginia out of high school.

Then you have big man Pape N’Diaye, a 4-Star prospect who played at Trinity in Las Vegas by way of the Ivory Coast. 

Kevin Kruger is planting the Runnin Rebel flag in the Las Vegas Valley.

Kruger and his staff have done a great job of prioritizing locals. Whether it’s landing four and 5-star talent like Thomas and N’Diaye directly out of high school or bringing back highly touted transfers like Hill and Cottrell, they know Vegas basketball players have a ton of value, and they are currently elevating the program as we speak. 

That’s why it’s no surprise that three local recruits have caught Kruger and his staff’s eyes for this upcoming recruiting cycle. The biggest fish (both proverbially and rankings-wise) swimming in the talent pool in Las Vegas is currently Xavion Staton.

The 7-footer is a 4-star prospect and the 22nd-ranked player in his class overall, according to 247 Sports. He’s also the number 2 ranked center in the entire country.

Staton recently cut his list down to 6 schools (UNLV, Arizona, USC, Michigan, Stanford, and BYU). It’s a big deal that the Runnin Rebels are finalists for his services, but it would be momentous if they were to land the elite big man. Staton has improved leaps and bounds in just a few short years, and his potential is damn near limitless. 

Maybe not as highly touted as Staton, but arguably, a bigger area of need for UNLV will be landing top-flight scorer CJ Shaw. Shaw has been deemed a combo guard because he’s as adept with the ball in his hands as he is off the ball. The fact of the matter, he’s dynamic in general. Shaw has a lightning-quick first step and has tremendous court vision. But where he steals the show is with his 3-level scoring ability.

If Shaw comes to UNLV, he’s destined to be their next great scoring threat. I highly recommend people get out to Mojave High School to see him shine this upcoming season. Wear your Rebel gear, too. These kids notice everything and appreciate the love. 

The last member of the “Big 3” is 6’7 wing Quintin Rhymes. UNLV has been interested in him for a while but recently offered him a scholarship when they were front and center after he dropped 40 points in an AAU tournament.

Rhymes plays for the Las Vegas Knicks, and he is letting everyone know just how valuable an addition he would be to a program with his lights-out shooting and scoring ability.

Rhymes, a consensus Top-150 player, just set up official visits to New Mexico, Boise State, Nebraska, and UCSB. However, UNLV not getting a visit isn’t the end of the world. With Rhymes‘ ties to Gorman and the Knickboys, he can get on campus and see the Rebels without any problems. 

As so far UNLV doesn’t have a commitment for the 2025 class. The Rebels are slated to have four openings for the 2025-26 season after Rob Whaley, Jailen Bedford, Jalen Hill, and Julian Rishwain’s eligibility runs its course. That doesn’t consider potential transfers or players leaving to go pro early. It’s generally safe to say that in the current college basketball landscape, you can count on one or two players leaving the program prematurely, but guessing who (especially at this early juncture) would be pure conjecture.

For now, we’ll just stick with the 4 set in stone openings and leave it at that. 

Get all your UNLV Men’s Basketball coverage right here at FSM. Thanks for visiting FranchiseSportsMedia.com for your Las Vegas Sports news today.

Franchise Sports Media. Las Vegas sports news about Las Vegas Sports teams.

– Jeff Waddilove – Franchise Sports Media

Follow Jeff on all social media: @jeffwaddilove

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