UNLV Rebels guard Luis Rodriguez (15), left, and head coach Kevin Kruger practice at Mendenhall Center Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022.
Friday, Sept. 2, 2022 | 2 a.m.
Ready for some good news? By the end of the month, UNLV basketball will be on the court for the official start of practice.
It’s been a long, busy offseason for the Scarlet and Gray, as the program has added eight newcomers to the roster, replaced all three assistant coaches and seen a longtime administrator leave the program. But when the first practice begins on Sept. 26, the calendar will flip to the 2022-23 season as Kevin Kruger attempts to steer UNLV back to the NCAA Tournament in his second year in charge.
Kruger got a bit of a head start two weeks ago, when he brought his squad to Canada for a series of three exhibition contests against Vancouver-area university teams. UNLV went 2-1 on the trip, while the players gained valuable on-court experience.
Kruger said the trip was especially useful for the new arrivals.
“I thought we learned a lot from it,” Kruger said. “The players got a chance to learn from game situations, and certain situation we’ll see during the season in terms of their approach, the turnaround from game to game, what a game day is like, how the coaches will handle the game.”
NCAA rules allow teams to begin practicing in full 42 days before the season opener. For UNLV, which opens on Nov. 7 against Southern University, that puts the first practice less than four weeks from now.
The new-look coaching staff will play a huge role in shaping the team over the course of 30 preseason practices. The team lost Carlin Hartman, Tim Buckley and Brandon Chappell from Kruger’s initial staff and replaced them with Barret Peery, John Cooper and Jamaal Williams.
Williams was the most recent hire, joining just days before the team left for Canada, and Kruger liked the way his staff operated during the exhibitions.
“Anytime you have three coaches turn over, you’re going to want to take those opportunities to learn each other,” Kruger said. “We got to see what we’re like as a staff and get a routine in place. It gave us the opportunity to see what the games are going to be like and who’s comfortable doing what, and how they can contribute throughout the game in live action.”
Kruger expected he’d have a chance to catch his breath after the team returned to Las Vegas, but instead learned that admin Christin Hinton would be leaving the program after 14 years at UNLV.
Hinton, who was most recently the senior director of basketball administration, left to take a job with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“We thought it would be more of a break,” Kruger said, “but with Christin Hinton taking a job with the Timberwolves, there were things that needed to get squared away and get done here. So as a staff, when we all got back we kind of put our nose to the ground and kept getting after it.”
For UNLV, the lengthy offseason grind continues. Kruger just hopes it all pays off when the ball is tipped at the Thomas & Mack Center.
“We’re all trying to continue to learn each other and grow together,” he said, “so when Nov. 7 rolls around, it doesn’t feel like the first game.”
Health check
Despite the Canada exhibitions, there is still some mystery surrounding the UNLV roster. That’s because the Scarlet and Gray didn’t bring a full team across the border, as seniors Elijah Harkless and Victor Iwuakor didn’t play due to injuries.
Harkless, a transfer guard from Oklahoma, has been working his way back from a knee injury and was participating in some individual drills as the team prepared for Canada. Iwuakor is rehabbing a shoulder injury.
Kruger offered a positive update on both.
“They’re both getting better,” Kruger said of Harkless and Iwuakor. “E.J. is close to getting cleared. That will be good for us. His experience will be great for this group; he’s got a lot of games under his belt and we’re excited to add him to the group. And Vic coming back from last year can help reinforce what we want to teach.”
Kruger said Harkless and Iwuakor should be ready to participate by the start of practice.
He also issued an optimistic report on junior forward Isaiah Cottrell, a transfer from West Virginia who hurt his foot in the first exhibition game.
Cottrell posted eight points and three rebounds in 16 minutes of action against the University of British Columbia before exiting. He did not play in the final two games, but Kruger indicated the injury shouldn’t hinder Cottrell as he prepares for the start of the season.
“He’s taking time off and keeping weight off his foot,” Kruger said, “but he should be able to go at full speed before long.”
Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.
