Family ties: Ladji Dembele, brother of former Rebel, joins UNLV basketball

Ladji Dembele is transferring from the University of Iowa to the UNLV basketball program. Photo by: Daniel Kucin Jr. / Associated Press

The UNLV basketball team over the weekend got a commitment from a familiar name.

Ladji Dembele, the younger brother of former Rebel Cheickna Dembele (2016-20), signed to join first-year coach Josh Pastner’s program, the university announced Tuesday.

The 6-foot-8-inch, 255-pound forward from Newark, N.J., is transferring from Iowa where he appeared in 65 games over the past two seasons.

He averaged 4.5 points and 3.5 assists per contest this past season, and started 21 games. He shot 46.7% from the field, including 38.2% on 3-pointers, and was 71.4% from the free-throw line. 

“We are excited about the addition of Ladji to our team,” Pastner said in a statement. “He is a skilled player who exemplifies hard work and toughness. His ability to shoot the ball at a high percentage, combined with his strong defensive presence, will be invaluable to us. We look forward to welcoming him to the Runnin’ Rebel family.”

Originally from Mali, Africa, Dembele attended high school at St. Benedict’s Prep and was ranked as a four-star recruit in the class of 2023 by Rivals. Prior to committing to Iowa, he held offers from Wake Forest, DePaul, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Seton Hall and Xavier.

Dembele joins Mason Abittan, Howie Fleming Jr., Dravyn Gibbs-Lawhorn, Al Green, Tyrin Jones, Emmanuel Stephen and Issac Williamson as incoming players. James Evans Jr. and Jacob Bannarbie have also committed to return to the program from last season’s roster.