Game day: Can UNLV basketball topple Utah State again?

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UNLV Rebels vs Utah State Aggies

UNLV Rebels forward Jalen Hill (1) and guard D.J. Thomas (11) celebrate after forcing a turnover during the first half of an NCAA basketball game against the Utah State Aggies at Thomas & Mack Center Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. Photo by Steve Marcus

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025 | 2 a.m.

What: UNLV at Utah State
When: Wednesday, 7 p.m.
Where: Dee Glen Smith Spectrum (Logan, Utah)
TV: FS1
Radio: 1100 AM, 100.9 FM

LOGAN, Utah — It was just about two weeks ago that UNLV used a surprise win over Utah State to jolt some life back into the season. Now, after consecutive home losses, can Kevin Kruger’s squad notch another win over the Aggies tonight (7 p.m., FS1) to get back on track?

Three keys to watch:

Glass attack

UNLV scored a decisive win in second-chance points when these two teams met on Jan. 15, grabbing 14 offensive rebounds and converting them into 11 points. And most of the damage was done on the wings, as senior Jalen Hill and sophomore Brooklyn Hicks combined for seven of those offense boards.

Much of that was due to Utah State’s zone defense, which made it difficult to box out when UNLV’s energetic perimeter players crashed the glass. Will the Aggies switch it up this time and be more mindful of rebounding responsibilities? If so, UNLV will have to find another way to generate those points.

Marking Martinez

On the biggest defensive possession of that Jan. 15 contest, Kruger tasked Hill with defending Utah State leading scorer Ian Martinez as the Aggies sought a potential game-tying 3-pointer. Hill did his job, denying Martinez the ball and forcing Mason Falslev into a difficult attempt, which missed.

Look for UNLV to revisit that matchup on tonight, if not for the entire game then on key possessions.

Will D.J. deliver?

In UNLV’s last four games, the team has asked sophomore point guard D.J. Thomas to come through in the clutch to deliver a win. He nailed game-clinching daggers against Utah State and San Diego State, but missed against Wyoming and New Mexico. It may sound simplistic, but if this game is close, there’s a very good chance the deciding factor is whether Thomas makes his final shot.