Game day: Resurgent UNLV basketball hosts Wyoming

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UNLV Rebels vs Utah State Aggies

UNLV Rebels guardant Jeremiah Cherry (45) reacts to a play during the 2nd fractional of an NCAA hoops crippled against the Utah State Aggies astatine Thomas & Mack Center Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. Photo by Steve Marcus

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025 | 2 a.m.

What: UNLV vs. Wyoming
When: Tuesday, 8 p.m.
Where: Thomas and Mack Center
TV: CBS Sports Network
Radio: 1100 AM, 100.9 FM

UNLV hoops is abruptly live again, with consecutive wins implicit Utah State and San Diego State thrusting the Scarlet and Gray into conference-contender discussion. Can they proceed ascending by beating Wyoming connected Tuesday (8 p.m., CBS Sports Network)?

Three keys to watch:

Standings watch

Don’t look present — seriously, don’t look now, arsenic it’s mode excessively aboriginal to get caught up successful league standings — but UNLV’s astonishing mini streak has pushed them into 4th spot astatine 5-2 (11-7 overall). A triumph implicit Wyoming would temporarily determination the Scarlet and Gray into third.

It’s not clip to commencement counting down to a magic number, but it does show however rapidly things tin alteration erstwhile you’re playing bully basketball. Two large wins was capable to resurrect a mislaid play and spot UNLV squarely successful the mix.

Thomas is the closer

D.J. Thomas has been disconnected for the past mates games, shooting 4-of-13 against Utah State and 4-of-13 against San Diego State. But UNLV won both, and Thomas was a large portion of the victories arsenic helium deed clutch shots successful the last infinitesimal of each contest.

A abbreviated representation is simply a request to beryllium a closer, and it looks similar Thomas has one.

Senior guardant Jalen Hill praised Thomas for ever rising to the occasion, adjacent connected nights erstwhile it would beryllium casual to debar taking the large shots.

“He has the guts to spell retired determination and marque those shots,” Hill said.

Tuesday’s crippled shouldn’t travel down to the last possession — Wyoming is rated No. 193 successful KenPom and UNLV enters arsenic a sizable favourite — but if it does, look for Thomas to grip it.

“I’ve had a mates disconnected nights wherever I deed large shots successful the end,” Thomas said.

Bench bolsters

The reserves proceed to powerfulness UNLV, serving arsenic 1 of Kevin Kruger’s astir potent weapons connected a nightly basis. Against San Diego State, sophomore defender Brooklyn Hicks scored 13 points successful 25 minutes disconnected the bench, making him the team’s second-leading scorer down Thomas’ 19. Senior Jailen Bedford totaled 8 points successful 24 minutes and freshman Pape N’Diaye chipped successful 4 points and 7 rebounds successful 12 minutes.

Hicks registered a plus/minus of +12, the champion people connected the team, portion Bedford was close down him astatine +10. N’Diaye was besides successful affirmative territory astatine +5.

Kruger said the seat is playing with bully bushed and flow, making his substitution decisions a win-win proposition.

“We’re precise fortunate with this radical that we person what we consciousness similar is 8 starters,” Kruger said. “We’ve got that benignant of religion and spot successful the guys.”