# 2023–24 UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball team

The 2023–24 UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball team represented the University of Nevada, Las Vegas during the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Runnin' Rebels, led by third-year head coach Kevin Kruger, played their home games for the 41st season at the Thomas & Mack Center in Paradise, Nevada. They participated as members of the Mountain West Conference for the 25th season.

## Previous season

The Runnin' Rebels finished the 2022–23 season 19–13, 7–11 in Mountain West play to finish in seventh place. In the MWC tournament, they defeated Air Force in the first round before losing to Boise State in the quarterfinals. They failed to receive an invite to a postseason tournament.

## Offseason
### Departures

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for departure |
| Victor Iwuakor | 0 | F | 6'7" | 225 | Senior | Abuja, Nigeria | Graduate transferred to Southern Miss |
| Elijah Parquet | 1 | G | 6'4" | 195 | GS Senior | Beaumont, TX | Graduated |
| Jordan McCabe | 5 | G | 6'0" | 190 | GS Senior | Kaukauna, WI | Graduated |
| Keshon Gilbert | 10 | G | 6'4" | 190 | Sophomore | Las Vegas, NV | Transferred to Iowa State |
| David Muoka | 12 | C | 6'10" | 235 | Senior | Hong Kong | Graduate transferred |
| Keyshawn Hall | 14 | G | 6'7" | 250 | Freshman | Cleveland, OH | Transferred to George Mason |
| Cameron Burist | 34 | G | 6'3" | 185 | Senior | Las Vegas, NV | Graduated |
| Elijah Harkless | 55 | G | 6'3" | 195 | GS Senior | San Bernardino, CA | Graduated |

### Incoming transfers

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous college |
| Jalen Hill | 1 | F | 6'6" | 232 | GS Senior | Las Vegas, NV | Oklahoma |
| Robert Whaley | 5 | F | 6'6" | | Junior | Farmington, NV | College of Southern Idaho |
| Kalib Boone | 10 | F | 6'9" | 198 | GS Senior | Tulsa, OK | Oklahoma State |
| Keylan Boone | 20 | G/F | 6'8" | 200 | GS Senior | Tulsa, OK | Pacific |

### 2023 recruiting class

College recruiting information :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Dedan Thomas #9 PG | Henderson, NV | Liberty High School | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | May 14, 2023 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 88 ||||||
| Brooklyn Hicks #33 SG | Lacey, WA | Timberline High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Oct 20, 2022 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 80 ||||||
| Jacob Bannarbie C | Encinitas, CA | Hillcrest Prep | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | Jul 1, 2023 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN: N/A ESPN grade: NR ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2023 UNLV Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 12, 2023. "2023 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 12, 2023. ||||||

### 2024 recruiting class

College recruiting information (2024) :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| James Evans #17 SF | Santa Clarita, CA | West Ranch High School | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Jun 30, 2023 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 81 |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: |||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2024 UNLV Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 12, 2023. "2024 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 12, 2023. |||||||

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Non-conference regular season |||||||||
| November 8, 2023* 7:00 p.m., – | | Southern | L 71–85 | 0–1 | 18 – Cottrell | 7 – Cottrell | 5 – Thomas Jr. | Thomas & Mack Center (5,573) Paradise, NV |
| November 11, 2023* 4:00 p.m., – | | Stetson Sunshine Slam campus site game | W 71–55 | 1–1 | 15 – Rodriguez | 13 – Hill | 9 – Thomas Jr. | Thomas & Mack Center (5,003) Paradise, NV |
| November 17, 2023* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Pepperdine | W 82–68 | 2–1 | 19 – Ka. Boone | 7 – Hill | 5 – Thomas Jr. | Firestone Fieldhouse (–) Malibu, CA |
| November 20, 2023* 2:30 p.m., CBSSN | | vs. Florida State Sunshine Slam Beach Division semifinals | L 75–83 | 2–2 | 15 – Ka. Boone | 6 – Thomas Jr. | 6 – Thomas Jr. | Ocean Center (–) Daytona Beach, FL |
| November 21, 2023* 3:30 p.m., FloSports | | vs. Richmond Sunshine Slam Beach Division consolation | L 65–82 | 2–3 | 17 – Johnson III | 7 – Hill | 4 – Thomas Jr. | Ocean Center (–) Daytona Beach, FL |
| November 28, 2023* 7:00 p.m., MW Network | | Akron | W 72–70 | 3–3 | 13 – Rodriguez | 7 – Ka. Boone | 6 – Thomas Jr. | Thomas & Mack Center (4,702) Paradise, NV |
| December 6, 2023* 6:00 p.m., CBSSN | | at Dayton | Canceled due to the 2023 University of Nevada, Las Vegas shooting. | Canceled due to the 2023 University of Nevada, Las Vegas shooting. | Canceled due to the 2023 University of Nevada, Las Vegas shooting. | Canceled due to the 2023 University of Nevada, Las Vegas shooting. | Canceled due to the 2023 University of Nevada, Las Vegas shooting. | UD Arena Dayton, OH |
| December 9, 2023* 7:00 p.m., Baller TV | | vs. Loyola Marymount Jack Jones Classic | L 75–78 | 3–4 | 17 – Thomas Jr. | 8 – Rodriguez | 8 – Thomas Jr. | Dollar Loan Center (–) Henderson, NV |
| December 13, 2023* 6:00 p.m., CBSSN | | vs. No. 8 Creighton Jack Jones Classic | W 79–64 | 4–4 | 25 – Ka. Boone | 7 – Ka. Boone | 9 – Thomas Jr. | Dollar Loan Center (2,725) Henderson, NV |
| December 16, 2023* 4:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | vs. Saint Mary's Jerry Colangelo Classic | L 67–69 $^{2OT}$ | 4–5 | 24 – Thomas Jr. | 7 – Tied | 2 – Tied | Footprint Center (–) Phoenix, AZ |
| December 21, 2023* 7:00 p.m., MW Network | | Hofstra | W 74–56 | 5–5 | 16 – Ke. Boone | 10 – Rodriguez | 7 – Thomas Jr. | Thomas & Mack Center (5,065) Paradise, NV |
| December 31, 2023* 12:00 p.m., MW Network | | Carroll College | W 87–51 | 6–5 | 16 – Webster | 6 – Tied | 10 – Thomas Jr. | Thomas & Mack Center (4,374) Paradise, NV |
| January 2, 2024* 1:00 p.m., MW Network | | Bethesda University | W 112–56 | 7–5 | 19 – Rodriguez | 17 – Ke. Boone | 7 – Tied | Cox Pavilion (1,005) Paradise, NV |
| Mountain West regular season |||||||||
| January 6, 2024 1:00 p.m., CBS | | at San Diego State Rivalry | L 61–72 | 7–6 (0–1) | 13 – Tied | 6 – Ke. Boone | 5 – Thomas Jr. | Viejas Arena (12,414) San Diego, CA |
| January 9, 2024 7:30 p.m., FS1 | | New Mexico | W 83–73 | 8–6 (1–1) | 29 – Ka. Boone | 8 – Rodriguez | 7 – Thomas Jr. | Thomas & Mack Center (5,760) Paradise, NV |
| January 13, 2024 12:00 p.m., CBSSN | | No. 20 Utah State | L 86–87 | 8–7 (1–2) | 23 – Rodriguez | 9 – Rodriguez | 11 – Thomas Jr. | Thomas & Mack Center (5,992) Paradise, NV |
| January 16, 2024 7:00 p.m., CBSSN | | at Boise State | W 68–64 | 9–7 (2–2) | 18 – Whaley Jr. | 12 – Rodriguez | 3 – Webster | ExtraMile Arena (9,863) Boise, ID |
| January 19, 2024 7:30 p.m., FS1 | | at Colorado State | L 75–78 | 9–8 (2–3) | 21 – Ke. Boone | 8 – Ke. Boone | 8 – Thomas Jr. | Moby Arena (8,083) Fort Collins, CO |
| January 23, 2024 8:00 p.m., CBSSN | | Air Force | L 58–90 | 9–9 (2–4) | 14 – Webster | 8 – Rodriguez | 2 – tied | Thomas & Mack Center (6,392) Paradise, NV |
| January 27, 2024 6:00 p.m., FS1 | | at San José State | W 77–65 | 10–9 (3–4) | 18 – Ke. Boone | 8 – Rodriguez | 6 – Thomas Jr. | Provident Credit Union Event Center (2,982) San Jose, CA |
| January 30, 2024 8:00 p.m., FS1 | | Fresno State | W 78–69 | 11–9 (4–4) | 21 – Ka. Boone | 13 – Ke. Boone | 6 – Thomas Jr. | Thomas & Mack Center (5,980) Paradise, NV |
| February 3, 2024 5:00 p.m., CBSSN | | Wyoming | W 62–48 | 12–9 (5–4) | 14 – Tied | 7 – Ke. Boone | 5 – Thomas Jr. | Thomas & Mack Center (5,963) Paradise, NV |
| February 10, 2024 5:00 p.m., CBSSN | | at No. 25 New Mexico | W 80–77 | 13–9 (6–4) | 25 – Thomas Jr. | 7 – Tied | 4 – Thomas Jr. | The Pit (15,435) Albuquerque, NM |
| February 14, 2024 8:00 p.m., CBSSN | | at Fresno State | W 67–65 | 14–9 (7–4) | 17 – Whaley Jr. | 7 – Ke. Boone | 3 – Ke. Boone | Save Mart Center (2,915) Fresno, CA |
| February 17, 2024 8:30 p.m., FS1 | | Nevada Rivalry | L 66–69 | 14–10 (7–5) | 19 – Thomas Jr. | 4 – Tied | 8 – Thomas Jr. | Thomas & Mack Center (9,517) Paradise, NV |
| February 21, 2024 8:00 p.m., FS1 | | at Air Force | W 72–43 | 15–10 (8–5) | 15 – Whaley Jr. | 8 – Ka. Boone | 2 – Tied | Clune Arena (1,089) Colorado Springs, CO |
| February 24, 2024 5:00 p.m., CBSSN | | No. 22 Colorado State | W 66–60 | 16–10 (9–5) | 23 – Thomas Jr. | 6 – Tied | 2 – Tied | Thomas & Mack Center (8,591) Paradise, NV |
| February 27, 2024 6:00 p.m., CBSSN | | at Wyoming | W 75–69 $^{OT}$ | 17–10 (10–5) | 24 – Ka. Boone | 12 – Ka. Boone | 2 – Tied | Arena-Auditorium (3,283) Laramie, WY |
| March 2, 2024 7:00 p.m., CBSSN | | San José State | W 68–50 | 18–10 (11–5) | 18 – Thomas Jr. | 12 – Tied | 3 – Tied | Thomas & Mack Center (6,404) Paradise, NV |
| March 5, 2024 8:00 p.m., CBSSN | | No. 21 San Diego State Rivalry | W 62–58 | 19–10 (12–5) | 19 – Thomas Jr. | 11 – Ke. Boone | 4 – Ke. Boone | Thomas & Mack Center (7,911) Paradise, NV |
| March 9, 2024 7:30 p.m., CBSSN | | at Nevada Rivalry | L 65–75 | 19–11 (12–6) | 24 – Ke. Boone | 8 – Whaley Jr. | 3 – Thomas Jr. | Lawlor Events Center (11,874) Reno, NV |
| Mountain West tournament |||||||||
| March 14, 2024 2:30 p.m., CBSSN | (4) | vs. (5) San Diego State Quarterfinals | L 71–74 $^{OT}$ | 19–12 | 29 – Thomas Jr. | 8 – Boone | 5 – Thomas Jr. | Thomas & Mack Center (8,968) Paradise, NV |
| NIT |||||||||
| March 20, 2024 5:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at (2) Princeton First Round - Seton Hall Bracket | W 84–77 | 20–12 | 21 – Whaley Jr. | 11 – Ke. Boone | 4 – Tied | Jadwin Gymnasium (1,708) Princeton, NJ |
| March 24, 2024 6:30 p.m., ESPNU | | Boston College Second Round - Seton Hall Bracket | W 79–70 | 21–12 | 19 – Ke. Boone | 8 – Ke. Boone | 5 – Tied | Thomas & Mack Center (5,543) Paradise, NV |
| March 27, 2024 4:00 p.m., ESPN2 | | at (1) Seton Hall Quarterfinals - Seton Hall Bracket | L 68–91 | 21–13 | 16 – Ke. Boone | 7 – Whaley Jr. | 4 – Tied | Walsh Gymnasium (1,316) South Orange, NJ |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Pacific Time. |||||||||
Source