Five-star point guard Kylan Boswell names UNLV in final 3

UNLV and coach Kevin Kruger’s recent success isn’t just fueling the team’s ambitions on the court.

Kylan Boswell — a five-star point guard and the No. 11 recruit in the class of 2023 according to 247Sports.com’s composite ranking — has UNLV in his final three schools along with college basketball powerhouses Illinois and Arizona. He will announce his decision Monday.

The point guard officially visited UNLV Jan. 29. He also had offers from UCLA, Auburn, Michigan, Washington, Kansas, Louisville and several other schools.

Rob Cassidy, the national recruiting director for Rivals.com, another online scouting service, said Boswell’s intriguing upside on offense paired with a solid defensive base have made him one of the most sought after recruits in the nation.

“He’s one of the better defensive guards in the country,” Cassidy said. “He’s pretty polished with that, his length — just the motor. I’ve seen him lock up kids who are top-50 kids pretty regularly.”

For UNLV, being in the conversation for one of the top basketball prospects in the country is a feat of its own. The Rebels haven’t landed a five-star recruit since Brandon McCoy in 2017. Cassidy believes having an energetic, young coach in Kruger, paired with a sizable media market and a strong NIL program give UNLV a foundation to attract high-level prospects.

“It’s really easy to get some excitement with kids if you’re a young coach and you haven’t failed yet,” Cassidy said. “If you’re winning, success compounds. If you’re losing, failure compounds. … It’s easier to sell a dream if no one can point to past failures.”

While it’s no guarantee Boswell chooses UNLV, Cassidy doesn’t think he’ll be the only national recruit interested in visiting with Kruger and the Rebels.

UNLV only signed one player in the 2022 class, but it was four-star power forward KyeRon Lindsay, a top-100 recruit in his own right. Cassidy also believes 6-10 center Baye Fall, the No. 7 prospect in the class of 2023, may take a visit to UNLV.

Cassidy sees clear parallels between UNLV’s situation and Memphis. Coached by former NBA star and alum Penny Hardaway, the Tigers can also boast engaged boosters, solid basketball history for a mid-major school, a large media market and a fan base desperate for success. In 2021, Memphis landed five-star prospects Emoni Bates and Jalen Duren.

“It’s good to have a young, energetic coach who hasn’t failed yet,” Cassidy said. “I think if (Kruger) can, in the first one or two seasons, get some momentum going, I think we’ll see a lot more Boswell-types taking UNLV seriously.”

UNLV does not have a commit for the class of 2023 yet.

Contact reporter Andy Yamashita at ayamashita@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ANYamashita on Twitter.