Meet the 2017-18 UNLV men’s basketball team
Here’s a look at this year’s UNLV men’s basketball roster:
No. 0 — JAY GREEN
Basics: Guard, 6-5, freshman
Background: The native Australian averaged 24.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists for Hillcrest Prep in Phoenix last year after graduating from Mountain Ridge High School in Arizona with a 3.9 GPA. The former rugby player, a kinesiology major who hopes to be a strength and conditioning coach, always tucks in his shoelaces before games.
No. 1 — KRIS CLYBURN
Basics: Guard, 6-6, junior
Background: Marvin Menzies’ first signee averaged 7.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in 32 games, including 22 starts, for UNLV last season after transferring from Ranger College. The Detroit native and younger brother of former Iowa State standout Will Clyburn is majoring in urban studies and hopes to be a sports analyst.
No. 2 — ANTHONY SMITH
Basics: Forward, 6-4, junior
Background: The Sacramento, California, native averaged 20.5 points and 8.8 rebounds as a sophomore at Feather River College in Quincy last season while hitting 56.4 percent of his shots and earning All-Golden Valley Conference honors. The urban studies major cites his four daughters as his biggest influence, as he is inspired to give them a better life than he had growing up.
No. 3 — AMAURI HARDY
Basics: Guard, 6-2, freshman
Background: The Detroit native was a four-star recruit ranked No. 22 in his class by ESPN after averaging 29.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 6.0 steals last season for North Farmington High School in Farmington Hills, Michigan. The urban studies major, who can play three instruments, originally committed to Oklahoma State before a coaching change at the school prompted him to change his mind.
No. 5 — NOAH ROBOTHAM
Basics: Guard, 6-1, senior
Background: A three-year starter at Akron, where he averaged 8.9 points and a team-high 3.1 assists, the Bishop Gorman High School graduate and 2014 Gatorade Player of the Year decided to transfer to UNLV, where he will have one year of eligibility after sitting out this season. An admirer of UFC star Conor McGregor’s confidence, he hates marinara sauce and would like to visit Japan.
No. 10 — SHAKUR JUISTON
Basics: Forward, 6-7, junior
Background: He won a junior college national championship at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas last season, averaging 17.3 points and 12.1 rebounds to earn national player of the year honors. The New Jersey native, a sociology major who wants to be a basketball coach, enjoys cartoons and sleeping on the bus during road trips.
No. 11 — CHEICKNA DEMBELE
Basics: Forward, 6-11, sophomore
Background: The Mali native moved to the United States in 2015 and graduated from Broadfording Christian Academy in Maryland before averaging 4.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and a team-high 1.3 blocks in his first season at UNLV. An economics major with eight siblings, Dembele likes to listen to Bob Marley before games.
No. 12 — DJORDJIJE SLJIVANCANIN
Basics: Forward, 6-10, sophomore
Background: The native of Kiev, Ukraine, averaged 1.4 points in 11 appearances at UNLV last season, including a 15-point effort against Northern Arizona. A 2016 graduate of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, and fan of Serbian rap group THCF, he has yet to declare a major.
No. 13 — BEN COUPET JR.
Basics: Forward, 6-7, sophomore
Background: The Chicago native, who attended the same high school as Derrick Rose and Jabari Parker, averaged 1.3 points and 1.5 rebounds last season in 17 games as a freshman at UNLV, including two starts. The urban studies major, who had eight points and seven rebounds against UC Riverside, wears No. 13 because it is Paul George’s number.
No. 14 — TERVELL BECK
Basics: Forward, 6-7, freshman
Background: He spent last season at OnPoint Hoops Academy prep school in El Reno, Oklahoma, after averaging 32.0 points, 12.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists for district champion Cleveland Central Catholic High School in Ohio in his senior year. The urban studies major, nicknamed NuNu, loves cereal and Tom & Jerry cartoons.
No. 20 — NICK BLAIR
Basics: Forward, 6-5, junior
Background: The 2015 Bishop Gorman graduate transferred to UNLV after two seasons at Idaho and will have two seasons of eligibility after sitting out the 2017-18 season. The interdisciplinary studies major, who played in 46 games in two seasons for the Vandals, enjoys the book “Black Stallion” and hates pickles.
No. 24 — JORDAN JOHNSON
Basics: Guard, 5-11, senior
Background: The point guard sat out last season after transferring from Milwaukee, where he averaged 12.5 points, 8.1 assists and 3.6 rebounds to earn second-team All-Horizon League honors while playing for current UNLV assistant Rob Jeter. His assist numbers ranked second in the country and broke a school record. The sociology major, who recorded a triple-double during his junior season, is a Taylor Swift fan.
No. 30 — JOVAN MOORING
Basics: Guard, 6-2, senior
Background: The Chicago native led UNLV with 12.6 points per game and finished second in the Mountain West with 4.0 assists per game to earn third-team all-league honors in his first year with the program after transferring from South Suburban Community College in Illinois. He made seven 3-pointers and scored a career-high 30 points against Air Force in one of 21 games in which he scored in double figures. The sociology major, a LeBron James fan, would choose Karrueche Tran, Beyonce and Nicki Minaj if he could dine with any three people in history.
No. 34 — CHEIKH MBACKE DIONG
Basics: Forward, 6-11, freshman
Background: He moved to the United States in August 2016 and earned Regional All-Star honors by averaging 14.1 points, 11.0 rebounds and 3.3 blocks at Florida Prep Academy in Melbourne. The Senegal native, who hates bacon, speaks three languages and has not declared a major.
No. 44 — BRANDON McCOY
Basics: Forward, 7-0, freshman
Background: The Chicago native, who was named a McDonald’s High School All-American and one of the top 10 prospects in the nation, averaged 28.6 points, 12.6 rebounds and 5.3 blocks while playing at Cathedral Catholic High School in San Diego last season. Part of the 2017 USA Basketball Men’s U19 World Cup Team that played in Egypt over the summer, he plays five instruments and wants to be a music producer. He chose his number to honor George “The Iceman” Gervin.
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