‘We’re due for a run’: Rebels finally fully loaded on perimeter

Luis Rodriguez has been playing college basketball for a long time.

He started his career in 2018 at Mississippi, but suffered a broken foot in his sophomore season that led to a medical redshirt. The NCAA granted an additional year of eligibility for athletes who played during the COVID-19-impacted 2020-21 season, which is how Rodriguez found himself playing his sixth season of college basketball.

The experienced wing has seen the highs and lows of the sport — even ones as drastic as this season’s Rebels have experienced.

“That’s just how it goes,” Rodriguez said. “It’s up and down, but we’ve got a lot of games ahead. The biggest thing for us is not feeling sorry for ourselves, but just keep fighting every day, keep getting better and go on a run. We’re due for a run. I believe it’s coming soon.”

UNLV (4-5) returns to the Thomas & Mack Center at 7 p.m. Thursday to take on Hofstra (7-4) in the penultimate game of the Rebels’ nonconference schedule. It’s their first game at their home arena since beating Akron 72-70 on Nov. 28.

The Rebels have a fully loaded wing rotation for the first time this season.

Fifth-year wing Keylan Boone, who graduated Wednesday with a bachelor’s degree in communication, will make his first appearance at the Thomas & Mack Center. His eligibility issues were recently cleared up after a preliminary injunction cleared the way for multitime transfers to play immediately this season. The injunction will last until the end of the season.

Junior wing Shane Nowell made his season debut against Saint Mary’s on Saturday after being held out with an ankle injury. He only played two minutes — coach Kevin Kruger said he felt the game was too intense to let Nowell acclimate to game speed — but will benefit from extra rest against Hofstra.

Nowell and Boone’s integration will be important for Kruger, who said he requires his wings to spread the floor.

Rodriguez is shooting 27.5 percent from 3 this season, though he’s 4 of 8 from 3 in his past two games and made all three of UNLV’s 3s against Saint Mary’s. Boone is just 2 of 12 from 3 in two games this season, including an 0-for-5 outing against Saint Mary’s.

Nowell shot 31.9 percent from distance in 2022-23, but was closer to 35 percent from 3 once he cracked the rotation in late January. He also made the clutch, buzzer-beating 3 to send UNLV’s Mountain West tournament quarterfinal match up against Boise State into overtime.

Shooting isn’t Kruger’s only requirement for his wings. Rodriguez has drawn a majority of the minutes because of his defense. He is an extremely versatile defender and was crucial to UNLV’s switch-everything defense a year ago.

This season, Rodriguez has been the Rebels’ primary defender against wing scorers, Kruger said, as UNLV has attempted to fix its 3-point defense. Rodriguez said he’s focused on keeping opponents in front of him, contesting shots and bringing positive energy and effort.

“With his size, his physicality and his experience,” Kruger said. “I think he’s really thrived there.”

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