UNLV game day
Who: Rebels at Utah State
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, Logan, Utah
TV: FS1
Radio: KWWN (1100 AM, 100.9 FM)
Line: Utah State -10½; total 145
About the Rebels (11-9, 5-4 Mountain West): After back-to-back losses last week, UNLV faces a tough rematch in Logan.
The Rebels’ most recent outing was a 75-73 loss to conference leader New Mexico on Saturday, which was preceded by a 63-61 defeat at the hands of one of the league’s worst teams in Wyoming.
That came after the Rebels had a breakout week by stacking a pair of upsets against Utah State (65-62), which was then ranked No. 22 in the country, and at San Diego State (76-68).
Star point guard Dedan Thomas Jr. missed potentially clutch shots in both of UNLV’s recent losses. A jumper would’ve tied the Cowboys at the buzzer, and a free throw could’ve made the same difference against New Mexico.
Thomas is leading the team with 16.0 points and 4.6 assists per game. Fourth-year coach Kevin Kruger and his players have emphasized that they’re still confident in giving Thomas the ball, no matter what.
“Our trust as a team for him is just up there,” forward Jalen Hill said as he gestured toward the ceiling at Tuesday’s practice. “Seeing how much he grows every day, he’s going to use (the misses to) just make him better.”
About the Aggies (18-2, 8-1): Led by first-year coach Jerrod Calhoun, Utah State sits in second place in the conference.
Guard Ian Martinez is fifth in the Mountain West at 17.0 points per game, and guard Mason Falslev averages 15.4.
The Aggies’ only loss in conference play this season came against the Rebels, and Kruger is expecting a challenge in light of their last meeting. He said the Aggies’ in-game adjustments against UNLV prevented them from ever getting “beat twice” by the same play, and they’ll likely counter even more effectively in their overall game plan.
Kruger also praised the Aggies’ home advantage, calling Dee Glenn Smith Spectrum one of the best gyms in college basketball.
“With the sunken floor and the fans right on top of you, I think it’s an awesome environment,” Kruger said. “So I just expect everything they did here with kind of another gear to it. The crowd really gets them going.”
Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.