How to watch UNLV basketball
- What: NIT first round
- Who: UNLV at Princeton
- When: Wednesday, 5 p.m.
- Where: Princeton, N.J.
- TV: ESPN+
- Radio: 1100AM, 100.9FM
It was a white-knuckle landing, but UNLV held off Princeton down the stretch for an 84-77 victory in the first round of the NIT.
UNLV now advances to face Boston College in the round of 16. That game will be played in Boston.
Rob Whaley led the way for UNLV with a career-high 21 points on perfect 8-of-8 shooting. Keylan Boone scored 18 points on 8-of-11 from the field, while Justin Webster chipped in 15 and Shane Nowell totaled 10.
UNLV put on an offensive clinic for the first 36 minutes and finished above 60% shooting as a team (31-of-51). Kevin Kruger's squad led by as many as 15 points in the second half until some sloppy ballhandling and passing against Princeton's desperation fullcourt press allowed the Tigers to inch uncomfortably close.
Whaley and Nowell combined to make 6-of-8 free throws in the final 90 seconds to hold off the charge, however, and UNLV is moving on to the next round.
UNLV leads Princeton, 55-46
Keylan Boone and Justin Webster just scored on drives to the basket, giving UNLV its biggest lead of the game, 55-46, with 12:45 remaining.
Boone, Webster and Shane Nowell hit consecutive 3's coming out of halftime to put UNLV in front. Boone is up to a game-high 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting, while Webster and Rob Whaley have 10 points apiece.
Princeton has struggled to match up when UNLV has gotten the ball inside. UNLV has 30 points in the paint and a 23-16 rebounding advantage.
Princeton is capable of an offensive explosion at any time, due to the Tigers' bevy of long-range shooters, but if UNLV can contain the 3-ball, they could be moving on to the next round.
UNLV basketball trails Princeton at half
At the conclusion of a very brisk first half, Princeton holds a 38-36 lead over visiting UNLV.
The Tigers opened the game by jacking up 10 3-point attempts on their first 11 shots, but settled in and ended up making 6-of-16 from deep for the half. Caden Pierce has given UNLV some problems on the interior, scoring 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting.
Keylan Boone has carried the load for UNLV, tallying nine points and seven rebounds already.
It's been an awkward game for the Scarlet and Gray, with two starters out and Kevin Kruger shuffling through a bunch of experimental lineups. Senior center Kalib Boone is out due to an ankle injury, and senior wing Luis Rodriguez is away from the team to deal with a family issue. Shane Nowell started in place of Boone, while Justin Webster was elevated in Rodriguez's absence.
Nowell and Webster each made a 3 in the first half, combining to total eight points.
UNLV takes early lead over Princeton in NIT
UNLV is off to a hot start in New Jersey, as 3-pointers from Justin Webster and Keylan Boone have helped the Scarlet and Gray take an 18-12 lead over Princeton with 12:34 left in the first half.
Jackie Johnson just used a nice eurostep move to score in transition, prompting Princeton to call timeout. Boone is the team leader with five points.
Offensively, Princeton is as advertised. The Tigers have taken 11 shots so far, and 10 of them have been 3-pointers (4-of-10). Kevin Kruger said this week that defending the 3-point line would be important, and that is looking like an understatement so far.
UNLV takes on Princeton in NIT first round
UNLV has waited 11 years to play in a postseason game, and the drought will finally come to an end on Wednesday night when the Scarlet and Gray take on Princeton in the first round of the NIT (5 p.m., ESPN+).
It’s going to be a tough test for UNLV, which comes into the game on a two-game losing streak. Princeton is a difficult team to gameplan for, and Kevin Kruger will likely be down two starters.
Can UNLV win and keep its season alive just a little while longer? Three keys to watch:
Lineup concerns
Senior center Kalib Boone remains unlikely to play after missing Thursday’s Mountain West quarterfinal due to an ankle injury. He didn’t participate in practice this week, and while Kruger said “there’s always hope” that Boone could heal enough in time for the opening tip at Princeton, it’s a long shot.
Boone’s shaky status was expected. What the team didn’t anticipate is the absence of senior wing Luis Rodriguez, who did not make the trip to New Jersey and will not play on Wednesday.
A team spokesman said Rodriguez is dealing with a family matter.
That’s a big loss for the Scarlet and Gray, who rely on Rodriguez to defend the opponent’s top perimeter threat. Junior wing Shane Nowell started in place of Boone last game, so Kruger will have to decide if he wants to replace Rodriguez with a big man (Isaiah Cottrell, Karl Jones) or a smaller guard (Justin Webster, Brooklyn Hicks, Jackie Johnson).
Whichever route Kruger takes, UNLV is going to be playing a lot of lineups that don’t have much experience together.
Let D.J. cook
We got a look at UNLV’s offense without Kalib Boone, and it was the D.J. Thomas show. The freshman took over against San Diego State, attempting 21 shots and scoring 29 points in 43 minutes in the overtime loss.
Now with Rodriguez and his 9.0 field goal attempts per game subtracted from the lineup, Thomas may have to assert himself even more as a primary scorer.
The good news for UNLV is that Thomas is excited for his first taste of postseason competition.
“It’s more basketball to play. It’s doing something I love, so I’m blessed to be playing right now,” Thomas said. “Princeton is an historic program, and historic gym. A lot of really good guys, good players, really good teams they’ve had there, so it’s going to be a great experience for me.”
Princeton offense
Princeton University was founded in 1746, and it feels like they’ve been running the same offense since then. And it works.
The Tigers grind their halfcourt sets to the point of tedium. They rank No. 311 in adjusted tempo, but it’s a machine that produces a lot of good possessions and a lot of good shots late in the shot clock, resulting in an attack that slots in 28th nationally in efficiency.
It’s hard to defend, as Princeton spreads the floor and launches a high volume of 3-pointers. The team ranks ninth in both attempts and makes per game, and they hit at 35.7% from deep. Six different players average at least 2.7 long-distance attempts, so everyone on the floor is a threat.
UNLV has faced opponents with similar principles, if not similar actions. Air Force is another extremely slow team that works the shot clock and searches for backdoor cuts, so the Scarlet and Gray should be familiar with the kind of mental discipline required to defend for 30 seconds without a lapse.
Keylan Boone said defending as a team will be the key.
“Great 3-point shooting team,” Boone said of Princeton. “Just locate them early, try to attain their best guys early and make them play team ball.”
Who: UNLV (19-12, 12-6 MWC) at Princeton (24-4, 12-2 Ivy)
When: Wednesday, 5 p.m.
Where: Jadwin Gymnasium (Princeton, N.J.)
TV: ESPN+
Radio: 1100 AM, 100.9 FM
UNLV leaders
Scoring
D.J. Thomas: 14.1 points
Rebounds
Keylan Boone: 6.6 rebounds
Assists
D.J. Thomas: 5.2 assists
Princeton leaders
Scoring
Xaivian Lee: 17.3 points
Rebounds
Caden Pierce: 9.4 rebounds
Assists
Xaivian Lee: 3.6 assists
Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.
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