Monday, Oct. 7, 2024 | 2 a.m.
With D.J. Thomas entrenched at point guard and Rob Whaley stabilizing the frontcourt, the UNLV basketball team has quality continuity in those areas. Where the roster has undergone the most turnover heading into the 2024-25 season is on the wings.
By the end of last season, UNLV was getting great production from its swingmen, with Keylan Boone and Luis Rodriguez torturing opponents on both ends of the court. That duo’s strong finish was a big reason why the Scarlet and Gray were able to win 10 of 12 games to close the regular season and make a run to the third round of the NIT.
Both are gone now, graduated, leaving a sizable hole in any projection of the 2024-25 rotation.
Boone was second on the team in minutes played while Rodriguez was third. Between those two and fellow departed senior guard Justin Webster (fourth), the team lost 2,585 total minutes; that trio combined to play 37.5% of UNLV’s available minutes.
In order to fill that void, head coach Kevin Kruger and his staff hit the transfer portal looking for veterans capable of shouldering heavy workloads right away. They came away with junior wing Jaden Henley and senior guard Jailen Bedford, and through two weeks of preseason practice, the early reviews have been encouraging.
Whaley, who is admittedly biased, believes the team has effectively reloaded on the wings.
“Those two are elite,” Whaley said of Bedford and Henley. “I don’t think we dropped as much as people think at that position, honestly, because those guys are studs.”
Bedford’s top trait is his outside shooting ability. The 6-foot-4 senior played his first two years at the junior college level, then transferred to Oral Roberts for the 2023-24 campaign, and at every stop he has proven to be a dangerous 3-point marksman.
Last year he scored 14.6 points per game while making 37.3% from long range.
“Jailen Bedford can score the ball,” Whaley said. “He puts the ball in the rim.”
Henley brings a defensive mindset and a 6-foot-9 frame to match. He spent his freshman year at Minnesota before transferring to DePaul last season, where he averaged 8.6 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.
Through summer workouts and now official practice sessions, Henley has displayed the attitude and willingness necessary to be a difference-maker on defense.
“Playing in the Big Ten and Big East, it’s pretty physical,” Henley said. “You get to learn pretty fast. I think with my length and my size and my versatility to be able to guard smaller guards and sometimes bang in the post, I think that really helps us.”
Whaley has been wowed by Henley’s ability to match up with players up and down the lineup.
“I love playing with Henley,” Whaley said. “He can play literally any position 1 through 4. He’s got great vision, can dribble the ball well, great defender. I’d say he’s one of the best defenders on the team.”
Now on his third college team in three years, Henley has fit in well with his UNLV mates.
“This team is definitely different than what I’m used to,” Henley said. “It’s a real big family. I think we have great chemistry. Everyone is always together, no one is left out.”
UNLV won’t be leaning entirely on newcomers to fortify the wing positions. The team is also welcoming back sophomore Brooklyn Hicks, who flashed scoring potential off the bench last year (2.6 points in 11.3 minutes per game).
At 6-foot-3, Hicks may not possess the size of a true wing, but he is athletic enough to handle some of those responsibilities.
Kruger has watched Hicks develop over the offseason and has him pegged for something of a breakthrough.
“I think Brooklyn did a great job of going through that freshman year and then coming back this summer with a mentality to work and be a part of the rotation and be counted on every day,” Kruger said. “He has worked incredibly hard this fall and this summer, so he’s going to be a big part for us this year.”
Another player to watch as the season draws closer is true freshman James Evans, a 6-foot-6 true wing who scored at a high rate in high school. Evans was a 3-star prospect in the Class of 2024 and rated as the No. 35 small forward in the nation, according to 247 Sports.
Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.
