‘Free-flowing’ first week of practice for UNLV basketball

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Sunday, June 16, 2024 | 2 a.m.

The UNLV basketball team just wrapped its first week of summer practice, but it didn’t quite sound like hoops practice. A novice ear would have heard sneakers squeaking and balls bouncing off the floor at the Mendenhall Center, but an eavesdropper with hardwood experience surely would have noticed a distinct lack of whistles.

That was by design, as fourth-year coach Kevin Kruger wanted to foster a free-flowing atmosphere that allowed the team’s returners and newcomers to play for longer, uninterrupted stretches. The goal is to give them space to get to know each other, without overloading them with playbook minutiae — at least not yet.

So Kruger and his staff pocketed the whistles, put down the clipboards and mostly let the players do their thing.

When asked how detail-oriented the first four sessions were, Kruger said he was more concerned with giving the players freedom to bond on the court.

“Not very,” Kruger said. “We introduce some concepts, but we don’t really have the time to stop and go over every play every single step of the way. It’s summer. We want to get up and down, we want them to compete with each other and try to have fun.”

UNLV is welcoming seven newcomers, including a pair of freshmen, a juco big man and four Division-I transfers. All the players are enrolled in classes and were present for the first practice, though sophomore point guard D.J. Thomas (wrist) and senior forward Jalen Hill (knee) did not participate.

Among the transfers, former DePaul wing Jaden Henley is expected to make an immediate impact. The 6-foot-7 junior 8.6 points and 2.7 rebounds per game last year and plays a position of need, as UNLV lost last year’s starting wings to graduation.

Henley confirmed that the first practices were less about X’s and O’s and more about Jimmys and Joes.

“It was definitely a free-flowing atmosphere,” Henley said. “Letting us be us, letting us figure things out on our own and get to know each other. I think it was good. We did a lot of stuff just to get to know each other’s games.”

One of Henley’s best attributes is his defense, a skill that is traditionally not as appreciated during summer pickup games. But he liked the intensity he sensed from his teammates throughout the week, describing the 2024-25 UNLV squad as one that opponents are not going to want to play against.

Henley envisions himself as a good fit for that type of team.

“I feel I’m going to be a very high-energy guy that’s going to be out there to make wining plays,” he said.

Kruger praised Henley’s approach to the first week on the court.

“We’re really excited about Jaden,” Kruger said. “He’s a tall wing that can handle the ball, and he’s known for being a very good on-ball defender. That’s something we’re going to need. We need him to do that at a high level.”

UNLV has seven weeks left in the summer practice window, with each week consisting of four hours of on-court activities and four hours of strength and conditioning.

As the summer moves on, Kruger will presumably reintroduce the coach’s whistle.

“Of course, some of it has been helter skelter,” Kruger said. “But you can see everyone getting on the same page since the first day. We’ve made a lot of progress each day.”

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.