UNLV forward steps up when needed: ‘Just a great week for him’

Rob Whaley Jr.’s been waiting for this matchup. It’s been circled on his calendar since he signed with UNLV.

Whaley, a 6-foot-7-inch forward who attended the College of Southern Idaho, was recruited by Mountain West rivals Boise State before deciding to play with the Rebels. He gets a chance to show he made the right decision committing to coach Kevin Kruger and UNLV when his team plays the Broncos on the road at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

“I felt this was the best school for me,” Whaley said. “And I want to prove it.”

UNLV (8-7, 1-2 Mountain West) has lost eight straight meetings with Boise State (12-4, 3-0). The Rebels’ last win in the series was Feb. 26, 2020. Their last road win was against the Broncos was Feb. 6, 2019.

UNLV hasn’t shied away from a challenge this year, however.

The Rebels beat then-No. 8 Creighton on Dec. 13 and handed New Mexico just its third loss on Jan. 9. UNLV also was close to upsetting No. 16 Utah State on Saturday, but a devastating five-point play led to a late defeat.

“I don’t want to say anything to get me in trouble, but I think you know exactly what I’m trying to say,” Kruger said. “We did exactly what we needed to do at home. Exactly what we needed to do at home.”

Whaley has been a massive part of the Rebels’ decent — if frustrating — start to Mountain West play. The former junior college transfer spent the nonconference season getting sporadic minutes. He was then asked to step up when fifth-year forward Jalen Hill’s season ended with an ACL injury Jan. 6.

Whaley has responded with two effective performances.

He scored five points in 15 minutes in UNLV’s win against the Lobos. He then added 11 points, a career-high eight rebounds, two assists and a block in 23 minutes in the loss to the Aggies. The Utah State game was Whaley’s best in a Rebels’ uniform.

He was Kruger’s first player off the bench in both contests.

“Just a great week for him,” Kruger said. “He came in with the attitude and mindset that every second he was going to do whatever he could to help the possession.”

Whaley said he’s just letting the game come to him and trying to play more freely. He’s bought into his role as an energy player off the bench. Whaley offers Kruger positional flexibility because he can play forward or moonlight as a center if need be.

He credited UNLV’s coaches for helping him make strides when it comes to playing different positions on defense. He’s also focused on his conditioning so he can provide as many high-impact minutes as possible.

Whaley has worked on his mental game as well. He has biweekly sessions with Dr. Kacey Oiness, the Rebels’ staff psychologist. It helped Whaley keep his mind in a good place even when he wasn’t getting consistent playing time.

Now his preparations have allowed him to seize his opportunity when UNLV needs him.

“My name can be called at any time,” Whaley said. “So it was just about staying ready for that moment.”

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