Another UNLV basketball player enters NCAA transfer portal

David Jenkins Jr. on Monday became the seventh UNLV basketball player to enter the NCAA transfer portal.

Jenkins was a fixture in the Rebels’ rotation, averaging 29.2 minutes and 14.8 points as a junior guard in 2020-21. He shot 39.9 percent, including 40.9 percent from 3-point range, and had a team-high 74 3-pointers.

Jenkins played at South Dakota State under former UNLV coach T.J. Otzelberger, who recruited him as a transfer in 2019. He sat out the 2019-20 season per NCAA transfer rules and was projected to be the Mountain West Newcomer of the Year by the league’s media in the annual preseason poll.

Jenkins averaged 19.7 points on 46.3 percent shooting and 45.3 percent 3-point shooting in 2018-19 at South Dakota State. But he was not as productive in the Mountain West and struggled defensively against the league’s superior competition.

Still, his departure leaves a void on the perimeter. He’s the third rotation player to leave the program, joining guard Caleb Grill and forward Devin Tillis, who both entered the transfer portal last week.

Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.