There was plenty of news for the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels on Monday as they received word from the NCAA that senior guard Kevin Olekaibe has been cleared to play this season while the status of junior guard Bryce Dejean-Jones also became clearer after a hamstring injury last week.
According to a report from ESPN.com’s Jeff Goodman, Olekaibe will be cleared to play this season for UNLV after transferring from Fresno State to be closer to his ailing father, who -- according to Goodman’s story -- is in hospice and can’t speak or move the lower half of his body after suffering multiple strokes.
The 6-foot-2 Olekaibe averaged 17.8 points per game as a sophomore before seeing those totals dip to a career-low 8.3 points per game in his junior season. Olekaibe will be a walk-on at UNLV this season and should bolster the Runnin’ Rebels depth at guard.
UNLV might use that depth immediately as they still await the status of junior wing Bryce Dejean-Jones. After pulling up limp and exiting in the first half of the Runnin’ Rebels loss to Division II Dixie State, Dejean-Jones will miss the Rebels exhibition this week and his status remains unclear for UNLV’s season opener this Friday against Portland State, head coach Dave Rice told Goodman.