Las Vegas Chronicle Interview with UNLV Commit KyeRon Lindsay

It wasn’t so long ago (just last season, as a matter of fact) that UNLV’s roster was described as methodical and cerebral. That’s a very nice way of saying plodding and unathletic. Things changed rather quickly once Kevin Kruger took over the program from T.J. Otzelberger. Otzelberger’s time at UNLV was short, but so too was his frontcourt. Gone are those brief days when the Rebels trotted out a 6-foot-4 power forward who was barely recruited by any other D1 schools.

Kruger relied heavily on the transfer portal to build his first class, but it was evident that his roster construction was going to be very different than that of his predecessor. Size, length, and athleticism were in abundance when he put together his first team.

Now that Kruger and his staff have had a full recruiting cycle with which to work, their ideology has remained, but now they’re hunting topflight high school talent instead of a team solely built by transfers. Those aforementioned traits are evident in the first prep player to commit to Kruger in his abbreviated tenure. KyeRon Lindsay is athletic, long, and he does have size standing at 6’8. The multifaceted PF is also highly skilled. He’s a monster in transition, his jumper is pure, and he will have a field day on the low block with his barrage of post moves. Lindsay lives up to his 4-Star Top 100 billing and then some.

UNLV beat out some heavy hitters for his services. When KyeRon Lindsay cut his list down to 8 choices, Arkansas, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Georgia, and Tennessee were all vying to land him instead of the Rebels. I spoke with KyeRon about his commitment to UNLV, his motivations, and ultimately what made him want to call Las Vegas home for his collegiate basketball experience. Here’s what he had to say.

Interview with KyeRon Lindsay

Jeffrey Waddilove– Who was the first UNLV staff member to reach out to you?

KyeRon Lindsay– Coach (Carlin) Hartman was the first to reach out to me.

JW– After that initial talk with Coach Hartman, how did your relationship grow with the staff?

KL– My relationship with the staff became super close. We play 8 Ball over texts, and we text very frequently.

JW– What about UNLV stood out to you the most?

KL– The family environment number one. The campus and the facilities, and especially the diversity of the campus stood out to me a lot, which I like.

JW– When the staff talks to you about your role next season, what do they expect from you?

KL– They want me to be an all-around player on both ends of the court. They want me to be another high energy guy.

JW– What do you think are the strengths of your game?

KL– My rebounding, my passing, and of course my energy.

JW– What aspects of your game do you feel you need to work on to be successful at the next level?

KL– I think I need to work on extending my range from the high school three-point line to the college line; and further.

JW– When you get to UNLV, what are your goals on the basketball court.

KL– To help the team win. Plain and simple.

JW– What do you hope to achieve off the court in your time as a Runnin’ Rebel?

KL– To be the best student-athlete I can be and become the best person I can.

JW– Ultimately what made you decide to choose UNLV over your other finalists?

KL– Coach Kruger was taking over at a program where he played at and won in, and I wanted to be apart of bringing UNLV and the rich history that everyone in Vegas remembers. And being one his first big recruits means a lot to me.

JW– What’s your message to UNLV fans?

KL– I can’t wait to get this show on the road!

UNLV hopes to build off the momentum and success of landing Lindsay in their 2022 class. They’re targeting a lot of blue-chip caliber players, who, after getting KyeRon Lindsay in the fold can possibly cause a domino effect for others to commit. At the end of the day, these players love having star power joining them when its time to announce their college decision.