You hear talk of it in nearly every recruiting class. There’s always a pair of highly touted players that talk openly and often about teaming up at the next level. Other times they do it in secret, planning in whispers to dominate in college as a tandem.
Either way, for a coach, that’s a dream come true. It makes the task of luring multiple star talents to your program a little easier if the kids are doing some of the heavy lifting for you on the recruiting trail. Rumors floated a few weeks back that such a pairing could be in the cards for UNLV in their 2021 class.
Photo Credit: AZ Desert Swarm
Coach TJ Otzelberger has done a fantastic job of prioritizing elite local point guard Zaon Collins. The 4 Star Top 40 player from Gorman has the Runnin’ Rebels on his shortlist, and it’s no secret UNLV is in prime position to keep him home to play his collegiate basketball. What Collins has also done is talk up UNLV to another 4 Star talent. The player I’m hinting at is teammates with Collins with the coveted AAU program Vegas Elite, and they know each other well.
Arthur Kaluma is a 6’7 Top 60 power forward who played at Dream City Christian (the same prep school Jhaylon Martinez attended) in Glendale, Arizona. Kaluma hears from a who’s who of top tier Power 5 schools. Among his suitors are Kansas, Syracuse, Arizona State,Oklahoma, and Arkansas. Around the same time that Collins cut his list down to 4, Kaluma trimmed his to 8. The Rebels were fortunate enough to be included with the other finalists.
It was right around then that I heard Collins and Kaluma could be headed to UNLV together.
I did some digging, and ultimately what I heard at that time was that Kaluma was focusing on a Power 5 program. More succinctly, I was told he had eyes for Lon Kruger and his Oklahoma Sooners. Fast forward to the here and now, and things have changed. Not only are the Rebels a viable finalist for Kaluma’sservices, but there’s also a good chance this star-studded package becomes a reality for Otzelberger.
Photo Credit: Nunes Magician
For those unfamiliar with Kaluma’sgame, his most impressive attributes could very easily be his defense and rebounding. Kaluma takes an aggressive and assertive approach to both. In terms of his offensive game, he is exceptionally well-rounded. Kaluma already has pro moves in his arsenal like a crafty Euro-step he uses regularly. He also has an active midrange game, and his shooting touch extends out to beyond the three-point arc. In short, he would be a dangerous weapon in UNLV’swide-open, guard-oriented scheme.
With the Coronavirus shutting down official visits across the country, the 2021 class is going to be an unorthodox one. Most prospects are relying on virtual tours of campuses and facilities in an attempt to make the best decision they can without seeing things in person. That means many of them will be making crucial decisions without ever stepping foot in the gym they’ll be playing in for the next four years. When that’s the case, having a close friend recruiting you to join them could be a deciding factor.
At least, in this case, UNLV sure hopes it is.
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Joe Arrigo is the co-founder and VP of Franchise Sports Media. Joe has been in media since 2004 when he became the morning host on KKUU and mid-days co-host on KXPS in Pam Springs. After his time in Palm Springs, Joe became the operations manager when he built, programmed, and was on-air for KQCM. He has also had stints on-air in various markets, including Fresno. Joe became the producer and co-host for The Beast 980 (KFWB), a sports talk station in Los Angeles, before moving to Vegas in 2015. In 2019 he founded Franchise Sports Media with TQ.
