Former Gorman star excited for UNLV return after injury layoff

Isaiah Cottrell has been through this before. The UNLV men’s basketball player knows the rhythms and doldrums of recovering from a season-ending injury all too well.

“It was tough, a lot of ups and downs early in the season figuring out what was going on,” he said.

Cottrell’s homecoming to Las Vegas didn’t go as planned last season. The highly touted former Bishop Gorman star transferred to UNLV before the 2022-23 campaign to join coach Kevin Kruger’s squad after two seasons at West Virginia.

Injuries kept Cottrell off the court as the Rebels sprinted out to an 11-1 start. He finally made his UNLV debut Nov. 26, 2022, against Life Pacific, scoring five points in eight minutes. It was his only appearance of the season.

Cottrell broke the fourth metatarsal in his right foot. He had surgery to insert a metal plate and a bone graft, then underwent four months of recovery, forced to watch from the sidelines as the Rebels’ hot start crumbled into a 19-13 season and a quarterfinal exit from the Mountain West tournament.

It was the second time in three collegiate seasons that Cottrell’s season ended prematurely. The 6-foot-11-inch forward’s freshman year with the Mountaineers finished after just 10 games when he tore his left Achilles tendon.

This time around, Cottrell said he’s been more patient with his recovery.

“Just listening to my body,” Cottrell said. “Take a lot of the right supplements, eat right, rest and not try to go too fast, too early.”

Added Kruger: “He had a really good summer and fall in terms of getting back available. But you know, when you go a year without playing basketball, it’s going to be tough.”

The Rebels may need more from Cottrell than initially planned this year. Fifth-year forward Kalib Boone’s status with the team is uncertain following his arrest Sunday for a misdemeanor DUI. Kruger said Monday the program is still gathering information before deciding how to proceed.

Boone’s twin brother, Keylan, is also questionable for the season, as Kruger revealed he needs a waiver from the NCAA to play without sitting out after transferring to his third four-year university without graduating.

“We feel Keylan’s situation is a little more unique, and hopefully the NCAA will look at it that way,” Kruger said.

The Rebels will need more than just Cottrell’s size on the court. Now entering his fourth year of college basketball, Cottrell said Kruger has challenged him to be more of a leader. Cottrell also said the coaching staff wants him to be more aggressive.

Now, as training camp begins and with the season just around the corner, Cottrell said he’s simply trying to gain confidence and make up for all the time he missed. He joked that the only noticeable impact from his injury is the tingle in his foot when the weather changes, but said he feels as healthy as ever entering the 2023-24 season.

Cottrell said he’s also excited to take the floor with fellow Las Vegans Jalen Hill and Dedan Thomas Jr.

“It’s awesome,” Cottrell said. “It never happens. If we can win a bunch of games, do the things we set out to do, I think it could be a really special year.”

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