T.J. Otzelberger gets first commit as UNLV basketball coach
New UNLV basketball coach T.J. Otzelberger nabbed his first commitment Tuesday.
Jonah Antonio, a 6-foot-5-inch guard who played at a junior college this season, announced on Twitter that he had chosen the Rebels. He also considered Seton Hall and Southern Methodist.
“… there is absolutely no better opportunity for me than to be at UNLV with Coach Otzelberger, he has had a huge impact on my life since meeting him a year ago and I’m 110% committed to him and the program. I’m extremely excited to call (myself) a Rebel,” Antonio tweeted.
110% Committed @TheRunninRebels #BEaREBEL #UNLVmbb ‼️ pic.twitter.com/YIg6RsvjDO
— Jonah Antonio (@jonah__antonio) April 3, 2019
Antonio, who is from Australia, averaged 11.6 points and 4.5 rebounds this season at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas. He shot 40.9 percent from 3-point range, which fits the perimeter-heavy system that Otzelberger runs.
Before South Plains, Antonio played at Mount St. Mary’s. He redshirted in 2016-17, then started 31 of 32 games the following season, averaging 11.3 points and leading the team with 90 3-pointers. He made 33.8 percent of his 3-pointers.
The spring signing period begins April 17, and Otzelberger has plenty of work to do before then.
One of his former players at South Dakota State, guard David Jenkins, has received his release from the Jackrabbits. Another guard, Caleb Grill, received his release from a letter of intent from South Dakota State. Both are accurate 3-point shooters, but also have drawn considerable interest from other schools since their announcements.
Otzelberger also has current UNLV players to recruit. Seven Rebels have entered the NCAA transfer portal, which allows them to leave for another school or stay at UNLV.
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Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @markanderson65 on Twitter.
