While watching San Jose State concede a double-digit lead to UNLV, Spartans’ head coach Tim Miles snapped a clipboard.
It wasn’t the first time he’s done that this season. And considering the Spartans penchant for letting promising leads devolve into nauseating losses, it won’t be the last.
“Ultimately I felt humiliated with how the second half went,” Miles said after the Spartans 77-65 loss to UNLV.
The Spartans (8-12, 1-6 MW) were up by as many as 11 in the first half. Then came that wretched second half where the Runnin’ Rebels made 14-straight field goals to end the game. That hot streak is so ridiculous it makes one wonder what UNLV head coach Kevin Kruger said at halftime. That or what deal he made with the devil.
📽️ Recap of tonight's game presented by @Rubensteinsupp #AllSpartans pic.twitter.com/QjzFFeeA8L
— San Jose State Men’s Basketball (@SanJoseStateMBB) January 28, 2024
Buried in the debris of yet another conference game SJSU could’ve won, is the present and future ramifications NIL (name, image and likeness) is creating for the Spartans.
The present day aspect was abundant as UNLV’s Keylan Boone, a transfer from Oklahoma State, scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half and contributed to that otherworldly second half. Freshman Dedan Thomas Jr., meanwhile, torched the Spartans for 16 points and six assists.
Both are first-year Runnin’ Rebels who played a part in UNLV’s NIL collective being one of seven Mountain West collectives to “have reported annual NIL budgets for men’s basketball over $400,000,” according to the SF Chronicle.
The loss drops the Spartans to 1-6 in conference play and that could easily devolve to 1-8 after games upcoming games at Utah State (No. 36 in KENPOM) and Nevada (No. 48 in KENPOM). Keep in mind, five of those losses came to those seven programs with a robust NIL presence.
Saturday was just another reminder that the Spartans don’t have the talent to play a full 40 minutes of basketball. That full 40 minutes could happen next year, but what if junior guards Alvaro Cardenas (14 points and six assists) and Myron “MJ” Amey Jr. (18 points, three assists and five rebounds) capitalize on their rising profile and pole vault to a bigger program for increased exposure or NIL opportunities?
What’s incredible is how this is the duo’s first time truly sharing a backcourt. Last year, because of Amey Jr.’s lingering injuries, Cardenas flanked 2023-24 Mountain West Player of the Year, Omari Moore. Although Cardenas played well, there were fears that his output would flatline without Moore by his side. Evidenced by his first half on Saturday night, that couldn’t be further from the truth. He’s now one of just three players in the Mountain West averaging at least 13 points and 6 assists per game. Amey Jr., meanwhile, is one of two players in the conference averaging over 15 points and 1.6 steals per game.
In doing so, both players showed that SJSU could potentially survive as a have-not by developing no-name recruits into Mountain West problems. Heck, you could throw other third-year Spartans like wings Trey Anderson (11 points) and Tibet Gorener (13 points) into that category, too.
Görener from the corner 🎯
SJSU 45 UNLV 35
📺 @FS1
Presented by @Rubensteinsupp#AllSpartans pic.twitter.com/0EKGRpjhTl— San Jose State Men’s Basketball (@SanJoseStateMBB) January 28, 2024
The problem, however, is that their progression timeline isn’t aligning with the rest of SJSU.
Sophomores Adrame Diongue (four points) and William Humer, (zero points) and freshman Diogo Seixas (five points) continue to struggle in their first year garnering meaningful minutes. In five minutes of action, sophomore Garrett Anderson contributed zero points and a plus/minus of -7.
The byproduct is that second half, and eventually, Miles calling it an “embarrassment.” And perhaps, members of Spartan Nation reflecting back those conceded first half leads in non-conference play, then in conference play to Wyoming and Boise State, and wondering, ‘when will it end?’
