Jalen Cunningham - 2026-27 Men's Basketball Roster
Roster
Jalen Cunningham
- Position:
- Guard
- Ht/Wt:
- 6-2 / 185
- Class:
- Redshirt Junior
- Hometown:
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- High School:
- Coronado High School
- Prev School:
- Cabrillo College
UNLV CAREER
Cunningham enters his second season as a Runnin' Rebel in 2026-27 ... Transferred to UNLV from Cabrillo College prior to the 2025-26 season ... Appeared in seven games during his first season at UNLV ... Scored his first points as a Runnin' Rebel against Utah State on March 3, connecting on a 3-pointer ... Recorded two blocked shots, two assists, one rebound and one steal during the season ... Previously earned All-Conference and All-Freshman honors at Cabrillo College, where he helped lead the Seahawks to a school-record 25-6 season and an appearance in the state tournament's Elite Eight.
2025-26 (UNLV)
Appeared in seven games during his first season as a Runnin' Rebel ... Averaged 2.8 minutes per game ... Scored three points, grabbed one rebound, dished out two assists, blocked two shots and recorded one steal ... Scored his first collegiate points at UNLV with a 3-pointer against Utah State on March 3 ... Recorded an assist, rebound and blocked shot against Grand Canyon on Feb. 7 ... Also registered an assist, blocked shot and steal against La Sierra on Dec. 29 ... Finished the season shooting 20.0 percent from 3-point range (1-of-5).
CABRILLO COLLEGE
Attended Cabrillo College in Aptos, California, before transferring to UNLV ... Helped lead the Seahawks to a school-record 25-6 season and their first appearance in the state playoffs, advancing to the Elite Eight ... Averaged 15.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game while shooting 89.0 percent from the free-throw line ... Ranked fifth in the state in 3-pointers made, connecting on 91-of-201 attempts for 45.3 percent ... Ranked 25th in the state in steals ... Earned First Team All-Freshman and Second Team All-Conference recognition.
HIGH SCHOOL
A 2021 graduate of Coronado High School in Henderson, Nevada ... Played four years of varsity basketball ... Coached by Jeff Kauffman at Coronado ... Also attended Foothill High School in Henderson, where he averaged 17.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game as a junior ... His senior season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
PERSONAL
Jalen Jeffrey Cunningham was born Nov. 5, 2001, in Fullerton, California ... The son of Jennifer Everett and Jason Cunningham ... Has three siblings: Josiah, Kaleb and Ava ... His brother, Josiah, plays basketball at Columbia University ... Enjoys spending time with his son and playing with his dog ... Has aspirations of owning and operating a strength and conditioning facility to train athletes ranging from youth to the professional level ... Credits his father as the biggest influence in his life because of the time, dedication and sacrifices he made throughout his basketball career ... Chose UNLV because he considers Las Vegas home and understands what it means to represent the Runnin' Rebels.
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GETTING TO KNOW JALEN...
BASKETBALL NICKNAME:Â JC
FAVORITE PRO ATHLETE:Â Kobe Bryant
FAVORITE PRO TEAM:Â Los Angeles Lakers
MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT AT UNLV:Â Scoring my first points against Utah State or helping the team win against Grand Canyon down the stretch
BIGGEST ATHLETIC THRILL:Â Winning
BIGGEST THRILL IN LIFE:Â My son
ATHLETE I ADMIRE MOST & WHY:Â Kobe Bryant because he never let anyone tell him what he couldn't accomplish and always wanted to prove people wrong
CURRENT OR FORMER UNLV ATHLETE I ENJOY WATCHING:Â Patrick McCaw
SINCE COMING TO UNLV I HAVE LEARNED:Â This community is all love
BEST THING ABOUT UNLV:Â The people around me
FAVORITE FOOD:Â Chicken Parmesan
LEAST FAVORITE FOOD:Â Sushi
FAVORITE TV SHOW:Â The Boondocks and Martin
IF I COULD INVITE THREE PEOPLE IN HISTORY TO DINNER:Â God, Kobe Bryant and YB
FAVORITE MOVIE:Â The Lion King
IF I DIDN'T PLAY BASKETBALL I WOULD:Â Play football
REASON I WEAR MY JERSEY NUMBER:Â Paul George is my favorite player
MOST FAMOUS PLAYER I'VE PLAYED WITH:Â Jaden Hardy
SOMETHING MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT ME:Â I used to play the guitar
FAVORITE BASKETBALL MOVIE:Â Coach Carter
FAVORITE THING TO DO ON THE ROAD:Â Sleep and listen to music
FAVORITE MOUNTAIN WEST CITY:Â Las Vegas
SPORT I WOULD PLAY IF NOT BASKETBALL:Â Football
FAVORITE PLACE I'VE VISITED:Â California
PLACE I'D MOST LIKE TO VISIT:Â Bahamas
DREAM 1-ON-1 MATCHUP:Â Me vs. my son
IF I HAD TO GIVE UP ALL BUT ONE POSSESSION, I WOULD KEEP:Â My shoes
FAVORITE MUSICIAN:Â YB and Hunxho
ADVICE TO YOUNGSTERS:Â Never let anyone tell you that you can't do something. Always believe in yourself, even if no one else does.
HOW I STARTED PLAYING BASKETBALL:Â My father
ONE WORD TO DESCRIBE MYSELF:Â Laid-back
WHO INSPIRES ME TO BE BETTER:Â My son and my family
FAVORITE COACH PASTNER SAYING:Â "Cool, casual, and cute will get you beat"
SONG THAT PUTS ME IN A GOOD MOOD:Â Thank God by Hunxho
FAVORITE APP:Â Instagram
TOP BUCKET LIST ITEM:Â Be the best father I can be
CELEBRITY I WOULD MOST LIKE TO MEET:Â YB
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