Kevin Olekaibe has been cleared to play for UNLV, according to Jeff Goodman of ESPN. The former Fresno State guard was granted a hardship waiver by the NCAA because his father is gravely ill, and he will spend his senior season in his hometown of Las Vegas.
The hardship waiver clears Olekaibe from having to sit out a year, the norm for any transfer player.
Olekaibe scored 17.8 points for the Bulldogs in his sophomore season, leading the team in scoring. But his numbers tanked as his playing time declined last season, finishing his 2012-13 campaign with just 8.3 points per game in reduced minutes.
The senior walks into a good situation for playing time, as UNLV lost six of eight top scorers from last season. The only guard on the roster to see significant playing time last season was Bryce Dejean-Jones, so Olekaibe should be in the mix for significant minutes.
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