Naas Cunningham was once considered a can't-miss prospect coming out of high school. He even held the No. 1 overall ranking for a brief period of time in the 2024 recruiting class before ultimately finishing as a 4-star, but still a Top 50 overall player.
Cunningham committed to Alabama and spent the 2024-25 season in Tuscaloosa, but ultimately redshirted without playing in a game.
Instead of waiting it out and trying to develop under Nate Oats, Cunningham chose to enter the Transfer Portal a year ago. He ultimately landed at UNLV, spending the 2025-26 season in Las Vegas with new head coach Josh Pastner.
Unfortunately for Cunningham, things didn't go according to plan with the Rebels. He appeared in 21 games for UNLV, averaging 5.0 points per game in 13 minutes. His shooting splits of 33.7% from the field and 23% from three speak to how far he has to come.
On Tuesday, it was announced that Cunningham would re-enter the Transfer Portal after one season with UNLV.
UNLV’s Naas Cunningham intends to enter the transfer portal, he told @TheFieldOf68.
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) March 31, 2026
The 6-7 redshirt-freshman wing averaged 5.0 ppg for UNLV this season. The former top-50 recruit started his career at Alabama. Native of West Orange, NJ. pic.twitter.com/aZo3Doyogd
Former Alabama wing Naas Cunningham back in the Transfer Portal after one year with UNLV
Cunningham has considerable skill, but the biggest mistake that players in this era frequently make is not being content with developing in one spot and constantly seeking out places where they perceive the grass is greener.
Unfortunately, that isn't often the case, and it stunts their growth. Perhaps Cunningham's leaving Tuscaloosa was a mutual decision between him and the coaching staff, but there's little doubt that his development would be further along had he chosen to remain with the Crimson Tide.
Instead, the former elite prospect is now looking for a third team in three years, and after a rough season with UNLV, his options may be much smaller than he would have originally thought.
Hopefully, Cunningham can catch on at the mid-major level and take his time developing with three seasons of eligibility remaining so that he can fulfill the promise that made him such a coveted recruit coming out of high school.