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The UNLV Runnin' Rebels men's basketball team officially introduced new head coach Josh Pastner to their community, alumni, and fans on Wednesday. Pastner takes over for former head coach Kevin Kruger, and his job officially started today after the hiring was announced yesterday.
The former Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach came in and shared his vision with the excited crowd. Despite the general perception that the UNLV job is essentially a full rebuild after multiple starters including star guard Dedan Thomas Jr. entered the transfer portal, Pastner made it clear that his plan is to win now, saying, "We want to win now," Pastner said. "We want to get this done as fast as we can, absolutely. And in order to do that, whether it's our team, my staff, everyone's [that's] around, I'm gonna make sure my motor and our intensity and our standard and the level we're going is gonna be raised here."
"This is the sports capital of the world.”
— Vegas Sports Today (@VegasSportsTD) March 26, 2025
New UNLV head coach Josh Pastner, who discusses why Las Vegas is an attractive spot for coaching jobs and his goal of restoring the Runnin' Rebels to their former glory atop the Vegas sports scene.
: @armani_lingo8 | #UNLVMBB pic.twitter.com/5Ke601hTx7
He also stated how he wanted to bring UNLV back to their glory days and reminisced about the days when they were a top team out west when he was playing his college ball. "It's a sleeping giant, this job," Pastner said. "It's an absolute sleeping giant. And again, I understand what it's gonna take to get it back."
It was only Day 1, but it was good to hear that Pastner intends and believes that he can bring UNLV back to being the basketball powerhouse he remembers them being. The Rebels haven't earned an NCAA Tournament bid in a dozen years, which is widely considered unacceptable by anyone who surrounds or supports UNLV. Hopefully, this was the first step towards the Rebels making deep runs and making new magical moments in March. The program made the right hire, but the real work starts now to bring the Rebels back to the top of the Mountain West Conference and potentially further.
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Indiana Basketball Could Get Shooting Boost As Season Nears
Indiana is on track to get some reinforcements with the 2025-26 season less than a week away. As reported by CBS Sports college basketball insider Jon Rothstein, "Indiana's Nick Dorn (foot) hopes to be fully cleared for all basketball related activities this week and if so, would be questionable for the opener on November 5th against Alabama A M, per Darian DeVries." While that report doesn't guarantee Indiana gets Dorn back for the season opener, it's a good sign that he'll be available in the early stages of the season, barring a setback. Dorn is making his way back from a fractured foot that cut his sophomore season at Elon short and lingered into his time with the Hoosiers. Indiana's first marquee matchup of the Darian DeVries era is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Nov. 9 against Marquette at the United Center in Chicago. Nick Dorn's background Dorn is one of 10 transfers brought in by DeVries this offseason. The 6-foot-7 guard played his first two collegiate seasons at Elon, where he started 47 games and played in 55. As a sophomore in 2024-25, he averaged 15.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game while shooting 37.4% from the field, 35.1% on 8.4 3-point attempts per game and 80.5% from the free throw line. An unranked recruit out of Chambers High School in Charlotte, N.C., Dorn made an immediate impact at Elon. Averaging 9.4 points on 36.4% 3-point shooting, he made the 2023-24 CAA All-Freshman team. Upon entering the transfer portal, he was ranked No. 103 among all transfers and the No. 13 combo guard by 247Sports. On3 ranked Dorn No. 142 among all transfers, one spot ahead of outgoing Indiana transfer Bryson Tucker. What Dorn's potential return means for Indiana Dorn's recovery would be a welcomed addition to the Indiana backcourt. He brings good positional size at 6-foot-7 and 3-point shooting ability that will help space the floor. Indiana has gone with a three-guard lineup in its exhibition games, with Tayton Conerway, Conor Enright and Lamar Wilkerson alongside forwards Tucker DeVries and Reed Bailey. Dorn figures to earn minutes at the shooting guard and small forward spots. Darian DeVries spoke a bit about Dorn's physical ability and progress from his injury back on Sept. 30. "I'm a little worried after watching him run on the sidelines that Coach Cig might try and steal him from me because he can run, he can move. You've seen him; he's a big, physical guy," DeVries said. "As he's working his way back, we haven't had an opportunity to see a lot of the basketball piece. A lot of it has been shooting, some light movement stuff, but he's certainly getting closer and closer to full health before we get into more of that live contact. We're excited about him getting back whenever that time comes, but I think he's another added piece that we're looking forward to seeing what he can do." Indiana Extends Offer to High-Flying Guard Josh Lindsay: How Would He Fit? Indiana Enters Race for Ohio State Decommit and Top Prospect Marcus Johnson Indiana Basketball Finding Identity in Resiliency, Erases 13-Point Deficit vs Baylor Indiana vs Baylor: What We Learned About Each Hoosier Starter
Charles Barkley knows the real problem with LeBron James
LeBron James may be out due to sciatica, but Charles Barkley is not buying it. He thinks he knows what is really going on with the Los Angeles Lakers star. Barkley was goofing around during “Inside the NBA” on ESPN Wednesday and talked about the Lakers, who had several players out for their game at the Minnesota Timberwolves. James was listed as out due to sciatica, which is a nerve issue. Barkley thinks the sciatica injury is a cover for something else. “First of all, LeBron doesn’t have a sciatica. They just put ‘old.’ O-L-D, with an extra ‘D,’ too,” Barkley joked. An update on James’ condition came out this week, saying that the Lakers forward could return in a few weeks. The Lakers have seemed to suggest that there is no urgency to rush James into action. However, Luka Doncic also getting hurt recently may have changed things for the team. For now, the Lakers are 3-2 and have been relying on Austin Reaves to do plenty of scoring. He is averaging 34.2 points per game this season. James is 40 years old and entering his 23rd NBA season. He’s allowed to have “old” or sciatica as an injury issue. As Barkley knows and often says, Father Time is undefeated.
Three NHL coaches in danger of a midseason firing
The NHL season is just about a month in, with nearly every team having played 10 games so far. While several teams, such as the Pittsburgh Penguins, Seattle Kraken and Detroit Red Wings, have exceeded expectations, many have fallen short. A disappointing start means many coaches will face the ire of fans who call for their dismissal, fair or not. Which bench bosses are actually in danger of a mid-season firing? Let's take a look at three NHL coaches on the hot seat. Andrew Brunette, Nashville Predators After a brief stint as the Florida Panthers' interim head coach in 2021-22, Brunette was hired by the Predators in May 2023. So far, his results have been less than stellar. After a first round exit in 2024, the Predators ramped up that offseason, adding big names such as Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei. Brunette was unable to translate this into success, as the Predators finished with just 30 wins and the third worst record in the NHL. This season, Nashville's struggles have continued, with a 4-5-2 record, good for 26th overall. Stamkos has just one goal and two points through 11 games and goaltender Juuse Saros sports a .905 save percentage, far below his career average of .914. With a 30th-ranked goals for per game (2.45) and power play (11.8%), if the Predators don't turn things around, Brunette could be the first head coach let go. Lindy Ruff, Buffalo Sabres The Sabres currently have the NHL's longest postseason drought at 14 seasons and have hopes of turning around their fortunes for the 2025-26 season. Ruff, who coached the Sabres from 1997-2013, returned to Buffalo for the 2024-25 season, which the Sabres ended in 26th place. After a rough 0-4-1 start, the Sabres bounced back, going 4-1-2 in their next seven games. However, as of Thursday, Buffalo is still out of a playoff spot as the Thanksgiving benchmark looms. The Sabres will need to improve their 12th-worst 3.10 goals against average, which should be helped as starting goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has returned from injury. While Ruff may have a little bit off leeway, come mid-season, if Buffalo doesn't project to play meaningful games in March and April, the Sabres may move on from the long-time NHL coach. John Hynes, Minnesota Wild Hynes' first two seasons in Minnesota have yielded subpar results: a sixth-place finish in 2023-24 and first round loss to Vegas in 2024-25. Although the Wild have made the playoffs eight of the past 10 seasons, they've yet to make it past the first round in any of those years. With superstar Kirill Kaprizov committing to Minnesota with a record breaking eight-year, $136 million contract, the Wild and Hynes desperately need to capitalize on the winger's prime years. A 3-5-3 start sees Minnesota in seventh place in the Central Division. They've struggled to keep the puck out of their net (fourth worst GAA in the league) and score at 5v5 (15 5v5 goals, worst in the league), leaving Hynes with some work to do. If Hynes can't turn things around in the State of Hockey, a mid-season firing may need to happen to jump start the team.
Why Browns should get ahead of things and trade Myles Garrett
The NFL trade deadline (Nov. 4) is just four days away, and the rumor mill is hot as teams look to bolster their rosters for a playoff push or stockpile assets for the future. While there’s certainly going to be activity, insiders have suggested not to expect any major moves involving marquee players in the coming days. That’s usually the case when it comes to the trade deadline; however, that doesn’t stop the rumors and speculation around top talent on teams at the bottom of the standings. We’ve seen that in full force over the last week with Cleveland Browns (2-6) superstar pass-rusher Myles Garrett. Just eight games into the first season following a massive four-year, $160 million offseason extension, frustration has already boiled over for Garrett. Despite a remarkable five-sack Week 8 performance, his Browns were crushed 32-13 by the Patriots in New England, which led to the sideline helmet slam and emotional outburst that’s become the talk of the football world. As contenders around the NFL fantasize about the possibility of prying one of, if not the best, defensive players in the league out of Cleveland, reports quickly shut down that thought, particularly this one from ESPN’s Adam Schefter: You’d have to think that all but does it for the chances of a trade before Nov. 4, but crazier things have happened, and if the Browns were smart, they’d bite the bullet and get a haul for Garrett sooner rather than later. Why trading Myles Garrett is in Cleveland’s best interest If you’re a Browns fan, of course, you don’t want to see Myles Garrett leave Cleveland. That being said, when you take a step back and evaluate where the franchise stands, dealing away a soon-to-be 30-year-old pass-rusher for a massive haul makes too much sense. The Browns are unlikely to ever be serious contenders again during Garrett’s prime, and it’s pretty clear that even with a year-in, year-out DPOY candidate, this team isn’t close. Trading three first-round picks for Deshaun Watson set everything back in Cleveland, and they need to continue recouping draft capital to speed up this rebuilding process. There is no better way to do that than trading Garrett, who would command three first-round picks at a minimum, which the Philadelphia Eagles are reportedly already willing to pay. Knowing that, general manager Andrew Berry can create a bidding war between a handful of contenders to hit a home run of a return, spurring the Browns to turn the corner much quicker than they would if they hold onto Garrett for years to come. His recently signed contract extension often comes up as a rebuttal in these conversations, but Spotrac took a deeper dive, and it is an extremely movable deal if Cleveland is willing to eat some dead cap. It’s not an easy decision for Berry and the front office to make, but given the current state of the Browns and their future outlook with Garrett in the fold, the way to maximize such value is to trade him, either now or this offseason.
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