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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.
More must-reads:
- Five potential landing spots for Christian Wilkins after stunning Raiders release
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Five potential landing spots for Christian Wilkins after stunning Raiders release
The Las Vegas Raiders just stunned the league by releasing defensive tackle Christian Wilkins after only one year with the team. After signing a four-year, $110 million contract, he struggled with injuries in 2024. This was supposed to be a big bounce-back year for Wilkins, but after a dispute between the two sides in regard to how to handle his foot injury, the team decided it was best to part ways. Now, a premier interior disruptor is suddenly available. Assuming his medicals get checked out soon, there should be a lot of interest around the league. Where should he land? Dallas Cowboys Dallas has needed a dominant interior presence for quite some time. Osa Odighizuwa is an awesome threat, but he is only solid against the run. Alongside him, the team will be banking heavily on 2023 first-rounder Mazi Smith, who has been disappointing so far. With Dallas looking to return to the playoffs, adding a stud like Wilkins could give Dallas one of the best defensive lines in the NFL. San Francisco 49ers The 49ers added some young bodies in CJ West and Alfred Collins, yet neither offer a proven, all-around talent like Wilkins could if healthy. The 49ers defensive line was horrid outside of Nick Bosa in 2024, but by adding Wilkins, the team would now have a solid cast of starters with Nick Bosa, Mykel Williams, Wilkins and Kevin Givens/Jordan Elliott. Miami Dolphins A return to Miami makes a ton of sense for both sides. The Dolphins know exactly how to use Wilkins, he knows the building and players, and the transition would be very easy. Miami needs help in the interior defensive line; by plugging Wilkins back into his old role, he could offer the quickest path to high-level impact. Detroit Lions With Levi Onwuzurike out with injury and Detroit needing more juice on the defensive line, adding a proven disruptor like Wilkins could make some sense. He could provide more depth while he gets fully healthy, and he can join a legit Super Bowl contender. His energy and mentality could be a good fit for a Dan Campbell-led squad. Jacksonville Jaguars The Jaguars defense is average in the interior, but they have excellent edge-rushers who would benefit greatly from a strong disruptor up the middle. Wilkins could balance the front, help in the run defense and allow more one-on-ones for their premier edge-rushers. For a team that wants to return to the playoffs as soon as possible, adding a veteran like Wilkins could be a worthy bet to make.
Las Vegas Raiders End Christian Wilkins’ Tenure — Raider Nation Reacts
Las Vegas Raiders fans were shocked to learn that their team had parted ways with Christian Wilkins, their prized 2024 offseason acquisition. Let’s take a look at the reactions on social media, particularly from Raider Nation. In what can be described as the first “shocking” development of training camp, Raiders brass (spearheaded by general manager John Spytek) opted to go in a different direction. Well, that’s putting it nicely. The official statement was uncompromising. “We have decided that it is in the best interest of the organization to move on from Christian Wilkins and he has been informed of this release from the team. This franchise has a ‘Commitment to Excellence’ on and off the field. With no clear path or plan for future return to play from Christian, this transaction is necessary for the entire organization to move forward and prepare for the new season.” —Raiders statement on Wilkins’ release Here’s the thing: it’s not such a simple story. Wilkins and the Raiders originally agreed to a $110 million contract last offseason. On Thursday, the team opted to designate him as a terminated, vested veteran. Basically, he’s not subject to waivers. If you recall, Wilkins only played in five games last season before a foot injury took him out. Upon entering training camp, the Raiders placed him on the PUP list—naturally, that cast doubt as to whether he’d be available for the start of the season. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Raiders took issue with how Wilkins went about rehabbing after his surgery. As a result, the team voided what was left of his $35.2 million in guaranteed money. Also of note was that league insider Ian Rapoport stated that the organization wanted him to undergo another surgery but Wilkins declined. He opted to rehab his foot without additional surgery. Now, the Raiders will be without former general manager Tom Telesco’s prized free agent signing. Raider Nation, as we all know, had a lot to say and didn’t hold back. Raider Nation reacts to shocking Christian Wilkins news… At the end of the day, whether Wilkins plays this season and how the Raiders perform will lead us to revisit this story at some point. Clearly, this means we won’t have a quiet offseason without drama. Right, folks? *
Yankees Traded Flourishing Infielder for Struggling Closer
The New York Yankees have made their 2025 goals abundantly clear: They're trying to return to the World Series and win it all. In an effort to do so, the Pinstripes traded pitcher Nestor Cortes and infielder Caleb Durbin to the Milwaukee Brewers this season, adding closer Devin Williams to the roster. Halfway into the season, it looks like that was a big mistake. The Yankees are now looking to fill gaps in the both the bullpen and the infield before the MLB trade deadline rolls around at the end of the month. Utilityman Oswaldo Cabrera was great at third base, but suffered a potentially season-ending injury in May. The Yankees tried to compensate by shifting Jazz Chisholm Jr. to third, but it was clear Chisholm excels at second, and he's since been moved back. Durbin, on the other hand, has only gotten better in Milwaukee. "Over 75 games this season, Durbin is slashing .265/.350/.382 with five homers and elite contact skills at the plate," Alexander Wilson of Empire Sports Media wrote. "He ranks in the 95th percentile in whiff rate and 98th in strikeout rate — rare company for a young infielder. Durbin’s advanced plate discipline would’ve been invaluable in a Yankees lineup that too often leans on boom-or-bust approaches." Then there's Devin Williams, who has been part of a shaky-at-best Yankees bullpen. He has certainly seen improvement since the beginning of the season, when he was pulled from closing duties after a blown save to the Yankees' division rival Toronto Blue Jays. However, it hasn't been quite enough. Toronto swept New York in a four game series earlier this month, securing their lead of the AL east over the Pinstripes. Williams pitched the final inning, giving up two earned runs. He has a 4.82 ERA over 37.1 innings pitched in 41 games. Williams keeps improving, and hopefully will prove that the Yankees made the right choice by acquiring him. However, that still doesn't fill the gaping hole New York has at third base, and they're likely missing Durbin's consistent abilities in the field and at the plate. The Yankees have until the July 31 MLB trade deadline to make any trades to address these issues. Make sure to bookmark Yankees On SI to get all your daily New York Yankees news, interviews, breakdowns and more! Cam Schlittler is Not Yankees Paul Skenes Yankees Fighting Red Sox for Diamondbacks Pitchers Yankees’ Aaron Judge Ties Alex Rodriguez on All-Time List Braves Troll Yankees' Jazz Chisholm With Walk-Up Song Yankees in Trade Talks With Pirates
Dodgers Predicted to Acquire $4.175 Million All-Star, Gold Glove Outfielder in Blockbuster Trade
If any team around the league is set to strike a blockbuster deal ahead of the July 31 trade deadline, it's the Los Angeles Dodgers. While the defending champions are expected to make a splash this summer, there's uncertainty as to where LA will look to upgrade the roster. The Dodgers could quite frankly use additions in several areas of the roster, including the bullpen, starting rotation, and lineup. Tanner Scott's ongoing struggles has stirred speculation that the front office will add a reliever this summer. Additionally, Scott and Michael Kopech are both injured, which leaves the bullpen short two high-leverage arms. Beyond the bullpen, the Dodgers are still missing two staples of their rotation in Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki. However, both pitchers appear to be headed for a return to the team down the stretch. Therefore, ESPN insider David Schoenfield believes the Dodgers will look to acquire an outfielder and a leadoff hitter in Steven Kwan of the Cleveland Guardians. "The reasoning here: Michael Conforto just hasn't worked out," Schoenfield writes. "The Dodgers have given him 300 plate appearances and he's hitting under .200, plus he's not a good left fielder. They could also use a leadoff hitter. They just moved Mookie Betts there in front of Shohei Ohtani, looking to get Betts going, but Betts just hasn't been an offensive force in 2025 and shouldn't be hitting at the top of a lineup right now. Kwan would fix both issues and give them a nice OBP guy in front of Ohtani while providing a major defensive upgrade." While the Dodgers have been linked to Kwan, it remains to be seen whether the Guardians are willing to part ways with the Gold Glover. ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel gave just a 20 percent chance that Kwan would be traded. The All-Star outfielder is under team control through 2027, and is due $4.1 million this season. The Dodgers could send a large haul of prospects to Cleveland, as the organization has one of the best farm systems in MLB. However, the Dodgers are reportedly unwilling to move top prospects such as Dalton Rushing and Alex Freeland.
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