The UNLV Runnin' Rebels Men's Basketball Team Is The Most Intriguing Team In The Mountain West Conference

While almost all of the focus has been on the UNLV Rebels football team as of late, we can't forget that we are also quickly moving toward the start of the Runnin' Rebels men's basketball season. It's been an eventful offseason for the Rebels, to say the least, headlined by the hiring of new head coach Josh Pastner. It didn't take long for Pastner to make waves both at UNLV and in the Mountain West Conference by rebuilding the roster and bringing in an incredible transfer portal class. This team is now loaded with high-end talent and led by a coach with Power 5 experience, most recently with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

Much like with the football team, after making a splashy signing at head coach and bringing in a ton of talent through the transfer portal, things couldn't have gone much better this offseason for the men's basketball squad. However, none of that will matter if Pastner isn't able to put all the pieces together and find success on the basketball court when the time comes. That is what makes this team so intriguing heading into the college basketball season. However, we aren't the only ones intrigued by Pastner's team; this is the general consensus among most analysts and outlets. One of those outlets is Mountain West Connection, who had plenty to say about this team and their upcoming season.

Mountain West Connection's Take On The UNLV Runnin' Rebels Men's Basketball Team

"I don’t think there’s any one team in the Mountain West that I’m intrigued by more than UNLV heading into the new season. Josh Pastner hasn’t been on a sideline since 2022-23 and brought in the most loaded transfer class in the conference. UNLV lost star point guard Dedan Thomas Jr. to LSU, but their transfer class — led by Kimani Hamilton — plus their loaded non-conference slate (they play Memphis, Alabama, Maryland and Stanford) make them arguably the most intriguing team for me. Can Pastner get UNLV back to a top-3/4 program in the conference, or will they underperform like his final two seasons at Georgia Tech?"

It's Pastner's ability to bring together this team and how quickly he can do so that will be the key to the season. If nothing else, this season is going to be exciting, but it would be good to see this team at least take strides towards climbing back to the top of the Mountain West.