UNLV will face Alabama at the 2025 Players Era Festival

The 2025 Players Era Festival will be an early opportunity for 18 men's basketball programs to gauge their progress in late November.  The UNLV Rebels will compete here and face the No. 14 Alabama Crimson Tide on Tuesday, Nov. 25. For the Rebels, this is an early opportunity to see how they stack up against elite competition, as the Crimson Tide finished last season 28-9 and sixth in the final AP Poll.

Alabama isn't the only major program competing in the festival, as Notre Dame, Gonzaga, Kansas, Syracuse, Tennessee, and last season's National Championship Game loser, the Houston Cougars are all vying to win this tournament.

UNLV has four incoming freshmen in forwards Tyrin Jones and Naas Cunningham and guards Mason Abittan and Issac Williamson.  The rest of the roster has varying levels of experience as they grow from an up-and-down 2024-25 campaign where they finished 18-15.

Last season's Alabama team was defined by their high-octane offense as Nate Oats coached the top offense in the nation with an average of 90.7 points per game.    There is roster turnover every year at the college level. However, some familiar faces are returning to Tuscaloosa this season.  They have four incoming freshmen this season.

Aden Holloway and Labaron Philon Jr. are both returning for another season at Alabama.  They were key to Alabama's success last year, combining for 22 points, 5.7 assists, and 5.2 rebounds per game. Given their impressive averages last season, UNLV will need to have a game plan to stop these two.

Nate Oats, the head coach of the Crimson Tide has amassed a record of 241-106 in his career, having been the head coach at Buffalo previously. In four seasons coaching the Bulls, they went 96-43 winning the MAC three times and finishing 2018-19 ranked 15th, before he went to Tuscaloosa.  As head coach of the Crimson Tide, he's led them to five straight NCAA Tournaments, including a Final Four in 2023-24.

UNLV's Josh Pastner has a career record of 276-187 between Memphis and Georgia Tech.  Memphis reached the NCAA Tournament four straight times from 2010-11 to 2013-14, finishing each season ranked.  

Coaching will loom large in this matchup between two successful programs. Pastner will have to find the right strategy for slowing down Alabama's high-powered offense if UNLV is going to win. Nonetheless, the Players Era Festival is a great opportunity for the Rebels to increase their revenue. The action on the court should provide lots of excitement, too.