Former Arizona Wildcats center Emmanuel Stephen (34) shoots the ball during practice at Climate Pledge Arena. Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

UNLV's Josh Pastner Raves About Arizona Transfer Emmanuel Stephen’s Potential Impact

Originally posted on UNLV Rebels on SI
By Mark Morales-Smith | Last updated Jul 9, 2025 1:00 PM ET

The UNLV Runnin' Rebels men's basketball team faces a mass exodus to the transfer portal this offseason. Whether it was due to the firing of their former head coach, Kevin Kruger, or some players had their own reasons for moving on to a different program, the roster was gutted for the next incoming head coach. The Rebels ultimately hired Josh Pastner to take over the head coaching job. He wasted no time getting started and attacked the transfer portal. While Pastner is well known for coaching at Memphis and Georgia Tech, before that, he played his college ball for the Arizona Wildcats. One of his first moves as the head coach in Las Vegas was to bring in a player from Arizona.

Pastner brought in center Emmanuel Stephen, an impressive athlete who hadn't really seen his game translate on a college court yet. However, it didn't take long for the big man to start to garner praise from his new head coach. Not only is he a special talent on the court, but Pastner couldn't help but rave about the person that he is.

NEWS: Arizona big man Emmanuel Stephen is transferring to UNLV, a source tells @247Sports.

Former four-star recruit. https://t.co/4XfzYbVZOH pic.twitter.com/R9HafFGDrU
— Travis Branham (@TravisBranham_) April 6, 2025

“I think he’s going to be really good for us and I thought Arizona did a good job developing him," Pastner said. "Really good personality. He’s got a great heart. Cares about people. He wears his emotions on his sleeve. We’re really, really excited about him.”

Stephen will look to carve out a role in Vegas this season and not only reach his potential but maximize it. Pastner could look to him to be an anchor of this team. It's clear that his coach sees something special in him, and he could be a key to this team's success moving forward.