‘Pace, pace, pace’: Pastner promises Rebels will compete this season

Two words: Competitive excellence.

You’ve probably heard it often over the last several months. It’s how coach Josh Pastner wants his UNLV men’s basketball team defined. How he wants his players viewed.

The effort. The intensity. The sense of urgency.

Playing with desperation every possession.

Pastner talked about these characteristics at Mountain West media day Thursday at Resorts World Las Vegas.

His first Rebels team was picked to finish sixth out of 12 teams in the conference media poll.

“We want to be a hard-nosed, gritty team that just plays basketball,” junior guard Myles Che said. “We have the talent to win a Mountain West championship and make a run in the NCAA Tournament.”

San Diego State was picked to finish first in the Mountain West and received all 26 first-place votes.

UNLV senior forward Kimani Hamilton was named to the 10-player all-conference team.

City’s team

“I said from the very beginning that I’m here as the gatekeeper to try and keep the program moving forward,” Pastner said. “I think it’s important that we set the tone with how we compete first and foremost and then everything else from there.

“This is Las Vegas’ team. I’ll never say this is my team or my program. They want to see their team be great competitors and never play with a sense of entitlement but with great appreciation.”

Pastner pointed out how best to make that happen. How best to play.

He said players need to catch the ball and either shoot, drive or pass. They can’t let the ball stick in one place. They also need to defend in transition. To hustle to get back in 2½ seconds if they don’t grab the rebound. Build a wall so Pastner can mix defenses. That’s what he believes fans want.

“I don’t want to be the dribbling Rebels,” Pastner said. “I don’t want to be the slow-down Rebels. I don’t want to be the walk-up Rebels. I want to be the Runnin’ Rebels. That doesn’t mean we want to play wild and crazy basketball. It means pace, pace, pace.”

It’s a style Pastner hopes will draw folks back to the Thomas & Mack Center, a virtual morgue in recent years for a program that hasn’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 2013.

People just don’t believe in the Rebels. The football team’s success has likely caused longtime basketball fans to shift their support.

Pastner understands how important a home-court advantage can be. He also understands — and has been told by various people — that some fans are taking a wait-and-see approach.

“I was in the old Pac-10 when it was the best of the best,” Pastner said. “I was in the ACC when it was the best of the best. I’ve seen what a home-court advantage can do. We have to get the Thomas & Mack back to being one so we have the same opportunity as others to win and protect our home court.”

First, his team needs to get healthy.

It’s pretty banged up right now.

The Rebels had seven scholarship players available for their 77-62 exhibition loss to Washington on Sunday. Pastner believes he could have a full complement of bodies by the time UNLV begins Mountain West play Dec. 20 against Fresno State.

“The toughest challenge will be getting guys who have been out back into the mix, the conditioning and the chemistry and playing together,” Pastner said. “I believe once we’re fully healthy, we’ll have a chance to have a good season.”

Pastner gets there is a scoreboard involved and winning is an obvious first goal. He wants UNLV to compete for conference championships.

None of it happens overnight, but he knows his job comes with pressure.

Just like Memphis

“This is a massive job,” Pastner said. “It reminds me of when I took over Memphis, that in a 50-mile radius, being the head coach was like being the (manager) of the Yankees.

“I think there are a lot of similarities in this job. The history. The people who love basketball. It’s the fabric of UNLV and the community. There’s great intensity and pressure with being the head coach and I don’t shy away from that.

“It’s even more of a massive job than I originally thought. I love every aspect of that.”

Pastner also loves talking about competitive excellence.

About how he intends for UNLV to play this season.

Contact Ed Graney at egraney@reviewjournal.com. Follow @edgraney on X.