After four tournamentless seasons under Kevin Kruger, UNLV basketball turns to Josh Pastner to turn the program around.
The tradition continues! It’s another year of our countdown of the top 100 preseason teams in college basketball until the start of the season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: UNLV basketball.
UNLV enjoyed four straight winning seasons under Kruger, going 75-54 in those years, but was never a legitimate threat to make the NCAA Tournament. Now, they turn to Josh Pastner, who had his struggles at Georgia Tech, but has the basketball IQ to turn things around. UNLV hasn’t made a tournament since 2012-2013, and UNLV fans are itching to get back.
The team will look very different than last year. Only one player returns, and that’s Jacob Barnnarbie, who averaged 1.6 PPG last year. They bring in some strong talent from across the country, and perhaps the fresh start will lead to success.
Head coach: Josh Pastner (1st season at UNLV, 15th season overall)
2024-25 record: 17-14 (11-9)
2025 postseason finish:Â No tournament
Notable departures:Â
- Dedan Thomas Jr. (15.6 PPG, 4.7 APG, 2.0 RPG)
- Jaden Henley (12.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.8 APG)
- Jalien Bedford (10.2 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.2 APG)
- Jeremiah Cherry (9.9 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 0.7 APG)
- Julian Rishwain (9.2 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.1 APG)
- Jalen Hill (8.9 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 1.7 APG)
Notable non-conference games:Â
- N/A
Projected Rotation
PG: Dra Gibbs-Lawson (6-1, 185, Jr.)
2024-2025 stats: 5.9 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 0.5 APG, 80.6 FT% (Illinois)
SG: Myles Che (6-3, 190, Jr.)
2024-2025 stats: 12.1 PPG, 2.8 APG, 2.4 RPG, 0.7 SPG, 42.9 3P%, 84.1 FT% (UC Irvine)
SF: Naas Cunningham (6-7, 175, Rs.-Fr.)
2024 247Sports #45 ranked recruit (Alabama)
PF: Kimani Hamilton (6-8, 225, Sr.)
2024-2025 stats: 13.1 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.0 SPG, 52.0 FG%, 72.3 FT% (High Point)
C: Emmanuel Stephen (7-0, 230, So.)
2024-2025 stats: 1.3 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 0.1 APG, 2.9 minutes per game (Arizona)
6: Al Green (6-3, 185, Sr.)
2024-2025 stats: 10.2 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 0.9 APG, 0.7 SPG, 44.1 FG%, 42.1 3P%, 80.8 FT% (Louisiana Tech)
7: Tyrin Jones (6-9, 190, Fr.)
2025 247Sports #140 ranked recruit
8: Ladji Dembele (6-8, 255, Jr.)
2024-2025 stats: 4.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 0.6 APG, 46.7 FG% (Iowa)
9: Howie Fleming Jr. (6-5, 210, Rs.-Sr.)
2024-2025 stats: 12.3 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 2.4 APG, 56 FG%, 42.2 3P%, 70.2 FT% (UT Rio Grande Valley)
10: Jacob Bannarbie (6-9, 325, Rs.-So.)
2024-2025 stats: 1.6 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 0.1 APG, 52.9 FG%
UNLV Basketball team MVP: Kimani Hamilton
Hamilton was incredible the last two seasons for High Point, who enjoyed two of the best seasons in school history. He averaged over 13 points a game, and shot the ball efficiently from the field. He took a step back in the rebounding department this year, but in his junior year, he grabbed 7.2 per game. If Stephen doesn’t perform at a high level, expect UNLV basketball to go small and Hamilton to play the five.
Hamilton really struggled in the tournament this year, scoring two points and fouling out. Don’t let that performance fool you, though. Hamilton is able to step up to the moment, and will have to do so often if UNLV wants to get back to the tournament.
UNLV Basketball make-or-break player: Naas Cunningham
Cunningham was a top 50 player in his class and decided to take his talents to Alabama. After sitting out a year, things changed, and now he lands in Las Vegas. While we don’t have college game tape on Cunningham, he’s got plenty of high school tape to show how much of an athletic freak he is. If he hits his peak, he can be one of the best defenders in the conference and maybe even the country.
He’ll be able to get to the rim and doesn’t have to be the primary scorer. At 6’7, they can play him at different positions and have him switch onto whoever is needed. This is all a big if, though, as we haven’t seen him play at this level. The college speed and physicality could be too much, and he can struggle or not hit that peak we’ve discussed. If he does, though, the ceiling raises significantly, and he might be hearing his name called in next year’s draft.
Key analytic: Three point rate
UNLV shot 19.1 threes a game last year, 326th in the country. In the modern era of basketball, you don’t see that too often, and it is rare to properly achieve success with that. UNLV is hoping that with the arrival of Pastner, that will change. The starting lineup doesn’t feature many shooters, but they have several guards on the bench who took a decent volume. With Pastner in charge, you can ensure the defense will be great; it’s just about the offense getting going and being consistent all season long.
UNLV Basketball 2025-26 projections
Projected conference finish: 5th in the Mountain West
Projected postseason ceiling:Â NCAA Tournament Round of 64 Exit