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UNLV concludes its season-opening homestand Tuesday night at the Thomas & Mack Center, as Big Sky favorite Montana comes to town. Tip off is set for 7pm. The game will be televised on the Mountain West Network and broadcast on the radio on ESPN 1100 AM and SiriusXM 383.
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Two Games In, One Identity Emerging
It can take months to build a roster, but sometimes just one night to see what it’s capable of. For Josh Pastner, Saturday’s 101-69 win over Chattanooga was that kind of night, the first time his new-look UNLV group really looked like a team. After opening the season with a flat performance against UT-Martin, the Rebels came back with purpose and a sense of control. They played fast but under control, something Pastner has preached since the day he arrived. The result was balance across the board for the Rebels as five players scored in double figures, they shot 55.9% from the floor, assisted on 23 of their 33 made shots, and won the rebounding battle 42-20. The stat sheet said dominance, but the real story was cohesion. The way the ball moved, the energy on closeouts, the trust in extra passes. It looked less like a team trying to figure itself out and more like one starting to find its rhythm.
The Core Taking Shape
The early storylines are starting to become telling for the Rebels:
Naas Cunningham, the Alabama transfer and centerpiece of UNLV’s rebuild, showcased his offensive toolkit with 25 points on 8-of-14 shooting. He’s already playing with the balance of someone who’s been here before. Decisive, unhurried, and comfortable in space.
Kimani Hamilton, the Mississippi State / High Point transfer, embodies what Pastner wants this program to represent: physical play, selflessness, and unrelenting on the glass. His 19-point, 9-rebound performance was more tone-setting than statistical.
Howie Fleming Jr. has quietly become the stabilizer. He went 3-for-3 from the field, 6-for-6 at the line, and posted six assists in 31 minutes. No flair, just function.
Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, the Illinois transfer, remains UNLV’s pressure valve. He can break down a defense at will, but has begun to choose when, not just how.
Jacob Bannarbie, the lone returner from 2024-25, is making the most of his minutes, shooting 83% from the field through two games and doing the dirty work that doesn’t show up on the scroll.
Together, they’re averaging 111.4 points per 100 possessions (80th nationally), a number that underscores how efficient this group already is when they value the ball.
The Matchup: Montana’s Discipline vs. UNLV’s Tempo
Montana, led by 12th-year head coach Travis DeCuire, brings a contrasting profile. They play at a slower pace, deliberate structure, and a defense built on discipline. The Grizzlies have been the Big Sky’s standard for a decade, winning 25 games last year and earning another NCAA Tournament berth.
Their early resume tells two stories: two blowout wins over non-Division I opponents, followed by a humbling 91-68 loss at Stanford. The analytics say the same thing: a team is still adjusting to higher-level speed and talent.
Turnover Rate: 26.8% (341st nationally)
Offensive Rebounding: 17.9% (334th)
Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 105.6 (168th)
Free-Throw Percentage: 94.1% (3rd nationally but on minimal attempts)
They’re anchored by Money Williams, the Big Sky Preseason MVP, averaging 13.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.0 assists. Williams is a methodical downhill guard that isn’t flashy and controls tempo through contact. Around him, Te’Jon Sawyer (11.0 ppg, 67% FG) and Kenyon Aguino (10.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg) supply interior steadiness, while former Rebel Brooklyn Hicks adds a familiar edge from the perimeter.
But history works against them. DeCuire’s teams have lost 20 straight road games in November, and they’ve been outscored by over 15 points per game in that span.
The Analytical Chessboard
When Montana has the ball, UNLV’s defensive metrics (17.6% turnover rate, 22.5% defensive rebounding rate) suggest a unit capable of smothering teams that rely on half-court sets. The Grizzlies’ heavy turnover profile collides with a Rebel defense that thrives on pressure and athletic recovery.
When UNLV has the ball, it’s a different kind of mismatch. Montana’s defense ranks near the bottom in both turnover creation (6.7%, 353rd) and foul pressure (FTA/FGA of 19.0, 24th nationally for lowest rate). That’s a dangerous combination against a UNLV offense that sits 6th in the country in free-throw rate (67.9) and 45th in offensive rebounding.
The tempo will dictate the outcome: Montana wants to play in the high-60s; UNLV’s at its best around 72 possessions per game. If the Rebels can maintain their pace without turnovers, which they had just eight against Chattanooga, they’ll stretch Montana thin.
What to Watch
Pace vs. Patience. Montana will grind possessions into the teens; UNLV will try to break games open in transition.
Glass Warfare. Hamilton, Bannarbie, and Jones vs. Sawyer and Aguino. UNLV’s second-chance rate (41.3%) is the hidden stat of this matchup.
Naas Cunningham’s Decision-Making. Against a slower, switching defense, his reads become the difference between isolation and orchestration.
Montana’s guards under pressure. If Williams and Hicks can’t handle early traps, this game could unravel quickly.
Bench depth. UNLV’s second unit outscored Chattanooga’s bench 42-25. Montana’s rotation is thinner, especially on the perimeter.
Bigger Picture
There’s no overhyping a mid-November home game, but you can identify tone-setters.
This is oneof those games.
Pastner’s UNLV isn’t chasing flash; it’s chasing fit. Every rotation feels deliberate, every possession aimed at reinforcing habits that will matter in February. The Rebels don’t yet have the polish of a contender. Still, they’re beginning to build something that resembles sustainability, which is an identity rooted in rebounding, effort, and shared offense.
Montana, disciplined as always, will test that identity by slowing the rhythm and forcing UNLV to execute in the half-court. But if the Rebels hit the offensive glass, get downhill, and draw fouls like they did Saturday, the gap in athleticism and tempo will widen with every minute.
Prediction
UNLV’s energy, depth, and physicality wear down a disciplined but overmatched Montana squad. UNLV 84, Montana 71.
Player to Watch: Naas Cunningham. If he’s efficient again, he becomes the early barometer of what this new Pastner era can be.
Stat to Track: UNLV’s assist rate. They rank 18th nationally at 69.6%; anything above 60% indicates the offense is flowing.
