Mendenhall Center was humming with movement Monday as UNLV basketball players and personnel walked in and out of the building to load up a charter bus that was idling outside.
As first-year coach Josh Pastner and guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn made time amid the busy morning to address reporters, the rest of the Rebels were preparing for the last-minute journey — a road trip to face UC Irvine on Tuesday in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament.
Pastner hoped his team would earn a postseason opportunity, but he wasn’t sure it would materialize after his team was eliminated by top-seeded Utah State on Thursday in an 80-60 loss in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West tournament.
That uncertainty was the reason Pastner didn’t make plans to gather with his team on Selection Sunday. He initially planned to meet with them Saturday afternoon, only to nix that idea because he didn’t have anything concrete to share.
All he could do was wait and hope that his team’s resume would do the heavy lifting. The Rebels went 17-16 overall and 11-9 in conference play, with four of those wins against a Quad 1 team (top rank in NET). The only other team outside of a power conference with as many such wins was Gonzaga.
“My understanding was obviously that we weren’t going to be in the NCAA Tournament, but that the other tournaments really liked our wins,” Pastner said. “They were comparing some of those things, and we were just waiting to hear. … I didn’t know until the bracket came out.”
Even though Pastner was obsessively watching the internet and social media for an update on his team’s postseason status, Gibbs-Lawhorn was exhausted. He had been spending time in the gym to stay sharp no matter what.
“I remember I was taking a nap, and I woke up with Coach Pastner calling,” Gibbs-Lawhorn said. “He said we were playing on Tuesday night, and that we were leaving today after practice. I love to play. I love to compete, just as Coach Pastner does.”
For Gibbs-Lawhorn, who led the Mountain West in scoring, the offseason would be an easy time to detach. He and freshman forward Tyrin Jones are expected to be sought after in the transfer portal, and there’s nothing that requires them to continue playing with UNLV.
Still, they were quick to buy in.
“They were like, ‘Let’s go win a championship, coach,’” Pastner recalled. “There wasn’t even a sense of (hesitation).”
Cancellations and motivations
Although the end of a season can take a physical toll, Pastner said that every player who was available for the Rebels in the conference tournament is confirmed and set to play in the NIT.
But it’s spring break at UNLV this week, which meant that some players had plans.
Freshman guard Issac Williamson, for example, had already made it to California before he got a call from Pastner on Sunday and made a swift return in time for Monday’s practice.
“He actually drove there and then got on a flight and came right back because he was excited to play,” Pastner said.
Gibbs-Lawhorn might have a travel conflict if the Rebels make a deep run. The second round will take place Saturday and Sunday, and he has plans to leave for a family vacation to Florida that weekend. He joked that he’s in a perfect position to cancel his flight because he thought ahead and added travel insurance.
“We need all the momentum we can get,” Gibbs-Lawhorn said. “That’s one of the things that I want to help Coach Pastner with, just get this thing going for next year and get a lot of notoriety to UNLV. And the NIT is one of those places to do it.”
In addition to looking ahead for next season, the Rebels have motivation from their current campaign.
Utah State, which won the Mountain West tournament and secured a place in the NCAA Tournament, credited the Rebels for helping to spark their “revenge tour.”
Now, UNLV can flip the script and use Utah State for an edge.
“You can’t be laying in a fetal position and just want to stay down on the canvas,” Pastner said. “You’ve got to get up and fight back.”
Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Callie__Fin on X.
Up next
Who: UNLV at UC Irvine
What: National Invitation Tournament
When: 8 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Bren Events Center, Irvine, Calif.
TV: ESPNU
Radio: KWWN (1100 AM, 100.9 FM)
Line: UC Irvine -3; total 153
