Graney: UNLV basketball needs chemistry sooner than later

It might take some time to develop chemistry and cohesiveness. Josh Pastner obviously hopes it occurs sooner than later.

But with several new faces on his second UNLV basketball team, just like with his first UNLV basketball team, Pastner the coach knows all too well about the patience one needs to sort things out. I’m just not sure how patient a guy he is.

The Runnin’ Rebels hope it doesn’t take too long.

UNLV opens its season against visiting Northern Arizona on Tuesday, and it’s doubtful the team will have a full complement of players. Injuries have hit a few, and the NCAA eligibility of senior AJ Storr remains in flux.

Time will tell how quickly things come together.

Know this: Three exhibitions against Power 4 opponents did far more good than not.

The Rebels dropped games to Utah and BYU before defeating Missouri (all of them while playing shorthanded), but it’s the level of competition that made for ample learning.

UNLV wasn’t ready to play last November, and losses to UT-Martin and Montana more than proved it. Things should be different this season when countable games begin, in large part because of those exhibition opponents.

“Chemistry usually takes time but with our group, we do a lot of things off the court as well,” senior transfer guard Sebastian Mack said, “We’re very connected. We’ve been jelling pretty quickly. It’s always about small steps, just making sure we’re all on the same page.”

More games

Pastner would want more exhibition games if allowed. I’m guessing most coaches would. There might be another such avenue coming.

The college game’s Division I oversight committee has introduced a proposal that would allow teams to compete against each other over the summer in front of fans three times during an eight-week stretch. College basketball’s own version of summer league. It’s going to pass.

Players who transferred to a new team via the portal would be eligible to compete.

It’s not the idea of extra games that has Pastner questioning the proposal. It’s when those contests would take place.

“I’d rather have less practice and more games,” he said. “Practice is obviously important, but games are the best way to get better, to get exposure, to see the good and bad, for guys to learn how to play and get us ready for November.

“But because of the transfer portal and having a new team every year, it’s important we have exhibition games in late September into October to see our team and get better before the product starts and it’s countable games in the month of November.”

He makes a good point. More exhibitions are fine, welcomed even if they include such matchups as UNLV just concluded, but staging them in the month of July hardly prepares your team for the start of a new season. Just add exhibitions in the fall.

And so Pastner readies his group for a season, still without some key pieces and shooters, still not a roster at 100 percent. He knows all too well how injuries can affect a rotation.

The Rebels spent last year banged up at several spots over a season that saw them finish 18-17 overall and 11-9 in the Mountain West. They advanced to the second round of the NIT but have much grander goals this time. Like the school’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2013.

It will take some effort.

Always press

“We have some good players who have not played yet and once they do the hardest part is going to be how to put (everything) together,” Pastner said. “You have to make sure that when countable games start, everything is heightened. Last November, we had a few games when I tried working injured guys in. We’re playing 11 guys and you just have some tough possessions because of the chemistry and cohesiveness. So a lot of that is going to fall on me. I have to figure that out as we get guys back.”

His team presses from tipoff on. It gets after things. One of his favorite sayings is, “When in doubt, press.” So his rotation might include more bodies than others. It’s just how UNLV plays.

It’s a team that will be looking to develop chemistry early, especially when there is a full complement of players available. The Rebels looked really good in beating Missouri, a team many feel has Top 25 quality.

Now, things are for real.

How well UNLV plays together will hold a large part in how well this season goes.

Yeah. It matters.

Ed Graney, a Sigma Delta Chi Award winner for sports column writing, can be reached at [email protected]. Follow @edgraney on X.