Jackson Kiss finding his footing with UNLV as Runnin’ Rebels prepare for Stanford

As UNLV prepares to host Stanford on Friday at the Thomas &Mack Center, freshman Jackson Kiss has begun carving out a role for himself in coach Josh Pastner’s rotation.

Kiss, a native of Auckland, New Zealand, has provided crucial minutes through the Rebels’; first two regular-season wins. Most recently, in UNLV’s 88-79 win over Samford, he contributed 10 points, six rebounds and two steals in 26 minutes.

The 6-foot-8 forward was named the Mountain West preseason Freshman of the Year before his first season under Pastner, who signed the former four-star recruit in 2026.

Kiss played at Utah Prep Academy during the 2025-26 Nike EYBL Scholastic League season, averaging 9.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 14 games.

Reflecting on his time with the Rebels through three exhibition games and two regular-season contests,

Kiss said he feels he has grown within the rotation and made the right decision to play at UNLV.

“The first couple of games started slow for myself and I didn’t really play up to standard, but in the last game I feel like I got my legs under me,” Kiss said. “I’m starting to get used to the game, so I feel like I am coming along pretty well.

“Through the coaching staff and the players, I knew coming here that they would give me the best freshman season I could have. Coach Pastner put his trust in me when he was recruiting me, and then just seeing Tyrin (Jones) and Isaac (Williamson) come back with the players they already had … I knew that I would be able to contribute with those players.”

Kiss also said that Jones, now in his sophomore season, has played a mentorship role in his development since arriving at UNLV, particularly in learning Pastner’s system.

“(Tyrin Jones) has been helping me a lot closing inside during training and during games,” Kiss said. “I just try to pick his brain a little bit because I know he has been through this system.”

Pastner has previously said Kiss may need some time to find his footing but expects the freshman to make significant contributions as the season progresses.

“He played with a great motor,” Pastner said following the Rebels’ second win of the season. “When he plays with that motor he is really good and you can see and I keep saying that the best basketball is in front of him for Jackson Kiss.By the time we get to conference play he should really take off.”

Scouting Stanford

The Cardinal enter Friday’s matchup with a 3-0 record, preparing for the first road game of the season after wins over Rice, Oakland and Eastern Washington. Stanford is averaging 82 points per game.

A major reason for the Cardinal’s fast start has been the play of senior forward Nick Townsend, who leads the team in scoring (22.7 points per game), rebounding (7.3), assists (5.0) and steals (2.7).

Pastner acknowledged that slowing Townsend will be a point of emphasis defensively while also detailing that his eligibility status ties closely to that of AJ Storr who is still waiting to see if he will be able to suit up for the Rebels this season.

“(Townsend) was the Ivy League Player of the Year last season,” Pastner said. “He can really shoot the ball, tough, hard nosed. This game a lot of it is going to come down just to the toughness area.

“Townsend obviously is just a high-level player. He is in the same situation as AJ Storr’s five-for-five but the judge granted him eligibility and the judge did not grant eligibility yet for AJ.