A New Era for UNLV Basketball

Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn is taking the challenges set before him by UNLV basketball coach Josh Pastner and turning them into opportunities. The junior Illinois transfer has been named the Mountain West Player of the Week after delivering impressive stats in two crucial victories against Boise State and San Jose State.

Gibbs-Lawhorn averaged 21.5 points, 5.0 assists, and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 50% from the field. His performance has not gone unnoticed, with Pastner expressing his pride in the player’s development. “He’s playing the best basketball of his career at this point, and we’re going to need him to keep playing well,” Pastner said.

This recent success comes after a tough loss to Wyoming on January 6, which Pastner described as “bad” and “soft.” In that game, Gibbs-Lawhorn struggled as a floor general, recording 10 points, two assists, and two turnovers. Afterward, he was seen slouching in the locker room, showing signs of dejection.

Pastner took the opportunity to speak with Gibbs-Lawhorn, emphasizing the importance of leadership. “The reason we didn’t play with our fire is that the point guard’s got to be the extension of the coach,” he said. “Your fight, your grit, your toughness, your intensity … it’s like being on the front line in the military. Everyone’s going to follow you.”

Despite not focusing on scoring during their conversation, Gibbs-Lawhorn translated the message into a remarkable performance. He recorded a career-high 33 points in an 89-85 overtime win over Boise State, adding six assists, five rebounds, and a steal. This was the highest single-game performance by a UNLV player since EJ Harkless’ 35 in the 2023 conference tournament.

Gibbs-Lawhorn expressed his determination to continue improving. “I’m still not satisfied. I want to be the best point guard I can be,” he said. “Shout out to Coach Pastner for that, because he helped me get through those ups and downs (of) having to play point guard. I’m gonna have a game around like 10, 12 assists. Just have to keep working at it.”

Adjusting to a New Role

Point guard wasn’t initially the plan for Gibbs-Lawhorn this season. He was expected to play alongside UC Irvine transfer Myles Che in the backcourt with occasional point guard minutes. However, this changed when Che became part of a group of injured players that the Rebels have had to navigate without.

“This wasn’t going to be (Gibbs-Lawhorn’s) natural normal position. And so how he’s adjusted to that. He’s taken some time, but he’s really making great strides,” Pastner said.

In Saturday’s 76-62 road victory at San Jose State, Gibbs-Lawhorn may not have been as flashy, scoring 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field and hitting 2 of his 4 three-point attempts. However, his effort and energy were evident as he grabbed four rebounds and dished four assists without committing a turnover.

Pastner emphasized the importance of grit and toughness, drawing parallels to past successful eras under coaches like Jerry Tarkanian, Lon Kruger, and Dave Rice. “It was built on grit and toughness. Yes, the highlights were scoring and dunking and all those good things. But the meat and potatoes of it was grit and toughness. And that’s what I’m in my chair and trying to establish in year one of this culture in order to try to get the program back.”

Looking Ahead

UNLV will face Utah State next. Here are the details:

• Who: UNLV at Utah State
• When: 8 p.m. Tuesday
• Where: Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, Logan, Utah
• TV: FS1
• Radio: KWWN (1100 AM, 100.9 FM)
• Line: Utah State -16½; no total

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