UNLV basketball reportedly lands portal addition from Big 12

Josh Pastner has reportedly looked to his former team for his first transfer portal commitment as coach of the UNLV men’s basketball team.

Arizona freshman center Emmanuel Stephen is set to join the Rebels, according to 247Sports.

The 7-foot Nigeria native appeared in only eight games as a freshman for the Wildcats this season after joining the team as a four-star recruit out of Dream City Christian in Glendale, Arizona.

Pastner played on Arizona’s 1997 national team as walk-on freshman guard.

Stephen will have room to grow at UNLV. He averaged 1.3 points and 1.3 rebounds in his limited playing time as a Wildcat.

During a press conference in November, Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said he and Stephen considered utilizing a redshirt season as he developed. Stephen ultimately opted to play the entire season, recording two minutes of playing time in Arizona’s first-round NCAA Tournament win over Akron on March 21.

Stephen is a similar prospect to 7-foot freshman center Pape N’Diaye, whom former Rebels coach Kevin Kruger often characterized as a developmental piece.

N’Diaye, an Ivory Coast native, recorded 2.7 points and 3.7 rebounds in 13 minutes per game this season. He entered the transfer portal after Kruger’s firing and has yet to commit to a future at UNLV or elsewhere.

Another UNLV big, Jeremiah “Bear” Cherry, committed to Sacramento State on Thursday and will play under former NBA star Mike Bibby. The 6-foot-11-inch junior averaged 9.9 points and 5.3 rebounds as a consistent starter in his sole season with the Rebels.

Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.