Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn gave UNLV an answer when its offense ran out of ideas. Now the Rebels may have to find another one. The All-Mountain West guard plans to enter the transfer portal, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Sunday.
His Sunday social media message thanked Las Vegas for its support and said he would remember his year as a Rebel, according to Callie Fin’s Review-Journal report. It did not name another school. Pastner told the paper he was prepared to sign 13 to 15 new players if necessary. That is the contingency behind his next recruiting class, even while UNLV tries to retain its leading scorer.
Josh Pastner now has to recruit with two possibilities in mind: another year built around Gibbs-Lawhorn, or an offense that has to replace him.
Gibbs-Lawhorn became the player UNLV relied on when a possession stalled. The junior guard averaged 20.7 points per game while shooting nearly 50% from the field, emerging as one of the most dangerous players in the Mountain West.
There were nights when UNLV could build the offense around him: 42 points against Reno, 36 at Boise State and 32 at San Diego State. He could create his own shot and score at all three levels, giving the Rebels an answer after the first action failed. Defenses knew he was likely to have the ball and still had trouble taking it away from him.
Gibbs-Lawhorn has one year of eligibility remaining. His experience, production and shot-making could appeal to high-major programs seeking an immediate impact, though neither his destination nor the timing is settled.
The Rebels had won seven of their final 11 games before the NIT invitation. Gibbs-Lawhorn’s scoring gave that late improvement a chance to carry into another season; Pastner now has to plan for replacing it.
Entering the portal does not guarantee a departure. Gibbs-Lawhorn can explore his options while UNLV decides how far it can go to retain him. Pastner also has to keep recruiting in case that effort fails.
Finding another 20-point scorer would be difficult enough. Gibbs-Lawhorn also drew defensive attention, created late in possessions and gave teammates a place to send the ball when they needed help. Those responsibilities may have to be spread across several players if he leaves.
His season brought recognition UNLV had not received in several years. Gibbs-Lawhorn made the All-Mountain West first team, the program’s first selection since Bryce Hamilton in 2022, and became its first league newcomer of the year since Mike Moser in 2012. Those awards followed a conference season in which he was more efficient as his scoring responsibility increased.
In league games, he averaged 23.6 points and made 47.7% of his threes. He led the Mountain West in both categories and in made threes per game.
The volume was sustained, too. He reached double figures in 19 of UNLV’s 20 regular-season conference games. Fourteen produced at least 20 points, and six produced at least 30. The 42 against Reno was the largest scoring performance in a Mountain West conference game that season, followed by his 36 in the overtime win at Boise State.
That success came with opponents making him the focus. At UC Irvine in the NIT, he scored 12 before halftime and none afterward. UNLV survived 75-72 because Kimani Hamilton, Issac Williamson, Tyrin Jones and Howie Fleming Jr. also scored in double figures. Retaining Gibbs-Lawhorn would still leave Pastner needing those other ways to score when a defense limits his touches.
The final game illustrated how much one scorer could accomplish without solving the rest. He scored 29 at Tulsa, yet UNLV lost 77-66 while being outrebounded 49-23. Fleming and Jacob Bannarbie were unavailable, and Tulsa turned 18 offensive rebounds into 16 second-chance points. Finding more shooting cannot replace the work of ending a defensive possession.
Jones‘ return preserves a player for that group. His finishing gives a ballhandler a target near the basket, and his shot blocking can protect teammates who are beaten off the dribble.
The coming decisions will also determine Williamson‘s responsibility after a freshman season that included 15 starts. He has made important shots alongside Gibbs-Lawhorn; that is different from having to initiate the offense every night. UNLV can continue developing him while seeking another experienced ballhandler.
The men’s notification window opens April 7 and runs through April 21 under the NCAA’s revised calendar. Announcing an intention before that window is different from settling a transfer destination. Pastner must keep recruiting while trying to retain his leading scorer.
