UNLV steps onto one of college basketball’s biggest November stages Monday night when the Runnin’ Rebels open the Players Era Men’s Championship on the Las Vegas Strip. The matchup against Maryland (4-1) tips at 9 p.m. at MGM Grand Garden Arena and represents not just a high-major test, but the beginning of a defining three-day stretch in the first month of the Josh Pastner era.

For Pastner, this tournament isn’t just another feast week tournament. It’s the new heavyweight showcase of early-season college basketball.

“The Maui Invitational was the tournament to be in,” Pastner said Saturday. “It was kind of the top of the top, but now it has become the Players Era that is the top of the top. Even though there are 18 teams, it feels like it’s a Sweet 16 all in one location.”

The Rebels (3-2) enter with confidence, winners of two straight and scorchingly productive offensively: 92 points or more in four consecutive games. Maryland, which reached last year’s Sweet 16 and plays under first-year head coach Buzz Williams, brings a deep, veteran group that mirrors UNLV in scoring balance and physicality.

Pastner’s message: embrace the stage, embrace the challenge.

“We believe we can fight with these teams,” forward Tyrin Jones said. “We’re going to come out and show something.”

The Rebels have quietly been one of the most productive offenses in the country through five games, averaging 93.2 points per game, No. 1 in the Mountain West and No. 27 nationally.

Six players are scoring in double figures, led by:

UNLV is:

Pastner has repeatedly emphasized ball movement as the core of his system.

“Our goal is at least 60% of our baskets assisted,” Pastner said. “When we share it, when the ball moves, we’re a really good basketball team.”

Through the first four games, UNLV exceeded that benchmark in three of them.

And with 39% of minutes coming from the bench, one of the highest rates in the country, the Rebels’ depth has turned into a genuine competitive advantage.

Maryland comes in 4-1 with six players averaging double figures and one of the nation’s early breakout scorers in David Coit (18.4 ppg). They’ve already picked up a statement win at Marquette and boast experience across the rotation.

Forward Pharrel Payne (6.3 rpg) anchors the interior. Coit leads the Terps in both scoring and assists (3.0 apg).

Maryland finished 27-9 last season and reached the Sweet 16 before falling to national champion Florida. Buzz Williams, hired in the offseason, is now in his 19th year as a head coach, carrying a career 377-229 (.622) record.

The Terrapins get to the free-throw line at one of the highest rates in the nation, ranking No. 2 nationally in FTA/FGA, and boast an elite 81.6% team free-throw percentage (No. 12 nationally).

UNLV’s ability to defend without fouling will be one of the game’s hinge points.

Pace vs. Physicality: UNLV ranks among the fastest teams in the country in average possession length (15.1 seconds). Maryland prefers a more deliberate tempo and will try to force UNLV into grind-it-out half-court possessions.

Offensive Rebounding Battle: UNLV is No. 2 in the Mountain West at 41.2 rebounds per game, including 14.6 offensive boards, with Jones, Hamilton, and Bannarbie all ranked in the top 20 in the MW.

Maryland’s defensive rebounding, middle of the pack nationally, will be tested.

Free Throw Economy: Both teams generate huge free-throw volume. Whichever team avoids early foul trouble likely controls the flow.

Turnovers: UNLV’s season opener featured 22 turnovers, but the Rebels have cleaned it up dramatically since: 8, 10, 14, and 12 in the four games since. Maryland forces turnovers at an above-average rate and cannot be allowed to produce cheap offense.

Pastner has been candid about what this stretch means for a roster with 13 newcomers and only one returning player. “We need to be in these types of events if we want to continue to grow and build the program,” he said. “These games will help us.”

He’s also unapologetically realistic: “I assume the next four games we will be underdogs and that’s okay.”“Those teams will have to play well to beat us.”

This is UNLV’s toughest multi-game stretch of the season: Maryland tonight, No. 11 Alabama tomorrow, and a third high-major opponent before the week ends.

UNLV leads the all-time series 4-1, with the most recent meeting coming in the 1986 NCAA Tournament; a 70-64 Rebels victory in Long Beach under Coach Tarkanian.

This is the moment Pastner signed up for: a high-visibility event in a city he calls the “epicenter and capital of the basketball world.” And this is the moment his endlessly reshuffled roster has been pushed toward: three games in four days against the types of programs UNLV wants to measure itself against.

If the Rebels’ offense travels, if the rebounding holds, if the ball shares the way Pastner demands - UNLV will give itself a chance.

Maryland arrives deeper and more proven. But UNLV arrives confident and hot.

Tipoff is 9 p.m. on TNT and HBO Max.