Parents today are crazier than ever when it comes to their behavior toward their children's sports of choice. Overzealous parent behavior can contribute to issues like performance anxiety and burnout in children, but positive parent involvement is crucial for the functioning of youth sports leagues. This episode dives deep into everything that directly correlates to the following topic: what it actually takes to become a professional athlete. Becoming a professional athlete is incredibly difficult. Only a small fraction of athletes who participate in high school or college sports make it to the professional level. The odds are estimated to be as low as 1 in 5,000 for high school athletes to reach the professional stage. I talk about what is required to make it to the top level. 

This is the story of Dave Rice, from his unexpected appointment as head coach to the success and excitement that captivated the Las Vegas community to the underachieving results that ultimately resulted in the dismissal of a beloved former Rebel and the beginning of the downfall of a once historic basketball program. 

This episode of TRP covers a few different topics. As my excitement for football season grows, I wanted to briefly discuss Mullen's recruiting class, what life is like when you are tall, and a few other subjects. The following topics are covered in this episode:

1. 117 More Days Till Football Season!
   1. Tweet of the day
   2. “Guys like Mullen and Pastner are built for recruiting in today’s college sports world. This isnt 5-10-15 years ago, it’s a whole different animal nowadays.”
      1. While other coaches complain, Dan and Josh embrace.
         1. Because of their salesman personalities
         2. Josh said this way is more efficient
         3. Both caches took time off and learned this new style of recruiting
2. What it’s like being a tall
   1. Pros
      1. Helped me with dating
      2. You look better when youre muscular 
      3. Helped me be better at basketball (idiots thinking they would play in the NBA if they had my height) 
   2. Cons
      1. Health issues: tall people’s heart struggle and strain in order to pump blood throughout their elongated bodies, tall people also have more stress on their joints and lower life expectancy
      2. Comments from people
         1. Why are you so tall?
         2. Annoying nicknames (sasquatch, Shrek, giant)
         3. Asked my buddy what he says.. “Genetics, dummy.”
      3. Buying clothes (shoes, shirts, pants)
         1. People always send me to Big and Tall section of the store
3. Dan Mullen recruiting
   1. #1 class in the MWC for the 2026 recruiting class and 50 overall
   2. 17 transfers who were 4-5 star recruits out of HS, 24 transfers from P4 programs
   3. Justin Flowe - number one linebacker in the country coming out of HS
   4. People saying these transfers are not that good
4. Rob Whaley commits to Kent State and Hicks to Montana
5. What the Rebels need with their last roster spot

To commemorate the 50th episode of TRP, I am conducting a player spotlight on Marcus Banks, one of the most talented and electrifying athletes to have ever played for UNLV basketball. The subject of this episode is Marcus's basketball career, which encompasses my personal favorite memories, statistics, awards and honors, and any narrative that is associated with him. Enjoy! 

MBA link: https://www.mb3basketball.com/

In this episode, I address a variety of topics and provide my perspectives on each one, rather than concentrating on a single subject. The following subjects are addressed:

1. Gorilla vs Grizzly Bear
2. EvanMiya transfer class ranking has UNLV #1
3. New YouTube video about JP
4. Pastner creating his own scouting service at 13
5. Jailen Bedforn transfers to V Tech
6. Barry Poaching our players?
7. What was your moment when you knew you weren’t a pro
8. Shedeur Sanders drama

This episode is somewhat brief; however, it serves as a summary of Josh's initial month at HC and his exceptional performance thus far. I elaborate on the reasons why Rebel fans should be enthusiastic about the program's future and how he differs from other coaches we have had in the past. Go Rebels!!

Wow, what a past couple of weeks it has been for the Runnin Rebel basketball program and for their fans. Josh Pastner continues to impress as he is assembling a roster that will be ready to compete for a MWC title right away. In this episode I discuss the new additions to the team, why this roster is so impressive, and I attempt to put together my favorite starting lineup among all these good players. 

Simply stated, the episode description is the episode's title. I have chosen to rank the top 30 high school recruits who have ever selected a Mountain West Conference institution, from #30 to #1. These rankings are exclusively from 247 Sports and, regrettably, only back to 2010. Therefore, any high-profile recruits, such as Kawhi Leonard or Wink Adams, will not be included. 

In this episode of TRP, I discuss the following topics:

-VGK win game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

-The latest players joining the UNLV MBB roster.

- Strengths of the 2025-2026 roster and what ways the roster could improve

-Expectations for next season

-How typical fans don't have an understanding of roster construction

-Reaction to the Nico Iamaleava Tennessee football story

In this episode, I discuss the public's perception of Pastner and the manner in which his personality is influencing a significant number of Rebel fans to adopt his beliefs. After that, I address the new players of the Rebels and their integration into Josh's strategy for the upcoming season. Finally, I discuss my former enthusiasm for message boards, which I have since discontinued. Enjoy!