June 30, 1999
1999-2000 SEASON OUTLOOK
The UNLV basketball program is "Runnin' Into The Millennium" with numerous changes which include: player personnel, the Thomas & Mack Center and a new conference.
The Runnin' Rebels program has advanced to postseason play over the last three seasons and averaged 19 wins a season over that stretch. UNLV advanced to the NIT First Round in '98-99, the NCAA First Round after capturing the 1998 WAC Tournament Championship, and advanced to the NIT Third Round in '96-97.
UNLV, after competing in the Big West for 14 seasons (1982-96), was a member of the Western Athletic Conference for three seasons (1996-99). The 1999-2000 campaign will mark UNLV's inaugural season in the Mountain West Conference. The eight member conference will also feature Air Force, BYU, Colorado State, New Mexico, San Diego State, Utah and Wyoming.
UNLV will be playing its 17th season in the Thomas & Mack Center. T&M renovation began this summer and some of the top improvements include: modernized entrance featuring reconfigured stairways and escalators, padded seats, new video boards and a new basketball floor.
The Runnin' Rebels will have a different looking roster. Five lettermen return from the 1998-99 squad which posted an overall record of 16-13 and a 9-5 mark, which earned them Co-Champions of the WAC's Mountain Division. The 16 wins marked the third straight winning season and the 37th time in the 41-year history of UNLV basketball that they have finished with an over .500 season.
The Runnin' Rebels, under fifth-year head coach Bill Bayno, have compiled a record of 58-36 (.617) over the past three seasons. Bayno has a four-year record of 68-52 (.567).
Besides the five returning lettermen, UNLV returns two redshirts and a 10-member recruiting class, which includes seven junior college players and three freshmen. Two seniors, Issiah Epps and Mark Dickel, provide the experience on the Division I level.
Epps, a 6-foot-10 center from Kingstree, S.C., is the tallest player on the roster. Over two seasons, he has appeared in 53 career games and is averaging 2.9 points, 3.2 rebounds in 681 minutes played and has totaled 60 career blocked shots. Last season, he appeared in 26 games and averaged 2.3 points and 2.2 rebounds in 256 minutes played. He scored a season-high 10 points (4-for-4 FG) and pulled down 5 rebounds, 2 blocked shots in a career-high 30 minutes against Nebraska in the NIT on March 10.
Dickel, a 6-foot-2 point guard from Dunedin, New Zealand, has been the floor general over three seasons. He has appeared in 94 career games (started 82) and is averaging 5.8 points (543 total points) and 5.3 assists (496 total) in 2,634 minutes (28.0 average). He ranks sixth on UNLV's all-time assist list. Last season, he appeared in 29 games and averaged 6.5 points and 6.6 assists . He led the team with a career-high 190 assists which ranked third in the WAC and ranked 11th in the nation. He committed just 66 turnovers overall and 26 turnovers (85 assists) in 14 WAC games. He recorded 5 games of which he committed no turnovers (9 career games) and 7 games of only 1 turnover. He ranked third on the team in minutes played with 885 (30.5 average).
UNLV returns two juniors: Kaspars Kambala and Donovan Stewart and sophomore Chris Richardson.
Kambala, a 6-foot-9 center from Riga, Latvia, returns for his third season. He has appeared in 54 career games (49 started) and is averaging 12.1 points (651 total points) and 7.0 rebounds (378 total) in 1,339 minutes played. He has a career field goal percentage of .575 (223-for-388), which ranks sixth in UNLV history. He has scored in double figures in 35 of 54 career games; scored 20 or more points eight times, including four times in '98-99 and recorded 13 career double-doubles. Last season, he appeared in 22 games (21 started) and averaged 12.8 points (third on team) and 6.5 rebounds (third on team). He shot .645 (109-for-169) from the field which led the WAC and ranked fourth in UNLV single-season history. His season was cut short by a right knee injury that occurred against Tulsa on Feb. 15. He had arthroscopic surgery on Feb. 17 to repair torn cartilage and missed the remainder of the season. The team compiled a record of only 1-5 without Kambala in the lineup and lost the five games by a total of 23 points (4.6 average).
Stewart, a 6-foot-4 forward from Rialto, Calif., returns for his fourth season (which includes a redshirt year). He has appeared in 62 career games (started 16) and is averaging 4.9 points (304 total points) and 2.6 rebounds (163 total) in 989 minutes played. Last season, he appeared in all 29 games and averaged 4.5 points and 2.4 rebounds in 415 minutes played (14.3 average).
Richardson, a 6-foot-6 forward from Corpus Christi, Texas, returns for his second season. He is a tremendous leaper who can excel in the transition game. Last season, he appeared in 21 games and averaged 1.7 points and 1.4 rebounds in 143 minutes played.
UNLV also returns two redshirt players who are both local products: Vince Booker and Ra'oof Sadat.
Booker, a 6-foot-1 sophomore guard, is a 1997 graduate of Cheyenne High School. He played two seasons for the Desert Shields. He attended UNLV last season. Sadat, a 6-foot-8 junior forward, is a 1996 graduate of Durango High School. He is a two-time Nevada "Player of the Year." He attended UNLV last season after transferring from the University of San Francisco. In 1997-98 at USF, he appeared in 29 games and averaged 4.6 points and 3.5 rebounds.
UNLV has once again assembled another talented recruiting class for the 1999-2000 season. The class is comprised primarily of junior college transfers. Danny Brotherson, a 6-foot-3 guard from Bunkerville, Nev., played the past two seasons at Utah Valley State College in Orem, Utah, for coach Jeff Reinert. As a sophomore, he appeared in 32 games and was the team's leading scorer with a 16.7 average (535 total points). He was a first-team All-Region 18 selection.
"Danny is a tough and very athletic kid that can do a lot of things on the basketball court," Bayno said. "He is best suited in the uptempo and plays above the rim. He can shoot the ball and brings a winners attitude and a warriors attitude."
Trevor Diggs, a 6-foot-3 guard from Brooklyn, N.Y., played this past season at Kilgore (Texas) College for coach Scott Schumacher. As a sophomore, he appeared in 32 games and was the team's second leading scorer with a 18.9 average. He led the league with a .871 free throw percentage (74-for-85) and shot .418 from 3-point range (76-for-182). He is a two-time All-Texas Eastern Conference selection and two-time all-regional player.
"I've known Trevor since the eighth grade through the Brooklyn USA organization," Bayno said. "He has the heart of a warrior and is a multi-dimensional and very talented player. He can play two and sometimes even three positions."
Sylvester Dotson, a 6-foot-7 forward from Detroit, Mich., was a teammate with Diggs at Kilgore (Texas) College. As a sophomore, he averaged 9.3 points and 6.5 rebounds. Along with Diggs, he joins former Rebels Kevin James (1995-96, 1996-97) and Tony Lane who played at Kilgore.
"Sylvester is another player that I saw in high school here at the Big Time Tournament (team Detroit captured the tourney)," Bayno said. "He is a dominating force on the backboards and he can run the floor. He plays hard and will do the things necessary to win games. He is very unselfish and has a warriors attitude."
Kenny Dye, a 6-foot-3 guard from Arlington, Tenn., played two seasons at Connors State College in Warner, Okla., for coach Bill Muse. As a sophomore, he appeared in 31 games and led the team in scoring with a 24.5 average (760 total points). He shot .487 from the field (170-for-349), .387 from 3-point range (89-for-230) and .722 from the line (153-for-212).
"Kenny is an extremely talented scoring guard that can beat the opponent off the dribble," Bayno said. "He has tremendous range from outside the 3-point line. He is going to work on his body and improve his physical strength. He can get out and really play pressure defense and can put points on the board in a hurry." Mike Garrett, a 6-foot-2 guard from Santa Barbara, Calif., played this past season at Fresno (Calif.) City College and played for coach Denny Aye. In 1998-99, he averaged 15.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists. Garrett averaged 13.8 points in 70 career games (1996-97, 1998-99) for the Rams.
"Mike is a solid point guard who puts tremendous pressure on the ball," Bayno said. "He played in a very organized system at Fresno City. He understands offensive concepts and will distribute the ball. He can knock down the open three if left unguarded."
Louis Kelly, a 6-foot-5 sophomore forward from San Bernardino, Calif., played this past season at San Bernardino Valley College for coach Greg Winslow. He appeared in 34 games and averaged 25.8 points (876 total points), 7.1 rebounds (241) and 3.7 blocked shots. His scoring average ranked third in the state and led the Foothill Conference in blocked shots. He shot .516 (330-for-639) from the field, .415 (71-for-171) from 3-point range and .786 (143-for-182) from the free throw line.
"He was the leading scorer in the California State junior colleges which says a lot in and of itself," Bayno said. "He led his team to 25 wins. He is a left-handed smooth scorer who can play off the dribble and find the open man. He is a very unselfish player and has outstanding range from the 3-point line. He is best suited to play in the uptempo."
Chris Popoola, a 6-foot-6 forward from Los Angeles, played this past season at Los Angeles City College for coach Mike Miller. He averaged 14.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and shot 52 percent from the field. He was named first-team All-South Coast Conference.
"He is an undersized, tough and quick forward," Bayno said. "He can really defend and he is also a unselfish team player. He will do whatever it takes to win. He led Mike Miller's L.A. City team to a great season and is a overachiever."
Three freshmen round out UNLV's recruiting class and overall roster.
Marcus Banks, a 6-foot-2 guard is a local product from Cimarron-Memorial where he played for coach Hank Girardi. As a senior, he appeared in 33 games and averaged 19.0 points and 3.9 assists. He was named first-team All-Sunset Division. The Spartans captured the 1999 AAAA State Championship.
"Marcus is a local player that will sit out to concentrate on his academics his first year," Bayno said. "He has a great future ahead of him. He has a tremendous body that can play the No. 1 or No. 2 positions. He has good range, finds the open man and plays tremendous defense on the ball and is an exciting player to watch for the future."
Oscar Garcia, a 6-foot-7 forward from Leon, Spain, played this past season at Notre Dame Prep in Fitchburg, Mass. He played for coaches Bill Barton and John Kelly. He was slowed by a series of sprained ankles. He appeared in five games and averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds.
"Oscar is a solid role player that can shoot the ball and has good hands," Bayno said. "He is very fundamentally sound. He has to work on his body in terms of his strength and quickness. He will be an integral part of the team and do whatever it takes to help this team."
Dalron Johnson, a 6-foot-9 forward from Los Angeles, played this past season at Verbum Dei High School for coach David Greenwood, former UCLA and NBA great. As a senior, he appeared in 38 games and averaged 18.9 points, 12.6 rebounds and 3.5 blocked shots. His squad captured the state championship for Division IV with a 32-7 record. He was a two-time first-team All-California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) selection. He was also named second-team overall division and first-team all-League (Camino Real). As a junior, he was the MVP of the Camino Real League and runner-up as a senior.
"Dalron is a young player with outstanding potential," Bayno said. "He is a quick forward that can run the floor, shoots the ball and has a nice touch around the basket. He possesses great ability to go to the offensive boards. His best days are ahead of him and has the chance to be an outstanding player here."
The Runnin' Rebels schedule will feature 27 games with 17 at home and 10 on the road. The Runnin' Rebels feature nonconference road games will be at the Food Lion Classic in Charlotte, N.C. UNLV will play nationally ranked Princeton on Dec. 3, and will play either College of Charleston or national power North Carolina on Dec. 4. UNLV will also travel to nationally ranked Cincinnati on Jan. 2. UNLV's feature nonconference home games will include UNR (Nov. 24) and national powers Georgetown (Nov.28) and Oklahoma State (Dec. 18) in the fourth annual Las Vegas Shootout.
The Mountain West Conference schedule features a competitive 14 games with home-and-home contests with Air Force, BYU, Colorado State, New Mexico, San Diego State, Utah and Wyoming.
The MWC Tournament will make its inaugural appearance in Las Vegas on Thursday-Saturday, March 9-11, at the Thomas & Mack Center. It will mark the fourth straight season that the T&M has hosted the postseason tournament. The WAC Tournament was held in Las Vegas the previous three seasons.
