Oct. 12, 2000

After becoming the inaugural Mountain West Conference champions in 1999-00 and making the NCAA Tournament, the UNLV men's basketball team has set its sights on another Mountain West title among other things.

"Obviously we want to defend our championship both in the regular season and in the conference tournament," Bayno said. "In addition, getting into the NCAA Tournament is always a goal of ours. From there you are playing for a national championship."

Bayno says that his team will have the most success if it focuses on the little intermediate goals rather than looking at the big picture. "We have to focus on taking steps to reach our ultimate objective."

That philosophy worked well for the Runnin' Rebels last year as the team recorded a 23-8 mark overall, 10-4 in MWC play to tie for first place, and won the conference tournament championship. For his efforts, Bayno was awarded with the 2000 MWC Co-Coach of the Year award.

The Runnin' Rebels have been to the postseason each of the last four years, and with the returning players in UNLV's arsenal, the 2000-01 season looks to be no different. UNLV returns four starters and a total of nine letterwinners from last year's team, which ranked seventh in the nation in scoring offense.

"I feel good that with the amount of leadership and experience we have coming back, we are going to be able to defend our Mountain West championship and get back in the NCAA's," Bayno said.

But that won't be an easy task. Bayno admits to the Mountain West Conference being one of the toughest leagues that UNLV has had to contend with in years. "When Danny Ainge and Tom Chambers were playing in the old WAC (teams that now comprise the MWC), those were very competitive years. I think the conference this year is as strong as it was back in that era."

Among the teams UNLV will have to deal with if it is going to repeat as champions are Utah, New Mexico, BYU and Wyoming. "Five teams have a legitimate chance to win this conference," Bayno said. "If you look at how improved San Diego State is going to be, Air Force playing Princeton-style basketball, and Colorado State, which has always been competitive and tough, from top to bottom, this league is just going to be a bear this year."

Bayno understands the importance of the non-conference schedule as well, and credits getting into the NCAA Tournament last year with an at-large berth to that. "Last year's schedule accomplished its goal. This year we will have to see what happens."

This year's schedule is one of the toughest in program history. The Rebels first road trip takes them to the Maui Invitational where they will open with Illinois. They will then face either Maryland or Louisville and could possibly meet Arizona or Connecticut during the final day. In that tournament alone, UNLV could face two top-10 teams and another top 25.

UNLV will also play Oklahoma State, Nevada, Reno, Old Dominion and Georgetown away from the Thomas & Mack Center. The Rebels will host Cincinnati and Pepperdine among others.

"Our schedule is certainly going to challenge us and it will hopefully prepare us for the league," Bayno said. "But the danger that you have with a schedule like this is that you could be playing good basketball and still come up short. Two years ago with our 16-13 NIT team, nine or 10 games were decided in the last 30 seconds or minute of the game. When you catch the short end of those it is tough to deal with and it can hurt the team's chemistry.

"We need to do a good job of staying focused this year. The old clich?, one game at a time, is more important this year than ever."

UNLV has a good core of senior leadership returning to the squad. The senior class is made up of six players in Danny Brotherson, Trevor Diggs, Sylvester Dotson, Kaspars Kambala, Chris Popoola and Donovan Stewart.

Brotherson, a 6-4 guard from Bunkerville, Nev., is entering his second season with the Rebels. He appeared in all 31 games for UNLV last season, averaging 8.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and ranked third on the team with 46 steals.

"Danny brings an incredible amount of energy and enthusiasm to our squad," Bayno said. "He has worked hard this off season on improving his shooting and if he can do that, it will give us a tremendous lift. His ability to attack the basket, break defenses down off the dribble, finish in transition and shut down big-time scorers were his strengths last year. We are going to count on those things again heavily this year."

Diggs, a 6-3 guard from Brooklyn, N.Y., is also entering his second season at UNLV. He was named to the All-Mountain West Conference Newcomer Team as he appeared in all 31 games and was the team's second-leading scorer with a 15.1 average. He ranked seventh in the MWC in scoring and led the Rebels with 54 steals.

"Trevor was our best on the ball defender last year," Bayno said. "We need him to extend his pressure defense to full-court this year. We have added some shooters to our team and that will hopefully take some of the pressure off, which should help him improve his shooting percentage. Last year, when Trevor shot the ball well, we blew teams out and really played our best basketball."

Dotson, a 6-7 forward from Detroit, Mich., is entering his second season with UNLV. Last year, he played in 28 games averaging 4.2 points and 3.8 rebounds. He was a 55 percent shooter from the field.

"Sylvester is one of our most improved players," Bayno said. "Last year he did a great job of coming into the game and giving us big defensive stops. He has improved his strength and he is up in weight. We are going to count on him for an increased scoring load and production from him in all facets of the game. He can play both the high and low posts for us and is truly an unsung hero in the fact that he never looks for any credit. He just does whatever it takes for the team to win."

Kambala, a 6-9 forward from Riga, Latvia, is UNLV's big man in the middle. Returning for his fourth season with the Rebels, Kambala was named to this season's Top-25 Preseason Wooden All-American list. He was a first-team All-Mountain West Conference honoree and was selected All-MWC Tournament last season.

Kambala started all 31 games for UNLV in 1999-00, was the team's leading scorer with an 18.5 average and led the team in rebounds with 9.3 per game. He was second in the Mountain West in both scoring and rebounding.

"Kaspars has been an unstoppable scorer his entire career here," Bayno said. "He has really focused on improving his lower body strength and quickness. We are going to count on his leadership this year, both on and off the court. He has also made an effort to improve his defense and how that goes will be how the Rebels go. He has stepped up to the challenge of taking the same amount of pride in his defense as he does in his offense and we are really looking to him for that type of leadership this year."

Popoola, a 6-5 forward from Los Angeles, Calif., returns for his second season with the Rebels. He appeared in 21 games last year averaging 4.1 minutes per game.

"Chris provides us with some more great leadership on and off the court," Bayno said. "He is like an elder statesman on this team. He does a tremendous job in practice every day giving everything he has, making sure he sets the example and the tone in practice. He didn't get a lot of minutes last year, but he really helped us by pushing the starters in practice."

The final senior, Stewart, is a 6-4 forward from Rialto, Calif., who returns for his fourth season with the Rebels. He played in all of UNLV's 31 games and started 25. He averaged 4.4 points and 2.3 rebounds, shooting 46 percent from the floor.

"Donovan is a tremendous kid and a leader that has played everything from the point guard to the power forward spot throughout his career," Bayno said. "He is just a total team player that will do whatever it takes to help this team win. We are looking forward to a great year from him and we will rely on his versatility again."

UNLV returns two juniors in Vince Booker and Chris Richardson.

Booker, a 6-1 guard from Las Vegas, Nev., returns for his second season. He saw action in 20 games averaging 3.3 minutes per game last season.

"Vince has been with us for a couple of years now," Bayno said. He provides us with leadership and is an extremely hard worker. He is someone we have really been able to count on."

Richardson, a 6-6 forward returns for his third season with the Rebels. He played in 28 games for UNLV last season, averaging 4.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and shot 60 percent from the field.

"Chris is one of the most improved players on our team," Bayno said. "He had a great off season working on his skills to complement his athletic ability. He has improved his shooting, has his weight up and has improved his strength. He will help us at a couple of different positions.

The Rebels returning sophomores are Dalron Johnson and Lou Kelly.

Johnson, a 6-9 forward from Los Angeles, Calif., returns for his second season. Last year he was named the Mountain West Conference Co-Freshman of the Year. In addition, he was named to the All-MWC Newcomer Team and was named All-MWC Tournament.

Johnson played in all 31 games last season and averaged 11.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and led the team in blocked shots with 43, which ranked fourth in the Mountain West.

"Dalron will be counted on heavily to lead this team and increase his production from last year's outstanding freshman season," Bayno said. "Being a sophomore comes with the added responsibility from both a production and a leadership standpoint. He understands that if we are going to reach our potential as a team, he has to be more aggressive at both ends of the floor.

"Dalron has established himself as one of the premier players in the sophomore class with his ability to score both inside and out. He is a tremendous passer for a big man and has a chance to dominate in our conference."

Kelly, a 6-5 guard/forward, returns this season after receiving a medical redshirt for an injury to his right foot during last season. He only played in two games last season, suffering his injury in the first half of his second contest against New Mexico.

"Lou is coming off a tough injury, but gives us added shooting and perimeter scoring," Bayno said. "He can play a couple of different positions and has a tremendous feel for the game. His best attribute is his unselfishness, which is rare in a player who scores as many points as he does. Last year he really matured and used the year to his advantage to improve his body. He is a tremendous talent and we are looking for big things from him."

Although UNLV has a wealth of returning experience on its roster, the point guard position has almost none. Mark Dickel, who was named an Associated Press honorable mention All-American last season, has graduated. The former UNLV floor general was also named the MWC Tournament's MVP and led the nation in assists last season with 9.0 per game.

Bayno, however, has been in this position before. "When Mark joined our program as a freshman, we were in the same situation and we were able to win 22 games and finish a half game out of first place in the WAC. That season we also made it to the quarterfinals of the NIT."

Lafonte Johnson, a 5-10 freshman guard, who joins the Rebels from Crispus Attucks School in York, Pa., and 6-foot junior guard Jevon Banks from Texas Tech will take on most of the point guard duties.

"Between those two guys, a lot is riding on their shoulders," Bayno said. "But they are also going to get a lot of support. We have a lot of guys that have been through the wars. All of our players who have a tremendous amount of experience in their careers here should help these young guys with the transition that they are going to have to make in leading this team.

Johnson led his team in scoring with a 19-point average and assists with eight per game last season as it won the Prep School National Championship. He was named Prep Tournament MVP as Crispus Attucks finished the year 21-3.

"Lafonte will have a lot of pressure on him, but he is a year older than most high school kids after having played at a prep school," Bayno said. "He is a solid, steady, mentally and physically tough point guard who can knock down the open shots. He is undersized, but can run a team. He will be going through a learning process this year, but he is the guy I wanted and he is the guy that I am handing the ball to. We expect big things from Lafonte. He is a great person and that will go a long way in his ability to lead this team."

Banks played at Midland (Texas) Junior College during the 1997-98 season before heading to Texas Tech.

"Jevon is a surprise for us," Bayno said. "He is a local product and has done a tremendous job in preseason workouts. He could be the surprise of the year. He is a great on the ball defender, he gets in the passing lane, is unselfish, and can find guys and set them up for shots. We are really looking forward to having him in the program."

The other newcomers to the squad this year are Noel Bloom, Gene Brennan, Jermaine Lewis, Omari Pearson and Steve Scoggin.

Bloom, a 6-7 forward from Moorpark Community College, will help push Kaspars Kambala in practice. "Noel comes to us from junior college and is a real banger," Bayno said. "He will really help us with Kaspars day in and day out. We are very happy to have him on our team."

Brennan, a 6-5 forward from NYIT, rejoins the Rebels after playing a year of Division II basketball. "Gene will give us a needed lift in practice with his intensity and his tough play. He is a crowd favorite when he gets into the games, which brings a tremendous overall attitude to the team."

Lewis, a 6-4 guard from Kilgore College in Texas, is a second-team JC All-American and the MVP of the Lone Star Conference. He averaged 26 points, eight rebounds and 2.8 assists last season. He also averaged four 3-point field goals per game and had 11 3-pointers in a game last year.

"You don't like to put a lot of pressure on a young man, but he may be the best pure shooter that I have ever coached," Bayno said. "He is going to have some adjustments at this level, but can catch and shoot. He is a tremendous rebounder from the guard position and gives us a lot of versatility."

Pearson, a 6-8 forward is also from Crispus Attucks School, where he averaged 16 points, nine rebounds and two blocks for the Prep National Champions.

"Omari is another young player with a bright future here," Bayno said. "He shoots the ball well and comes in with a great attitude and an open mind. He understand how hard he has to work, but his upside is as good as any player that we have ever brought in here. We are looking for some great things from him."

Scoggin, a 6-foot guard, from Mater Dei High School in Southern California, is the final newcomer. He was an All-CIF and all-state selection after averaging 14 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals per game last season. "Steve is a player that we really recruited hard as a junior," Bayno said. "He had a tough injury which really held him back his senior year. He has worked hard in rehab and is a tough kid who can play both guard positions. His toughness is going to be very helpful to this program. He has a great attitude and will have a bright future here at UNLV.

With the talent and experience returning and a bright incoming class, the 2000-01 Runnin' Rebels will certainly be a force in the Mountain West Conference as well as on a national level.