March 4, 2000
LAS VEGAS - Former John Wooden Award winner Larry Johnson led all voting and was named along with four others to the Pacificare Runnin' Rebel All-Millennium Team, which was announced by UNLV Saturday.
Brought to you by the UNLV athletics department, the FANSonly Network and P acifiCare/Secure Horizons of Nevada, the election saw the best of the basketball bunch pared down to the ultimate Runnin' Rebel squad. Five players, one from each position, were chosen from the 36 nominees provided along with any write-in candidates. Kicked off in November, voting for the all-time squad closed March 1 with ballots available through the school's official website www.unlvrebels.com.
Not surprisingly, four members of the team were part of UNLV's 1990 NCAA champion squad. Johnson, who was tabbed to the power forward spot, was joined by center George Ackles, small forward Stacey Augmon and point guard Greg Anthony from the group that made two Final Four runs in 1990-91. The shooting guard was three-point sharpshooter "Fearless" Freddie Banks, who played for his own Final Four team during his career from 1983-87.
Three of the five players were currently playing in the NBA: Johnson for the New York Knicks and Augmon and Anthony for the Portland Trail Blazers. Two members - Anthony and Banks -- were from Las Vegas.
The second team also included three current NBA players -- center Keon Clark (Denver Nuggets), power forward Armen Gilliam (Utah Jazz) and small forward J.R. Rider (Atlanta Hawks). Point guard Reggie Theus and shooting guard Anderson Hunt rounded out the group.
Other top vote-getters included - in alphabetical order - David Butler, Sidney Green, Shawn Marion, Eddie Owens, Sam Smith, Elmore Spencer and Mark Wade.
PACIFICARE RUNNIN' REBEL ALL-MILLENNIUM TEAM POSITION PLAYER UNLV CAREER CENTER George Ackles 1988-91 POWER FORWARD Larry Johnson 1989-91 SMALL FORWARD Stacey Augmon 1987-91 POINT GUARD Greg Anthony 1988-91 SHOOTING GUARD Freddie Banks 1983-87
