Oct. 14, 2002
LAS VEGAS - Last season, UNLV basketball fans didn't know what to expect. With a new coach and a number of unknowns, the year began with more question marks than exclamation points.
The season ended with all questions answered and a postseason appearance for the new kid on campus, Charlie Spoonhour, and his Runnin' Rebels.
UNLV was 21-11 last season, finished third in the Mountain West Conference at 9-5, was edged by three points in the conference tournament's championship game and advanced to the second round of the NIT in Spoonhour's first season with the program.
The Runnin' Rebels made it to the postseason for the fifth time in six years and recorded their 28th 20-win season in the program's 44-year history. Though the end result was more than most expected, it wasn't as easy at it looked. "With a new coaching staff and a new system, it took some time for everyone to adjust, including the coaches," Spoonhour said. "Everyone did a good job early in the year, but as they started to understand things we just jelled as a group."
After starting the season 8-7, UNLV caught fire and won 12 of its next 14 games before falling in the MWC Tournament final.
"It was the type of thing that as a coach you enjoy because it means the players have bought into the system," said Spoonhour, who was named the United States Basketball Writers Association's District VIII Coach of the Year. "We were a tight-knit group from mid-January on and the way the players have handled their academics and off-season workouts shows that they are still moving in that direction."
UNLV lost three starters and a total of five players off last year's squad, but with seven letterwinners returning and another two redshirts now eligible, the future looks bright for the 2002-03 team.
"We will continue to do what we were doing last year," Spoonhour said. "We are going to push the ball, which complements our returning players along with the players we have added. If we play defense as hard as we should, our guys will need some rest, which will give nine or 10 players a chance to show what they can do."
FRONTCOURT
A player that has been showing Las Vegas what he can do over the last three years is 6-10 senior forward Dalron Johnson. Johnson, who has been a starter each of his first three years as a Runnin' Rebel, should earn some national acclaim this season.
The UNLV all-time career leader in blocked shots was a first team All-MWC selection last season and was named to the USBWA's All-District VIII squad. Johnson ranks 18th on UNLV's all-time scoring list with 1,232 points and last year he led the team in scoring with 17.4 ppg and rebounding with 7.0 rpg.
"Along with being a great scorer, Dalron is also very unselfish," Spoonhour said. "He brings great intensity to practice everyday and to games every game. He has a great chance to play beyond college and we are counting on him to be someone that we can go to when things get tough. He has given every indication that he is ready to accept a leadership role."
6-9 junior forward Omari Pearson, who returns for his third season, brings additional experience to the frontcourt. He has played in 44 career games and has a career field goal percentage of .525. He started the first 13 games last season and was fifth on the team in rebounding. He averaged 3.6 ppg and 2.8 rpg in 2001-02.
"Omari has worked extremely hard on his game and he has a good grasp of what we want from him," Spoonhour said. "We are also finding more ways to use his abilities and are going to want him to shoot the ball more than he did last year."
One aspect of its game UNLV will look to bolster this season is its rebounding. Pearson and Louis Amundson will both contribute in that area.
Amundson, a 6-8 sophomore forward, is coming off a productive freshman season.
"Louis did a great job last year coming off the bench and providing us with energy and a lot of enthusiasm," Spoonhour said. "He made real progress during the course of the year. I thought his freshman year went very well."
Amundson appeared in 30 games last year, playing 10.5 minutes per contest. He shot .500 from the field and was fourth on the team in blocked shots and sixth in rebounding. he averaged 2.8 ppg and 2.3 rpg.
UNLV's newcomers in the frontcourt are 6-8 junior center J.K. Edwards and 6-8 junior forward James Peters. Both players are junior college transfers who will help down low.
"J.K. has a great opportunity to make his presence felt because of his inside scoring potential," Spoonhour said. "There will be a transition period to a faster paced game, but he has been one of the most coveted players in junior college."
Edwards averaged 11.1 ppg and 5.9 rpg last season, while shooting 63 percent from the field at Indian Hills Community College in Iowa.
"James (Peters) has been a scorer and fans will enjoy his athletic ability," Spoonhour said. "He is very talented and has a chance to step in and become a very good player."
Peters, a two-time All-Jayhawk Conference selection, averaged 16.8 ppg and 7.8 rpg last season at Butler County Community College in Kansas.
Although he can't play in a game this season because of NCAA transfer rules, 6-7 junior forward Odartey Blankson will be a big asset to practices this year.
"We will have a year for him to adapt to a little more up-tempo style, but fundamentally, he is extremely sound," Spoonhour said about Marquette's second leading rebounder (6.2 rpg) and third-leading scorer (8.4 ppg) last season. "He has shown the ability to score and rebound and his defensive play is excellent."
BACKCOURT
The strongest position for the Runnin' Rebels could be at the point guard with 6-2 senior guard Marcus Banks running the show.
In his first season at UNLV, Banks was named the MWC Defensive Player of the Year and second team All-MWC. He is another player who may be up for national recognition. Banks led the MWC in steals and was sixth in scoring with 15.8 ppg. He led the Rebels in assists, was second in scoring and fourth in rebounding (3.3 pg).
"Marcus was not only one of the better players in our conference last year, he was one of the more exciting players in the country," Spoonhour said. "He gives us a great opportunity to get transition baskets with his ability to push the ball up the floor."
After a year of watching from the sideline, 6-2 junior guard Demetrius Hunter is ready to make an impact. Hunter transferred to UNLV from Georgetown and could only practice with last year's team.
At Georgetown, he averaged 9.2 ppg as a sophomore and started all 33 of the Hoyas' games helping them advance to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen in 2001. He led the team in three-point percentage at .389.
"Demetrius will be an exciting player for us," Spoonhour said. "He is one of the hardest working people I have ever been around, so I am confident that he will make a spot for himself."
After a lengthy rehabilitation following knee surgery, 6-4 senior guard Jermaine Lewis is back after a medical redshirt year.
As a junior in 2000-01, Lewis appeared in 26 games, starting 12, and averaged 9.3 ppg and 3.2 rpg. He tore a ligament in his right knee just before the end of that season.
"We are really looking forward to having Jermaine with us and able to play," Spoonhour said. "He brings excellent shooting and also defensive rebounding."
6-2 sophomore guard Ernest Turner gained some valuable experience his freshman season and has enjoyed a productive offseason.
Turner appeared in 20 games and averaged 6.3 minutes last year. He scored 12 points in two games last season and nine in another. He had averages of 2.3 ppg and 0.5 rpg.
"Ernest had a typical freshman year with some bright spots and some disappointments," Spoonhour said. "By the end of last season, he had worked at his defensive game to the point where he was one of our best defensive players. He has a great opportunity to jump right into the rotation."
6-5 senior guard/forward Lamar Bigby returns for his second season as a Rebel. He appeared in 11 games and had a season-high of 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting. He averaged 2.5 ppg and 1.3 rpg.
"Lamar had some very positive moments last year," Spoonhour said. "I have been very pleased with the things he has done to make himself better for this season."
The last returning player at the guard position is 5-9 senior Jon Knoche. He saw action in two games last year.
"Jon is going to have an opportunity to find some minutes this year," Spoonhour said. "He is a great person to have around and is a hard worker."
The two newcomers at guard are freshmen 6-1 Jon Osborne and 6-0 Mike Paulos. Both players are from the Las Vegas valley.
"Jon has good basketball talent and is also a very bright young man," Spoonhour said. "He has an opportunity to turn into a contributor for our program over the next four years.
Osborne averaged 10 ppg, 5 rpg and 4 assists per game last year as a senior at Green Valley High School.
"Mike is coming off a football knee injury that caused him to miss the entire basketball season last year. How much his leg will allow him to do will determine his contributions this year."
Paulos averaged 20 ppg, 5.5 assists per game and 3 rpg as a junior earning first-team all-state and conference MVP honors at The Meadows School.
SCHEDULE
Three Pac-10 Conference opponents, all at home, highlight the UNLV schedule this year. After opening the season at home with Portland State and UAB, UNLV will face Washington before traveling north to battle intrastate rival Nevada, Reno. The Runnin' Rebels then have road trips to Wisconsin (last year's Big Ten Champion) and Bradley before coming home for six straight games at the Thomas & Mack Center.
The homestand is highlighted by a nationally televised matchup with Stanford in the Las Vegas Showdown and games against West Virginia and SMU in the Jim Thorpe Classic. UNLV will host Santa Clara and then travel to DePaul before opening the Mountain West Conference schedule.
The Runnin' Rebels will take a break from conference play to host USC in February, then close out the rest of the campaign with conference games. Six of the eight MWC teams played in the postseason last year.
"Our conference has still not received the national attention that it deserves," Spoonhour said. "Our league balance is outstanding and I enjoyed the competition last year."
OVERALL
The goals are set high for UNLV in 2002-03.
With returning starters Johnson and Banks mixed in with the addition of redshirts Hunter and Lewis and the welcoming of newcomers Edwards and Peters, the Runnin' Rebels hope to get the most out of their solid foundation of personnel this season.
Banks, Hunter, Lewis and Turner at the guards should offer up something special for fans at the Thomas & Mack Center as that bunch sets out to prove it ranks atop the Mountain West.
It's Year Two of the Spoonhour Era and everyone in the program anticipates making a big step forward. Especially the head man.
"If things go as I hope they will, I see us contending for the conference title and playing in the NCAA Tournament this year."
