Oct. 11, 2005

LAS VEGAS - UNLV men's basketball junior Wendell White will not be eligible to compete for the Runnin' Rebels until after the fall semester, the athletics department announced Tuesday.

White, a 6-6 guard is one of six players that made up UNLV's 2005-06 recruiting class. A 2005 graduate of Antelope Valley College in Lancaster, Calif., he averaged 21 points, eight rebounds and five assists per game as a sophomore last season.

"Wendell worked extremely hard over the summer at Antelope Valley College to meet the requirements to obtain a scholarship," UNLV head coach Lon Kruger said. "He fell just short of the requirements to be eligible to compete during the fall semester based on his degree-relevant credits. He has continued to work hard through the beginning of this semester and we expect him to become eligible for the Dec. 17 Las Vegas Showdown game against Texas Tech."

"I backed myself into a corner academically at Antelope Valley College," White said. "I worked hard to overcome that but fell short. I am continuing to make progress toward my degree and am excited to have the opportunity to practice everyday with my teammates. I look forward to helping my team any way I can."