June 30, 2006

LAS VEGAS - Former UNLV men's basketball player Louis Amundson has signed a free-agent contract with the NBA's Sacramento Kings.

Amundson was projected by some to be a late first-round or second-round pick during Wednesday's NBA Draft, but the 6-9 forward went undrafted.

Amundson, who came to UNLV in 2001 from Boulder, Colo., where he played at Monarch High School in Louisville, Colo., wrapped up his fifth season with the Runnin' Rebels in 2005-06 (he sat out the 2002-03 season as a medical redshirt).

He played in 120 career games for UNLV and started 68, turning in a career shooting percentage of 53.5 percent. He ranks seventh on the UNLV career blocked shots list with 120 and recorded 668 career rebounds, which is one shy of No. 10 on the all-time UNLV rebounding list.

As a senior this past season, Amundson was named to the All-Mountain West Conference second team and was also selected to the USBWA All-District 8 squad. He was named to the NABC All-District 15 second team and was an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 8 second team selection.

He started all 29 games he appeared in this past season for UNLV and led the team in scoring with 14.3 ppg, rebounding with 8.6 rpg and blocked shots with 1.3 bpg. He finished third in the MWC in rebounding and seventh in scoring. He became the only player in MWC history to have two 20-point/20-rebound games in a career when he scored 22 points and grabbed 21 rebounds vs. Hawaii this year.

Amundson recorded nine double-doubles during his senior season, scored in double figures 22 times and pulled down 10 or more rebounds in a game 10 times. He scored 20 or more points in seven games and had 17 or more rebounds in a game twice. He led his team in scoring in 11 games and rebounding 19 times. UNLV finished 17-14 under second-year head coach Lon Kruger in 2005-06.