Aug. 28, 2006
LAS VEGAS - Lamar Roberson has enrolled in classes at UNLV and has become a member of the Runnin' Rebels men's basketball program, head coach Lon Kruger announced Monday.
Roberson, a 6-foot-8 inch, 210-pound forward transferred to UNLV from the University of Houston, where he played as a freshman last season. Roberson will have to sit out the 2006-07 season at UNLV because of NCAA transfer rules and will be eligible to play for the Runnin' Rebels as a sophomore during the 2007-08 season.
"Lamar is a rangy, versatile athlete, who plays several positions," Kruger said. "He brings an enthusiasm for getting better each day and is very excited about becoming a Runnin' Rebel."
At Houston in 2005-06, Roberson played in 18 games and started six, playing an average of 12.2 minutes per contest. He averaged 5.1 ppg and 2.2 rpg and ranked first on the Cougars in 3-point field goal percentage at 39.5 percent. He shot 41.2 percent overall from the field as Houston recorded a 21-10 overall record and advanced to the second round of the NIT.
"UNLV is a great place," Roberson said. "I love the players and the coaching staff, the city and the university. Everything is great. It is a perfect fit for me and I am very excited to be here."
Before going to Houston, Roberson attended Mt. Zion Academy in North Carolina where he helped lead his team to a 38-4 mark in 2004-05. He was rated as one of the top 38 high school recruits in the nation while at Mt. Zion and he was named to the All-National Prep School Invitational Team in 2005.
He went to Mt. Zion after playing one season at Dominguez High School in Long Beach, Calif., where he averaged 15.9 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.2 blocked shots per game. He scored a season-high 32 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the CIF Southern Section 11-A Regional Championship game against Inglewood High in a 71-58 victory.
A native of Baton Rouge, La., Roberson was named the California Division II Section Co-Player of the Year and was a second-team all-state performer at Dominguez High.
Roberson joins four other players who signed with the Runnin' Rebels for the 2006-07 year. They are Matt Shaw, a forward from Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, Calif., Marcus Lawrence, a guard from Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Troy Cage, a forward from Glen Oaks High School in Baton Rouge, La., and Corey Bailey, a forward from Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kan.
