Oct. 15, 2007
LAS VEGAS - The 2nd Annual UNLV Men's Basketball Legends & Friends Classic golf tournament, which will take place on Nov. 5 at Dragon Ridge Country Club at MacDonald Highlands, still has space available for golf teams. The tournament is part of two days of activities that are being put on by the UNLV men's basketball program and will culminate with the retirement of former Runnin' Rebel great Armon Gilliam's jersey at halftime of UNLV's exhibition game against Washburn on Nov. 6.
The practice range at Dragon Ridge will open at 11 a.m. on Nov. 5, with a shotgun start to follow at 12:30 p.m. Following golf, a reception will be held at the course.
On Nov. 6, a luncheon honoring Gilliam will be held, then the Runnin' Rebel alumni basketball game will be played at 6 p.m., with UNLV's game against Washburn to follow at 7:30 p.m.
Cost for the golf event is $2,000 for three players, who will be matched up with a legend/celebrity. The tournament will be a four-person scramble and included in the package will be lunch at the course, complimentary beverages, tee prizes, a reception and tickets to the alumni game as well as the exhibition game.
Gilliam's number 35 will be the eighth player jersey to be retired by the school. He played at UNLV from 1984-87 and was a key member of UNLV's second NCAA Final Four team in 1987. A second-team All-American selection in 1987, he is sixth on the all-time UNLV career list in scoring with 1,855 career points. The 1987 Big West Conference Player of the Year, Gilliam was also named first team all-conference in 1987 and second team in 1986.
Gilliam holds the UNLV record for most points in a season with 903 in 1986-87 and most field goals made in a season with 359 that same year. He is also in the top 10 in program history in the following categories: fourth in career field goal percentage with .580, fifth in seasonal rebounding with 363 in 1986-87, fifth in most free throws made in a season with 185, fifth in career free throws made with 429, sixth in career rebounding with 890, sixth in seasonal scoring average with 23.2 ppg in 1986-87, sixth in career field goals made with 716, eighth in seasonal field goal percentage with .621 in 1984-85 and 10th in seasonal field goal percentage with .600 in 1986-87.
Gilliam was selected in the 1987 NBA Draft with the second overall pick by the Phoenix Suns. He played in the league for 13 seasons with six teams. For his career he averaged 13.7 points per game, 6.9 rebounds per game and shot 48.9 percent from the field. He appeared in 929 games during his NBA career.
For information and to register for the Legends & Friends Classic, please contact the UNLV men's basketball office at 702-895-3295 or the Rebel Athletic Fund office at 702-895-1533. Former Runnin' Rebel players are encouraged to call the basketball office to provide current contact information.
