May 16, 2007
LAS VEGAS - The UNLV men's basketball program received a signed national letter of intent from Beas Hamga to enroll at UNLV and play for the Runnin' Rebels starting with the 2007-08 season, head coach Lon Kruger announced Wednesday.
"We are really pleased with Beas' decision to be a Runnin' Rebel," Kruger said. "He fits extremely well with what our current needs are on the inside. He will join Emmanuel Adeife and Matt Shaw to round out our interior play for next season."
Hamga, a 7-foot, 225-pound center from Decatur (Ill.) Christian School, averaged 13 points, 12 rebounds and seven blocked shots per game last season. Originally from Cameroon, Africa, he will enter UNLV as a freshman.
"It's a good program at UNLV and I am excited to be a part of it," said Hamga. "It is the best place for me. I really like the coaching staff and when I met my new teammates we all got along great."
"Beas is a great kid and a hard worker," said Alan Huss, head coach at Decatur Christian. "He is going to be a good student and good player there at UNLV. He is a great shot blocker and defensive rebounder and has the tools to be a good offensive player."
"Beas is an extremely nice person and is soft-spoken off the court, but on the court he is a warrior and all business," said Mark Adams, who coached Hamga on the Indiana Elite, an AAU team. "He has a wingspan of 7-feet, 5-inches and a standing reach of 9-feet, 6-inches, so he definitely has a defensive presence. I don't know of many players out there who are better shot blockers. He is also a very good rebounder and has a nice jumper. He has room to improve offensively, which is one of the reasons he chose UNLV - to achieve his goals and to keep improving."
Hamga joins Adeife, a 6-10 center from Polk Community College in Winter Haven, Fla., Mareceo Rutledge, a 6-3 guard from Yuba College in Marysville, Calif., and Kendall Wallace, a 6-4 guard from Mountain View High School in Mesa, Ariz., as UNLV's signings for the 2007-08 season. Also part of the class is Lamar Roberson, who transferred from Houston and was a redshirt on UNLV's 2006-07 squad.
UNLV finished the 2006-07 season ranked 14th in the nation in the final coaches' poll. UNLV finished the season 30-7 overall and advanced to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 for the first time in 16 years. The Runnin' Rebels also won the 2007 Mountain West Conference Tournament Championship.
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Additionally, registration is ongoing for this summer's UNLV Runnin' Rebel Basketball Camps.
Day Camps will be offered from June 18-20 and July 30-Aug. 1. Both camps will have three sessions. The first will be from 9 a.m. - noon (ages 8-10), the second will be from 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. (ages 11-13) and the third will be from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. (ages 14-18).
The UNLV Runnin' Rebel Basketball Camp is a fun and challenging learning resource for every player. Players of all levels will improve their skills through intense and detailed instruction on the proper execution of offensive skills and fundamentals. Players will receive individualized training from UNLV coaches, staff, players and high school and college coaches. Each camper will participate in individual contests and team competition as well as receive a camp T-shirt and ball.
The cost of each camp is $140 per session. May 31st is the deadline for registration for Camp 1, while Camp 2 needs to be registered for by June 30th. To register online, visit UNLVRebels.com and for more information, please call the UNLV men's basketball office at 702-895-3295.
