Sticky Tar Heels - Observations from the loss

The basic plot of this game was whether the re-emergence of UNLV's place in college basketball could out muscle a under-performing UNC, who get a shot at revenge this time in their home arena. The end result was a 79-73 loss.

The oddsmakers kept it real, while UNLV is a fantastic basketball team most nights, and arguably loaded with as much talent as any team out west, the Runnin' Rebels were 4 point underdogs to the Tar Heels. Why? Home court advantage, they are UNC, and they were motivated. The Rebs lost the game by slightly more than the spread, but nonetheless it was a close game in the second half. Even though UNLV was the #20 team and UNC was unranked, this was in no way an "upset" as some media outlets have called it.

The statistics show that several players played well - starters, and the bench did not add enough to boost the Rebels to victory. Katin Reinhardt was particularly impressive with his 3 point shooting, as was Anthony Marshall. The ESPN commentators lauded Marshall considerably for his dominance over whatever guard matched up against him. Its tough to figure the Rebels losing a game where we had four players with double digit scoring, but Marshall, Reinhardt, Bennett, and Bryce Dejean-Jones all had production. They accounted for 59 of the Rebels 73 points (almost 81% of scoring). Anthony Bennett was not his normal self in the first half, and finished the game without hitting a signature three pointer. While the four that did score shared the load, very little else was contributed from the others whereas UNC didn't have that problem.

The other reason that the Rebels lost a game with four guys scoring in double digits, was a lack of effective defense. The Rebels played a passive lackadaisical defense in the first half, and when they did actually try UNC still managed to make their shoots look too easy. The Tar Heels shot 53% in the first half, compared to the Rebels 38%. Even with defensive adjustments in the second half, the Rebels were only able to drop the Tar Heels to 47.8% in the second half. Besides their free throw shooting, UNC just had a really good shooting night - whether or not the UNLV defense bothered them.

Telling stats in this one besides overall shooting, was the Rebels dominated rebounding (38-33) but turned the ball over far more than the Heels (17-12). While both teams shot poorly from the free throw line, UNC got themselves in the double bonus very early and had a lot more opportunities (at home) to make some. In all, they were 20 of 33, whereas the Rebels were 11 of 21. That's a nine point difference, enough to have swung the game into a Rebels victory.

Home advantage - The common notion is that playing in your home court gives you a ten point advantage, due to familiarity  lack of having to travel, and fan support. Putting that notion to work, that would explain our victory over then #1 UNC last year (by 10) and our loss this year. Clearly, had UNC played us at the Mack or even the Orleans this year, we likely would have won this game. On the subject of fan support, UNLV did have a robust fan contingent travel to Chapel Hill and watch the game - that speaks well of UNLV fans and how much they support the team. Bravo!

Splitting the series - While it still stings to lose a game when you've only had one previous loss, its is not a bad loss, its an explainable loss, and regard the 'legacy' that Anthony Marshall alluded to when referencing potentially beating UNC today - this still is a good legacy. The Rebs played UNC close today, and were not "dominated" in any way by them. Fact of the matter is nobody  has beaten UNC at home this year, and their overall home winning percentage is almost 90% over the last five years - and that's playing in the normally tough ACC. Beating UNC last year at a 'neutral' venue, and playing them close at home this year is an admirable accomplishment and is definitely improvement.

Mike Moser - It was nice to see Mike Moser back on the court, surprising since Coach Rice said it was unlikely and would be a game time decision, and Mike himself said  there was 'no way' that he would play in this game. But, having seen Mike in there you have to wonder whether it was the right decision. First, I don't believe Mike cost the Rebels the game. Had he not played we may have seen more of Savon Goodman, Quintrell Thomas, and Carlos Lopez-Sosa, but none of those guys had much going for them, so it was a wash. But, Mike was either not fully recovered, or likely a bit rusty. In just 12 minutes of playing time he picked up 5 fouls, and only contributed 3 points. That kind of fouling would make even Carlos Lopez-Sosa blush. Nobody is going to argue that having Mike Moser on your team is a bad thing, but it appears (hindsight 20-20) that it might have been better for Mike to bring him back against our next two cream-puff opponents (Chicago State and CSU Bakersfield).

Conclusion - In all likelihood just one of the players the Rebels normally count on to do big things (Justin Hawkins, Khem Birch, Quintrell Thomas, or Mike Moser) being productive would have won the game, or at least have made it a nail biter. The saying that you learn more from your mistakes then victories rings true, and the Rebels will benefit from this loss. I would say Katin Reinhardt should have confidence from his shooting, Bennett can be emboldened by his dunks on UNC, Marshall out played the Tar Heel guards, and Bryce Dejean-Jones made some difficult shots. Everyone else knows they can and have done better. The Rebels may fall a few spots in the rankings, or may fall out completely - not their fault. It all depends on who's popular among the voting group, and whether there are 25 better teams out there then the Rebels. Clearly, New Mexico has claim to one of  those spots, but it will take more from Texas and UCLA to lay claim to one given their records so far this year. UNC may have gotten back into the high 20's with this win, who knows.

College Basketball

Desert Reign: Impressions of UNLV’s Talent - Part I

By Jason Taylor
7-29-2012

(Part 2 will be released Saturday night)

I had a bout of RWS - Rebel Withdraw Syndrome - and  was unable to attend games recently in person, so I searched the net and found videos of several Desert Reign Pro-city League games on Rebel-Net.com.

Several Rebels joined the league this summer, and Rebel fans turned out in numbers.  The air conditioning system was broken in one game, but red clad fans completely filled the stands regardless of the near 100-degree indoor temps, and hung in to gain measure and give support to the new arrivals, and a few seniors.  That was a nice sight.  DaQuan Cook made a comment about how all these people were cheering as he and Savon Goodman walked into the gym, even though the fans had never even seen them play before.

I was able to watch games that included Anthony Marshall, Justin Hawkins, Khem Birch, Bryce Jones, Katin Reinhardt, DaQuan Cook, Demetris Morant, and Savon Goodman.

There were never more than 2 current Rebels on each team.

The competition was stout enough to gain perspective, I believe.  Although, of course, it is only a few games of loosely run scrimmages, so we obviously have to take that for what its worth in my analysis.  Several players rooted in the Las Vegas area were in attendance, including Darrington Hobson (of UNM, and NBA Bucks), Jamaal Smith (UNM grad), Billy White (SDSU grad), Pierre Jackson (Baylor), Romel Beck (UNLV grad), Marcus Lawrence (former UNLV point guard), and several overseas pro players.  

Here’s what struck me with each Rebel:

Anthony Marshall at Desert Reign

One of the strongest impressions I had was that there was one player that stood out consistently.  His strength, poise, occasional flash and explosiveness were gravitational - people knew who “that guy” was.  He positioned well, backed players down at will, played great defense, and made very few mistakes.  He even nutmegged a guy at center court.  I don’t think there would be any doubt, that if teams could be picked by the players - captain-style - that he would have been called right at the top.  Anthony Marshall was masterful.  He had over 30 points in one of the games I watched.  I’m really excited about seeing whether this level of control will carry into, and throughout the season.  Fingers crossed!


Then, add Justin Hawkins - more very solid play.  Justin seems to have hardened and strengthened his frame, and showed no hesitation what-so-ever on his shot, most of which, he made.  Drives to the basket, mid-range jumpers, and three pointers - he looked Good.  I’ve always said that he is a good three-point shooter when he steps into his shot - otherwise, not so much.  Justin seems to have progressed - he was hitting three’s against in-his-face defense, even hitting a few fall-aways.  On one telling play regarding added strength; he was below the basket and suddenly exploded straight up, slamming the rim down with a two-handed dunk.  “Hold on,” I said, hitting ‘rewind’.  “Holy mackerel.  Yep, that was Justin!”

Now, for the new guys:

The first game I watched included Savon Goodman and DaQuan Cook.  If you don’t watch anything else, watch this.  DaQuan Cook is number 6, and Savon Goodman is number 12 on the green team.

How about that, Rebel fans?

DaQuan Cook with Carmelo Anthony

So, DaQuan Cook - The game I saw with him was his first in Las Vegas.  He had just arrived in town a few days before and was just barely getting oriented.  He and Goodman came in off the bench.  The first impression as he stepped on to the court, was that this kid is going to have to spend a good bunch of his time running back and forth between the dorm buffet and the weight room.  He’s listed at something around 6’1” and 165lbs.  I’d call that fairly accurate - maybe even a touch heavy.  It’s hard to tell on video.  I am a little worried he’ll get pushed around, especially on defense.  On offense, he’s fun to watch; simply by the fact that you don’t know which way the ball is headed.  He can thread the needle, and take advantage of opposite direction breakdowns with some nice no-look passing.  Since this was his first game, he may have been a bit shy offensively.  He rarely looked to take it all the way to the hole himself, and didn’t take many jumpers, especially if he was well defended.  This made him a bit predictable at times.  If the opposing team had receivers covered, they could possibly gain a turnover because he might force a bad pass before taking it strong himself.  The jury is out on him, in my book.  He’s young, so even if he needs growth, he has plenty of time to develop into a weapon for UNLV.  Given the supporting cast, it’s very possible this kid could flourish as a true, pass-first point guard. 

For the rest of the new guys, come back Saturday!

Updates- Canadians may not play in Canada, Players witness Team USA, Schedule

This weekly update features a quick recap and analysis of a few recent stories, including one that just broke over the last few days regarding Anthony Bennett.

Canadians may not play in Canada


Already known was the fact that Pittsburgh transfer Khem Birch, who still has one semester left to wait due to a transfer redshirt, unfortunately will be unable to participate in the exhibition games in Canada starting in August.

What is now breaking news in the last few days, is that the NCAA is dragging their feet on declaring fellow Canadian Anthony Bennett academically eligible. At least one news outlet, has cited the reason for Bennett's eligibility decision taking so long is because he attended multiple high schools - and that normally slows the process. So, the NCAA has to look over his academics from Findlay Prep, as well as the Canadian HS's. Coach Rice believes that determination may take up to a month, but it could potentially come after the Canadian exhibition - leaving Bennett unavailable to play in the games.

The terrible irony of both the Birch and Bennett situation, is that UNLV is as loaded as anyone with solid Canadian talent. The fact that Birch and Bennett cannot enjoy a homecoming of sorts is a terrible shame and shows the NCAA's rules and regulations, at least in this case, have gone to far and have cost a couple of young men some valuable and meaningful experience. To make matters worse, this is a once-every-four-years type of trip, so its not like provided either Bennett or Birch are still at UNLV next year (think NBA draft) they can experience it in the 2013-14 campaign. Tempering the blow, the last trip was to Australia and we had -0- Australian talent, and have gained -0- Australian talent from the experience.

The Canadian public will just have to enjoy the performance put on by what is still a terrific college basketball team, but what purpose did this solve? Couldn't the athletic department have fought to get these guys to be able to play in games that don't mean anything anyhow? Maybe they did, it just wasn't publicized... Regardless of the insignificance this has on the the part of the season that actually counts, you have to feel bad for these guys.

The above cited article also mentions the possibility for Bennett not being available this season -- slow your roll Sporting News, let's not plant those seeds of doubt.

UNLV Players witness USA National Team Practice in their diggs

It was hinted, they'd find a way to watch. Low and behold, the balcony from the Mendenhall Center provided ample views of what must have been entertaining basketball with Team USA tuning up their performance before hitting the court against the Dominican Republic on Thursday night, then taking the show to DC and then off to London to hopefully dominate the 2012 Olympic Games.

What's initially clear, is that UNLV - who has had a good relationship hosting the national team as well as the NBA summer league most years (except for the lockout shortened season this past year) has received tons of free publicity from hosting the event. That clearly benefits UNLV as a basketball program, and highlights not only our facilities but our arena to potential future UNLV talent. After all, if its good enough for the best NBA players, isn't it good enough for you?

Although I was in attendance at the USA v. Dominican Republic game, my seats were so far up I didn't get a chance  to see if any UNLV players were in attendance. That said - even if they were the best basketball played in Las Vegas likely was left on the practice floor of the Mendenhall center. Calling it a sloppy game would be too kind. The only fun takeaway is that the Mack was packed, I'd have to estimate at least 16k showed up. Lakers fans heavy - as evidenced by the overwhelming applause for Kobe Bryant in comparison to other players. In all honesty, I've been to three of these now including the FIBA, and for the money its the cheapest way to see the NBA's biggest stars play. The one criticism, an intra-squad practice would be far more entertaining and meaningful then beating up on a team who was just knocked out by Nigeria from even being able to compete in London.

Back to practice, in publicized photos Roscoe Smith, Anthony Marshall, and Justin Hawkins were seen taking in the activities. Anthony Marshall actually tweeted quite a few photos from practice. What can a forward and two guards learn from the elite crew? Obviously plenty of tricks. When top players, who are also friends with each other get together - they want to show off. Take the amazing Blake Griffin dunk off of the wall. Unfortunately, the torn meniscus moved him off the roster. For Justin Hawkins and Anthony Marshall, they got to view some great workouts from players such as Kobe Bryant, James Harden, Derron Williams, and of course - Chris Paul. But, as seen only in practice, they got to see these players compete against potential future Olympians in the form of the USA select team. This included Demar Derozen, Klay Thompson, Paul George, Jrue Holliday, Kyrie Erving, and John Wall at the guard spot. Roscoe Smith got to see Kawai Leonard, Lance Thomas, Gordon Hawyard, Taj Gibson, and Derrick Favors try their best to prepare Carmelo Anthony, Lebron James, Andre Iguodala, Blake Griffin, and Kevin Love for the games.

Time will tell whether the experience lent any takeaways to the UNLV players who watched the NBA's best and NBA's up-and-comers tear up the courts, but hopefully this pays dividends beyond the publicity.

Non-Conference Schedule Set

Here is the Non-Conference schedule, just recently released this past week (schedule page updated as well). In Rebel Reign style, the opponents will be looked at, predictions will be made, and comparisons to previous schedules will be mentioned. This all takes time, which is why no major media outlet has done the dirtywork either. We'll get it done, and there is plenty of time before the season starts to start thinking about how winning that winning record will be. Feast your eyes on our foes:


UNLV BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
The Rebels' non-conference opponents for the 2012-13 season:
Nov. 3 at UCLA (closed scrimmage)
Nov. 7 Dixie State (exhibition)
Nov. 12 Northern Arizona
Nov. 17 Jacksonville State
Nov. 23 Oregon
Nov. 24 Cincinnati or Iowa State
Nov. 28 UC Irvine
Dec. 1 Hawaii
Dec. 4 at Portland
Dec. 9 at California
Dec. 13 University of La Verne-z (D-III)
Dec. 17 at Texas-El Paso
Dec. 19 Northern Iowa
Dec. 22 Canisius
Dec. 29 at North Carolina
Jan. 3 Chicago State
Jan. 5 Cal State Bakersfield
z-at Orleans Arena; all other home games at Thomas & Mack Center    

Interview with Anthony Marshall

On Saturday, June 30, 2012 Anthony Marshall did a comprehensive interview with Rebel Reign and many areas fans wanted to know about - he answered. As a senior, a leader, and a floor general Anthony will play a huge part of the Runnin' Rebels success this upcoming season, his final as a Rebel. He is also a class act as a Las Vegas native. Everyone enjoy!

RR = Rebel Reign
AM = Anthony Marshall

RR: You’ve been known to use negative comments from opponents, their fans, and even some from UNLV fans to push you harder – when did you start doing that and does it really work for you?

AM: It’s kind of something I’ve always done, even since my younger days. You hear talking around the city, and it kind of motivates you to prove doubters wrong. You just go out there and work harder, so publically its gotten out over the past year – but I actually do really use it. I use what people say about our or my abilities to work harder.

RR: So how far back have you been using it?

AM: Middle school, high school. A lot of people say you shouldn’t read negative things because it could harm your game or stuff like that, but for me, it just adds fuel to the fire. Back in high school I would go onto message boards and read, just like I do now. You have to have a tough skin and all, but I use it.

RR: With Oscar Bellfield graduating, there is an obvious opening at the PG position – are you ready to run Coach Rice’s up-tempo offense, and what can we expect different from what we saw from Oscar?

AM: Well, if you’re a Rebel fan and at the games you would see I ran a lot of point last season. Me and Oscar were so interchangeable, sometimes he would go to the wing and let me run the break, run the point guard position a lot. If you look at my stats, I’ve made some strides over the last couple of years on my assist to turnover ratio. I felt this past year I did fairly well, could do a lot better, but I felt it was a starting point for me. Oscar was first, and I was second in assists in the conference. So I feel that I am really ready to play the point guard position, it’s something I feel I can do, and to be the team we want to be I’ll have a good opportunity to fill that role.

RR: Do you see yourself playing shooting guard or point guard at the next level?

AM: Well if you look at the guys who play shooting guard at the next level, they are 6’6”, 6’7” around there, so for me, I feel PG is the position I’ll have to play and I’m pretty comfortable playing it. There’s still some things I need to work on in that area, just my overall game, I just can’t be satisfied with one thing. So for me to get where I’m trying to go the point guard position is something I have to play. If you look at Russell Westbrook, who is a great player – not trying to compare  myself to Westbrook, in college he was more of a shooting guard (at UCLA he wasn’t PG, they had Collision) and then in the NBA they tried to mold him into a point guard. It’s just a learning process – a transition.

RR: As a Las Vegas native, you’ve been a strong vocal supporter of recruiting locally. Are you happy how things have changed since you’ve started with the program, and how much further does UNLV need to go to get to where you think it should be in local recruiting?

AM: I think it’s changed a lot. Coming out of high school, people really weren’t considering UNLV as a destination, not too excited about playing basketball here. UNLV staff wasn’t really focused on recruiting local prospects like that. That’s why UNLV wasn’t recruiting local prospects. Now you can’t go anywhere without seeing someone with UNLV hat, tee shirt or sweatshirt or just talking about the Rebels – it’s a real feeling. When I signed my letter of intent this is what I envisioned, now its exciting to become a Runnin’ Rebel.

RR: Is there anything more that can be done to improve?

AM: I just feel like if we keep doing what we’re doing,, keep winning, and we’re one of  the elite programs – everything should take care of itself. Who wouldn’t want to come and play for a Coach who lets you do what you want to do, gives freedom as long as you play hard each time, play defense, and play as a family. He lets you get out of run, he’ll never tell you not to shoot a good shot. And who wouldn’t want to play in beautiful Las Vegas, Nevada – it all just clicks.

RR: What are your personal goals for the 2012-13 season?

AM: Improving my overall game, I feel like returning and being a leader on this team, on and off the court, focus on the goal that’s ahead – to win a championship. That’s why we all came to UNLV, and that’s what Coach Rice feels we are capable of. So, if you look at the nucleus we already have and bring in the new guys, we have a great opportunity. Even though its far away, and easier said than done - put in the work and we’ll get there.

RR: Even though your already a pretty athletic and muscular guy, what are you working on physically in the off-season?

AM: I’m just trying to get my eating habits right, hard being a college athlete and stuff like that. Just getting my eating habits right. I really want to take a night class in yoga, it prevents injuries and soreness – just staying healthy and all. It’s just hard to find a night one because of summer school, and practice.

RR: When this year is over, and you’ve graduated – what will you miss the most about playing for UNLV?

AM: It’s kind of hard to say because there are so many things, but I’d have to say being around my teammates. You really grow a tight bond with them – like they are your family. That and definitely putting on the UNLV jersey and running down the red carpet. That’s something I’ll remember for the rest of my life and cherish.

RR: What is something you’ve learned from Coach Rice and staff that’s new to you, both on and off the basketball court? (philosophy, tips, etc)

AM: They are both terrific coaches (Rice and Kruger). They are really similar, except for Coach Rice wanting to play fast and Coach Kruger wanting you to slow things down first. It’s kind of good having both because sometimes the flow of  the game is a team that likes to get up and down like you, then others want to work in the half court. Their methods of teaching are kind of different, but overall, it’s kind of the same.

RR: Who has been you most challenging 1-on-1 defensive / offensive assignment – in college basketball / MWC / within your team?

AM: Personally, that’s a tough question. Hard to say, I look forward to guarding all the guys at SDSU – I grew up playing against them. On the court – we’re enemies, but off we are friends. So I’d have to say it’s always good matching up with guys you know. Hank Thorns Jr. at TCU, Billy White when he was at SDSU, BYU, they liked to get up and down when we played them. It’s always fun.

RR: Inter-squad scrimmages – who is  the biggest challenge to play against?

AM: I always match up with Justin Hawkins, Bryce Jones, or Mike Moser. With Justin – I’ve known him like since the 9th grade. He always thinks he has an advantage on me because he knows my game. Bryce, he’s very competitive as is Mike Moser.

RR: Is Justin as successful at picking your pocket as he is in the game?

AM: Actually no, because I know his defensive tendencies, and I know better than to dribble the ball  right in front of him, keep my body between him and the ball. So he doesn’t pick my pocket like that.

RR: Twitter – obviously you are plugged into social media, what does the interaction mean to you and how does it differ from before you had a twitter account?

AM: I actually got Twitter my freshman year, before anyone really had it. Then my sophomore year, people saw how much I tweeted and people started following me – then it really blew up.

RR: What kind of effect does it have on you?

AM: Some people say  it may have a negative effect, but to me, it I’d say it has a very positive effect. Growing up, never had a website or social network to reach people we looked up to, to ask them advice or questions. So for people to write me questions or comment on how they feel about something – I cherish that, and appreciate it. I think it’s fun, I’m always looking to help someone if they need it, or answer questions like who’s my favorite players, etc. Someone taking five minutes out of  their day to talk to me, I appreciate that.

RR: Do you think you could go without Twitter at this point?

AM: Yeah, I could. It’s just a social network – not life or death. I could do without it.

RR: Just was curious, because obviously there are collegiate programs that don’t allow it and that can be a big part of a player’s decision on whether to attend that school or not. But it doesn’t look like anything like that will be happening at UNLV anytime soon.

AM: I feel like we are all responsible men. Coach Rice, he holds us accountable as adults – we know what we can’t write. So he treats us like adults.

RR: There was a stretch of games last season where you were half-man half-amazing – otherworldly. Now, you always play really well, looking back what was clicking for you during that time period?

AM: Just being aggressive. In the beginning, I was more passive, looking more to get my teammates involved. I wasn’t really looking for my own offense, and that hurt a bit .I’d say around the SDSU game, conference play, that’s when I got it going – that’s when I had a stretch of playing really well. I started being aggressive, going to the lane. When defenders tried to stop that, it opened up my mid-range jump shot. When defenders tried to stop that I just kicked it out to my teammates.

RR: When you started your UNLV career in 2009-10 with a roster that included Tre’von Wills, Chace Stanback, Matt Shaw, Steve Jones, Darris Santee, Brice Massamba, Kendall Wallace, Derrick Jasper, Oscar Bellfield, Justin Hawkins, Carlos Lopez, and Coached by Lon Kruger. Now in 2012-13 your roster has yourself, Justin Hawkins, Bryce Dejean-Jones, Katin Reinhardt, Daquan Cook, Mike Moser, Anthony Bennett, Roscoe Smith, Savon Goodman, Quintrell Thomas, Demetris Morant, Khem Birch, and Carlos Lopez now coached by Dave Rice. How is the feeling different now?

AM: I’d say for me, now I have the leadership role. Coming in as a freshman you really don’t say much, we had leaders like Tre,  Jasper, Oscar, and Chace. This year, it’s probably me, Mike, Justin, just taking on that leadership role.

RR: What do you know about Katin Reinhardt and DaQuan Cook?  Have you played with them at all?

AM:  I haven’t had a chance to play with them yet, they come up next week. But what I know is they are both great guards, athletic, great passers. Katin can shoot it, DaQuan is a traditional pass first guard. So I mean, once they get here we’ll have a lot of pieces to put together – but I’m looking forward to working with all of them.

RR: Everybody in the country is talking about the amazing new transfers and recruiting class, ranked #7 and likely preseason ranking in the top 10.  What’s the buzz right now amongst the team about it?

AM: The sky’s the limit.  I think our potential is unlimited. It’s exciting to have such talented pieces to work with. We’re lucky to have the opportunity to show that. If you look at the past, a lot of top ten teams, some don’t even make the tournament, or they get knocked out the first round. So buzz – we’re not trying to be that, we’re trying to surpass. We want to get to the end and cut down the nets and raise the trophy. That’s the ultimate goal and I feel this year we have the right pieces to do that. You look at our roster from top to bottom, and guys are interchangeable. You take our second team players, whoever they are going to be,  and they could be first team at another college and have them winning games. So for us, we just have to put together the pieces and make things work.

RR: Obviously coming into last season Mike Moser sat out a year as a redshirt transfer, and then came in and was amazing. Do you see the same thing happening with Bryce Jones?

AM: Yeah definitely, I also see the same potential in Khem. They are both terrific talents, and I am really pleased to have them on my team. Bryce is a competitor who brings some grit to the team which is good, but I also see the same things with Khem also.

RR: I know you won't be playing with them, but tell us what you know about Dantley Walker and Christian Wood.   Have you played with them, what do you see from them?

AM: Actually Dantley used to play for my AAU team the Las Vegas Prospects when he was in high school, so I’ve always been around watching him play. I’ve always liked his game, and when he decided to come to UNLV I was excited for him and happy for him. I grew up watching him – he’s like a little brother. Christian, I’ve seen highlights of him and made it to one Findlay Prep game – and he’ll be playing for the Las Vegas Prospects as well, so I’m excited and happy for both of them and excited to see what they do when they come in.

RR: Coach Rice seems to be a very "nice" guy, a solid guy like Coach Kruger, is he the same in the huddle as his public persona?

AM: Yeah definitely, he’s a nice guy. He really doesn’t do too much yelling – he talks to you calmly unless he has to get after you if you’re not doing stuff right. I think that makes a big impact on how you play, when a Coach can just come and talk to you, it makes you play relaxed instead of pressured. The way he is seen in the public eye – that’s the way he is, what you see is what you get.

RR: Give me a couple things that would get him "fired-up" mad.

AM: Not playing as a team, that’s one. We’re a team of great talent, so playing as a team is very important. Not playing defense, not keeping your man in front. We have some scrimmages were not keeping your man in front is really important. Not boxing out when rebounding, the little things – stuff like that.

RR: Do you work with any specific assistant coaches, and how do they help you?

AM: Each assistant coach, their doors are open to talk to them or get some shots with them. That’s the great things, they’re always willing to work with you and help you. That’s the great thing about having a coaching staff like this. I’ve worked out with all of them, and they just want us to improve and get better.

RR: What’s your favorite NBA team, player – similar games to your own or strive to play like?

AM: I’m a west coast guy, so it would have  to be Lakers and Kobe Bryant. I really try to play like myself, but drawn comparisons from fans and other people to Derrick Rose as far as athletic style and body type. Russell Westbrook as far as athleticism, being a shooting guard and then to point guard. As far as trying to play like Kobe – naw, he’s 6’6” and when I realized I wasn’t going to get that tall I realized I had to play like a smaller guard.

RR: Favorite shoe on the basketball court?

AM: I play different Jordan’s all the time, but this past year my favorite shoes were the Jordan XIV’s.

RR: We’ll that’s all I have – I really appreciate the interview.

AM: No problem, thanks.

Reggie Smith headed back to the midwest

Transfer point guard Reggie Smith has asked for and been granted release from the Runnin' Rebels to transfer to a school closer to Chicago. The reason behind the sudden leaving has to do with being closer his ailing grandmother.

Reggie's time at UNLV was short, and due to the reliability of Oscar Bellfield, Rebels fans were waiting to see what Smtih could do with more minutes and more time in Coach Rice's system.

In a sudden dramatic change of events, the Rebels - once loaded with guards, has lost some great ones and will lose more after this coming season (Anthony Marshall and Justin Hawkins will graduate after the season). Fortunately, new guards are on the horizon. Daquan Cook and Katin Reinhardt are penciled into the lineup, and the Reggie Smtih transfer decision could easily have an effect on either one of their decisions to redshirt the coming year. Potent scoring guard Bryce Dejean-Jones will make waves at the shooting guard positon. Additionally, Dantley Walker will be added to the roster for the 2013-14 season, and the Rebels still have strong interest in Findlay Prep's Nigel Williams-Goss.

The Reggie Smtih loss also frees up another scholarship, making it two available for the 2012-13 campaign, which is shaping up to be epic. Reggie Smith will be missed, and hopefully he gets the chance to make the impact he is capable of at the college he attends. Good luck to you Reggie!

Shabazz Muhammad as a Rebel

No, Shabazz Muhammad did not just commit to UNLV, this is just a glimpse into a possible future that would be excellent news for UNLV, the fans, and even for Shabazz.

Although this is just a possibility right now – it s a possibility that makes a lot of sense and is a great choice. Before we talk about the benefits for everyone, let’s look at who Shabazz Muhammad  is:

Shabazz Muhammad is a 6’6” 205 lbs shooting guard who is entering his senior year at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, NV. He has been called the best basketball recruit in Southern Nevada history. He is a scoring powerhouse, averaging 25 points per game and a season high last year of 38 against Sierra Vista HS. He is the correct size of a shooting guard, even for NBA standards (MJ was 6’5” and did pretty well). He also has a powerful body, he is able to take the ball to the rim, and pull up inside the arc. He has been known to hit from 3, but that is one of his few offensive weaknesses. Defensively, he is a supreme athletic specimen, he has the quickness and ability to stop others and recapture the ball to lead a fast break. Defensively, the only critiques have been of his ball handling under-pressure, and gambling a little too much trying to go for a steal. Remember this, he’s the #2 prospect in the nation and he was only a junior – nobody’s perfect. He is hardwired to be competitive and his drive to win is extremely high. Everything continuing the way it should for Shabazz, he will be playing at the highest level of basketball professionally, the only question is what path will he take to get there.

The reasons why Shabazz Muhammad should play for the Runnin Rebels (in no particular order):

1.      Vegas is a basketball Mecca – it’s all here, there is nowhere that can compete with Las Vegas in terms of basketball prowess and exposure. Besides UNLV being a traditional basketball powerhouse, we have the NBA summer league, USA Olympic team training camp, qualifiers, and exhibitions, Impact Basketball Academy, Tarkanian Basketball Academy, Thomas and Mack Center, Mendenhall Center (soon to be completed), likely stadium projects that will eventually snag the Sacramento Kings – it’s all here.

2.      Family – Any person who has succeeded at the highest levels, athlete or not, will tell you that they couldn’t have done it without their support system. Playing locally means that your parents, brothers, sisters, friends, former coaches, and mentors are available to you. Would you rather make a telephone call from another timezone when you are going through a tough time, or meet face-to-face and end it with a hug or handshake. Your games will be well attended, but will your family and friends be at all your home games? There are clear advantages to playing collegiate ball in Las Vegas. It’s also a two way street, besides the benefits your family gives to you, think about what you give to them by being local. Shabazz has not had a problem with travel around the country when on the road with Dream Vision, but he’s also had that support system there as his father is an assistant coach with the team. Have it both ways – continue doing what you love with the people you love backing you up – it’s a no brainer.

3.      Staying local – There is something to be said for staying local and being successful. Take Butler University. If you look at that team, it’s a small school with limited historical success in basketball. That said, they’ve just reached the national championship game twice in the last two years – incredible. Chalk some of it up to great coaching or luck, but also look at the roster. Ten out of the fourteen members of that team are from Indiana – the same state as Butler – they are locals, that’s 71% of the team! No disrespect to the excellent players past and present who represent UNLV Basketball but are from places far and near, but even they would agree – if talent is in your own backyard, keep it on lockdown. UNLV has quite a few scholarships available for when Shabazz Muhammad is going to start as a freshman, why not fill that team up and have the roster eventually be Anthony Marshall, Roscoe Allen, Shabazz Muhammad and Ben Carter as the locals. Quite a team, no? So Anthony Marshall graduates and let’s say Muhammad decides not to declare for the draft until after his sophomore year, then you get Dantley Walker and perhaps Nigel Williams-Goss added to that squad – fantastic team of locals, not counting the remaining great players we have / will be getting.

4.      Coaching style – Coach Dave Rice has been a man of his word, everything he has said up to now has come true, and I believe him when he says he is going to turn the Runnin’ Rebels back into the Runnin’ Rebels. He even maintains he will continue to keep the team’s defense up to the level it was under Lon Kruger, a defense that was feared and respected throughout college basketball. What player wouldn’t want to be a part of that system? Fast-break transition basketball is awesome to watch, and fun to play. Tarkanian’s teams thrived on quick scoring, and Coach Rice is a Tarkanian student. Shabazz would be ready to start right away at UNLV, the offense and defense would be tailored to his strengths, and an added benefit is Stacey Augmon is here not only teach how to play excellent defense, but as a former NBA player development coach he would prepare him for the NBA. This fits perfectly. Additionally, with a runnin' offense Shabazz's draft stock could rise considerably. An offense that runs closer to 70 ppg has a leading scorer with around 15-16 ppg, but an 80+ppg offense has much more shots and scorers could average closer to 20 ppg, maybe more. What has more significance, Shabazz averaging 15ppg or 20ppg? NBA teams would project him as having more all-star potential with 20ppg in college ball, which leads to a higher draft pick and more guaranteed $$$. It's that simple.

5.      Being the hero – "Local kid helps make UNLV champions again". You can’t script it any better than that. Why go to Duke, Kentucky, Louisville, or North Carolina where you are just the next cog in a system that their fans expect will be there again and again? That’s boring. Who wants to be the new kid buried in a lineup of Mr. (insert your state name here)’s playing in Lexington Kentucky? Why play for Arizona, it’s like Las Vegas – but boring. Forget that crap, stay and be a rock star or royalty in Las Vegas, be the guy to brings an already great program back to the promised land. That’s a story people want to hear, that’s a story the national media wants to write about. No matter if you become Lebron James or Greg Oden, Las Vegas will always appreciate and admire you, you will be a hero to this town. Can the same be said of one of the schools I mentioned? I sincerely doubt it. The impact of Shabazz Muhammad playing for UNLV goes beyond just his time here, be it for only one or all four years. Other excellent local players will want to come play, along with great players from around the nation, and all because one man decided it was the right thing to do. Brilliant.

Shabazz Muhammad playing for UNLV benefits himself, his family, his city, and his State. When you are a top-5 prospect, you write your own ticket. Be a Rebel, and become legendary.

Also would like to congratulate USC Transfer Bryce Jones for making the decision to become a Runnin’ Rebel, you won’t regret it! Likely more on Jones in a future story.

YouTube Clips of Shabazz Muhammad’s dominance:

More fun:

Interview with Dantley Walker's father and assistant coach - Greg Walker

Dantley Walker - UNLV Point Guard of the Future 

Rebel fans, I recently had a chance to speak with and interview Greg Walker, Dantley Walker's father and assistant coach of his high school basketball team. Everything you wanted to know about UNLV's future point guard, you're about to find out. Additionally, the Walkers have been extremely accommodating in providing information and pictures - even the avid Dantley Walker fan will learn something or see a photograph they haven't yet seen. In true RebelReign.com style, the following is a transcript of the interview, enjoy:

RR: RebelReign.com
GW: Greg Walker

Signing day

RR: I’m talking to Greg Walker, Dantley Walker’s father. Obviously the most recent thing is that Dantley has recently signed his letter of intent to play for the UNLV Runnin' Rebels, to come play for UNLV when he comes back from his mission, is that correct?

GW: Yes, that’s correct. It was Thursday and with Coach Kruger we were actually going to go down there and sign it. But when Coach Rice came, he faxed or fed-ex’d it out here, and we had an assembly and he signed in front of the whole high school and we sent it back.

RR: Ok, that’s interesting. I had seen the picture of Dantley signing, but didn’t know it was taken in Lincoln County, it almost looked like it was taken at UNLV.

GW: They rounded up some UNLV Rebel banners and posted them on the wall; it was at our high school here in Panaca.

RR: That would explain the creases you could see in the banner, it had not been hanging long (laughs).

GW: (laughs) yeah, I think it was folded up.

RR: Were you actually there?

GW: Yes, well I teach here, but I was actually at some meetings. So I picked up the family and was there. It was probably only 10 minutes, but it was cool. We’ve been waiting to do that for a long time so it was great.

RR: Obviously this was a pretty big event for the high school, pretty small high school, what is the total enrollment out there in Lincoln County High School?

GW: There are about 2000 people in Lincoln County,  and about 200 students in the high school. Sometimes over 200, sometimes it dips under, but usually right around 200. About 50 kids per class year.

RR: What do you teach?

GW: I teach English, a high school English teacher. When I first came out here I was the head baseball coach, and assistant boys basketball coach. When I was at Chaparral high school for my first year-and-a-half in Las Vegas, I taught and coached there as well. I got an offer to go (to Panaca) and I took it.

RR: How is life in Panaca vs. Las Vegas?

GW:  (laughs) It’s a lot slower, a lot slower. You know I liked coaching in Vegas, but didn’t like teaching there too much. They were cramming about 45 kids in a class. We just thought (Panaca) would be a good place to raise a family. My wife was from Mesquite, she grew up there and it was a small town, and I moved from Oregon my senior year to Moapa valley – which is a small town. So we are both familiar with small town life. But it was still a little adjustment after being in Las Vegas for 6 years- when I was at UNLV and then teaching. There are good and bad things about both places.

RR: Nowhere is perfect.

GW: Right.

RR: How many kids do you have besides Dantley?

GW: I have two girls and another boy. I have a girl, Hailee, who is a freshman; a girl, Jade, that is a seventh grader; my boy, Kobe, is in 4^th grade.

RR: Are they all athletes as well?

GW: The girls are more into dancing and cheerleading, my youngest is really into all sports too.

RR: I want to talk about Dantley, let’s get a good history there and then move onto some other areas. Obviously, everyone knows you named him after Adrian Dantley, the famous Notre Dame standout who was a heck-of-a NBA player, and now an assistant coach.

GW: Its funny, because every article that has been written about Dantley brings up the naming thing. Its not so much that he was named after him, but we liked the name. Adrian Dantley was my hero growing up. I patterned my game after him, kind of an undersized post. I went to his camp in Salt Lake City when he was playing for the Jazz, and just loved the way he played the game. So that’s where we got the name.

RR: Nothing in particular about Notre Dame or the Jazz that you would have been focused on?

GW: Not Notre Dame. I graduated from high school in 1987 and he was with the Jazz when I was in high school, so I definitely was a big Jazz fan during that time. We would get the games on the satellite in Oregon and we would watch just about all of his games. I was 6’0” and played post, he was 6’5” and played post. I just tried to emulate his game. No Notre Dame connection, that was before my time.

RR: I’ve read numerous articles about your son, a few of the articles have mentioned his shooting ability changing in the 7^th grade, could you tell me about that?

GW: (laughs) Yeah, well we had a couple of guys that got him going in the Utah leagues, the Junior Jazz and the Border League it’s called out here. He would go play in Cedar City and St. George, Utah. We got him going pretty young, when he was in 3rd or 4^th grade. When he first started he was probably the best ball handler and passer, but wasn’t necessarily the best shooter. He was really small. Shooting just came with practice. I think 6^th – 7^th grade is when he got really serious about working on his whole game and started spending a lot of time in the gym. We just would go there for hours, working on his shot, dribbling, and everything.

RR: Since we are talking about Dantley in the end of elementary and junior high, was he looking at other sports or particularly gifted in other sports?

GW: Yeah, he was a really gifted baseball player. In fact, I’ve had people tell me – 'you’ve picked the wrong sport, you should have pushed him more in baseball.' You don’t have to fight the size issue so much in baseball as you do in basketball. He was an excellent fielder, switch hitter, could pitch – just a really good glove, but I knew more about basketball than baseball and he just liked basketball a little better than baseball, so he kind of gave baseball up even though he didn’t want to. I said, if your goal is to play college basketball then you probably need to give up some  things like that, so he did. You really do have to give it up if you are playing AAU ball. The high school season ends in February and AAU kicks up in March. Its hard to play high school baseball if you’re doing that.

RR: There are so many time commitments for high schoolers in general, you pile on all these extra-circulars you have to a lot your time otherwise you’re spread too thin.

GW: Right

RR: I don’t think I’ve read that anywhere, so that’s good to know.

GW: Not too many people have asked about it outside of Lincoln County. He was always an all-star, one of the better players, but outside of the County nobody knows.

RR: So, he started really putting in the time, what people would classify as a ‘gym rat’ around the 7^th grade, and it continued from there?

GW: Yea, right around then he gave up the other sports. That would have been the last year of  baseball majors, and it was year round basketball from there. Definitely a gym rat. Just about every day but Sunday, we would work on something or he would work on something.

RR: Do you have a hoop at the house, or how does he get his practice in?

GW: Well, we have it good out here because I have keys to the gym. But yeah, we definitely have a hoop here. We used to play on it a lot when he was younger, go out and go at it. Pretty soon it was just, lets get in the gym and do things full court. Its right next door, about 100 yards away from our house, so any time he wanted to get in he would take the keys and get in. The administrators would look the other way and not kick him out. Mostly the gym over the backyard as he got older.

Coach Wood, Dantley, and Greg Walker

RR: Having a knowledge as an assistant basketball coach did you have any ideas on the position Dantley would play or was best suited to?

GW: I’ve been around basketball my whole life, I told my wife if we have a boy, “I don’t care if he is 5”10” or 6’10” I am going to train him to be a point guard.” My problem was I had a lot of the same kind of success as Dantley in high school, but because I was a (post) inside player I couldn’t play D1 college basketball-it didn’t translate to that level. I didn’t want that to happen to Dantley. He was a little guy when we were at Chaparral, and we were working on his handles making sure he could be a point guard. He would give half time dribbling shows during our games at Chaparral when he was 3 and 4 years old.

RR: So, if he were 6’8” or 6’9” he would be Magic Johnson.

GW: (laughs) Yeah, I wish he would have gotten that height. He can play the 2 very well too, but there wouldn’t be too many D1 schools looking for a 5'11 2 guard.

RR: And by -2- you obviously mean shooting guard.

GW: Yeah, and so I think we made the right decision. I think if he wasn’t a point guard he probably wouldn’t be headed to the D1 level.

RR: With him being a gym rat, what would he be doing? Would it be just him shooting baskets from all around the floor, or would it be pickup games?

GW: Out here, it was tough to get pickup games. There was some guys who would get up and play three days a week, at the church, at 5:30 AM. He would set his alarm and get up on his own and do that, just to make sure he got his games in. Sometimes they would play Tuesdays and Thursday nights, and we always got him to those games. But, more than anything else, him and I were in the gym just working on everything. Shooting off the dribble, shooting off picks, shooting full court, left hand, right hand, driving, floaters, footwork, dribbling, we had a whole routine and it would usually take us about an hour and a half. We would always have him shoot at minimum 150 3's besides everything else we did. After that he would stay and do his thing, and I would go because I had enough. We would do that for years – we still do it sometimes. And that’s it, since we weren’t living in Vegas you couldn’t find a game to play in everyday. So he was like Larry Bird, just working on his skills on his own all the time.

RR: It’s tough in a city of that size to find a pickup game. When he did find a game were the opposition grown adults, decent competition.

GW: Yeah, I guess so-pretty decent. It was a lot of adults. Now, basketball is pretty big out here and a lot of the high school kids will get together with some of the better older guys and have some pretty good games. Once he got to high school we got him right into the Las Vegas Prospects after his freshman year. He was basically playing basketball from November till August. So, it’s only really during the fall when he had to try and find games here in Panaca since entering high school.

RR: I’m going to make an assumption here, so correct me if am wrong. There comes a point when a son, if he is good, is going to beat his old man in a game of 21. Assuming that happened, when did it happen?

GW: (Laughs). It happened! What’s funny is we used to play a lot of half-court, and I’m taller and bigger than him so I could always drive in and score on him. I said, you know what, we need to play full-court. So, we go and we play full-court 1-on-1, up and back. The rule was you could never walk the ball up-full speed the whole game. And we played to 11 by 1’s, best of seven. When he was younger I would always win the series. Each year he would keep winning more games. This last fall, I would be lucky to win a game. He would take me 4 games to 1 or 0. It started changing his junior year when he started beating me more than I could beat him. It was good because it kept him in shape and kept him playing full court. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen him play, but he could bring it up and just, kind of like Jimmer, pull up and shoot wherever he was. I think a lot of that was from us doing those full court 1-on-1 games so much-and all the shooting drills.

RR: No, unfortunately I haven’t seen your son play. I’m in that 95% that have only seen it on Youtube. I guess you trained him to beat you, so it was bound to happen.

GW: Yeah, we’ve had some pretty good battles. Talking trash, we’re both fiery and competitive. That’s one of the reasons he is successful – he is just so competitive. It doesn’t matter what he’s doing, he just wants to beat you. I think that’s helped him in basketball and other things. If you’re playing checkers or whatever, he wants to beat you.

RR: Kind of like the Michael Jordan mentality, wants to win at whatever activity.

GW: He’ll keep on playing until he finally wins. He won’t leave till it happens.

RR: Lets go down the statistics, I want to make sure everything I’ve read is correct.

GW: OK

RR: Dantley’s height is 5’11”.

GW: Yes, we’re hoping during his mission he can gain another inch.

RR: Well, he’ll have to drink a lot of milk.

GW: Yeah, stretch him out.

RR: He is going to graduate high school this year, and has a pretty good GPA.

GW: Yes, I think its 3.7.

RR: He’s currently only playing basketball, and been doing that primarily since 7^th grade.

GW: Yeah, as the sole sport. Organized basketball since 4^th grade.

RR: His high school team is the Lincoln County Lynx.

GW: Yes.

RR: The data I have says the team went 24-7?

GW: That sounds right. Tied for first place in league with Agassi Prep.

RR: League play, 11-3. What is the league, just all similarly sized schools or geographically?

GW: Yea, it's based on school population and geographically the southern part of the state.

RR: He averaged 36.2 PPG this last season.

GW: Yes

RR: Basically, his production is what a lot of people talk about because, for example, he scored 73 points in a game this season and that was the highest point total by any high school player in the country this year.

GW: That’s right and we won that game too.

RR: So people are looking at his scoring, but he has very respectable other categories. Assists per game, 10.2; rebounds per game – just under 6 (5.4), steals per game 5.4. So besides being a scoring powerhouse, with the other stats he could essentially score -0- points a game and still be a valuable asset.

GW: (laughs) Yeah, by his sophomore year he really had a well rounded game. He’s always had to do a lot of scoring for us. If you’ve heard, Dave Rice has said some good things about Dantley, such as talking about his good passing ability. I honestly think that will be more of his role on the college level. I think he’ll be more of a quarterback running the team type player. He'll still bust the 3 it if they play off of him but he'll  have a lot of others that can score too, at UNLV.  He’ll get you the ball, whether on the fast break, half court offense, or if you need to get it to the post or a certain player – he can do it. He has really good court sense.  Because he scored so much, sometimes his passing got lost in the shuffle.

RR: There is a statistic I don’t have because it wasn’t published. But obviously in order to average 36.2 PPG you have to jack up a lot of shots.

GW: Yes, he definitely had the green light. That’s the thing, I can’t remember exactly how many he shot each game and stuff like that, we have it somewhere. But, if he had a half decent look, Coach Wood gave him the green light because a lot of times he could shoot threes better than some of the kids out here could shoot lay-ups. But because he had so many guys on him, because he was such a good scorer, every team was throwing 2-3 guys or a gimmick defense against him, and he was still able to score 36 in spite of that. So, yea he was playing against a lot of 2a teams, but he never was being guarded straight up by one man.  Sometimes it seemed half of the opposing team was guarding him.

RR: The game where he scored 73, do you remember what kind of defense they threw at him that game?

GW: I remember it was Agassi Prep and we beat them. And the thing about Agassi, it was great that he scored 73 against them because they are a legit team. They were the state champions. I think they beat the northern team by 30 points to win the championship this year. Really athletic, big kids. Anyways, what they did was as soon as he got to half court they would double him right there. Or they would just double him full court.  A lot of teams did that. As soon as he passed the half court line they sent two kids at  him and would try to push him to the sideline to try to get him to pass the ball. That game it didn’t seem to matter, he was just in the zone. Everything he threw up just went in that game. Some of the shots he made were from 6 to 8 feet behind the 3 point line.

RR: So, getting back to where I was headed originally. Has anyone compiled the number and figured out his shooting percentage?

GW: You know what, we did from watching tape of his games.  His senior year, he was over 50% from inside the 3 point line, and he was in the low 40’s from outside, I think 41% from 3.

RR: Wow, that’s incredible, especially for the amount taken.

GW: Yeah, they would play him so tight that he would get fouled too, so he got to the free throw line a lot.

RR: How is his free-throw percentage?

GW: He lead the nation in free throw percentage as well. He made 262 out of 290 free throws, and he shot exactly 90%

RR: Ok, so we have a Danny Ainge here.

GW: According to MaxPrep that was the highest percentage in the nation.

RR: Now, since you’re also a coach, you would agree with me that its unusual for a person running the point guard would not be a prolific scorer like that, it takes a lot of energy to run a team. A lot of energy is used taking the ball up the court yourself, as opposed to being the one who scores by coming off the block and shooting.

GW: Yeah, we never took him out unless it was a blowout. We wore him down. If we took him out it seemed like we would fall apart. And a lot of teams, they would guard him full court and try to wear him out. He always had the ball in his hands, always. And that’s why some people wonder, if he scored 36, how did he get 10 assists? That’s exactly how, he always had the ball in his hands. He had some games where he would just about collapse at the end of the game, but he got in such good shape that he could handle it. I’d say he's a lot like The Jimmer that way. If you saw him this year they hardly ever took him out, and he always had the ball in his hands, but he seemed to do alright. Energy wise, by his junior and senior years he could handle that, go go go. It definitely took a toll on him, wearing him down. Sometimes by the end of the game he would just about drop.

RR: Regarding wear-and-tear, has he suffered any major injuries up to this point?

GW: No, he’s been blessed or lucky not to get injured. Only in his sophomore year I think he missed 2 games due to a sprained ankle. It could have been 1 game if my memory is correct.

RR: On another subject that may fascinate some, what kind of shoes does Dantley wear?

GW: (Laughs) It’s cool because when he was a freshman, sophomore, and junior, he loved the old Jordan’s and we found them for him to wear. It's popular now to wear them but when he was doing it nobody else really was. We found him a pair of the Jordan VIs. The red and white Carmines when he was a sophomore. They matched our red and white jerseys. Those are my favorite old school Jordan's. They weren't cheap but he looked great in them. When he was a junior he wore the XIs and some of the IV and V's too. I found most of them on ebay. They weren't selling them in Foot Locker, like they do now.

RR: Aren’t those the ones that look like the wrestlers earpieces on the side, the bulge?

GW: Yeah, I think he wore those too.

GW: Yeah, those are what he wore the first three years, and nobody else was really doing that, so that was kinda unique to him. People would ask him, “where did you get those shoes?” People really liked them. He would go through a couple pair a year. Christmas time, we would get him another pair. For Christmas or Birthdays he only wanted basketball shoes. This year he got away from that, and went with the Hyperdunks. He really liked how light they were. Also this year he wore the Hyperfuse.

RR: What shoe size does he wear?

GW: He wears size 11.

RR: Obviously when he’s at UNLV they’ll be giving him his shoes, so you won’t have to break the bank anymore.

GW: That will be nice. Now maybe I can buy me a pair once in a while.

RR: Obviously he just signed the letter of intent, in the middle of his selection process there was a coaching change, that must have been a shock?

GW: You know, it was. He was pretty bummed out about it when we first heard it. He was gone to a track meet and I texted him the news and it pretty much bummed him out. Everything was back up in the air after that.

RR: Obviously, the common practice is when you give your oral commitment to a coach, and that coach leaves things are really up in the air, seen that way from both sides. Is that correct?

GW: Yeah, Coach Henson called right after it happened. I think he was at the Final Four. He called and apologized, and he said, “You know I know this screws you guys up.” I really liked Coach Henson, so I said, “hey – these things happen.” You can’t blame him for going, he got a good pay raise and everything. So, like everyone else we kind of waited to see what would happen.

RR: I don’t remember how long, but in about 10 days to two weeks a new coach was picked, and by the result I would assume you guys are really happy with Dave Rice.

GW: Ecstatic. Really no other coach, except maybe coach Tim Duryea of Utah State, knew his game better. We couldn’t have done any better than Rice. Great man. Great coach. Coach Kruger really didn’t jump in till mid-January. Coach Rice has been watching Dantley since his sophomore year. He called Dantley the summer after his freshman season,  and he has been following him really close since that call. Coach Rice was the first D-1 coach who ever came to our gym to watch a player and our school has been here for over 100 years!

RR: That’s pretty important.

GW: Yeah, so he knew everything about Dantley, so we figured that if Coach Rice got the job then nothing was going to change. If Theus or somebody else would have got it, I am not sure what we would have done. He had Utah State waiting in the wings. Coach Duryea called when the coaching change happened and asked, “what’s going on”, and we said “we don’t know” and he said, “well if Coach Rice doesn’t get him, we’ll get you over here”. Utah State was really loyal, they could have had Dantley over for an official visit while the coaching change was in limbo, but they wouldn't mess with the situation until Coach Rice made his decision. So we were a little worried, but not too worried because if it fell apart at UNLV he could have gone to Utah State.

RR: Yeah, Utah State has a really good program, but they play in a weak conference.

GW: Yeah, that’s true. The thing with Utah State is they have a great basketball program, they can compete with almost anybody, but the WAC isn't what it used to be. BYU will play in the WCC next season. That is fairly weak too. We are glad he'll be playing in the Mountain West.

RR: Right, level of competition isn’t there, so..

RR: A couple of more recent developments, Coach Rice has recently appointed three assistants, Justin Hutson, Heath Schroyer, and Stacey Augmon, how do you feel about it?

GW: I feel really good about it, I have been following it really close. I watched a Wyoming game last year that Coach Schroyer coached, the whole family came down for that senior night game. I know about Augmon, I was as UNLV when he was there – I think it’s a great coaching staff. We know Stacey Augmon because he played at UNLV and was a pro and all that. We really don’t know the other two except from what we’ve read, but from all that we have read it’s a really good staff.

RR: Probably a stacked staff, never heard of a staff like that.

GW: I agree.

RR: At what point had your fears and Dantley’s fears been put to rest throughout this coaching transition, when it came to signing with UNLV?

GW: As soon as they announced that Coach Rice got the job, I was about 99% sure it was all good for him to keep his commitment. He got the job Monday, and he called Dantley Wednesday night and said “Hey, you still got that scholarship if you still want to come. We’ll defer it for the two years”. So I think as soon as Coach Rice got the job it was pretty much a done deal.  We felt very good about it and we're glad he would still be a Rebel.

RR: I assume as they announced assistant after assistant, that feeling just got stronger?

GW: Yep, you know what, no matter who he would have hired as assistants; he still would want to play for Coach Rice.

GW: There are things that some people don’t know. One of the things that limited Dantley’s recruitment is we told everyone straight out that he was going on a two year mission. And so, we were looking more at the Utah schools because they work more with missionaries.

RR: Right, they understand that and work with it all the time.

GW: Yeah, and Rice, having been at BYU had dealt with that, and he actually knew more about it than I did. He called me and I started to say, “well, with his mission...” He said, “Hey,I’ve been working with missionaries for six years, I know more about missionaries (working with the NCAA) than the Mormons do” (laughs). When we had talked to Coach Kruger before, he said to us, “Well we only have one scholarship for next year, if you want it, its yours”. I said, “Well coach, with his mission you won't burn his scholarship until 2013”, He said “You sure?!” I said, “Yeah, you still have one to give.” Coach Rice has worked with that for awhile so that’s good. He’s familiar with the church and how missions work.

RR: Let’s talk about the mission. My understanding is it’s a rite of passage for boys in the Mormon faith, a bit more optional for girls, isn’t that correct?

GW: Well, its optional for both. Nobody is forced to go on a misson. It's up to the girl or boy if they want to go.

RR: Definitely more prevalent for boys.

GW: Yes, the last statistic I had heard, I think, is a little less than half of boys at age 19 go, and girls even less.

RR: So, for how long has Dantley wanted to go on a mission?

GW: I think he’s always planned on going, I went, all his uncles went. I think its something he’s always wanted to do. There were some times when he was a freshman, he said, where he was questioning it a little, “what if I got a scholarship, should I still go on a mission?”. But, overall, it's just something he’s always wanted to do. He’s going to give that two years of service to God and the church and I think most of us agree that he should. I even heard Coach Rice talk about it a little bit – he said it will really help him as a person. I think it may even help him physically, it will give him time to get bigger. I think when he finally gets back and can play again it will be better than him going and playing right now.

RR: When you went on your mission, where were you sent?

GW: I went to Canada, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

RR: Is it a French speaking province?

GW: There is some French speaking people, but we only taught the English speaking Canadians. My French is poor.

RR: All kidding aside, I’ve read some comments that a lot of people would like to see your son go to NYC so he can play some street ball. (laughs)

GW: (laughs) You know what, he said that too. People ask him where he wants to go, he’ll say Brooklyn. (laughs). When he gets the time to play he can play.  But he’s just joking. He'll be happy to go wherever he is assigned. He would like to go somewhere where there are gyms and weight rooms and things like that. There is over 350 different missions, so its hard to guess where he might end up. We should know in the next couple weeks.

RR: He’s not out there for the whole two years, there is training and additionally if you are going to go to a non-English speaking then there is a language school that takes more time.

GW: If its English speaking its 2-3 weeks; if a language has to be learned then they will be in training for a couple months.

RR: But that doesn’t add any time to the 2 year commitment?

GW: No.

GW: And they are working with him so he can go early. He doesn’t turn 19 until the end of October, that’s usually when they go. But, the church knows he has a scholarship waiting so they’ll get him out there 3 months early. The church doesn't want the kids to lose scholarships so they're good at working with them. We would like to get him out about August 1^st.

RR: Which academic year will he be starting as a freshman?

GW: That will be 2013. And a red shirt season is always a possibility when he gets back. They are going to play that by ear. It all depends how well he adjusts after being out for two years.

RR: When someone is on a mission, how much time would they have to practice basketball or go to the gym to put on some bulk or anything like that?

GW: Well, what they do now, and it's different from when I went, it's mandatory that they get at least 30 minutes of exercise in a day except on Sundays. I told Dantley that if you got 30 minutes in the morning, then get up even earlier and get to a gym or weightroom. They have one day a week, called a preparation day (a day off) and on that day they can do all of that stuff too.

RR: The personal day, once a week?

GW: Yes

RR: Obviously you and Dantley, your family has numerous basketball players in your family, who have had accolades in Nevada – can you tell me a little about that?

GW: Yeah, in Oregon too. I actually did most of mine in Oregon and was all-state there. We moved to Moapa my senior year. Like Dantley, I got player of the year for 2A at Moapa. That was back when there only was 1A, 2A, and 3A. I got recruited by Coach Dave Rose (BYU coach) to play at Dixie when he was there, but passed it up and went to an Idaho JC. I have three younger brothers too. Same thing, always all-state and player of the years. On my wife’s side, she has brothers who were really good players too. I have an uncle who played at UNR way back when, in the 60’s I think. Dantley's great grandpa,on my side, played at Utah State. So basketball has been big on both sides of the family. If you look in the Nevada State NIAA records, you’ll see all of us in there. Rich Bowler (my wife's brother), Rex Jensen (my uncle), me, my brothers Kyle and Kevin. We're all over the place in that thing. But Dantley's name is in there now more than anybody's. He's first place in a lot of categories. That’s our favorite sport-basketball is in our DNA I guess.

Link: http://static.psbin.com/s/z/v6753wvbkak791/Basketball-_Boys.pdf (not yet updated for the past year, normally occurs late summer)

RR: I’m jumping around a bit, your son was named first team Parade all-American. Ranked one of the top-10 players in the country. Was there any prize money that came with that?

GW: (laughs). You know what, it was funny. He got all these awards the last four years (he was 1st team all league all 4 years, 1st team all-state all four years, mvp of the league twice, mvp of the state twice, RJ 1a-3a  player of the year twice, etc.), and he was asking me about being an all-American and I said, “you know Dant, I don’t think they’ll even consider you. You’re way out in Nevada and you play at a 2A school. It would  be great if you even got fourth team all-American, but I don’t think they’ll consider you” It was about a week later he came in, and said “hey I just got a phone call, I am first team all-American” and I said “what?!” So yeah, it was a big surprise. A nice surprise.

RR: So no scholarship or prize, did he get a plaque?

GW: As far as I know all they sent to our school were two plaques, certificates, and  a couple of the magazines where they list him and all the other all-americans, but that’s basically it from Parade.

RR: Since he signed with UNLV, has he had a chance to mingle with any of the current players?

GW: The only time he got to do that, was on UNLV senior night. Coach Kruger had him down, and he was in the locker room and hung out with them. He knows some of the players from AAU, but that was about it. Then Coach Kruger left, and then Rice got the job, and I asked Coach Rice if he could play and lift with the guys until he leaves, and he said “yeah”. So hopefully he’ll get to go down there on weekends and play and stuff, which I think will be good for him. He knows Anthony Marshall and Karam Mashour from the Prospects. So he definitely knows those two well.

RR: Obviously, being on the AAU circuit gave him a higher level of competition then just playing high school?

GW: Oh yeah, after his freshman year, right after they won the state championship, I said we need to get you in playing with and against better kids. If you can do these sort of things against them, then you probably have a future in this. If you can’t then you’ll probably just be a good player out here. So he got a tryout with them, and made it. He started for them his freshman year and played with the Prospects and Utah Select the next 3 summers. AAU is really important. If he didn’t do AAU ball he probably would not be at UNLV.

RR: So it had a profound impact on his playing ability?

GW: Oh, for sure.

RR: And the exposure as well.

GW: Yes and no. Sometimes I think it’s a little overblown. Some people say, ‘well it doesn’t even matter what a kid does in high school, everyone just scouts AAU’. I think that’s partly true. I think the things he did his senior year in high school got him more attention, overall, than the AAU. But his senior year wasn't a typical season either. His amazing senior year combined with the AAU ball got it done.

RR: Did you hear Coach Rice’s interview two days ago (from the week of May 3^rd on the radio)?

GW: Yeah, I heard parts of it.

RR: Did you hear the caller who asked if your son could play defense?

GW: (laughs) yes I did.

RR: What do you have to say about his defensive skills, I know from a stats perspective the only one I see that is defense qualified is steals. There are offensive and defensive rebounds. Just under 6 steals a game is respectable, but how is his defensive game.

GW: You know what, in all honesty that is the one area he will have to improve. That man to man defense. I kind of compare him to a lot of the players, say a Steve Nash, a Larry Bird, a Bobby Hurley. Those type of players, they are not necessarily going to lock up a player when they’re playing man-to-man defense, but within the scheme of team defense he’ll be excellent-just like those players. As far as anticipation and everything that goes with that he’ll be fine. He gets a ton of steals. A lot of it is just size, he’s just not a real big kid. That was one of my concerns about him playing for Coach Kruger – he ran 100% man-to-man all the time. I think with Coach Rice coming in, he coached a lot of non-athletic type players up there at BYU and they played a lot of zone. There are definitely places he can play within the zone, and certain match-ups where he’ll do just fine. That’s just something he’ll have to work it. A lot of high school kids are in the same boat. Everyone LOVES to play offense, everyone LOVES shooting the ball, and you kind of HAVE to play defense. So, he knows he’s going to have to get more serious about the defensive end too, he definitely knows that.

RR: Well from what you told me about his competitive spirit, I think it would come hand in hand. He’ll learn how to shut down his opponents so he wont have to score so many points.

GW (laughs) Yeah, he’s not going to have to do everything at the college level. His college game will be a little different from his high school game. For us, he had to do everything, and with the Reb’s he is going to be a part of  the whole scheme. It won't all be on him all the time. At UNLV everybody's got game.

RR: Besides defense, is there any other areas Dantley is putting special attention on working.

GW: The main thing is his body, he knows he needs to get stronger because he is not tall. So, he’s living in the weight room. He’s going to get with the UNLV strength coach and take that program with him on his mission. Those are the main two things, he knows he has to put the same effort he puts into offense into defense, and when he does that he’ll be a good defender. He knows those two things are what he needs to work on. Getting stronger and loving defense as much as offense.

RR: Its something I talked about with Coach Anthony Brown, but this goes to the bigger equation as to why UNLV loses out on local recruits. And you can discount kids who go Findlay prep because they are not ‘locals’ they come here because of the good program, but one of the things he said kids need to grow up dreaming about playing at UNLV, that should be an aspiration. It seems to me, based upon things that have been said, maybe Dantley grew up wanting to be a Rebel – am I correct in that statement?

GW: Yes, you are correct. I would say, and this might sound weird to people outside of Nevada: The main three schools he wanted to go to were UNLV, BYU obviously because he is Mormon, and Utah State. A lot of people might laugh about that.  Why not Duke or North Carolina? Well, I grew up during the craze, when it was Tarkanian and winning championships. Dantley was born in Las Vegas, and we’ve always been right here in Nevada. Wink Adams and Dantley became great friends this past season. He came to the last 7 games or so we had this year and loved watching Dant play,  and Wink gave him his UNLV jacket after his last game. So, Dantley has always loved the Rebels. He went to Lon Kruger’s camps when he was in middle school, got to know Coach Henson. The thing is, UNLV never showed any interest until about January of his senior year, so they weren’t looking at him and we weren’t looking at them – we didn’t think it was going to happen. When it did happen, we were just like “wow’- we were kind of shocked. I’m not exaggerating, UNLV was a top 3 choice-if not #1.

RR: You’re an alumni, your wife is an alumni, we have a great basketball history.

GW: Yep, a bunch of our family have graduated from UNLV besides us. There’s a lot of us who have gone to UNLV, so we all are Rebels.

RR: Just a couple more questions, your son is a point-guard, is he a vocal – yell out the calls guy or more of a hand-signal guy?

GW: He can be vocal, if he was in there next year I don’t know if he would be vocal because he would be the youngest one on the team, but he’s used to running things and he doesn’t like to lose, so he can be pretty vocal if needed. I’d say more than that, he’s been kind of a lead-by-example type player. Nobody is going to out work him, everyone follows his lead. It will be kind of interesting to see, once he gets with his group in 2013. 

RR: You’ve heard the cliché, coach’s son – high basketball IQ. Does that accurately reflect Dantley?

GW: Yep, that would definitely reflect Dantley. And at his size, he would have to have one. Its not like he’s getting by on athletic ability. He’s never the biggest or can jump the highest- he’s smaller and quick and he has that high basketball IQ.

RR: I’ve read he idolizes Steve Nash?

GW: Yeah, his favorites are Steve Nash and Stephen Curry and Jwill.  I’ve always talked to him about Bobby Hurley because they are the same size, play the same position, and Hurley did great things. I hate to bring up Duke guys-I hate Duke, but he and Dant are similar. I liked Mark Wade too. He's my favorite all-time Rebel. We've exchanged emails since Dantley signed with his team.  Wade was Dantley’s size, 5’11”, never shot the ball but was a great point guard. Still holds a bunch of assist records.  He loves Pete Maravich too. Dant has all the Maravich DVD drill videos. He likes some of the older guys. I named him wrong, should have named him Pete. (laughs)

RR: A lot of the Youtube clips are of Dantley jacking up threes, some lay-ups and some good passes. I don’t know if I don’t remember seeing it, but does your son have a cross-over?

GW: Oh yeah, oh yeah – he’s pretty famous for the cross-over. Whoever made the Youtubes, they kind of put the things in there they wanted to see. The one they used when they retired his jersey out here at the high school, someone was putting one together and Dantley said “hey, put more of my passing in there because I only ever see ones of me shooting threes” but yeah, he definitely has a cross-over.

RR: Had he looked at any Tim Hardaway tape?

GW: Yeah he knows Hardaway and his crossover. Dwill and Iverson too. He can break some ankles. In the Youtube tapes you always see him finishing, but a lot of the time how he got to that point was crossing-someone over.

RR: Well, that’s all I had laid out, is there anything else you think people would like to know about your son?

GW: We covered a lot. He knows he has a lot to prove, and I know some people out there think, “wow, they took a chance on this 5'11 white kid  from a small town” but its been that way his entire life, be it middle, high school, AAU ball, and everything else. He’ll show everybody what he can do in a couple years. Nobody is going to outwork him.  I know that. Whatever it takes to be successful, he wants to do that. The main thing he wants to do is help the Rebels win, to get back to where they were in the late 80’s and early 90’s. He wants to be a part of a winning program. He loves to fast break and push the ball, and that's what Coach Rice is planning to do.

RR: We all hope that happens obviously. I think that’s fantastic. Thank you for participating in the interview, best of luck to you and your son on his mission.

GW: Thank you