Thursday, March 6, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
Greedy Daniels had been led to believe he was going to Colorado Springs at the end of the month as one of the 24 prep stars chosen to play in the McDonald's All-American Game.
So imagine his surprise when he found out last week he wasn't one of those select 24.
Daniels, who signed in November to play for UNLV next season, did not receive enough votes from the 28-member committee which selects the rosters. That despite leading Cohen High in New Orleans to a 32-2 record and a berth in the Louisiana state tournament quarterfinals while averaging 25 points, 7 assists, 5 steals and 4 rebounds per game.
"Yeah, it hurt," Daniels said Wednesday. "I wanted to play. It's a big game. Real prestigious. But a lot of people don't get what they want."
All is not lost. Daniels has been selected to play in Magic Johnson's Roundball Classic April 6 at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Michigan as well as the Derby Classic in Louisville, Ky., April 12.
But why was he overlooked for the McDonald's game?
According to game officials, four ballots are taken during the season. Daniels made it through the first three ballots but not the fourth.
"It's no matter," Daniels said. "It's their loss. It won't make me or break me. What I do at UNLV will determine my future."
Instead, Daniels is focusing on winning a second state title. If Cohen wins its quarterfinal game Friday night, it moves on to the semis Wednesday in Lafayette. The championship game is next Friday.
Orders being accepted
The UNLV athletic department is accepting ticket requests for both the NCAA Tournament and the NIT.
Should the Rebels make it to the Big Dance, scholarship donors will be able to purchase up to four tickets for the sub-regionals. Seating is limited and would be assigned on the priority points system the school instituted six years ago.
As for the NIT, tickets will go on sale at 9 a.m. Monday at the Thomas & Mack Center for UNLV season-ticket holders. They will be able to purchase their regular-season tickets with the deadline set for noon Tuesday. After the deadline, tickets will be released to the general public. Cost is $16 for plaza, $11 for balcony and $5 for students.
Game One will be played at the Thomas & Mack either next Wednesday or Thursday. If UNLV wins, Game Two would be played at the Mack Monday, March 17. For more information, call 895-UNLV.
Recruiting continues
Just because UNLV still is playing doesn't mean recruiting grinds to a halt.
The Rebels remain active in their pursuit of a big man and are very much alive in the Lamar Odom chase. The 6-foot-9 forward from Redemption Christian Academy in Troy, N.Y., is said to be leaning toward UNLV if he doesn't turn pro, as has been rumored back east the past few weeks.
UNLV also is very much in the chase for Rico Harris, a 6-8 forward from Los Angeles City College; Jermaine Ousley, a 6-6 forward from Tyler Junior College in Texas; and Kaspars Kambala, a 6-8 native of Latvia who plays for Homestead High in Mequon, Wis.
There's also talk of pursuing a shooting guard, but it's not a high priority at this point.
Hoop du jour
* UNDEFEATED: UNLV was 3-0 lifetime against Tulsa headed into today's game. The teams last met in 1979, when the Rebels defeated the Golden Hurricane 73-70. ... The combined margin of victory in UNLV's three wins is five points. ... Tulsa came into today's game riding a two-game win streak and the Golden Hurricane has won three of its last four. UNLV had won seven of its last nine.
* SUN CRACKS TOP 25: With his 12 points against Rice Tuesday, senior guard Sunshine Smith moved past Michael "Spiderman" Burns into 25th place on UNLV's career scoring list. Smith has 1,054 points. He's 44 points behind Anthony Jones, who's No. 24 with 1,098 points.
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