Friday, Nov. 9, 2001 | 11:31 a.m.
Preseason exhibitions are almost always drab affairs, but UNLV will have extra incentive Saturday in its first dry run under new coach Charlie Spoonhour.
When the Rebels host the EA Sports All-Stars, a California-based touring team, they will be hoping to sidestep the indignity suffered by North Carolina this week against another EA Sports club.
On Sunday at Chapel Hill, EA's collection of former college players pinned a 107-76 defeat on the unsuspecting Tar Heels, surely sending some UNC fans into early panic mode.
Spoonhour wants to use Saturday's game -- and Tuesday's exhibition against Global Sports -- to test various lineups and give everyone playing time. Winning will also be part of his equation.
"Winning isn't the sole component, but I don't want one of these," he said, pointing at the North Carolina box score in his hands. "No good comes from a loss like that, other than the fact your players might listen to you more.
"This is a teaching situation, but I don't know how much teaching you can do when you get beat by 30. I'm not interested in that."
Though the result won't count on Spoonhour's record, it will be his first game as UNLV coach, but he's not fussing about that. He merely wants to make some valid assessments in advance of the Rebels' real opener, Nov. 17 against Wisconsin.
"I'll try to play everybody in both (exhibitions)," he said. "It's not going to be equal minutes for everybody, but we'll figure it out."
After a month of practice, guard Lafonte Johnson is grateful just to face an opponent not wearing the same uniform.
"We're playing a team that hasn't scouted us, so we can actually run our offense and see what we can get out of it," Johnson said.
"In practice, you're playing the same guys every day and they know where you're going before you even make your move. They beat you to the spot. It gets frustrating, because you wonder if you're getting anything done."
EA Sports comes in with a 2-5 record, having beaten Cal State-Fullerton 100-80 and UC-Santa Barbara 78-75. Former Cal State-Northridge guard Jason Crowe compiled 44 points in the wins.
UNLV is offering free balcony admission to Saturday's game. Tickets must be picked up at the box office, and are limited to two per person. ...
The Rebels were 12-0 in exhibitions under former coach Bill Bayno.
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