Expectations high as UNLV has first official practice

By Rob Miech

Friday, Oct. 17, 2008 | 2:28 p.m.

Chace Stanback launched an air ball from just beyond the 3-point arc on the right side. DeShawn Mitchell missed everything on a 12-foot attempt along the right baseline.

Steve “Chopper” Jones, son of longtime television analyst Steve “Snapper” Jones, hit nothing but floor on a shot from 19 feet.

Friday morning’s first official UNLV basketball practice kicked off what is expected to be a promising 2008-09 season, in the wake of the program’s first victories in consecutive NCAA tournaments since 1991.

It was a basic, two-hour run filled with defensive drills and repeated commands to talk to each other from fifth-year coach Lon Kruger and his staff.

Judging by some of the wild and errant shots, some might want to proceed with caution about expectations, but senior swingman Rene Rougeau didn’t panic.

Not so long ago, he was a greenhorn player, struggling against Joel Anthony, Louis Amundson, Odartey Blankson and Romel Beck in his first practice.

“It was definitely tough trying to go up against grown men out of high school,” Rougeau said. “Guys are nervous. Some of the newer guys, it was their first time in front of all the coaches.

“When I was a freshman, I definitely air-balled a few myself. You want to impress the coaches. It’s all right to get the jitters out. Might as well get them out before the season.”

Kruger wanted to get a solid start to practice before the program’s FirstLook, a free event to introduce the new team to fans, Friday at 9 at the Mack.

In conjunction with its broadcast of a Midnight Madness show, ESPNU will feature an interview with Kruger at 7:45 p.m.

“It was a good workout,” Kruger said. “It was not unlike most early in the season. Typical stuff, emphasizing communication, helping each other and working together.”

Kruger assistants Greg Grensing and Steve Henson, like Kruger, regularly barked at the Rebels to talk to each other on switches and backdoor cuts.

“You have to talk even if you’re not on the court,” said freshman guard Oscar Bellfield. “People on the sidelines have to talk to help each other out. We’re getting adjusted.”

Sixteen red mats, with blue bungee stretching cords on each, were laid out on the court after practice for the players to cool down.

Power forward Matt Shaw shot light free throws and guard Derrick Jasper sat in a courtside seat. Those two are healing from surgeries, but Jasper would be sitting out anyway after transferring from Kentucky.

Stanback (UCLA) and Jones (Arizona State) are redshirting, too, after bolting from other programs. Still, 18 bodies on the court is a high at UNLV for the Kruger era.

“We have a few more than we’ve had in the past,” he said. “It’s a good feeling, the fact that the ones here want to be here, and they will work hard and have good attitudes about it.”

DeShawn Mitchell, a freshman guard from Newark, N.J., is known for playing above the rim.

Friday, he looked shaky dribbling and his jumper was off, but he said he had been anticipating his first real practice as a Rebel for a long time and was excited.

Midway through the session, Kruger emphasized some defensive movements with Mitchell.

“It was intense,” Mitchell said. “I’m working on my jump shot and keeping up on defense. I have to understand all the places I have to be at, defensively, on the court. It’ll come. I’ll pick it up.”

As assistant coach Lew Hill drilled the UNLV big men, 6-foot-10 freshman forward Brice Massamba backed Mo Rutledge under the rim with four power dribbles and laid in a soft left hook.

Massamba, a rookie out from Findlay College Prep in Henderson, powered in another shot in over 7-foot freshman Beas Hamga.

“It went like I expected,” Massamba said of his first official Division-I practice. “I loved it. This team is looking real good. I think we’ll go far this season.”

How far?

“At least to the NCAA tournament, that’s how far we’ll go.”

Hamga had been itching for a real practice, on the eve of a season in which he will finally play, for an entire year. Last season, the NCAA forced him to redshirt after questioning his transcripts.

Kruger has told Hamga not to heed the expectations of others. Like former UNLV center Gaston Essengue, Hamga hails from Cameroon.

“It’s been a long time since this program has had a 7-footer, and I can sense that some people don’t know how to look at me,” Hamga said. “When coach said that to me, he made me feel more comfortable. It makes me feel better.”

They all felt better at the end of the practice, when the Rebels executed a drill in which they had to score 20 full-court baskets, in a three-man weave without the ball touching the floor, within two minutes.

When the 20th basket fell through the net, a tenth of a second remained on the new center-court scoreboard.

“This was just a little tease, to be honest with you,” said Rougeau. “Coach took it easy on us, seeing how we have that event tonight. Tomorrow we’ll have to be ready for a three-hour run.

“But today went well. Guys were banging and crashing the boards. It’s what we need, for sure.”