Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Familiar faces: Next opponent includes one of many UNLV transfers

UNLV vs. Fresno State March 9, 2013

Sam Morris / Las Vegas Sun

UNLV forward Savon Goodman tries to drive past Fresno State guard Tyler Johson during their final regular season game Saturday, March 9, 2013 at the Thomas & Mack Center.

The Rebel Room

Life After Hauck

With coach Bobby Hauck done at UNLV, Las Vegas Sun sports writers Ray Brewer and Taylor Bern discuss his tenure and what's next for the Rebels.

It’s hard to find an official record of such thing, but if there were a list of programs with the most former players currently on other Division I rosters, then UNLV would certainly be at or near the top.

There have been eight transfers out of UNLV during coach Dave Rice’s first three full seasons, which is high but not entirely unique. That’s happening at a lot of programs these days.

What is unique is that all eight of them are, or soon will be, playing for other Division I teams this season. The Rebels already saw one of them, Karam Mashour, in the season-opening win against Morehead State and they’ll see another Wednesday at the end of Arizona State’s bench as sophomore Savon Goodman awaits eligibility in a couple of weeks.

It's rare for so many guys to all be eligible elsewhere, as five players present at the team’s first practice last year left during or shortly after the season. Bryce Dejean-Jones used the grad transfer exception while the NCAA granted both Demetris Morant and Deville Smith immediate eligibility. Goodman and Jamal Aytes left before the second semester, so they’re both eligible in mid-December.

Here’s a look at how those eight former Rebels are doing in their current situations:

    • Iowa State guard Bryce Dejean-Jones (13) drives to the goal past Alabama forward Shannon Hale (11) in the first half of the CBE Hall of Fame Classic college baseball game Monday, Nov. 24, 2014, in Kansas City, Mo.

      Bryce Dejean-Jones, Iowa State

      Dejean-Jones’ time at UNLV was punctuated by a suspension and a fight with a teammate, which is actually similar to his time at USC, where Dejean-Jones broke a teammate's jaw.

      For a struggling player with some skill, there’s probably no better place to transfer right now than Iowa State. Coach Fred Hoiberg has several recent success stories with players looking for a second (or third) chance, including DeAndre Kane and Royce White.

      Dejean-Jones is benefiting from a new environment in the Midwest — including experiencing his first snow — and seems to be assimilating into a talented roster pretty well. The Cyclones (3-1) are ranked No. 20.

      Current season

      GP-GS	Min	Pts	2FG%	3FG%	FT%	Rbs	Ast	TO

      4-4	31.8	14.8	51.5	30	88.9	7.3	2.8	2.5

      Career at UNLV

      Yr	GP-GS	Min	Pts	2FG%	3FG%	FT%	Rbs	Ast	TO

      13-14	31-26	27.4	13.6	46.7	32.3	64.3	3.7	3	1.7

      Yr	GP-GS	Min	Pts	2FG%	3FG%	FT%	Rbs	Ast	TO

      12-13	35-29	26	10.3	45.5	34.7	72.8	4.4	2.3	2.3

    • Tennessee-Martin's Deville Smith tries to get away from Marquette's Sandy Cohen III and Duane Wilson (1) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Friday, Nov. 14, 2014, in Milwaukee.

      Deville Smith, UT-Martin

      Smith had some bright spots, most notably a couple of games at the Orleans Arena, and he was the starting point guard the majority of the season. Near the end of the year, though, it was clear the Rebels had other plans at the position moving forward.

      Former UNLV assistant Heath Schroyer was the main guy who brought Smith into the program, so it wasn’t a surprise that Smith followed Schroyer to UT-Martin. Smith has had a solid start to the season for the Skyhawks (3-2) although he hasn’t found his 3-point shot.

      Current season

      GP-GS	Min	Pts	2FG%	3FG%	FT%	Rbs	Ast	TO

      5-4	31.4	9.6	47	25	91.7	3.6	5.2	2.2

      Career at UNLV

      Yr	GP-GS	Min	Pts	2FG%	3FG%	FT%	Rbs	Ast	TO

      13-14	32-18	25.3	9.7	52	33.8	68.2	1.7	2.7	2

    • Demetris Morant, Florida Gulf Coast

      Morant, who played for Rice’s brother, Grant, at Bishop Gorman High, caused a few ripples this offseason when he made a comment about UNLV’s practice habits. On the court, though, Morant isn’t making as much noise.

      Morant’s blocks are coming along, which is something he could eventually be great at, but the offense hasn’t followed yet. With two years of eligibility remaining after this season there’s still plenty of time for Morant to develop.

      Current season

      GP-GS	Min	Pts	2FG%	3FG%	FT%	Rbs	Ast	TO

      7-6	17.6	3.7	40	0	60	4.1	0.3	1.1

      Career at UNLV

      Yr	GP-GS	Min	Pts	2FG%	3FG%	FT%	Rbs	Ast	TO

      13-14	13-0	3.8	0.6	66.7	0	0	0.5	0.2	0.2

    • Jamal Aytes, BYU

      From commitment to departure, Aytes must have one of the shortest UNLV careers in program history.

      Aytes picked UNLV just as classes were starting in August and by December he was at BYU, his other finalist. The Cougars (5-2) remained in contact with Aytes’ inner circle and when he didn’t get immediate playing time his Rebels career ended six games in.

      Aytes becomes eligible Dec. 20 for BYU’s home game against Stanford.

      Career at UNLV

      Yr	GP-GS	Min	Pts	2FG%	3FG%	FT%	Rbs	Ast	TO

      13-14	4-0	9.3	2.8	62.5	0	20	0.8	0	0.8

    • Southern California's Katin Reinhardt loses control of the ball as New Mexico's Sam Logwood, left, and Devon Williams close in during an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2014, in Albuquerque, N.M. USC won 66-54.

      Katin Reinhardt, USC

      New Mexico fans didn’t get to enjoy the result — USC (4-3) won at the Pit on Sunday — but they got the kind of game they wanted out of Reinhardt, who was always a target of Mountain West fans.

      Reinhardt went 0-for-8 with three turnovers in the Trojans’ 12-point win as a nine-point underdog. Who knows if Reinhardt will ever be able to buy in and work within a system, but he’s certainly better than that stat line.

      Current season

      GP-GS	Min	Pts	2FG%	3FG%	FT%	Rbs	Ast	TO

      7-7	28.9	9.4	51.5	31.3	87.5	2.6	1.7	2.3

      Career at UNLV

      Yr	GP-GS	Min	Pts	2FG%	3FG%	FT%	Rbs	Ast	TO

      12-13	35-34	29.2	10.1	36.7	35.1	89.2	2	2.5	1.9

    • Savon Goodman, Arizona State

      Goodman is just an observer for Wednesday’s game at Wells Fargo Arena. He becomes eligible at the end of the first semester for the Sun Devils’ trip to Marquette on Dec. 16.

      As long as he doesn’t take himself off the floor with more off-court issues, Goodman can add a rebounder and a scrappy inside player to Arizona State’s lineup. He can be a productive college player.

      Career at UNLV

      Yr	GP-GS	Min	Pts	2FG%	3FG%	FT%	Rbs	Ast	TO

      12-13	27-0	9.1	3.6	48.7	0	61.5	2.4	0.3	0.8

    • Eastern Illinois guard Reggie Smith (5) reacts to an offensive foul call against him during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Creighton in Omaha, Neb., Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2014.

      Reggie Smith, Eastern Illinois

      Smith has done well for himself with some freedom in coach Jay Spoonhour’s system, averaging 13.1 points per game last season.

      This is Smith’s final year of a career that started at Marquette.

      Current season

      GP-GS	Min	Pts	2FG%	3FG%	FT%	Rbs	Ast	TO

      7-5	24	7.9	42.3	22.7	75	2.1	1.4	1.7

      Career at UNLV

      Yr	GP-GS	Min	Pts	2FG%	3FG%	FT%	Rbs	Ast	TO

      11-12	20-0	6.1	2.5	35	47.1	45.8	2	0.9	0.6

    • Karam Mashour, Morehead State

      Rebels fans saw up close how Mashour has developed when UNLV opened the season with a one-point victory against Morehead State. Mashour finished with seven points and eight rebounds in that game, although he was limited by a leg injury in the second half. Mashour and Smith are the last two scholarship players remaining from Rice’s first team at UNLV.

      Current season

      GP-GS	Min	Pts	2FG%	3FG%	FT%	Rbs	Ast	TO

      8-8	18.3	8.1	57.6	36.8	54.5	5.3	0.9	1

      Career at UNLV

      Yr	GP-GS	Min	Pts	2FG%	3FG%	FT%	Rbs	Ast	TO

      11-12	13-0	3.2	1.5	33.3	50	50	1.2	0.3	0.6

      Yr	GP-GS	Min	Pts	2FG%	3FG%	FT%	Rbs	Ast	TO

      10-11	12-0	7.4	2.3	70	50	30	0.4	0.3	0.6

    Taylor Bern can be reached at 948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Taylor on Twitter at twitter.com/taylorbern.

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