UNLV target Keith Gallon far from ‘Tiny’

By Ryan Greene

Thursday, July 24, 2008 | 10:56 p.m.

How's this for a nickname that just doesn't fit?

A 6-foot-9, 295-pound bull of a power forward who goes by "Tiny."

Yes, he exists. He's here in Las Vegas this week, actually. If you don't believe it, he's certainly worth seeing.

He leads his Houston Hoops team into bracket play in the Main Event today at 9:05 a.m. at Spring Valley High. Win there, and you can catch him again at 4:40 p.m. And another win puts him back on the Spring Valley floor at 7:55 p.m.

With the way pool play went for the squad, a three-game day today would not be far-fetched.

Keith "Tiny" Gallon takes the floor to start the game, and you'd think he should be getting ready for gridiron two-a-days here in the coming weeks (The nickname was given by his AAU coach in eighth grade for his knack to try and dribble the ball like a point guard despite his girth).

That's not his style, though. Football went out the window after the ninth grade.

"I was too tall, and people were trying to undercut me all the time," the former tight end/defensive end said with a deep laugh.

Since then, he's trimmed down a tad -- from 365 pounds in eighth grade -- and is considered one of the top prospects in the class of 2009 out of talent-rich Texas.

And UNLV is in the running.

Gallon identified the Rebel program as one of his top five potential destinations, along with Oklahoma, Mississippi, Cal and Arizona.

"I like (coach Lon Kruger)," said the prospect Rivals.com ranks No. 26 overall in his senior class. "And I like the way they spread the offense. I like their offense a lot."

He said he's also enjoyed this week's trip to Sin City thoroughly. With his team staying at the Orleans, he's spent a good amount of time just laying around, but said he's also meandered around the casino, signed a couple of autographs and struck up conversations with total strangers in a town, which certainly intrigues him.

He's also playing with some added inspiration, having several family members from California in town to watch.

Gallon showed in his final pool play contest Thursday just why he'd fit into an open offensive system quite well. On top of the obvious -- the ability to hammer home rim-quaking dunks and a knack for grasping rebounds at will -- Gallon loves the outlet pass off of a board he's just grabbed. That skill was honed more than ever this past season, following a transfer to high school hoops powerhouse Oak Hill Academy in rural Mouth of Wilson, Va. -- miles from, well, anything.

"I developed a lot, because up there there's nothing but basketball," said Gallon, originally from the Bay area but now based in Houston with his mother and brother.

At Oak Hill this year, he'd often find himself heading to the gym on off days with teammate Brandon Jennings, who recently signed a one-year deal to play in Italy before he's NBA Draft eligible rather than heading to Arizona.

Though he was already quite the player before heading east, his natural gifts also shone through Friday -- a nice touch around the basket, and quick, nimble feet under an über-thick frame.

His basketball IQ is solid, too, thanks in large part to a mother with a strong basketball background.

"She played basketball back in her days," said Houston Hoops coach Marland Lowe. "She knows quite a bit about the game. While everyone else is screaming 'Give Tiny the ball,' she's saying 'Tiny, you have to seal harder.'

"He's got soft hands, first of all, he's gifted with talent, athletic ability, and a body that normally you would see on a football field. And when you get a chance to see a body like that on a basketball court, and you see what he can do, it leaves you in awe. You just want to see more and more."

Lowe also made it sound like fans who go out of their way to see Gallon play this weekend probably won't see him play a clunker of a game. Not if his recent trend holds up.

"He told himself, told us coaches and told the team he's ready to just keep playing hard," Lowe continued. "He told the guys 'If you feel me slacking, talk to me, let me know, and I'll bring my energy. I want to start proving the naysayers wrong that I can't put consecutive games together.'"

Lowe said Friday's pool play finale (another ho-hum 20-plus-point, 10-plus-rebound effort) made it five strong outings in a row.

"We have no other choice but to expect that he's gonna do it the rest of the tournament," he added.

The period immediately following this weekend's action could be just as important for Gallon, who said there's a good chance he may make a decision on his future following the event.

With that said, and schools unable to contact preps again until Aug. 1, Oklahoma could have an inside edge for Gallon's services.

OU head coach Jeff Capel was in the stands to watch Gallon Friday -- as was UNLV assistant Steve Henson. Capel was also keeping an eye on Gallon's Houston Hoops teammate Tommy Mason-Griffin, a senior-to-be point guard who committed to the Sooners a week ago. Then add Gallon's friendship with Mason-Griffin together with how close he is to OU incoming freshman Willie Warren, and the Sooners could be tough to top in this race.

"Willie Warren is like my brother," Gallon said. "So he talks to me over the phone a lot, and I'm starting to listen."