Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Bayno: Be patient with new recruits

The pieces have been acquired. Now all Bill Bayno has to do is put them in place and make sure they mesh smoothly.

And that, he said, will not happen overnight.

The UNLV coach finally got to talk about his six-man basketball recruiting class Thursday, a class which will grow to seven by the weekend when 6-foot-7 forward Fred Williams sends his national letter of intent.

Bayno's asking for the public's patience as Mark Dickel, Tyrone Nesby and Corky Ausborne develop.

"This is the second step in our rebuilding process," he said. "These kids are 18, 19 years old. They've never played at this level before. They've yet to accomplish anything."

The Rebels signed the other half of their class -- 6-9 center Issiah Epps, 6-11 forward Keon Clark and 6-5 swingman Donovan Stewart -- in November.

Clark has earned his Associate in Arts degree from Dixie College in St. George, Utah and Stewart, who attends Cheshire (Conn.) Academy, already has passed his SAT. Epps, who is finishing up at Maine Central Institute, still has to earn a qualifying test score.

Many scouting services are ranking UNLV among the top 10 recruiting classes in the nation but Bayno's not buying it.

"All that kind of talk does is it sets you up to fail," he said. "I don't want these kids talking about being the best recruiting class in the nation. I want them talking about playing hard every night and being the best defensive team in the nation."

Still, Bayno couldn't totally downplay the talent he has brought in the second time around. Ausborne is going to give UNLV a legitimate perimeter game while Nesby is a natural scorer with a lot of versatility.

Dickel, a 6-1 point guard from Dunedin, New Zealand, who will play on a team of international all-stars Saturday in Charlotte, N.C., against a squad of U.S. prep stars, looked good when Bayno watched him work out earlier this week.

"I came away with the same feeling I had when I saw him in Australia," he said. "He's a true point guard in every sense of the word. He gives us something we need -- someone who will make the other people on the floor better."

Bayno said Dickel's biggest adjustment will be the level of competition.

"He has to adjust to playing against guys who are quicker and stronger than he is," he said. "He's not as quick in the half-court game, but in transition, he's as quick as anyone I've ever coached."

Ausborne, who played a year in the Western Athletic Conference at New Mexico before transferring to Tyler (Texas) Junior College, should have little trouble re-adjusting to Division I ball. He has added range to his jump shot and shot 43 percent from 3-point land.

"His ability to knock down shots will really help us open things up inside," Bayno said. "With Corky, we won't be seeing as much double-teaming on our big men."

Bayno said Nesby gives the Rebels an athletic-type scorer who can shoot from outside, put the ball on the floor or post up on a smaller opponent.

"We're real excited about Tyrone," he said. "He's a great open-court player and he's going to get plenty of chances to score in our offense."

Corky Ausborne

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