Bayno receives mixed news about Rebel recruits

UNLV's basketball roster has become stablized for the upcoming 1998-99 season, but it took mixed results for the lineup to be set.

The good news for Bill Bayno is that incoming freshman Chris Richardson achieved a passing score on his Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and is eligble to play. The bad news is the Rebels will be without JC transfer Javares Anderson, who failed to meet the school's academic requirements for competition and has left the program.

UNLV also lost out on signing Mohamed Kante, a 6-10 center from France, who was not released by his club team to join the Rebels. Kante had verbally committed to the Rebels after visiting a few weeks ago.

Richardson, a 6-foot-7 forward from Carroll High School in Corpus Christi, Texas, had made several attempts at passing the SAT. He had made his final try a few weeks ago but when news came Monday that the test he had taken back in late April was valid, he filled out the 1998 recruiting class of four, joining Shawn Marion, Desmond Herod and Matt Siebrandt. All are eligible for the upcoming season which tips off Nov. 13 against Sacred Heart.

"I didn't believe it at first," Richardson said of the news. "It was like, 'For real?' But when they told me I'd passed, it was a lot off my chest. I was worried that I'd have to sit out the year, and I didn't want to do that."

Bayno said, "It's a positive for Chris and it's a positive for the program.

"He was such a good student, but he was one question away. A lot of kids put pressure on themselves to pass that they ultimately hurt themselves. I think that's what happened to Chris. He was trying so hard to pass the test he was putting added pressure on himself."

Richardson, whose defense and rebounding are among his strengths, isn't facing any pressure on the court. Bayno will see to that as he has told Richardson, Herod and Siebrandt, the three freshman Rebels, that their only objective for the coming season is to work hard this summer and be prepared to compete every day in practice once workouts start Oct. 17.

"They're coming here with one focus -- to get better," Bayno said. "How much they play this season will depend on what they do this summer. I told them not to worry about anything else but getting stronger in the weight room, being in the greatest shape they can be and be prepared to compete hard every day in practice. That's all I'm asking them to do right now."

Richardson said he hopes to be able to contribute.

"I don't expect much," he said. "I know I have to prove myself. I just want to be able to play some and help the team."

And while Richardson will be able to help UNLV at some point, Anderson will never get that opportunity. The 6-10 center from Gulf Coast (Fla.) Junior College redshirted last year so he could concentrate on his academics and try and get his Associate in Arts degree.

Anderson obtained enough units to be eligble, but his cumulative grade-point average wasn't high enough to allow him to play. At UNLV, a student must have a 2.0 or better to be cleared for competition.

"I feel bad for Jay," Bayno said. "He tried. But he wasn't going to get it done. He was not going to be eligible in September no matter what he did."

Anderson, who left Las Vegas a week ago to return to Alabama, has a couple of options. He can either try and gain his eligibility at a Division II school or play NAIA ball somewhere. Or he can try and land a spot with a pro team overseas, either in Europe or South America.

Anderson, who was very active around the basket and could run the floor, would have fit in nicely when the Rebels tried to go up-tempo on offense. But it has been nearly two years since he last played in a basketball game and even if he were eligible, he would have had to outplay Kaspars Kambala and Issiah Epps to get playing time.

And the way it looks, playing time is going to be at a premium. At the most, Bayno is probably going to play eight with the time going to Kamabla and Epps at center, Marion, Kevin Simmons and Donovan Stewart up front with a three-guard rotation of Brian Keefe, Mark Dickel and Greedy Daniels.

"It's going to be tough lineup to crack," Bayno said. "Javares needs to go somewhere where he can play right away and develop his game over the next two years.

"I'm disappointed for him. He's a good kid and he put a lot of time into trying to make it work. It just didn't work out for him."

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