Recruit's dad helps upgrade Majerus' look

There's usually a story to everything Utah coach Rick Majerus wears.

If you caught Majerus on the sidelines during Monday's Utah-Hawaii game on ESPN, you would have seen him decked out in a new Hawaiian shirt instead of his normal white sweater.

Turns out the shirt was a gift from Joe Kapono, the father of Artesia (Calif.) High star Jason Kapono, the 6-foot-7 swingman being recruited by UNLV and Utah.

Apparently, when Utah played in the Maui Classic back in November, Majerus sported a Hawaiian shirt, which he had picked up in Salt Lake City before the trip. But to Kapono, who grew up on the Big Island of Hawaii, that shirt was ugly. So when the Utes ventured back to the Islands Monday, Majerus had some new threads, courtesy of the elder Kapano.

It may be the first time a recruit gave a coach an extra benefit.

"I kinda like that deal," Majerus said.

As for UNLV coach Bill Bayno, he hasn't received anything from the Kaponos. He doesn't need clothes, since he has a deal with Macy's. He doesn't need a new cell phone, since he has a deal with AT&T Wireless. Stereo stuff? He's covered by his association with Ultimate Electronics.

He'll settle for the kid's name on a national letter of intent April 7. For Bayno, that would be the best gift of all.

* CHANGE OF SCENE: Here's hoping former Rebel Keon Clark didn't get too comfortable in Florida and that he didn't splurge on a wardrobe of shorts and sandals.

When the NBA waves the green flag sometime today to signal the official end of the lockout and the start of business for the 1999 season, the Magic will send Clark to the Denver Nuggets along with forward Johnny Taylor for a future first-round pick and cash.

Clark, one of Orlando's three first-round selections and the 13th player selected overall, will not only get a shock in terms of climate, he'll be going from one end of the coaching spectrum to the other.

He won't get the chance to learn from one of the great teachers in the game in veteran Chuck Daly, who would have provided some much-needed structure in the 6-11 center's game. Instead, he'll play for Mike D'Antoni, who has never been an NBA head coach and will likely be forced to play Clark extended minutes as a rookie.

However, D'Antoni has an experienced hand on his staff, former NBAer John Lucas, who should provide stability and will be someone Clark can talk to, both about basketball and life.

* SAY IT RIGHT: Apparently, everyone has been mispronouncing freshman Desmond Herod's last name. The 6-foot-4 guard from Brooklyn, N.Y., said it's pronounced "hair-rid" not "her-ROD."

"It's like the wicked king in the Bible," Herod said of how his name should be pronounced. "My English teacher wrote a letter to the broadcasters telling them they were saying my name wrong."

UNLV broadcast manager Tony Cordasco said the announcers will make the necessary adjustment.

* SCHEDULE NEARS COMPLETION: The 1999-2000 schedule is nearly complete, according to associate athletic director Jerry Koloskie. Unofficially, UNLV will play Nevada-Reno, Cal Poly, Georgetown, Texas, High Point, Austin Peay and Eastern Kentucky and at least two more home games to be determined.

The road games include the tournament at Charlotte against North Carolina and South Carolina and trips to Cincinnati and Southern California.

"We're getting close," Koloskie said. "But most of it is done."

Incidentally, the fourth team in the two-day event in Charlotte is Princeton. However, the Rebels won't face the Tigers. That honor will go to the two Carolinas.

* HOOP DU JOUR: The second of five UNLV games televised in Spanish will be aired Saturday on KBLR Channel 39 (Cox Cable 9) when the Rebels face TCU in Fort Worth at 5 p.m. Carlos Veliz and Ruben Herrera will call the action. ... Thursday's game with SMU will mark only the second meeting ever between the two schools. The one time UNLV faced the Mustangs was back in 1983 in the Rebel Roundup with UNLV winning 74-64. ... UNLV is 2-3 away from the Thomas & Mack this year, posting wins at Reno and Cal Poly while losing at UCLA and on neutral floors to Kansas (in Springfield, Mass.) and Arizona State (in Phoenix). ... UNLV concluded its stretch of seven of eight games at home with a 5-2 mark at the T&M.

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