Johnson solidifies spot as top MWC frosh

The future of the Rebels' season remains a mystery, but most of the clues will fall into place in the next seven days.

After UNLV visits Brigham Young on Saturday and first-place Utah next Monday, the Mountain West race will have taken on greater clarity. By then, the Rebels (16-5, 7-2 MWC) will know for sure if their NCAA Tournament hopes are grounded in reality or floating in fantasy.

But regardless of how that turns out, UNLV's Dalron Johnson appears to have already removed the suspense from an issue of much lesser import: Mountain West freshman of the year.

Johnson, the 6-foot-9 power forward from Los Angeles, put together two more strong performances last week and has become a clear favorite to join Mark Dickel and Kaspars Kambala as Rebels who have won the award. Dickel captured WAC freshman honors in 1997 and Kambala in 1998.

In Thursday's win over Colorado State, Johnson scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half to carry the Rebels to a 74-63 win on a night when Dickel and Kambala combined for only 13 points. In Saturday's 87-60 rout of Wyoming, Johnson grabbed 10 of his 13 rebounds in the first half as the Rebels took a 26-point lead that didn't dip below 21 thereafter.

In other words, Johnson has been there whenever the Rebels have needed him. About the only blot on his Mountain West season occurred in the opener against Brigham Young. Johnson's last-second jumper clanged off the rim and the Rebels suffered a 77-75 home defeat.

But on the whole, the lanky forward has been terrific. He has four double-doubles in conference play, with his best game coming Jan. 15 at Air Force when he compiled career highs of 22 points and 14 rebounds. Though his six points Saturday matched his fewest of the MWC campaign, Johnson is averaging 13.2 points and 9.3 rebounds in nine conference games.

"I think he's a lock (for freshman of the year). Who else could it be?" UNLV coach Bill Bayno said. "I think he deserves all-freshman team for the whole nation."

Johnson said, "I'm only thinking about our team, but if I get (the award), that's cool. All of that would be a bonus. I'm just looking to win a championship. Anything else is extra."

The Air Force game helped Johnson become the freshman favorite because he outplayed his leading competition for the award, 6-foot-6 forward Tom Bellairs, who had five points and nine rebounds in the Falcons' 98-73 loss to UNLV. It also works in Johnson's favor that UNLV's 16-5 record is miles ahead of Air Force's 7-14.

However, Bellairs is coming on lately. Despite his size, his 10.1-rebound average in conference play leads all MWC players (Johnson is third) and he had his best MWC outing with 17 points and 15 rebounds in Saturday's 81-67 loss to New Mexico.

"He plays like a senior. He doesn't play like a freshman," Air Force coach Reggie Minton said of Bellairs. "He's a warrior and he's not afraid. He has helped us tremendously in the middle, because now we can battle people on the boards even though we don't have the size."

Other solid freshmen around the league include New Mexico guard Marlon Palmer, Johnson's former high school teammate at Verbum Dei in LA, and Colorado State guard Andy Birley, who is shooting 50 percent on 3-pointers as a substitute.

But Johnson and Bellairs are the class of their class. Including nonconference games, Bellairs' 9.2-rebound average tops Johnson's 7.1, but Johnson is outscoring Bellairs 10.2 to 8.7. Johnson is third in the conference in blocked shots and Bellairs fourth in shooting percentage (55.0).

Bayno said he isn't as impressed with Johnson's statistics as his improved game preparation.

"He is starting to understand that at this level, you need to have mental focus," Bayno said. "In high school, it doesn't matter. You can show up an hour before the game and dominate. That is what he did at Verbum Dei. Now he has to think about what he has to do at practice each day. He has to wake up thinking, I need to have a great game today. He's made tremendous strides."

* REBEL NOTES: UNLV and BYU are still locked in an RPI battle, making their meeting Saturday at Provo even more important. Utah is 30th in the RPI rankings, UNLV 43rd and BYU 45th. ...

Despite their 2-0 week, the Rebels are not likely to be ranked in the AP Top 25 today. They got 10 votes in the USA Today-ESPN poll, leaving them 33rd. ...

Dickel's 13 assists against Wyoming gave him 684 for his career, only five behind Mark Wade for third on UNLV's all-time list. Greg Anthony had 838, Danny Tarkanian 837 and Wade 689. ...

Backcourt recruit Steve Scoggin of Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei made his official visit to UNLV over the weekend. He is also said to be considering Utah, Arizona State, Fairfield and Gonzaga.

archive