New Rebel Royce Hamm Jr. is shown at UNLV’s Mendenhall Center, Tuesday, June 15, 2021. The 6-foot-9 forward is a transfer from Texas.
Tuesday, June 29, 2021 | 2 a.m.
Royce Hamm Jr. collected the loose ball near the free throw line, took one dribble toward the basket and elevated high for a dunk.
A defender tried to get in his way, but the athletic 6-foot-9 forward easily soared over his outstretched arms for a two-handed dunk.
Hamm is now at UNLV, bringing much-needed athleticism and experience to first-year coach Kevin Kruger’s rebuilt roster. He spent the past four seasons at the University of Texas, where that drive to the basket against West Virginia went viral online.
Kruger jokingly says it feels as if Hamm can dunk from anywhere on the court, detailing a play in a recent practice where Hamm jumped so high for a blocked shot that “he put his hand against the rim to protect himself from hitting his head.”
Hamm could be considered an old man by college basketball standards at age 23, which is by design as UNLV coaches sensed he would bring a certain level of maturity to the roster. UNLV has 10 transfer players and getting them on the same page — and on the same page quickly — is paramount to a successful 2021-22 season.
It appears they were spot-on in their assessment of Hamm.
In a few short weeks of having Hamm on campus, coaches say he’s emerged as a team leader because his intangibles — he’s personable, smart and a hard worker — are off the charts. Simply put: He’s the type of player you want representing the university.
“He doesn’t overdo it, but when he does have something to say, the guys listen,” Kruger said. “Everything he has ever said has been encouraging, like ‘Let’s go guys, coach shouldn’t have to say that,’ or ‘Come on guys, let’s be ready earlier.’”
“When you have a guy like that who has seen it through a different lens, and can take it and apply it to this group, there’s a certain value that can’t be overstated.”
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Hamm had a nice run with Texas, which this past season won the Big 12 Conference and reached the NCAA Tournament. A few years earlier, he played a significant role in helping them win the postseason National Invitational Tournament.
Yet, he was regulated to a reserve role this past season in averaging just 8.8 minutes per game, and couldn’t help feeling unsatisfied. He was a four-star recruit in 2017 and one of the nation’s top 100 overall prospects, but never reached his full potential.
That potential is still there, he promises. And he’s got one chance to live up to the billing — an opportunity at UNLV that he is eagerly cherishing.
“I’ll be that guy diving on the floor for loose balls and trying to bring some energy to the team,” said Hamm, who last season averaged 1.9 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. “I know what I am capable of. I just never had the full opportunity to showcase it.”
That’s especially true of his shooting ability. “I feel I can shoot the ball. I have been working on it a lot — just trust myself and the work I put in.”
Hamm is battled tested after four seasons in the Big 12 Conference, which is home to national champion Baylor, national power Kansas and many other programs with big-bodied, athletic players. Many nights on the schedule included a game against a ranked opponent.
It was the same at practice, where he frequently went up against eventual NBA Lottery picks in Jaxson Hayes (eighth overall in 2019) and Mo Bamba (sixth overall in 2018). Another former teammate, Kai Jones, is projected to be a first-rounder this summer.
“Coming from Texas, a Big 12 program, just won the Big 12 championship, and the guys he played with and behind, it comes with a built-in credibility. Kind of his stripes,” Kruger said.
Hamm will likely see significant action at one of the forward positions, but says he’ll do whatever the team needs of him to be successful, even volunteering to guard any position on the court.
More important, he says his new teammates would do the same.
“The key is communication,” he said. “We have a lot of older guys. We’re bringing all of the good assets together from other programs and getting on the same page.”
Pictures of a packed Thomas & Mack Center are easily spotted throughout the Mendenhall Center practice facility, giving the new players a glimpse of how the city supports the program when they are winning. Hamm’s eyes light up when talking about being part of some of those memorable UNLV wins next winter.
“It’s motivating to be in a city like this, knowing the (program’s) history and what it means to (the fans),” Hamm said. “I’m all about winning. I am all about the team. I am all about asserting myself and helping others be a better version of themselves while I am better version of myself.
“If we can do that, we will make this the best possible year for me and the city of Las Vegas.”
