# UNLV Basketball Team



## NewAgeBaller (Jan 8, 2007)

Ok so on the 28th of June (in 12 days time), UNLV is playing an exhibition game against the West Sydney Razorbacks (NBL team), at my school.

Now I havn't ever seen UNLV play, or heard much about them. So my question is are they any good? Any future-NBA players, or guys that I should look out for?

I'm assuming they'll win double digits. If they arn't real great, well they're playing an NBL team so it should be competitive or atleast interesting. Never seen a College game before..

So anywayz, I'll probably go check it out, any info?

* Also, BG44 or any of the Aussies here, you know anything much about the Razorbacks? :laugh:


----------



## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

Depending on who UNLV is bringing--remember, it is summer break and they've lost their departing seniors, while freshmen may not yet be on campus--their best player is Wink Adams, a 6-0 combo guard. NBA ... unlikely. I'm not familiar too familiar with NBL teams, but a quick glance at their website tells me West Sydney isn't very good, either in terms of NBL performance or roster talent. Still, if I were you, I'd go. Why not? It's basketball.


----------



## rebelsun (Nov 25, 2003)

Coach Kruger has them play a slower, defensive-oriented, smart style of play. It's not the most exciting, but it's very effective. As luther said, Wink Adams is their best player, a scoring PG, but he probably won't stick in the NBA. The player to watch is Beas Hamga, an athletic 7-footer, who probably has more NBA potential than your native Jawai. It won't be a high-scoring game, but it should be competitive.


----------



## SamTheMan67 (Jan 4, 2004)

You should have seen UNLV last year , I believe with all my heart Curtis terry can be a good NBA pg


----------



## UD40 (May 12, 2005)

NewAge, Joell Anthony is a proud UNLV alumni! That should say enough about their program.


----------



## SamTheMan67 (Jan 4, 2004)

Marcus banks, Joel anthony, Shawn marion.. plenty of dleaguers and another guy on the 76ers


----------



## bball2223 (Jul 21, 2006)

It would be a W if they had Tark the Shark. Larry Johnson, Greg Anthony, Stacey Augmon also came from there.


----------



## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

Well, ****, if we're talking all-time, yeah. Reggie Theus, Gerald Paddio, Mark Wade, LJ, Stacey Augmon, Greg Anthony, Anderson Hunt, Moses Scurry, H Waldman, Elmore Spencer, JR Rider, Dedan Thomas, Patrick Savoy Kaspers Kambala, Shawn Marion, Keon Clark ... UNLV has had TONS of great talent.


----------



## Tha Freak (Dec 5, 2006)

What happened to its basketball program though? UNLV has been irrelevant for years


----------



## NewAgeBaller (Jan 8, 2007)

luther said:


> Depending on who UNLV is bringing--remember, it is summer break and they've lost their departing seniors, while freshmen may not yet be on campus--their best player is Wink Adams, a 6-0 combo guard. NBA ... unlikely. I'm not familiar too familiar with NBL teams, but a quick glance at their website tells me West Sydney isn't very good, either in terms of NBL performance or roster talent. Still, if I were you, I'd go. Why not? It's basketball.





RebelSun said:


> Coach Kruger has them play a slower, defensive-oriented, smart style of play. It's not the most exciting, but it's very effective. As luther said, Wink Adams is their best player, a scoring PG, but he probably won't stick in the NBA. The player to watch is Beas Hamga, an athletic 7-footer, who probably has more NBA potential than your native Jawai. It won't be a high-scoring game, but it should be competitive.


K thanks, yea thats what I was thinking - being summer-break and all, you never know who's gona show up.

Yea I don't know any of the players well (of either team really), but the one 7-footer jumped out at me - I don't think I've seen anyone that big in real life before. Atleast not while knowing they're 7 foot.. 

I'll probably go see it, should be atleast interesting and its free admission.. :biggrin:



UD40 said:


> NewAge, Joell Anthony is a proud UNLV alumni! That should say enough about their program.


:laugh:

Is he still on our team..?


----------



## TM (Jun 30, 2003)

Ex-Kentucky guard Jasper excited to play hoops at UNLV

Former UConn player, Curtis Kelly is supposedly trasferring there too. They just got competitive real fast. Unfortunately, you'll have to wait a year to see them both.


----------



## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

Tha Freak said:


> What happened to its basketball program though? UNLV has been irrelevant for years


The late- and post-Tark sanctions hurt pretty badly. And they went through quite a few coaches, too, which doesn't help in terms of building a program. I think a part of it was that they were trying to avoid that "rebel" image that they (ironically as the Rebels) had under him: they had to be squeaky clean. They weren't, of course, and that didn't help either. A lot of guys came in and out, an lot of JuCos, and frankly, the fashions changed in that time to where UNLV wasn't a destination school anymore for top recruits. For a while they still had guys with strong reputations: Greedy Daniels, Clark, Marion, Isiah Epps--but they either left, failed to live up to expectations or transferred. It's a shame, as anyone who saw them in the late 80s and early 90s knows what an unbelievable experience watching UNLV could be. Anthony, Ackles and Augmon could just shut down entire teams, while Johnson and Hunt were guaranteed points. The famed "amoeba" defense, run 'n' gun offense...great stuff.


----------



## NewAgeBaller (Jan 8, 2007)

UNLV made the sweet 16 this past season, didn't they?


----------



## TM (Jun 30, 2003)

they got beat by Kansas in the second round


----------



## rebelsun (Nov 25, 2003)

TM said:


> Ex-Kentucky guard Jasper excited to play hoops at UNLV
> 
> Former UConn player, Curtis Kelly is supposedly trasferring there too. They just got competitive real fast. Unfortunately, you'll have to wait a year to see them both.


Jasper is a perfect fit for Kruger's system - the do-it-all perimeter player. Hopefully, they'll land Kelly as well; he'll have to compete with 6'9, 255lb frosh Brice Massamba for minutes, though.

luther pretty much summed up the post-Tark state of the program. The NCAA allowed the program zero room for error, even after Tark *won* his lawsuit against them, for a long time. Billy Bayno showed a lot of promise, signing some excellent, but troubled, talent. Charlie Spoonhour was the folksy, PR-friendly, damage-control replacement, but he wasn't too competitive. Kruger has brought legitimate respect back to the program for the first time since Tark. He's not setting the scoreboard on fire like the program is used to, but he's winning games, which is all that matters. Landing guys like Hamga and Jasper just gives them more momentum in the recruiting trail. If the perception of the program is still 'shady' in any way, it's declining rapidly. I think Lon will be there as long as he wants.


----------



## NewAgeBaller (Jan 8, 2007)

Ok so theres probably more exciting things to talk about now but I went to the game today.

UNLV won 77-71 (4 x 10 minute quarters), close game through-out.

Wink Adams looked pretty good, smooth and was hittin all his shots in the warm-up. I think he ended with 18 points. He got injured in the third quarter but came back and played.

Beas Hamga is a big brother but interestingly when he stood next to my friend whos 6'8", he wasn't all that much taller (he's down as 7'0" right?). Anyway he had 8 boards but didn't really do all that much - I was looking for more from him, but he hardly got the ball on offence.

Anyway the Player of the Game was Tre'Von Willis with 24 points (18 in the 2nd half). I liked him from the start (without knowing who he was..) but he came up big in the second half. In the fourth quarter he had an and-1 bankshot and a couple of big threes, moved well without the ball.

WSR startd out strong, went on like a 12-2 run to open the game, but UNLV controlled the 2nd and 4th quarters. The first half was pretty high scoring and the defence came on in the second.

Oh yea, Wink Adams hit a tough off-balance three to end the first half.

Good game overall, enjoyed it :biggrin:


----------



## rebelsun (Nov 25, 2003)

Nice to see such production from Willis. Always nice to have Memphis transfers on the roster.


----------

