Rebels bag prize Anteater

Steve Carp

Tuesday, May 14, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

Kevin Simmons never let go of his dream. And even though it took four years, it finally has come true.

The 6-foot-8 sophomore forward from UC Irvine will transfer to UNLV and join a program boasting one of the nation's top recruiting classes for 1996. Simmons will have to sit out the 1996-97 season before returning to the court, where he'll have two years of eligibility remaining.

UCI coach Rod Baker recently released Simmons from his scholarship, enabling him to pursue other schools. St. John's and Arizona also were on Simmons' short list, but he said UNLV was at the top.

"I always wanted to play for them (the Rebels), but they never recruited me," he said Monday from Irvine, where he is completing his spring semester. "It's a fresh start for me and I'm going to make the most of it.

"I've known Coach (Bill) Bayno since ninth grade and I'm excited about playing for him."

After talking to some of the UNLV players, especially Sunshine Smith, a close friend from their Brooklyn days, Simmons is convinced he is doing the right thing.

"They're on their way up and things look positive over there," he said. "I talked to some of the guys and they said basketball was fun again."

NCAA rules prohibit Bayno from commenting about Simmons until he is officially enrolled at UNLV. Baker could not be reached for comment.

Simmons said after waiting so long to be a Rebel, another year won't hurt.

"It'll give me a time to adjust to everything and concentrate on my classes," he said. "I promised my mom I'd get my degree and I want to keep that promise."

Simmons, the Big West's Freshman of the Year in 1995, averaged 15 points and 7.2 rebounds this season for UC Irvine, which finished second in the conference with an 11-7 record and was 15-12 overall. Simmons was a second-team all-Big West selection this year.

Saying he never was totally comfortable with the laid-back lifestyle of Southern California, Simmons wanted out. His in at UNLV was assistant Greg Vetrone, who recruited him to Irvine and probably is closer to Simmons than anyone.

When Vetrone joined Bayno's staff a year ago, Simmons wanted to transfer to UNLV. But Vetrone told Simmons to stay at UCI. Baker had gone to great lengths to get Simmons into school and Vetrone said Simmons owed Baker some loyalty in return.

However, when the Anteaters struggled late in the year, Simmons made up his mind to leave. He attended the UNLV-Long Beach State game at the Pyramid in early February, fueling speculation he was looking to rejoin Vetrone.

"With Vegas leaving the Big West, I knew the league wasn't going to be very strong," Simmons said. "I watched the WAC on TV and that's a real good league.

"Plus, with all the players Coach Bayno brought in, I knew I would get better as a player if I went to Vegas.

"If I can't go back to New York, Vegas is the next best thing. It's a town with a lot of energy and it's a basketball town."

Simmons likely will play the small forward spot for the Rebels. He played all three front line positions at Irvine.

"I've worked hard on my 3-point shooting and I can take people to the basket," he said. "I'm very comfortable at the three."

With the wealth of talent that Bayno has brought to UNLV, Simmons said there are no guarantees from Bayno regarding playing time.

"I don't think it'll be a problem," he said of going from team star to a possible sixth-man role off the bench. "I know I'm going to get better here because we'll have guys like Keon (Clark), Tyrone (Nesby) and Issiah (Epps) pushing me every day in practice."