Working his way up

Steve Carp

Wednesday, Oct. 23, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

At the end of last year's 10-16 season, UNLV coach Bill Bayno called each of his basketball players into his Thomas & Mack Center office and had a heart-to-heart chat.

Some talks lasted longer than others. In Tony Lane's case, Bayno needed about three seconds to get his message across.

"I told him, 'If you don't work, if you don't lose some weight and if you don't play the way I want you to, you're not going to play,'" Bayno said, recalling the conversation with the 6-foot-7 power forward from Philadelphia.

Lane saw the hammer was hovering over his head. He knew Bayno had the ultimate weapon -- playing time -- and it was up to Lane to avoid getting hit.

"I had no choice," Lane said. "This is my last year and I want to play on a winner."

Having taken Bayno's words to heart, Lane pushed himself hard. He is UNLV's most improved player after a week of fall practice.

"I have a vision," he said. "and that's of this team winning and me contributing to where I can play at the next level. If those things happen, I think I'll have a shot."

Lane made steady improvement last season, getting ample minutes in a paper-thin frontcourt. He finished his junior campaign averaging just under 11 points and just over five rebounds while playing 27 minutes a night.

But it was his off-season work that raised his confidence and Bayno's expectations.

Lane's weight dropped from 246 pounds to 228. He got stronger and built up his stamina. He expanded his low-post game to where he can consistently knock down a 15-foot jump shot.

"I finally got myself in shape," he said. "I've cut out the junk food and now I eat pasta and rice. I run every day to stay in shape. This is my last year. I knew I had to be ready to compete."

Bayno thought it would take Lane longer to hit his stride. He said if the Rebels had to play a game tonight, he would start Lane, not Keon Clark, in the post.

"I'm surprised he has come this far this soon," Bayno said. "He's been one of the leaders on the floor. When the guys are giving in, he's picking them up and making them go to another level."

Lane said he learned from experience.

"I was one of those guys who struggled to adjust to this level," he said of his junior season, which followed a career at Kilgore (Texas) Junior College. "I see Keon and Tyrone (Nesby) and I see myself last year.

"But I looked at what Warren (Rosegreen, UNLV's power forward) did last year, how hard he worked and what he got out of it. I said to myself, 'If he can do it, why can't I?' So I followed Warren's lead. He was the guy I looked up to."

He also changed his attitude. He started listening to people who were trying to help him instead of tuning them out. He became more aggressive on the court, using his newfound strength and work ethic to his advantage.

"Tony's biggest adjustment was he was too nice," Bayno said. "He's much more aggressive now. He's a lion instead of a lamb."

But despite the improvement, the lion may find himself in the den more than he roams the floor this year. With the wealth of new talent Bayno has brought in, the Rebels' depth will mean fewer minutes for virtually everyone.

Lane said he can accept that. Especially if it translates into victories.

"It's not how much time you get," he said. "It's what you do with it that counts."

Hoop du jour

* SCRIMMAGE SUNDAY: Fans who want to get a sneak peek at the team in action can do so at 6 p.m. Sunday at the Thomas & Mack Center when the Rebels hold an intra-squad scrimmage. Admission is free. The first of two exhibition games at the T&M is Nov. 14 against Global Sports.

* BUG BITES: Flu season is approaching and a couple of players may be feeling the effects of the drastic change in weather. Eric Lee left practice early Monday with a head cold and Sunshine Smith didn't practice as he was under the weather. Mark Dickel had the sniffles, but he worked out in the chilly Thomas & Mack, where the building has to be kept cold to preserve the ice for Thunder hockey games.