Rebels keep game plan simple

Steve Carp

Thursday, Dec. 4, 1997 | 9:41 a.m.

He doesn't have a lot of options. But if there's a good thing about UNLV basketball coach Bill Bayno playing a seven-man rotation, it's that there's continuity on the court.

The Rebels have it right now. Bayno need not play mad scientist and experiment with different lineups in an attempt to find the right combination.

That has a lot to do with UNLV sporting a 3-1 record going into Saturday's game at Michigan. It certainly helped Tuesday when UNLV beat Southern Cal 82-72 at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena.

While USC coach Henry Bibby used the near-empty building to conduct his basketball experiments, Bayno stuck to his tried-and-true lineup of starting Corky Ausborne and bringing Donovan Stewart off the bench.

Ausborne, who has played well in all three of UNLV's wins, wound up having a career night, scoring 19 points.

"Having the same guys playing together certainly helps," Bayno said of the formula for his team's early-season success. "I don't know about USC, but the continuity definitely helps us."

It also helps when everyone contributes. Tuesday, Ausborne and Greedy Daniels were the stars with Mark Dickel and Stewart playing supporting roles on a night where Kaspars Kambala and Tyrone Nesby struggled.

Daniels also had a career night, scoring 17 points and grabbing nine rebounds to go along with six assists and five steals. Bayno said the freshman guard's effort can be traced to two simple adjustments.

"We told Greedy at halftime to keep attacking and to get the ball inside to Kas," Bayno said. "When we post the ball, it opens things up for the other guys and good things tend to happen."

Nesby, who still is being hampered by the flu and scored a season-low 14 points, said after the game that to see Ausborne and Daniels play as well as they did gave the whole team an emotional lift.

"We need other people to step up for us," he said. "I give Greedy, Corky and Dickel a lot of credit. Without them, we wouldn't have won the game."

The Rebels appear comfortable with their individual and team roles. And that's making Bayno's job easier.

"I'm real proud of them," he said. "Greedy's a point guard and I'm asking him to play the 2 (shooting guard). That's a huge adjustment to make, especially at this level. I don't think people realize how tough it is.

"But he has done everything we've asked and I was really happy for him (Tuesday). He got hurt in the Kansas game and he struggled and I know it was frustrating for him. But he's learning from each game and that's the important thing. He's going to keep getting better."

Hoop du jour

* THE DOCTOR'S IN: Wednesday was a day for the players to rest and attend to their various ailments. A long day became longer Tuesday after the team's return flight from Los Angeles was late and didn't arrive in Las Vegas until shortly after 2 a.m. Practice was scratched and there was a team meeting and film session after getting to the doctor. ... Kaspars Kambala had no voice Tuesday prior to the USC game. "I was scared to death before the game," coach Bill Bayno said. "I asked him how he was and he didn't say anything. I said, 'That's fine, because you've got to go out and play.'" ... The team leaves this afternoon for Michigan and will practice at the North Gym prior to departing for Detroit. ... A reminder, Saturday's game tips off at 10 a.m. and will be televised live on KUPN Channel 21 (Prime Cable Channel 2).

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