New York star’s teammate could be on way to LV too

Steve Carp

Friday, Sept. 19, 1997 | 9:07 a.m.

One down, four to go.

That's the number of vacancies UNLV coach Bill Bayno has for next year's basketball roster after getting a verbal commitment Thursday from Brooklyn, N.Y., off-guard Desmond Herod.

Bayno is still on the lookout for size and a wing forward who can score and rebound. He may not have to look far for a big man as Herod's Adelphi Academy teammate, 6-foot-11 center Manga Charles, is being recruited by the Rebels.

Charles, who originally hails from Cameroon, moved to New York last year. At the time, Herod was averaging 42 points a game for the small Brooklyn, N.Y., private school. With Charles in the lineup, the 6-4 Herod took fewer shots but finished his junior season averaging 34 a game. Together they led Adelphi to the New York state federation Class C semifinals.

But UNLV is still very much alive in the recruiting chase for Kevin Lyde, the 6-9 center from Washington, D.C. and Lance Williams, a 6-9 forward-center from Chicago. The Rebels are also involved with Chris Richardson, a 6-7 power forward from Corpus Christi, Texas, Keith Bean, a 6-8 forward from Maine Central Institute and Kevin Frey, a 6-8 center from Chicago.

UNLV remains in the chase for blue chippers JaRon Rush of Pembroke Hill High in Kansas City and Korleone Young of Wichita, Kan. Rush, a 6-7 wing forward and Young, a 6-8 power forward are both considering official visits to Las Vegas.

Given the interest of these players, it appears the Lamar Odom incident did not slow down Bayno's recruiting efforts. Herod said he had initial concerns about possible NCAA action against the school after Odom asked for and received a release from his letter of intent. But once he was assured the school would not face any sanctions, it put his mind at ease.

"It was definitely a concern," he said. "I was worried they'd go on probation. But when they told me there weren't going to be any problems, that was good enough for me."

Herod said he was prepared for the backlash that he was sure would come in the wake of his decision to leave New York for Las Vegas.

"I know people are going to rip me, but I don't care what they say or write," he said. "I'm happy with my decision.

"My situation is completely different than Lamar's. I don't see how you can compare us."

Hall of Fame visit

The contract has not been signed but UNLV has verbally accepted the Basketball Hall of Fame's offer to play Kansas in November 1998 in Springfield, Mass.

Bayno spoke to director Joe O'Brien last week and informed him the Rebels will participate in the annual game, which is nationally televised on ESPN.

Bayno was considering taking the team on a foreign tour next summer. However, he had to choose between the Hall of Fame and going overseas. UNLV will be playing in next year's Maui Classic so the Rebels will be getting off the mainland anyway.

UNLV and Kansas have met only once -- in the 1989 preseason NIT semifinals in New York and the Jayhawks won easily, 91-77. There's a chance the two teams will meet this year. UNLV will have to defeat Eastern Michigan in the opening round of the preseason NIT Nov. 19 which would set up a second-round game at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kan., two nights later.

Hoop du jour

* KABA MAKING PROGRESS: Ali Kaba, the 6-foot-9 freshman from Liberia, is close to having his immigration problems resolved. Kaba, who enrolled at UNLV a week ago, is trying to get his paperwork processed so he can obtain his student visa, the final hurdle for him to be eligible. According to school officials, the matter should be resolved by the end of the week.

* WAC TV: The Western Athletic Conference television schedule has been officially announced and UNLV will appear nine times, more than any other WAC school, as part of the 38-game package on ESPN, ESPN2, CBS, ABC and Fox Sports Net. UNLV's ESPN appearances include Eastern Michigan (Nov. 19), Rhode Island (Dec. 13), Syracuse (Dec. 20), UCLA (Dec. 27) and Big Monday appearances with New Mexico Feb. 16 and at Utah Feb. 23. The Rebels will be on the Deuce Jan. 4 against Tulane and Jan. 17 against Texas-El Paso. The UNLV-Utah game Jan. 24 at the Thomas & Mack Center will be televised regionally by CBS.