Thursday, April 9, 1998 | 9:21 a.m.
There was no news out of the Thomas & Mack Center Wednesday, but that doesn't mean UNLV is being quiet on the basketball recruiting front.
Coach Bill Bayno is working hard to bring the top player in New York City to Las Vegas. Word is the Rebels have the inside track on forward Anthony Glover of Rice High School in Manhattan.
Bayno had a home visit with Glover last Friday and things went so well, Glover scratched St. John's off his list. He was scheduled to receive Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson either tonight or Friday.
It appears the 6-foot-5, 230-pound senior has narrowed his choices to the Rebels or the Razorbacks. He also had been considering Seton Hall.
Glover, who was named New York State's "Mr. Basketball" after leading Rice to the state Class A title, also was tabbed as the New York Daily News' Player of the Year.
NCAA rules prohibit Bayno from commenting about potential student-athletes.
Glover apparently will be taking an official visit to UNLV in two weeks. The spring signing period doesn't end until May 15, so there's no rush for Glover to make a decision.
Glover made an unofficial visit to UNLV back in December when Rice played in the Reebok Holiday Prep Classic. He also attended the UNLV-Syracuse game while in town and was very impressed with the school and with Las Vegas.
Glover is keeping mum on his intentions. But Maurice Hicks, his coach at Rice, told the Daily News the Rebels had the inside track.
"If I had to guess right now, I'd say UNLV might be slightly ahead," Hicks told the newspaper. "But he's not really saying much right now."
Glover was sensational last week playing on a team of Manhattan prep all-stars in the Wheelchair Classic, scoring 29 points and grabbing 24 rebounds in a 114-110 loss to Queens at St. John's. But any chance of him playing for the Red Storm probably evaporated when the fans at Alumni Hall booed Glover each time he touched the ball.
Glover didn't appreciate the treatment.
"They have to respect my game," he told Newsday. "I don't care if this was a charity game. Every time I step on the floor, I'm going to play my hardest."
With Korleone Young making official Wednesday what everyone knew for weeks -- that he was putting his name in for the NBA draft and bypasing college -- UNLV is not pursuing anyone else seriously at this time.
The Rebels signed four players in November, including 6-7 JC star forward Shawn Marion of Vincennes (Ind.) University, 6-7 Chris Richardson of Carroll High in Corpus Christi, Texas, 6-5 shooting guard Desmond Herod of Adelphi Academy in Brooklyn, N.Y., and 6-8 center-forward Matt Seibrandt of Galena High in Reno.
Hoop du jour
* SURGERY SUCCESSFUL: He's still in some pain, but coach Bill Bayno was doing better Wednesday 48 hours after having his medial collateral ligament in his right knee repaired Monday. Bayno, who first injured himself Feb. 16 while coaching the team at home against New Mexico, said he's walking O.K. and plans to begin rehabbing the knee next week. "Hopefully, I'll be able to play basketball in a few weeks," he said before boarding a flight to the Bay Area where he will spend some time with Golden State Warriors coach P.J. Carlesimo. "It was really hurting Tuesday, but it was much better today."
* OFF TO PHOENIX: Bayno is also planning on attending the Desert Classic NBA pre-draft camp in Phoenix this weekend where former Rebels Tyrone Nesby and Keon Clark are participating. "The early reports I got was that Keon and Tyrone played great Tuesday," Bayno said. "Keon's put on 15 pounds and I hear he's looking super. Tyrone's been on a nice run and he may be playing himself back into the draft if he can keep it going." The camp runs through Saturday.
* STYLIN' IN S.I.: Once a sterotype, always a sterotype. That must be what Sports Illustrated was thinking when it did a story about the Final Four last week and happened to mention the UNLV basketball coach in its piece. The magazine reported that Bayno "sauntered along San Antonio's famous Riverwalk after dark in crushed velvet loafers with gold buckles, no socks, triple-pleated chenille trousers, silk T-shirt, royal blue sport coat, mutliple gold-rope necklaces, bracelet, cigar and cell phone." Bayno said, yeah, he was dressed that way, although he claims to have been wearing only one necklace. "You know how I dress," he said. "It wasn't that unusual. Besides, it probably helped our recruiting. Kids like that." He's right. Fans who've seen him on the sidelines will find the slacks, silk shirt sans tie and the sportcoat familiar. The cigar never makes it courtside and the cell phone stays in the office. One other thing: Bayno does wear socks when he's working.
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