Greedy returns home

THE NUMBERS: Tulane won very few battles Sunday, but the Green Wave outrebounded UNLV 40-35. Tulane had 20 offensive rebounds. ... UNLV limited Tulane to 32 percent shooting from the floor and the

Monday, Jan. 5, 1998 | 4:13 a.m.

NEW ORLEANS -- If only Perry Clark's wishes could have come true.

The Tulane coach always hoped he could keep New Orleans native Greedy Daniels at home and play for the team Daniels grew up watching.

But the former Cohen High star came back to haunt Clark and his team by playing as if he had never left the Irish Channel neighborhood he grew up in. He looked more at home in Fogelman Arena Sunday than any of Clark's Green Wave and helped get UNLV off to a quick start in a 77-61 win.

The 1997 Louisiana Prep Player of the Year said the homecoming couldn't have been sweeter.

"I can come home and smile," said Daniels, the Rebels' 6-foot freshman point guard. "I wanted to win this game bad."

Daniels was coming off arguably his worst game as a collegian as he struggled badly in UNLV's 62-50 win Tuesday over against Nevada-Reno. Sunday, he was absolutely dominanting, stealing the ball almost at will, defending strong and playing under control and with purpose.

He had two steals in the first five minutes and finished with six points, six assists and just one turnover in 14 minutes. It was a tremendous bounce-back effort, though many of the 3,395 in attendance probably said it was the same Greedy they remember from his days at Cohen.

"Greedy set the tone for us tonight," said UNLV coach Bill Bayno. "He ran our team ... he got after their guards and he scared them."

Daniels played without fear. Of course, when you've got 6-foot-11 Keon Clark watching your back, it's easy to be brave.

"Having Keon back allows us to play with more confidence," Daniels said. "I can play tougher defense and I can take a gamble or two knowing he's there."

Daniels, who was mobbed by family, friends and well-wishers after the game, said being home wasn't a distraction.

"Winning this game was the most important thing to me," Daniels said. "I love my family and it was great to see everyone. But beating Tulane was number one to me."

Tulane's Clark said Daniels hasn't changed.

"He's a hell of a player," Clark said. "I saw him in 10th grade and I thought then he was the best defensive player in the state. And there's nothing he did tonight that surprised me."

For Daniels, Sunday was definitely a step in the right direction, even if he had to go back to his roots to take that step.

"I was so relaxed," he said. "I had so much fun, I thought I was back at Cohen High School."

Hoop du jour

* BACK HOME: UNLV is off until Saturday when the Rebels host Air Force in their WAC opener. It will be UNLV's sixth appearance at the Thomas & Mack Center in its past seven games. The Rebels recently concluded a five-game homestand going 3-2. ... The normal schedule of events also returns this week. The Rebel Athletic Club luncheon will take place at noon Tuesday at the Si Redd Room and "The Bill Bayno Show" will air from 7-8 p.m. Tuesday (from the Gordon Biersch restaurant) on KXNT 840-AM. "Game Time with UNLV Hoops" also returns Sunday at 5:30 p.m. on KLAS Channel 8.