UNLV’s point guard situation has Bayno in a quandary

Steve Carp

Monday, Nov. 30, 1998 | 10:09 a.m.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Personally, Mark Dickel had to be satisfied. But if he was, given his gone-for-naught effort against Kansas, he wasn't showing it.

Nobody among the 8,820 at the Springfield Civic Center booed the UNLV junior from New Zealand. That alone could be construed as a victory, given the shoddy treatment he had received from some of the Thomas & Mack denizens a few nights before when the Rebels routed Weber State.

But Dickel was one of the few bright spots in what was a nightmarish second-half performance by UNLV in its 78-50 loss to the Jayhawks in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic.

It was Dickel, not Greedy Daniels, who played the bulk of the minutes at the point. It was Dickel who was virtually flawless, dishing out six assists while committing just one turnover. And it was Dickel who kept his head up during the entire time, knowing you're not going to be judged on one performance or letting the razzing of a few boo-birds get to you.

"I always knew I could play," he said. "I'm just embarrassed for the university the way we played. It's so disappointing.

"What's really frustrating was we know we could play with Kansas. We proved that in the first half."

UNLV managed just six field goals the entire second half and was a putrid 3 of 13 from the free-throw line. That basically did the Rebels in after they had battled Kansas throughout the first half and trailed by just two at halftime on Brian Keefe's long 3-pointer at the buzzer.

"It's a pretty simple game when you come right down to it," Dickel said. "Either you make shots or you don't. You look at both of our losses and it's the same thing -- we didn't make shots."

Bricks aside, coach Bill Bayno has a dilemma on his hands. He wants to play Dickel and Daniels equally so he doesn't wear either one out come March. However, when UNLV made its late-season run to the NCAA Tournament last year, it was with one person -- Dickel -- playing the bulk of the minutes.

Bayno has started Daniels the last two games with the intention of having the sophomore from New Orleans set a defensive tempo with his ability to pressure the basketball.

Daniels did that against Kansas. However, offensively, he wasn't as under control as he had been earlier this season. Some of last year's bad habits surfaced, like trying to take it inside against two or three defenders, then launching an out-of-control shot.

So Bayno played Daniels just nine minutes.

"He reverted back," Bayno said of Daniels' play. "I think the adrenaline of the game, that it was Kansas and on national TV hyped him up.

"Greedy's got to learn that he has a job to do, and that's run the ballclub."

Meanwhile, Bayno wasn't surprised at what Dickel gave him.

"He's such a tough kid," Bayno said. "The reason he stayed out there because he was playing well."

So what happens Wednesday when the 3-2 Rebels meet Nevada-Reno? Does Daniels remain the starter with Dickel playing the majority of the minutes? Or does Dickel start and play as long as he's producing, the way he did at the end of last season?

"That's a decision I have to make," Bayno said. "If I don't start Greedy against Weber State, it's a tough, tough game. Greedy's in there for defense.

"I think to change it now could cause more problems."

From Dickel's perspective, he'll just go with the flow. Right now, being away from the Thomas & Mack is the best thing that could have happened to him.

"I've always said I'd rather play on the road," he said. "There's no distractions. It's you against the world.

"But what happened the other night at home was definitely a motivating factor. We're all human, you know."

Several people talked to Dickel on the trip back East to support him. He appreciated the kind words, and his play Friday reflected his determination to answer his critics.

"I know who my friends are," he said. "If getting booed is the worst thing that happens to me, I'm doing all right."