Columnist Tim Graham: Thunder spirit not dead at Mack

Tim Graham

Thursday, April 29, 1999 | 11:53 a.m.

Tim Graham's column appears Thursday. His media notebook appears Wednesday. Reach him at tim@lasvegassun.com or 259-4078.

It appears the Thunder spirit will live on for the 1999-2000 season at the Thomas & Mack Center after all.

A bunch of unpolished players you never heard of, hailing from places you never heard of, mixing in with a couple of holdovers, combining for a chippy style of play that results in more defeats than victories.

All the elements still will be there.

Except the jerseys won't be the usual teal, silver and black. They will be scarlet and gray ... and sleeveless.

The UNLV basketball program seems to be swirling around the T&M's lower bowl like the Las Vegas Thunder did. No longer carrying the luster of recent years, the Rebels are becoming more and more minor league by the week.

The only thing Rebel fans don't have to worry about is the team going out of business or moving out of Las Vegas. Aside from that, however, there are plenty of reasons to be concerned.

In looking at the Thunder as it headed into its final season and the Rebels as they move into their next, the similarities are hauntingly similar.

Both teams lost a star. The Thunder's all-time top goal scorer, Ken Quinney, skated off to Europe. The Rebels' leading scorer and rebounder, Shawn Marion, bolted for the NBA.

A slew of role players also damaged continuity when they took off. The Thunder went without (insert name here) via free agency or cuts, while the Rebels will not have Greedy Daniels and Desmond Herod.

Then there are those who repeatedly threatened to leave but eventually came back. The Thunder's disgruntled player was Patrice Lefebvre. The Rebels' resident malcontent is Chris Richardson.

Each team went through awkward times -- and experienced long-lasting aftereffects -- trying to corral a star player whose only interest was improving his stock and who had no intention of sticking around. Petr Nedved stopped by to stay in shape for the NHL. Lamar Odom, a risky recruit with his eyes on the NBA, never suited up and transferred to Rhode Island.

Both experienced coaching conflicts. The Thunder fired Chris McSorley and snubbed his replacement, Clint Malarchuk, who left to coach in the low minors. The Rebels probably will lose assistant Greg Vetrone -- likely to a lesser program -- and there's still a chance associate head coach Glynn Cyprien won't be around next season either.

And lest we forget that ominous cloud resting under the T&M's lid. The Thunder had its lease problems. The Rebels will have to deal with the ongoing NCAA investigation with Odom and Vetrone among the possible targets.

Then I pick up the paper and read UNLV has signed an unheralded "enforcer" named Sylvester Dotson for next season. Sounds like a goon call-up from the West Coast Hockey League.

Whatever happened to UNLV attracting some of the top-rated recruits -- Marion, Daniels, Odom, et al. -- available? Like the Thunder did in its final seasons after drawing NHL-caliber talent, the Rebels find themselves having to grab a bunch of second-tier, stop-gap players.

If the UNLV basketball program hasn't completely fallen through the cracks, it at least is skating on thin ice.