TV shift creates quirks in schedule

Steve Carp

Wednesday, July 28, 1999 | 9:45 a.m.

That easy 1999-2000 basketball schedule virtually everyone perceives UNLV to be playing just got a little tougher.

No, the Rebels didn't drop High Point for Arizona. But ESPN just finished up its Big Monday slate and it means some juggling for UNLV's Mountain West Conference schedule.

Instead of playing at Utah Saturday, Jan. 15, UNLV will now play at New Mexico Monday, Jan. 17. The road game at Utah has now been switched to Monday, Feb. 21. Both games will start at 9 p.m. locally.

For the first time in years, a UNLV home game will not be shown on Big Monday. The lone home game ESPN will televise will be the Dec. 18 game against Oklahoma State in the Las Vegas Shootout at the Thomas & Mack Center.

"I'm a little surprised we didn't get a home Big Monday game," coach Bill Bayno said. "But ESPN has been good to us over the years. We're still on twice and yeah, it makes it tough. But that's the price you pay."

It creates some interesting quirks in the schedule. Three days after the meeting with New Mexico at The Pit, the two teams square off at the Thomas & Mack, Jan. 20.

UNLV and Utah will also meet twice in nine days. And with the Utah road game being moved to Monday and a 10 p.m. start in Salt Lake City, it means back-to-back games with the Rebels flying home Tuesday morning, Feb. 22 and playing Florida Atlantic at the Mack that night.

However, Bayno insisted that scenario won't take place.

"There's no way we'll play back-to-back," he said. "We'll move that (FAU) game."

The Big Monday games also mean different road trips. Under the Mountain West alignment, UNLV is supposed to travel to New Mexico and Air Force together. But with the schedule changes, the new itineraries have the Rebels going to BYU and New Mexico in January and Air Force and Utah in February with no games on Saturday on either trip.

* RUMORS DENIED: Bayno would love to know where the rumors start on the Internet. He denied the latest cyberspace report that had recruits Lou Kelly and Mike Garrett being ineligible.

"It's not true," Bayno said. "Nothing's done at this point. Lou's still going to school and so is Mike. We should know something about Lou's status by the end of the first week of August."

Both players need to obtain their Associate in Arts degree to be eligible. If Kelly comes up short, he'll have to wait until the end of the fall semester in mid-December to join the team. Garrett's status may be a bit more iffy because he has other academic issues to deal with, which Bayno refused to discuss.

"When we know something, you'll know," he said.

* DANIELS-MEYER COLISEUM? It's not official, but former UNLV guard Greedy Daniels is on the verge of transferring to Texas Christian University.

As first reported in June, there was mutual interest between the 6-foot sophomore from New Orleans and the Horned Frogs after Daniels pulled his name from consideration for the 1999 NBA Draft. Since then, Daniels got caught up academically, clearing the way for him to apply to TCU.

He has yet to do that, nor has he officially visited TCU. But coach Billy Tubbs confirmed that the two sides are talking. Daniels is in New Orleans and did not return phone calls Tuesday seeking comment. But last week, Daniels told Bayno his intentions were to go to TCU.

"It can be a good situation for him," Bayno said of a TCU-Daniels relationship. "Greedy has a ton of talent and he needs a fresh start. They press and they go up and down. He'd have to learn the system but he'd have a year to do it."

Because Daniels is a recruitable student-athlete, NCAA rules prohibit Tubbs from talking about him. The ball is essentially in Daniels' hands. He needs to apply and be accepted to TCU. But there is an opening for him if Daniels wants it.

* SLICE EASTBOUND: One way or the other, Barry "Slice" Rohrssen is headed East. The question is, does he go to New York City or to Pittsburgh?

The former UNLV director of basketball operations is contemplating similar positions at Pitt and Fordham. Rohrssen was hoping he could get back on the floor as a member of Bob Hill's new staff in the Bronx, but instead was offered the basketball operations post with the Rams.

Pitt coach Ben Howland has had a standing offer for Rohrssen to be his basketball operations guy since June. But Rohrssen was hoping he could return to the floor as a third or second assistant, so he had been sitting tight.

But time is running out and Rohrssen said he will make up his mind by the weekend.

"My timetable has always been Aug. 1," he said. "I've got two opportunities and I'm going to make my decision."

By not committing to anyone, he was able to do the summer basketball circuit without restrictions. Had he remained employed at UNLV or anywhere else, NCAA rules would have prevented him from attending events such as the ABCD Camp or The Big Time tournament here earlier this month because only the head coach and two assistants can evaluate.

Ironically, Rohrssen was competing with another former member of Bayno's staff, Greg "Shoes" Vetrone, for the Fordham assistant's vacancy which neither wound up getting. Hill had met with Vetrone during The Big Time tourney but he ultimately went in a different direction to hire an assistant.