Kambala promises he’ll be back at full strength

Steve Carp

Friday, June 25, 1999 | 11:06 a.m.

If the basketball season started tonight, Kaspars Kambala said he would be ready to play.

But time is on Kambala's side, so there's no need to rush things. The season won't begin until Nov. 19.

The 6-foot-9 junior center, who had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee in late February after injuring the joint Feb. 15 at Tulsa, is back playing. He figures by the time fall camp begins Oct. 16, he'll be back to normal.

"I've already played two games and it felt good," Kambala said. "It should be no problem being ready for the season."

Kambala plans to attend Pete Newell's Big Man's Camp in Hawaii in August for the second straight year. Kambala said he got a lot out of his first visit and he believes a refresher course will make him better for his junior year.

Kambala still is technically rehabbing his knee, building up the muscles around it. But he is running without pain and is in the weight room lifting and getting himself ready for the fall.

"He's done an excellent job with his rehab," basketball trainer Dave Tomchek said. "He's really shown a determination to come back better than he was before."

Coach Bill Bayno said: "I'm not surprised. Kas is as hard a worker as there is in the program. His injury was more severe than originally diagnosed, so it took a little longer for him to recover."

* THE PAPER CHASE: Two of UNLV's recruits are hitting the books in an attempt to graduate from junior college this summer and be eligible for the fall, and so far, it's a mixed bag.

According to Bayno, Lou Kelly is making satisfactory progress at San Bernardino Valley (Calif.) College while Mike Garrett faces an uphill battle to complete his degree at Fresno City College.

"We can't be directly involved, but we're hearing good reports about Lou," Bayno said. "Mike, I think it's going to be tough for him, and I've said that all along."

Everyone else is in good academic standing.

* MAX MAKES IT IN: Officially, Max Good doesn't begin work until next Thursday. But the newest addition to Bayno's staff arrived in town Monday night to get himself acclimated to Las Vegas.

The former Maine Central Institute coach replaces Greg Vetrone on the staff. Vetrone, an original member of Bayno's staff in 1995, is leaving the program at the end of the month.

Good recently was featured in a story in ESPN, The Magazine about his return to college basketball. Good coached at Eastern Kentucky prior to going to MCI.

* ROHRSSEN ON THE MOVE? Bayno may be on the verge of losing another member of his staff as Barry Rohrssen, UNLV's director of basketball operations, has been offered a similar position by Ben Howland at Pittsburgh.

Rohrssen, who has been with Bayno from the start in '95, has not accepted the position as he is also being considered for a couple of assistant coaching vacancies.

If and when Rohrssen leaves, team manager Bill Wuczynski will be promoted to director of basketball operations. Wuczynski has been with the basketball program since 1996.

* NCAA VISITS: The NCAA gumshoes quietly were back in town last week, gathering more information as its preliminary investigation into the men's basketball program continues. While nothing major took place, UNLV officials are being mum about the ongoing probe.

"Our position is we're not going to comment until the NCAA concludes its work," associate athletic director Jerry Koloskie said.

* GREEDY TO TCU? While former Rebel guard Greedy Daniels continues to play catch-up in the classroom, he's trying to find a school to transfer to. One possibility is Texas Christian, where coach Billy Tubbs' up-tempo style might be a perfect fit for Daniels' quick-paced game.

Bayno said he and Tubbs spoke about the possibility of Daniels going to TCU and Tubbs is interested. But Daniels has not taken an official visit and has not made a firm decision about his future.

Daniels had submitted his name for next week's NBA Draft back in May, but withdrew it a couple of weeks ago.