Richardson, Kelly to make season debuts

Steve Addy

Friday, Dec. 15, 2000 | 10:10 a.m.

In Saturday night's pregame introductions, Max Good will be announced as UNLV's head coach for the first time.

But two other Rebels might require fresh intros as well.

Chris Richardson, returning from an NCAA suspension, and Lou Kelly, who has never played a regular-season game at home, will make their season debuts when UNLV battles Cincinnati in the Las Vegas Showdown.

Richardson, a 6-foot-6 junior forward, has not suited up since last season's Mountain West tournament because of his role in the Rebels' NCAA infractions case. The NCAA felt he gave misleading testimony to investigators last year and suspended him indefinitely on Nov. 9.

Richardson's suspension was lifted this week, so he will have missed eight games, starting with last season's NCAA Tournament loss to Tulsa, when he was held out as a precaution. He has been practicing all season, though, and said he's ready to finally get in the game.

"The adrenaline is going to be flowing," Richardson said. "It has been hard to sit out. The games we've lost, I feel we wouldn't have lost if I had been able to play. We would've had another guy to rebound."

"There's no question Chris would have helped us," Good said. "I think he's ready to go."

Kelly's UNLV career has had two false starts because of a broken right foot. After his much-hyped transfer last January, the 6-5 junior swingman played only 23 minutes in two road games before breaking his foot. He sat out the rest of the season and had summer surgery.

Kelly broke the foot again last month, but is returning two weeks ahead of schedule. It is not certain that he will play against Cincinnati, but he's eager to finally tear off his warmups at the Thomas & Mack Center.

"I'm going to give (the foot) a try," he said. "It's not 100 percent, but I can play."

The Rebels will welcome the reinforcements. They need Kelly's shooting and playmaking, and Richardson's rebounding and athleticism.

"If we had those guys in Maui, I don't think we would have lost those games at the end," Dalron Johnson said.

KEEP IN TOUCH: Coach Bill Bayno was fired Monday, but some Rebels visited him Wednesday night.

"He's doing fine," Danny Brotherson said. "He was in high spirits. He is just trying to get everything figured out."

Bayno, who is seeking a financial settlement from UNLV, said he has not decided if he will attend Saturday's game.

Bayno has added local attorney John Moran Jr. to his legal team to assist in negotiations with the university.

REBEL NOTES: UNLV will be trying to avoid its first three-game losing streak since the conclusion of the 1998-99 season. ...

Freshman point guard Lafonte Johnson sprained his foot at practice Thursday, but did not miss much time. ...

About 7,000 balcony tickets ($22) remain for Saturday's double-header. Oregon plays Auburn at 6:30 p.m. (ESPN2), followed by UNLV-Cincinnati at 9 (ESPN).