Kelly set to join Rebels

Victoria Sun

Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2000 | 10:35 a.m.

The paper trail surrounding future UNLV men's basketball player Lou Kelly appears -- mercifully -- to be coming to an end.

On Tuesday night before the Rebels' 72-53 victory over High Point, UNLV associate athletic director Jerry Koloskie said he was hopeful that Kelly, a junior college transfer from Los Angeles City College, would be eligible to start practicing with the team today.

After the game, UNLV head coach Bill Bayno said the team would not have practice today, making Thursday the earliest possible day for Kelly to suit up with the team.

"Our academic advisors have received verification that he completed the requirements needed to get his degree," Koloskie said. "That is enough to make him eligible to practice, but we still need to get his official posted transcript and official records from the college before he will be eligible to compete."

UNLV will then have five days to get the documentation for Kelly to play in the Rebels' next game, the Mountain West Conference opener against BYU on Jan. 10 at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Before Kelly is eligible to participate in a game, Koloskie said that he will have to go through a few more formalities including passing a physical exam, attending a student-athlete orientation and signing some NCAA papers.

Koloskie dismissed rumors that there have been other reasons for the delay.

"Lou Kelly was not treated any differently than any other student-athlete," Koloskie said. "When I was in college, I remember it took several weeks before I even got my grades in the mail."