Bayno hot over snub of Dickel

Steve Addy

Tuesday, March 7, 2000 | 10:39 a.m.

Here's the list of first-round Mountain West Conference tournament games on Thursday:

Mark Dickel wasn't lacking incentive, but Mountain West coaches have indirectly ensured that he will be fired up for the conference tournament this week.

Though the UNLV point guard said he wasn't upset about not being voted to the all-Mountain West first team Monday, he admitted to feeling that a fresh challenge had been thrown his way.

"Hey, I'll just use it as extra motivation," Dickel said. "It's no big deal. I can't control it. To be perfectly honest, I couldn't care less what the other coaches think. All I care about is the next game we have to play."

Dickel's failure to make the first team was the biggest surprise of the conference awards. He's the NCAA assist leader with 8.9 per game and clearly the best point guard in the Mountain West, but the coaches made him a second-teamer. Coaches weren't allowed to vote for their own players.

Dickel wasn't nearly as upset as coach Bill Bayno and others around the UNLV program. When Bayno told Dickel about the balloting, Dickel said, "What else is new?" as if he has grown accustomed to being underappreciated.

Bayno, named MWC co-coach of the year, wasn't as forgiving.

"Mark knows he got shafted," Bayno said. "I don't have any answers. It blows me away. It's a shame he did not get recognized. Mark is the best player in the league and (Utah's Alex) Jensen is the second-best. They probably should have tied for player of the year."

That lofty honor went Jensen, the Utes' senior small forward. The other first team members were UNLV center Kaspars Kambala, Utah power forward Hanno Mottola, Wyoming power forward Josh Davis and New Mexico shooting guard Lamont Long.

Somewhat in the coaches' defense, they were not asked to vote by position, so they weren't duty-bound to pick a point guard. Hence, the first team is top-heavy with frontcourt players. On the other hand, Mottola missed three MWC games because of injuries and didn't rank in the top 10 in any major statistical category.

It still added up to second team for Dickel, who had 133 assists in league play, compared to 55 for his next-closest competition, New Mexico freshman Marlon Parmer.

"This is why I hate awards. I hate even talking about them," Bayno said. "I think it'll make Mark even more determined to get it done in the tournament, and it will motivate our other guys because Mark didn't get his due."

The top-seeded Rebels tip off the conference tournament against No. 8 San Diego State at 9 p.m. Thursday at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Bayno was also unhappy that Rebels forward Dalron Johnson shared the freshman of the year award with Air Force's Tom Bellairs. Johnson averaged 12.6 points and 8.5 rebounds in MWC play, while Bellairs led the league in rebounding at 10.1 and averaged 10.0 points.

"Dalron is head and shoulders better than Bellairs," Bayno said.

Johnson joined Dickel and Kambala as Rebels who were named freshman of the year. Dickel won the WAC award in 1997, Kambala in 1998.

"Winning a ring is what motivates me, not awards" Johnson said. "It was a split decision. It is over and done with. Now we have to win the tournament."

As for his own award, which he shared with Air Force coach Reggie Minton, whose team went 4-10, Bayno sprinkled credit far and wide.

"That's truly a program award," he said. "It's not about me, it's about the whole program -- the staff, the assistant coaches, the players, everyone."

* REBEL NOTES: UNLV didn't practice Monday, but will go hard today and Wednesday in preparation for San Diego State. The Rebels (20-7) have routed the Aztecs (0-14, 5-22) by margins of 28 and 21. "We have to be sure we do not let down," Bayno said. "We'll drill that into the players' heads every day until Thursday. We have to embrace the formula that got us here." ...

Session tickets to the Mountain West tournament are on sale at the Thomas & Mack box office and by phone (895-3900). Lower-level seats are $25 per session, upper level $19, students $10. ...

Live internet coverage of the tournament is available daily at www.mountainwestconf.com.