Dickel exits with little fanfare

Steve Addy

Friday, March 17, 2000 | 8:01 a.m.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Mark Dickel didn't get a curtain call Friday in his last game for UNLV, and he didn't want one anyway.

The senior point guard added to his legacy in a more appropriate way, by playing all 40 minutes despite the Rebels' embarrassing 89-62 loss to Tulsa in the NCAA South Regional.

After leading the NCAA in assists and making honorable mention all-America this season, the New Zealand native had an extremely forgettable exit. He was hounded by Tulsa defenders all day and his statistics showed how effective the strategy was.

Dickel had only one point, missed all three field goal attempts (all 3-pointers) and had almost as many turnovers (five) as assists (six).

But even though the Rebels had trailed by as much as 33 points, Dickel didn't want to come out. He stayed in the game to the bitter end, playing all 40 minutes for the third time this season.

It's that toughness that will signify his four-year career, in which he overcame being booed on his own court and even criticism from past teammates.

"Everyone will remember how Mark stuck it out when a lot of kids would have quit," UNLV coach Bill Bayno said. "This kid changed a whole city's opinion of him by dealing with adversity and sticking it out. I hope all of our players look at that and see how much work he put in.

"Mark's legacy is he never set foot on the court for a minute in four years when he wasn't the hardest-playing person on either team. Mark isn't the most talented kid. He wasn't a future NBA draft pick when he got (to Las Vegas). He wasn't a potential pro. But I think he is now."

More than likely, Dickel will better remember last Saturday's MWC championship game as his UNLV swan song, not Friday's loss. After dealing 18 assists in the tournament semifinals, he sparked the Rebels' blowout of BYU for the championship and was voted tournament MVP.

"It's the end of my career. I am not happy about it, but I am not going to sulk about it," he said. "I did not play very well and the team didn't play well, but you can't take away what we did this season."

Dickel gave credit to Tulsa for shutting him down so thoroughly.

"(Their defensive pressure) was something we're not used to," he said. "I've pretty much had free reign all season, but if that's your whole game plan -- to shut one guy down -- you can do it."

Trevor Diggs said of Dickel, "I feel sorry he had to end his career this way. This was not how we wanted to send him out."

* EPPS SAYS ADIOS: Issiah Epps also played his last game for UNLV, saying he won't petition the NCAA for one more year of eligibility, but it was news to Bayno. The senior center said he made the decision last week while his father was in Las Vegas for the Mountain West tournament.

"I do not want to comment until I talk to Ike," Bayno said. "There might be some heat of the moment in that."

* LIKE A FRESHMAN: After three terrific games in the Mountain West tournament, Dalron Johnson's game reverted to freshman form against Tulsa. He was whistled for two fouls in the opening 2:15 and never really recovered, compiling four points and two rebounds in 22 minutes.

"I did not have a good game," the MWC freshman of the year said. "I just wasn't working hard in the post, and that's another reason we came up short, because I wasn't on top of my game."

Bayno said, "Dalron was struggling. A lot of our newer guys might have gotten caught up in the excitement, the atmosphere. Maybe we all did a little."

* RICHARDSON SITS: Bayno emptied his bench with 30 seconds remaining, putting Chris Popoola and Vince Booker into the game, but Chris Richardson did not play at all. Bayno and Richardson said his right knee was sore after a collision with Epps in practice Thursday. "Coach's decision," Bayno said.

* QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I can't believe I couldn't go." -- Brotherson, after he needed more than an hour to produce a urine sample for the postgame drug test.

In keeping with tournament procedures, four Rebels were selected for random tests and everybody passed. The other three were Donovan Stewart, Diggs and Booker.