Sagapolu to miss spring practice

Steve Guiremand

Thursday, March 23, 2000 | 9:48 a.m.

When UNLV begins spring football practice on Saturday morning at Rebel Park, defensive tackle Kawika Sagapolu will be missing.

The question now is will the talented 6-3, 290-pound former Cimarron-Memorial High School star be around to play in the fall?

According to sources within the Rebel football department, Sagapolu is expected to drop out of school by the end of the week and could be forced to attend a junior college for a year to improve his academics. If so, it could be a big loss for a UNLV squad that is already thin at defensive tackle.

Sagapolu, attending his younger brother's volleyball match at Cimarron on Wednesday night, denied he was going to drop out of UNLV.

"I'm all right," he said. "I'll be back (at UNLV). I just have to buckle down in the classroom."

But Sagapolu, one of the cornerstones of UNLV coach John Robinson's first recruiting classes, said he would not participate in spring practice.

"I need to pass 21 units before the fall," Sagapolu said. "I know I can do it. I'll be back out there in the fall."

Sagapolu played in eight games last year as a true freshman and had 17 tackles, including three for losses.

* READY TO RUN: Starting tailback Jeremi Rudolph, slowed badly the final half of the season with a groin injury, has been cleared to participate in spring practice drills.

UNLV's offensive player of the year in 1999 after rushing for 693 yards on just 155 carries (4.5 avg.) and scoring four touchdowns, Rudolph said he still isn't 100 percent recovered from his groin injury.

"I'd say I'm about 85 percent right now," Rudolph said. "The doctors said I tore something in there. But it's a lot better now than it was at the end of last season."

* KICKOFF TIMES SET: Times for UNLV's five home games in 2000 have been tentatively set.

The Rebels' home opener on Sept. 16 against North Texas as well as games on Sept. 30 against Air Force and Oct. 7 against Nevada-Reno are set for 7 p.m., while the Oct. 21 contest with Wyoming is set for 4 p.m. The Rebels kick off at 1 p.m. Nov. 11 vs. New Mexico.