Cameroon center has close eye on UNLV

Steve Addy

Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2000 | 10:41 a.m.

UNLV might be close to landing one of the best centers on the summer basketball circuit.

Cameroon native Simplece N'Joya, a 6-foot-10 player from Godby HS in Tallahassee, Fla., is preparing to make an oral commitment to the Rebels next week, according to recruiting guru Mike Sullivan of Insiders Report.

Rebels coach Bill Bayno is prohibited from commenting on recruits, so he would not confirm or deny the report.

But N'Joya is known to be one of UNLV's foremost targets for the 2001 recruiting class. In July, the African played exceptionally at the ABCD Camp in New Jersey and the Big-Time Tournament in Las Vegas.

N'Joya has been playing basketball only four years. At 235 pounds, he is still viewed as a raw talent, but his vast improvement over the summer had schools like Michigan State, Wake Forest and Georgia Tech recruiting him. UNLV is the clear leader now, Sullivan said.

Last season, N'Joya averaged 19 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks at The Berkshire School in Homestead, Fla., a 130-student public school whose team was 95 percent international. Berkshire's athletic program has been suspended for five years because of Florida rules violations, so N'Joya transferred to Godby for his senior year.

His Berkshire teammate, well-regarded forward Jaime Lloreda, tried to enroll at UNLV last week after the NCAA denied his eligibility at Colorado. But the Panamanian couldn't enroll, so he will play at Dixie College in St. George, Utah, where UNLV can keep close tabs on him.

N'Joya's interest comes at a good time for the Rebels, who appear to have fallen out of the running for 7-footer Chris Charles of Crispus Attucks Charter School in York, Pa., which sent 2000 recruits Omari Pearson and Lafonte Johnson to the Rebels.

Villanova is in the lead for Charles, Crispus Attucks coach Isiah Anderson said Tuesday. Syracuse, Maryland and Georgia Tech are also in contention.

"UNLV isn't as strong as it was," Anderson said, saying the loss of Rebels associate head coach Glynn Cyprien to Oklahoma State likely led to misgivings for Charles.

Because Crispus Attucks has stopped hosting out-of-state players, Charles intends to transfer to Maine Central Institute this month, Anderson said.

In other recruiting news, top two-guard prospect Ernest Turner from Somerdale, N.J., has narrowed his list to UNLV, Rutgers and Villanova. He has home visits scheduled with all three, but only after he takes his SAT entrance exam Oct. 8.