Friday, Dec. 21, 2001 | 10:01 a.m.
Little by little, step by deliberate step, the Rebels are learning about themselves and filing the dossiers for future use.
Who they can rely on. What is their most reliable play. Who can create a good shot when the 35-second clock is under five. Who'll play hard when tired. Who can help off the bench. Who can catch a pass in traffic.
Aside from fattening the win column, non-league games are meant to uncover that information. In UNLV's case, the goal is for new coach Charlie Spoonhour to acquire the broadest knowledge of his players' capabilities before the Mountain West opener Jan. 5 against Wyoming.
When the opponent is marginal, some discoveries might require further evaluation, but at least the Rebels' 87-75 home victory over Nevada-Reno on Thursday provided interesting tidbits.
Most tellingly, the Rebels got by rather nicely in the first half while top scorer Dalron Johnson was sitting with two fouls. They stretched their lead by two while he missed the final 9:46 of the half. Before the season, Spoonhour would have considered that unlikely.
"It's good for our guys to know they can do that, and it's good for Dalron to know that if we get in a problem, the world is not going to end if he doesn't make a shot," Spoonhour said.
Johnson, the conference player of the week, finished with 10 points and eight rebounds, but was not much of a factor in the win, which lifted the Rebels to 5-3.
"I didn't have any rhythm going, but we've got other guys," Johnson said. "They got a chance to contribute and they took advantage. It doesn't have to be me. Our depth is starting to show."
Indeed, Spoonhour learned he has another useful player on his bench, senior point guard Jevon Banks, who scored nine points in 15 minutes, his longest stint all season.
Banks made a quick impression after entering with nine minutes to go in the first half. He stole an inbounds pass and went all the way for a layup. Soon after, he sparked a 14-6 spurt with consecutive passes to Marcus Banks for a layup and Omari Pearson for a dunk.
He also helped hassle UNR point guard Andre Hazel into a 3-of-9 shooting night.
Jevon Banks' performance guarantees nothing Saturday night when Texas (6-3) visits for the Las Vegas Showdown, but Spoonhour now knows that sometime, somewhere, he can insert Banks in a pinch and the offense won't slip into neutral.
"When Jevon has gone in, he has given us a lift," Spoonhour said. "He is like (Lou) Amundson in that he brings us energy. He made a strong case for getting more time."
"I was pretty comfortable when I went in," said Banks, who entered with only four points in four appearances, spanning 34 minutes. "Even when I got my shot blocked, I had the confidence to try again.
"I think we're finding out we have talented players on the bench. We have guys who could start at other D-1 schools."
By now, Spoonhour has realized that Lou Kelly is one of them. Though Kelly seems destined to remain a backup, Spoonhour is allowing him great latitude on offense. He tolerates risky shots by Kelly that would get other players yanked.
Against UNR, Kelly had 13 points in 15 minutes. He made all three 3-point shots, launching each with little warning or room to operate.
"He takes a wild shot every now and then, but he makes some silly ones. And that's the way he needs to play," Spoonhour said.
Another game, a few more discoveries. The process goes on.
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