Rebels’ Johnson jumps into the spotlight

Steve Addy

Thursday, Nov. 15, 2001 | 11:01 a.m.

UNLV power forward Dalron Johnson is resigned to being selfish this season, and coach Charlie Spoonhour has given his wholehearted approval.

For the Rebels to have substantial success in a season that begins Saturday against Wisconsin, the 6-foot-9 Johnson knows he must take over as the team's pivotal player.

After two years as understudy to Kaspars Kambala for the leading frontcourt role, Johnson's time has arrived. Kambala is gone and Johnson is the Rebels' top returning scorer at 12.3 points a game.

Johnson and Spoonhour know he has to significantly boost his average, which will require Johnson to be more assertive in the low post, more proficient on the perimeter and more aggressive crashing the offensive glass.

No longer can Johnson defer to teammates. The ball will touch his hands on virtually every UNLV possession -- as it did with Kambala -- and if he has an open shot, there's no reason he shouldn't take it.

And if the ball doesn't touch his hands, he has to call for it -- loudly.

"Dalron will have to be our best player," Spoonhour said. "We didn't ask him if he was ready. It just has to be that way for us to be successful. He's not vocal, because it's not his style, but he needs to be more demanding, maybe a little more selfish."

Johnson, a junior from Los Angeles, understands the kind of selfishness Spoonhour wants. The Rebels can't afford him gunning indiscriminately, but he has to play with the bravado and swagger of his status. He is the most complete scorer on a team of uncertain offensive depth.

"I have no choice but to take the challenge, whatever it is," Johnson said. "If they need me to be the primary scorer, I'll do that. If I need to get 20 (points) and 10 (rebounds) and five assists, I'll try to do that."

Johnson averaged 9.2 shots a game as a freshman and 11.7 last season. In UNLV's two exhibitions in the past week, he took 29 shots and hit 14, compiling a team-leading 33 points.

In Tuesday's 73-69 loss to Global Sports, he scored 21 on a variety of offensive moves, some facing the basket, others on post-ups. Somewhat resigned to his lack of bulk (205 pounds), he figured he had better broaden his repertoire this season.

"I won't be able to butt anyone down under the basket, so I have worked on some little fadeaways and jump hooks," Johnson said. "I want to have a variety of moves to use my quickness and height."

Spoonhour said, "We'll use Dalron some inside and some outside. We'll give a lot of different looks. I think he's pretty good in the post or facing the basket."

Though most players would welcome a chance to shoot more, the expanded role is rather foreign to Johnson. He had grown accustomed to the offense always running through Kambala.

"Even in high school, I wasn't the primary scorer. I've always been a player who tries to get my teammates involved," he said. "It's not important to me to have the whole offense run through me, but it's something I'll have to adjust to. I will do it gladly, if it helps us win."

Johnson's teammates could also benefit from his assertiveness. As the Rebel most likely to draw double-teams, his ability to find the open man could result in better shots for the guards. Last season, the offense often stagnated when Kambala forced shots against double-teams.

"I have a little more passing ability out of the post and I'll use it," Johnson said.