Banks, UNLV find quick success

Steve Addy

Monday, Nov. 19, 2001 | 10:34 a.m.

Marcus Banks didn't want it to sound as easy as it looked.

But whenever the Rebels needed somebody to create offense in Saturday's 74-69 opening win over Wisconsin, their new junior point guard was able to get the ball rolling.

Especially in the final minutes when UNLV coach Charlie Spoonhour wanted his club to run time off the clock, Banks had no trouble creating opportunities off the dribble when the shot clock dwindled under 10 seconds.

He created for himself most of the time, successfully so. In his Division I debut, Banks had a game-high 21 points on 9-of-13 shots, along with four steals and six rebounds, as the Rebels led the Badgers from start to finish.

Banks was a bit sheepish about having only one assist, but his assertiveness got the Rebels through some offensive lulls.

"I was able to get around (defenders), but then I had to decide whether to pass it or shoot it," Banks said. "I'm a pass-first guy. I look to get my team involved first. This time it was the other way around."

Led by Banks and three teammates scoring in double figures, UNLV's opening performance was more complete than could've been expected, considering the many questions surrounding Spoonhour's first Rebels team.

Showing no first-night jitters before an announced crowd of 10,769, the Rebels breezed to leads of 9-0 and 13-1 and didn't let the Badgers closer than four the rest of the night. UNLV blunted almost every Wisconsin rally by digging in defensively and quickly scoring.

Some items will need tidying up before Tuesday's game against Nicholls State (0-1), such as UNLV's turnovers (18), free-throw shooting (10-of-20) and 3-point shooting (2-of-8).

But there was a lot for Spoonhour and Co. to like. Though Wisconsin is not as rugged or experienced as its Final Four team of 2000, UNLV outrebounded the beefier Badgers 35-32, was diligent on defense with 10 steals and shot 56.4 percent (31-of-55).

There was excellent balance, too. Dalron Johnson played well throughout and had 18 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four steals. Lou Kelly scored a career-high 17 off the bench, shooting a judicious 6-of-9, and Chris Richardson played clean-up around the basket with a career-high 15 points on 7-of-10.

The Rebels even got productive minutes from centers Omari Pearson and Jamal Holden, who combined for 10 rebounds.

But Banks' game was most revelatory. On a night when the Rebels' athleticism made the difference, the Juco All-American from Dixie College and Cimarron-Memorial High School showed he can dominate at Division I speed. He settled down nicely after four turnovers in the first 10 minutes.

All night, Banks' quick first step allowed him to elude defenders and get into the lane for pull-up jumpers or twisting layups. Though he had a bad game at the foul line (2-of-8), the Badgers' inability to guard him put him there with regularity.

"Coach Spoon told me to pick my spots," Banks said. "Good things happened. I was thankful for that."

Spoonhour said, "Marcus did fine. Before he's done here, he'll have a lot better games. Not necessarily in scoring, but his judgement will improve, because he wants it to. He wants to be the best player he can be."

That quest began impressively Saturday night, and the Rebels' big picture came out OK, too.

The Rebels hadn't beaten a Big Ten team since a 66-64 win over Michigan on Dec. 28, 1995. They lost at Michigan in 1997 and to Illinois at Maui last year. ...

Mountain West teams went 7-4 on opening week, but with few significant wins. On Saturday, Stanford beat New Mexico 81-66 at the Pit and Texas Tech beat San Diego State 81-71. ...

Spoonhour's first radio show will air from 7-8 p.m. Wednesday on 920 AM, live from the ESPN Zone at the New York-New York hotel-casino. Its regular weekly slot will be on Tuesdays, but there is no show Nov. 27, Dec. 25, Jan. 1, Jan. 15 or Feb. 5.