Juco transfer Holden brings speed, defensive skills

Steve Addy

Monday, Oct. 15, 2001 | 11:49 a.m.

There is one center listed on UNLV's basketball roster, and for the first time in four years, he doesn't speak with a Latvian accent.

But the Rebels only expect Jamal Holden to inherit Kaspars Kambala's position, not match his stats or assume his disproportionate influence over the team's success or failure.

Holden, a 6-foot-10 Juco transfer from Tulsa, Okla., doesn't carry Kambala's heft -- he weighs only 220 -- and his credentials don't indicate that he'll approach Kambala's 16.9-point average, upon which the Rebels long relied.

However, with an anticipated emphasis on defense under new coach Charlie Spoonhour, the club could be well-served by Holden's mobility and long arm span. The Rebels might not be better without Kambala, but they won't be as leaden defensively.

After sitting out Saturday's opening practice -- "Punishment for missing a class," he said -- Holden joined his teammates Sunday. He quickly displayed the athleticism that led Spoonhour to sign him out of Westark College in Fort Smith, Ark.

Holden ran with speed and fluidity, showed good footwork and leaping ability. He came from behind to block a shot by freshman forward Louis Amundson, and intends for such plays to become routine.

"Blocking shots is something coach Spoonhour is going to let me do," said Holden, 21, the oldest of 10 children born to Jacques and Beverly Holden. "At Westark, our coach (Doc Sadler) didn't want his centers going after blocks. I think I'll have more freedom here."

Holden was the first of three additions to UNLV's recruiting class by Spoonhour. He originally signed with Texas Tech, but became available when new coach Bobby Knight released him from his letter of intent.

Holden arrives with modest statistics -- 11 points and six rebounds a game -- but he shared minutes with three other centers and power forwards last season. Westark had a 30-7 record and placed fifth in the national Juco tournament, where Spoonhour first saw him play.

As a freshman, Holden averaged 15 points and seven rebounds as Westark went 23-6.

Spoonhour is careful not to insinuate that Holden alone has to make up for Kambala, especially because the Rebels also lost backup center Sylvester Dotson. The backup candidates are power forwards Omari Pearson (6-8) and Amundson (6-7).

"I don't think we're going to have anyone playing 38 minutes," Spoonhour said. "I'm sure Kaspars was strong enough and talented enough to be a whole-game player (he averaged only 29.1 minutes), but there's very few of those guys around.

"It's not going to be just Jamal. There's a good opportunity for somebody else to get some major minutes if they can find a constructive way to contribute.

"You want someone in there with a presence who can score occasionally, draw some fouls, rebound and defend. I also want our big guys to be a part of the offense, passing the ball. It's not just about being tall."

Most of the Rebels' post-up plays will be run for power forward Dalron Johnson, but Holden's rebounding should get him some put-backs and dunks. He's also hoping for fast breaks created by defense.

"I'm an up-tempo player who likes to run the floor," Holden said. "We should be able to run in transition. We have a pretty athletic team. I can fit in with that."

But fitting into Kambala's shoes won't be necessary.

Spoonhour's first two practices lasted longer than two hours. The intensity rose dramatically Sunday. ...

Junior guard Lamar Bigby sat out with a stress fracture in his foot and will likely miss a few more days. Redshirt transfer guard Demetrius Hunter is recovering from surgery to remove bone spurs in his foot. ...

Center prospect Rafael Araujo (6-11) from Arizona Western College made his official visit. He'll visit BYU next week and intends to pick a school next month.