Johnson feeling more at home with UNLV

Steve Addy

Thursday, Oct. 18, 2001 | 10:34 a.m.

Lafonte Johnson has alleviated the homesickness that plagued him last season, mainly by bringing his best friend to UNLV.

Now, after deciding not to transfer closer to his native Baltimore, the 5-foot-10 sophomore has a clear head and a fresh goal.

Johnson wants to impress new coach Charlie Spoonhour and separate himself from the pack of point guards fighting for playing time.

Junior college transfer Marcus Banks is likely to start, but Spoonhour often plays two point guards in the same lineup, so Johnson will get ample opportunity. Last season, he started the first 11 games before giving way to Vince Booker, who is back for his senior year.

Senior Jevon Banks is also in the mix. He was averaging 20 minutes last season before a Dec. 2 ankle injury limited him to 32 minutes the rest of the way.

So far, everyone is getting an equal opportunity, Johnson said.

"Coach has been fair about giving everybody a chance," he said. "There has been no favoritism. He leans on everyone who makes a mistake, not just one or two guys. I like that."

In his spotty freshman season, Johnson played all 29 games and averaged 4.4 points, though there were some bright moments late in the season. He had a season-high 17 points against BYU on Feb. 10 and 12 against Colorado State on March 1.

But it wasn't an easy time for Johnson. By mid-December, the coaches who recruited him, Glynn Cyprien and Bill Bayno, were gone from UNLV. On Dec. 29, one of Johnson's friends, Nathaniel Chase, died in a car accident near Baltimore.

Struggles on the court and uncertainty over the coaching situation made Johnson all the more anxious. He felt isolated, thousands of miles from home.

"Some days, it was really tough. You feel all alone," Johnson said. "I was at the point where I was going to transfer.

"But some people told me that coach Spoonhour is a great coach and I should give him a chance, at least have a meeting with him, one-on-one. I decided to stay. It seems pretty cool so far."

Johnson is well-liked by his teammates -- his nickname: "Shorty" -- and he is close to sophomore forward Omari Pearson. But he has bolstered his personal support system by moving best friend Keon Grimes, 22, from Baltimore to live with him.

"He's not really my cousin, but that's what I call him," Johnson said. "He has helped a lot. He's been my best friend for a long time. He understands my situation."

Spoonhour is hobbling, however. He got knocked down by Pearson in a drill Tuesday. "My back is pretty sore," he said. ...

The Rebels have begun wearing weighted vests under their practice jerseys. Flat weights totaling six pounds are inserted. "Just something else I can torment them with," Spoonhour said.