Bigby shaking off the rust

Steve Addy

Thursday, Oct. 25, 2001 | 11:28 a.m.

Rebels newcomer Lamar Bigby didn't play much hoops for the last 18 months, but he jumped through plenty of them.

The 6-foot-5 swingman from Detroit took a circuitous route to UNLV, an odyssey that kept him out of organized basketball last season and had him working at Radio Shack in Oakland, Calif.

Now Bigby is trying to knock off the rust and work himself into a valuable role with the Rebels.

He could earn playing time at shooting guard or small forward, the Rebels' most up-for-grabs positions. He will likely come off the bench as a plugger at both spots -- pretty much the role prescribed for him in May when he became the Rebels' fifth and final 2001 signee.

"He's got a decent feel for the game, and he wants to do well. That's important," coach Charlie Spoonhour said. "Athletically, he's very good."

On the recommendation of Spoonhour's assistants, Bigby was signed largely as insurance after incumbent shooting guard Jermaine Lewis underwent spring knee surgery that could keep him out until January.

So far, it's been hard for Spoonhour to assess Bigby because a stress fracture in his foot kept him out the first week of practice. He's having to catch up fast.

"He's been away for a year, and the foot compounded that," Spoonhour said. "He's six practices behind, and that's quite a bit of fundamentals and drillwork. Plus he missed most of the (summer) individual workouts."

Bigby took the delay in stride. After waiting an extra year to play Division I ball, he saw no sense in rushing back and possibly making the foot injury linger.

"I'm coming along fine," the 22-year-old said. "I'm anxious to get going. I'll play hard every day, and whatever happens, happens. I like the things that coach Spoon is putting in. Now I have to work myself into the rotation. There's an opportunity for everybody."

Most of last year, Bigby wondered if his next basketball opportunity would ever come.

From 1998-00, he played at Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Mich., averaging 17 points for a team that went 50-12, but he couldn't move on to Division I in 2000 without his Juco degree. So he attended San Francisco City College last year to complete his academics.

In the meantime, Bigby committed to San Jose State last fall and took a job at Radio Shack.

But the plot thickened. In the spring, Bigby and the San Jose coaches mutually agreed to release him from his letter of intent. DePaul, Creighton and Toledo showed interest in signing him, but Bigby quickly committed to the Rebels after his official visit in late April.

In the summer, he married Lonyae Thomas of Oakland and their son Isiah was born July 14.

"Being married is fun," Bigby said. "It's something I cherish."

After a year on the sidelines, basketball is high on that list again.