Thursday, Jan. 10, 2002 | 5:36 a.m.
WHAT: UNLV (8-5) at Utah (10-3)
WHEN: Saturday, noon
WHERE: Huntsman Center, Salt Lake City
TV: KFBT Cable 6
RADIO: KBAD 920-AM
UNLV center Omari Pearson has struggled for the last month, but he doesn't need anyone to remind him.
Pearson, a 6-foot-8 sophomore from Chicago, readily acknowledges he has to play better, especially with the Rebels preparing to face Utah, one of the tallest teams on their schedule.
Starting all 13 games, Pearson has averaged 3.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 17.6 minutes. In the first six games, he scored 32 points and made 13 of 20 shots. But in the last seven, he has only 13 points on 5 of 19 field goals. He has gotten fewer than four rebounds eight times overall.
"I'm trying to get back to where I was early on," Pearson said. "I'm struggling right now, but hopefully I'll come around. All I can do is continue to play hard."
Having gone scoreless in three of the last four games, Pearson's second-half playing time has dwindled. He played only four minutes after halftime Monday at Air Force, and he wasn't in foul trouble. He just wasn't thriving against the Falcons' small front line.
"I don't want to be a weakness for my team," Pearson said. "If I'm hurting my team, you have to sub for me. I understand that.
"In a way, I feel like I'm still a freshman. This is the most minutes I've gotten, and I'm still learning. Coach (Charlie) Spoonhour has put a lot of trust in me. I'm trying to make the most of that."
Center has been a weakness for UNLV all season, and not only because Kaspars Kambala isn't there anymore. Juco transfer Jamal Holden failed to grab the starting job and left the program last month after playing sparingly in five games.
With Pearson starting and 6-7 freshman Louis Amundson backing him up, the Rebels are too young and small to outplay most centers. They'll catch a minor break Saturday, because Utah starter Chris Burgess (6-10) is out with a foot injury, but four others in the Utes' rotation are 6-9 or taller.
Spoonhour said he isn't concerned so much with Pearson's offensive dip.
"In that position, you're called upon to rebound," Spoonhour said. "That is the main thing we need. Somebody has to rebound and guard their center. If you're not scoring, you need to do other things."
After averaging 9.3 points in 26 games last season, Lewis had right knee surgery in May. He has been unable to practice at full speed for any length of time.
"It's taken a little longer than I thought," Lewis said. "I want to make sure it's healed."
Spoonhour said, "He has to feel comfortable about playing and so does (the medical staff)."
* NOTES: In the last three games, the Rebels have made 78.3 percent of their free throws (65-of-83), well above their 67.0 season percentage. Dalron Johnson leads them at 84.2 percent (32-of-38). ...
Johnson has 25 blocked shots. Three more will give him 129 in his career, pushing him past Stacey Augmon for fifth on UNLV's all-time list. ...
Ex-UNLV coach Max Good has had a slow start at Division II Bryant College in Smithfield, R.I. His team is 4-8 overall and 1-7 in the Northeast-10 Conference.
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