UNLV promoting Frohlich for All-America honors

Steve Guiremand

Friday, Jan. 11, 2002 | 10:44 a.m.

Things are getting political around UNLV's women's basketball program.

At the end of practice Thursday afternoon at the Thomas & Mack Center, Lady Rebel coach Regina Miller passed out some campaign buttons to her squad.

Gov. Kenny Guinn can rest easy. The campaign is for Linda Frohlich for All-America honors.

The 6-foot-2 senior forward from Oldendorf, Germany, who earlier this season broke Misty Thomas' school career scoring mark and needs just 20 more rebounds to become the second player in school history to garner 1,000 in her career, has twice earned honorable mention All-America recognition in her career.

And it would seem Frohlich, who leads the Mountain West Conference in scoring (21.9 ppg) and rebounding (11.2 rpg), is well on her way to earning her third straight conference player of the year award.

Now UNLV, with the blessing of new athletic director John Robinson, is starting a campaign to help Frohlich become the school's first All-American since Pauline Jordan in 1989-90.

The buttons, which will be sent to the nation's basketball media, feature Frohlich standing in front of a American flag.

The Frohlich campaign will be part of a marketing scheme to promote the Lady Rebels that will include ticket giveaways for the Jan. 24 game against Air Force. UNLV players and cheerleaders will also be visiting local elementary and middle schools in an effort to create a buzz for the Air Force game and Frohlich buttons will be handed out at Saturday's game against San Diego State at the Thomas & Mack Center and again at the Air Force game.

"It is an honor," Frohlich said. "It was so neat that when my teammates saw the buttons, they all smiled and stuff. That really made me feel good."

"It's great for our program, it's great for the school in that they are paying attention nationally to Linda," Miller said. "It's just going to open the door for other players here and hopefully help in recruiting as well."

A similar marketing campaign touting quarterback Jason Thomas for postseason honors seemed to backfire last season when Thomas and the Rebel football team got off to an unexpected slow start. But Miller said she doesn't believe there will be any problems with team chemistry even with the spotlight focused so strongly on Frohlich.

"I think our team realizes that no one player is bigger than the team," Miller said. "I think our players understand for Linda to attain that honor it will be because of the effort of the whole team."

UNLV (13-1, 1-0) resumes Mountain West play with Saturday's 7:35 p.m. game against SDSU (8-5, 0-0).