DePaul offers big road test for Rebels

Steve Guiremand

Friday, Jan. 10, 2003 | 9:49 a.m.

NEXT UP

What: UNLV at DePaul

When: Saturday, 11 a.m.

Where: All State Arena, Rosemont, Ill.

TV: KFBT, Cox Ch. 6

Radio: KBAD 920-AM

The UNLV Rebels limped off the court following a Thursday morning workout at Cox Pavilion and then boarded a plane for a flight to Chicago for Saturday's final non-conference tuneup against surpising DePaul.

The Rebels (10-2) open Mountain West Conference play at BYU on Thursday night. Four of their next five games are on the road, including Saturday's game against the Blue Demons that will be shown live in Las Vegas on KFBT-TV Gold 33 (Cox Cable 6) at 11 a.m.

At least two Rebels starters won't be at full speed for the contest, which could prove to be a key one for both teams when NCAA Tournament pairings come out in mid-March.

Starting shooting guard Demetrius Hunter left practice early for treatment on an Achilles' tendon injury that has plagued him since the start of fall practice. Perhaps more troubling was that starting center J.K. Edwards appeared to be in a lot of pain after straining a groin muscle that sidelined him most of practice.

The Rebels can ill afford to be without either Hunter or Edwards against an athletic DePaul (8-3) squad that figures to be smarting after a tough 64-56 loss at Cincinnati on Wednesday night in the Conference USA opener for first-year head coach Dave Leitao. A win over UNLV would match DePaul's win total for the entire season (9-19) last year.

"Those of us who have been in the league aren't surprised at all about DePaul," Cincinnati coach Bob Huggins told the Chicago Sun-Times this week. "They have good players and Dave runs a good system they've responded to. When you can bring (6-foot-9 junior forward) Andre Brown, a preseason all-conference pick, off the bench, that's saying a lot."

UNLV coach Charlie Spoonhour agreed.

"DePaul is never going to hurt for talent," Spoonhour said. "(Leitao) does a good job. He's got them organized and playing hard. They've got a good ballclub. It's a good game for both of us."

After playing six in a row at the Thomas & Mack Center, Spoonhour sounded glad to have a road game to prepare his team for next week's game at the Marriott Center, where BYU has won 42 consecutive games, the longest home court streak in the nation.

"It's sort of our last hurrah before we begin our conference," Spoonhour said. "When you go back on the road you find out that some of the things you may have gotten away with here ... you can't do them on the road. We'll talk about that with them. This gives us a chance to get back on the road and play a game away from home again. We'll see how things go."

DePaul is led by 6-foot-9 senior forward/center Sam Hoskin (15.2 ppg, 7.0 rpg), who had 22 points in Wednesday night's loss at Cincinnati. The Blue Demons are 7-0 at home this season while UNLV is 2-1 on the road.