Blue-chipper on verge of commiting to UNLV

Thursday, March 20, 2003 | 9:59 a.m.

During his official recruiting trip at the end of last week, Minneapolis native Andy Hannan said he neither saw nor heard anything that would lead him to believe that coach Charlie Spoonhour might walk away from UNLV.

"I don't really see that happening," Hannan said. "He talked about next year, and the year after that, with me. He talked about getting back to the NCAA tournament. They were one point away from going to that tournament.

"I don't see him ending it. That's the feeling I got from him. He seemed real upbeat about the weekend and about his future at UNLV."

Spoonhour, 63, is signed through 2005-06 and hasn't commented on speculation that he might resign after this season.

Hannan attended the Thomas & Mack Center for UNLV's victories against San Diego State and Utah in the Mountain West Conference tournament. He left Saturday morning, about 12 hours before the Rebels were upended by Colorado State in the title game.

Because UNLV won when he watched and lost after he left Las Vegas, Hannan considers himself a good-luck charm for the Rebels.

"That's what I think I'm going to tell those guys," he said of UNLV's staff. "I thought Colorado State played well. Obviously, we didn't play as well as they did. I just think Colorado State was on a roll. They were the better team that night. They were smarter.

"I don't know, losing a one-point game and not going to the NCAA tournament? That's tough. But I liked the pace that UNLV played at ... they see me fitting into their rotation, and I think I fit well with the pace and the athletic ability they're looking for."

A 6-foot-6 swingman who guided small-division Minneapolis Community and Technical College to a 25-3 record in 2002-03, Hannan said he might not even arrange recruiting visits to two of his suitors, Wyoming and Wisconsin. Illinois is a late player for his services.

UNLV has two scholarships to give, and 6-2 Barton County (Kan.) point guard Randy Pulley and 6-7 Los Angeles City small forward Romel Beck are other junior college players on Spoonhour's short wish list.

Alabama, Wyoming and Illinois are also after Beck. Texas and UNLV are dueling for Pulley. Neither player has scheduled an official recruiting visit to Las Vegas or was available for comment.

The Rebels might have another available scholarship if the tenuous academic standing of Chris Adams, a 6-10 center at the City College of San Francisco who is considered one of the top five JC players in the nation at his position, undermines him.

Missouri City (Texas) High guard Michael Umeh and Hercules (Calif.) High guard John Winston, like Adams, signed written commitments to UNLV last fall. Those two could push Pulley for a point guard position that will be vacated by Marcus Banks.

UNLV coaches cannot speak about a recruit until they have received a signed National Letter-of-Intent.

Hannan said Spoonhour made him a scholarship offer during his stay here and that he will likely make an oral commitment to Spoonhour and the Rebels' program by the end of next week. The spring signing period begins April 9.

"Yeah, I'm pretty close to giving a verbal (commitment to UNLV)," Hannan said. "The Rebels are definitely No. 1 right now. By April 9, it will be done."

Hannan went to Division I Binghamton (N.Y.) out of Minneapolis Holy Angels High, but he left after experiencing a disappointing year in New York. When the University of Minnesota showed no interest, he chose MCTC.

He led the Marauders by averaging 20.5 points and 7.2 rebounds, and his 66 steals were also a team best. With 120 assists, he finished five shy of leading MCTC in a fourth category.