Rebels’ force to be Beck-oned with

Monday, Nov. 3, 2003 | 9:55 a.m.

For most of the past four years, Romel Beck has more than noticed how opponents initially take him lightly after taking their first glances at his slim stature.

Soon enough, however, they comprehend that UNLV's new 6-foot-7, 185-pound swingman is as lethal as he is lithe. It's fine with him, too, if foes continue to discount him in his first season of Division I basketball.

"I'm a nice guy off the court," said the soft-spoken Beck. "But on the court, I'll give it back. I can get dirty on the court, no problem there."

After two weeks of practice, Beck has, unofficially, been the one Rebel whose skills and style have stood out among the crowd. Saturday night, he led everyone with 12 points in the team's intrasquad scrimmage at the Thomas & Mack Center.

From 3-point range, he is a marksman. Like all long-range experts, he favors the corners.

"That's his forte," said Jerel Blassingame, who teamed with Beck to guide Los Angeles City College to a 36-2 record and a state title last season and whose experience should give him the nod as the Rebels' starting point guard.

With his impressive wing span and quick feet, Beck is a pesky praying mantis on defense, and he's liable to punctuate a dribble and a drive with a resounding dunk in a flash on the other end.

He led a pack on a breakaway last week, effortlessly putting the ball on the floor -- only twice from halfcourt -- and sailing in for a hard, right-handed dunk that wasn't close to being contested.

Wilbur Williams was watching.

Williams played at L.A. City last season, too, and he made an official visit to UNLV last week. That particular dunk did not surprise Williams, and he said Rebels fans can expect "everything" from Beck.

"He can create his own shot, he can dribble, he can drill set shots and he can pass it very well," Williams said. "He's quick and long, which he uses to his advantage. And that dunk? He can do that from anywhere on the floor.

"He just needs to get stronger, that's it. That's his No. 1 weakness, right there."

Even then, Blassingame said that is not a glaring deficiency in Beck's game.

"Because he plays around that toughness," Blassingame said. "If guys want to get up in him and play physical, he takes that as an opportunity to drive, then he can do a lot of things. And there's no rattling him, either."

At his first few UNLV practices, Beck was too unselfish, not an uncommon act for someone trying to fit into a new program, with a new coach and new teammates.

Rebels coach Charlie Spoonhour didn't put up with that for very long.

"We had a talk," Beck said. "If the shot is there, take it."

Beck passing up a wide-open shot prompted that short chat. Demetrius Hunter had yelled "one more pass," and Beck deferred to the senior shooting guard while he had a clear look at a mid-ranger jumper.

"I told him not to give up a good shot," Spoonhour said. "That's when you compound your mistakes. But he's trying to do what's right, and you don't worry about that kind of stuff. Trying to be a good team player ... that's good."

Beck, 21, honed his dribbling and passing skills in the first half of his prep career at Etiwanda High in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., then he sprouted from 5-10 to 6-3 between his sophomore and junior years.

He shot to 6-6 before his senior season.

"I've always had good ball-handling skills," Beck said. "Here, I've adjusted fine. In Division I, guys are quicker and guys are stronger, and you have to be more patient in your shots. Just take your time.

"Of course, I'll have to bulk up a bit. But, right now, I'm just using my smarts and quickness to my advantage, and my size, by shooting over little guards and defending little guards. Those will all help me a lot."

Beck's adjustment period has been smoothened because Spoonhour and L.A. City coach Mike Miller run similar offensive systems, with plenty of motion. In addition, Beck has been a catalyst at UNLV practices in the high post, where he thrived at L.A. City.

Miller had his charges run often, and Beck said he has sensed that that is what Spoonhour will direct a short-but-speedy UNLV squad to do this season.

"(Spoonhour) is trying to do the same thing here, so I like that," Beck said. "He's trying to bring back the old style, the way they used to run up here. There are quick guards here."

Beck and Blassingame are frequently the only Rebels who have stayed after practice, often for an hour. The discipline he learned from Miller, Beck said, is why 3-pointers fall so easily for him.

"It looks easy when you put in hard work," he said.

The hardest part will be on Beck's defenders, who must choose whether to play rough with the skinny, soft-spoken kid, and get torched when he zips by, or give him his space, then watch him nail 22-foot jumpers.

"I'm happy I came here," Beck said. "We all get along and we all hang out together, and everyone likes each other. It's a good group, and I think we'll be all right."