Future holds exciting plans for Osborne

Monday, Nov. 17, 2003 | 9:53 a.m.

When he leaves UNLV, walk-on guard Jonathan Osborne has plenty of plans.

In some order, he aims to attend graduate school and law school, teach, become a criminal defense attorney and work in the Central Intelligence Agency.

"There's a lot of stuff I want to do," said Osborne, a 6-foot-2 redshirt freshman. "I probably don't have enough time in my life to do everything, but I'm going to try."

To challenge himself academically, Osborne enrolled in the prestigious Honors College at UNLV when he moved on from Green Valley High in Henderson.

The usual English, public speaking and French classes wouldn't cut it for someone who expects so much from himself, courtesy of parents David and Leslie Osborne.

"It's honors public speaking, honors French, honors this and honors that," Osborne said. "It doesn't change the amount of credits you get. It's just a more challenging curriculum. And there are a certain amount of honors seminars.

"I think it just gives you a rounder education."

A year ago, he took five such demanding classes his first semester, taxing his transition to college life. He rebounded in the spring to boost his first-year grade-point average to 2.9. He set 3.5 as his goal this academic year.

"He absolutely has his priorities right," said longtime Rebels assistant coach Dave Rice. "He's a role model for the other guys, in terms of what he's able to do, academically."

For graduating from Green Valley with at least a 3.0 GPA, Osborne receives about $2,500 annually, for fees and books, via the state-sponsored Millennium Scholarship.

Rice called him the "epitome" of a student-athlete, and coach Charlie Spoonhour said Osborne is a dependable and responsible teammate and friend.

"He's the kind of guy schools look for, and not just for basketball; for everything else," Spoonhour said. "He's a good student, he's always here and he does everything you ask. He's not the fastest guy, but he's smart.

"Whatever physical limitations he has, he makes up for with his brain. When he makes a mistake, I'm usually surprised. I don't expect him to make mistakes."

Look for the future CIA agent to continue using his noggin Friday night, when the Rebels open their season against Delaware State at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Not long ago, Osborne, a Miami native, aspired to attend Florida State. After his sophomore year at Ransom Everglades High, though, he, two sisters and his parents moved to Las Vegas when David Osborne, a computer engineer, accepted a job transfer.

Osborne helped Green Valley reach the semifinals of the state tournament as a senior. When Spoonhour expressed interest, Osborne quashed advances from Eastern Washington, St. Mary's and Liberty.

Last season, he used a redshirt option when early-season discomfort in his lower back became persistent. Osborne admitted to feeling like an outcast, being a sidelined non-scholarship player.

"It was just a different status," Osborne said of 2002-03. "I just had to adjust to it. I think it's made me stronger, as a player and a person. I felt like I had something to prove. This year, it isn't like that. I feel like I'm the same as everyone else."

This season, Osborne could develop into a scrappy and steady contributor.

In a 32-point exhibition victory Saturday night, he drilled a late 3-point shot in a game in which Spoonhour experimented with him at small forward for a few sets.

Spoonhour has only 10 scholarship players, which will be further whittled because of the early-season suspensions of center J.K. Edwards (six games) and James Peters (three). A calf injury has also sidelined injury-prone senior guard Demetrius Hunter.

"You only have so many guys," Spoonhour said. "Then, you can get into foul trouble. People will be asked to do (different) stuff."

Thus, Osborne finds himself at small forward on occasion. He believes his team will be fine. He's confident in his teammates and likes the team's strong nucleus.

Last Monday, he started in UNLV's first exhibition game, sinking a basket, dishing out an assist and stealing two passes in 18 minutes.

"I hadn't expected it," Osborne said. "Really, if you had asked me a month ago if I'd start, I probably would have laughed. It was an honor."

Spoonhour wanted to see how two new point guards, junior Jerel Blassingame and freshman Michael Umeh, fared next to each other from the start Saturday night. Otherwise, Osborne might have been in that opening lineup, too.

"Really, the main thing you want is to make the most of every minute you get," Spoonhour said.

That also applies away from the court, which isn't a new lesson to Osborne. He paused, when asked if he feels he sticks out among his peers. Then he noted some differences.

"Yeah, I guess I am different," he said. "I look at things from a different perspective. A lot of times, people look at life in the present. What will I do 'now.' But I'm looking at how college is going to help me in the future

"I have other aspirations, besides just playing basketball. There are a lot of things I want to do outsides athletics."