Hunter: Calf injury is healed, set to practice

Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2003 | 10:53 a.m.

After extensive attention from trainer Dave Tomchek, UNLV senior shooting guard Demetrius Hunter proclaimed Monday that his right calf is fine and that he planned to go full-bore in practice today.

"I'm finally back," he said. "I hope I can stay like this."

The Rebels open their season Friday night against Delaware State, which went 15-12 last season, at the Thomas & Mack Center.

In a practice last week, after sitting out of Monday's exhibition game, Hunter said he heard a "pop" when he aggravated his right calf. He was then shelved, upon Tomchek's orders, for Saturday night's exhibition.

Tomchek increased the treatment. According to Hunter, that consisted of more ice and electrical stimulation.

"Those helped me turn the corner," he said. "I am tired of standing and watching. I've watched enough, and I'm playing this week. Starting (Friday)? That's up to coach (Charlie) Spoonhour. I just want to play."

Hunter went to Georgetown out of Cheyenne High, then experienced problems with both Achilles' tendons at the end of his career as a Hoya and during his first run with the Rebels.

As a sophomore at Georgetown, he started all 33 games and averaged 9.2 points, sinking 38.9 percent of his 3-point shots. He started 17 of 28 games, averaging 7.2 points, at UNLV last season.

A chiseled 6-foot-2 leaper, Hunter's game is predicated on sound legs.

"I feel pretty good," he said. "I ran (Sunday) with Tomchek, and there was no hindrance. It was just a bad strain. It did scare me, but I was more mad than anything. Luckily, it wasn't too serious. I owe Tomchek."

The only closed-door sessions were mandated by the NCAA, during the eight NCAA tournaments that Spoonhour took Southwest Missouri State (five) and Saint Louis (three).

The regular open-door policy is uncommon at major Division I basketball programs, including UNLV.

Until Jerry Tarkanian's reign ended in 1992, all of the Rebels' practices were open. Rollie Massimino's were partially closed to the media, and open to invited guests. Bill Bayno's were partially open to the media and public.

"It's never been an issue," Spoonhour said. "I got used to it. It's just something we've done."

Told how tight some coaches, such as new UCLA coach Ben Howland and many in the Big Ten Conference, run their practices behind closed doors, Spoonhour paused.

"Honestly, I haven't thought of it," he said. "When I hear, 'I couldn't go to so-and-so's practice,' that seems different to me. If you had distractions or large groups ... there might be some time we will do it, but I'm not planning on it."