Ex-Rebel assistant Thomas taking his lumps at WIU

Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2003 | 9:38 a.m.

Charlie Spoonhour told protege Derek Thomas that there would be games like the one Thomas endured last Tuesday, when Western Illinois got whipped, 96-67, by Tennessee-Martin.

On Wednesday morning, Spoonhour, UNLV's basketball coach, reminded Thomas of what awaits him this season.

"He called to see how I was doing," Thomas said. "He was concerned how I'd deal with that first beating. He wanted me to keep my head up and keep working, and he told me there will be a few more of those."

Just three days away, to be exact. The Leathernecks fell to 0-3 on Saturday after a 94-66 lesson from 12th-ranked Illinois in Champaign, Ill.

A UNLV assistant for the last two seasons who served on Spoonhour's staffs at Southwest Missouri State and Saint Louis, Thomas brings his first Division I team to Las Vegas on Wednesday night to play the Rebels.

Most likely, more than two dozen fans, the attendance figure for that debacle against Tennessee-Martin in Springfield, Mo., will show for the game at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Spoonhour has offered words of consolation and encouragement to Thomas, telling him why so many head coaching jobs become available.

"It's not because everything is wonderful," Spoonhour said.

In some ways, Thomas said, he knew what he was getting into at a program that has lost at least 20 games in three of its previous four seasons. Highs and lows are inevitable, and he's still blessed to be doing what he's doing.

Then again ...

"You just don't know the total situation of what you're going into until you get there and the game starts," Thomas said. "You can only imagine. You think, sometimes, it's nice to be an assistant, sitting behind the coach and not having to deal with some of this.

"It makes you think back to some things 'Spoon' told you. When those things happen, you sit back and try to watch the clock ... there's not a whole lot you can do about it. You try to forget it as soon as possible and move on."

That's easier said than done when a 6 1/2-hour bus ride back home from Springfield awaits a 29-point defeat to Tennessee-Martin.

After a distasteful road loss at UNLV, at least a plane ride home had a purging effect. Now, on a bus, there's more time to dwell on aspects of a game that went awry. He concurred that that can be therapeutic.

"In some way, yes," Thomas said. "There were some things you did better than you had thought and other things you did worse, (but) it's not something you want to get used to. By the time we got home, we could try to forget about it.

"But it was hard ... we got beat so bad."

Thomas, 37, secured his first recruit less than three weeks after taking the job at Western Illinois in April.

T.J. Gray, a 5-foot-9 point guard out of Chicago Julian High, attracted Thomas with his fearlessness. Gray has scored 35 points in the three defeats, with an assists-to-turnovers ratio better than 2-1.

Only Anthony Lenior, a 6-6 junior who is the tallest Leathernecks starter, has made at least half (8-for-15) of his shots. They attempt 25 3-pointers a game.

"We're not an overly talented team," Thomas said. "If we don't play oharder than the ther team, we don't have a good chance."

He said he was concerned that that would happen against Martin, in the second of back-to-back games. Looking back, Thomas figured maybe he could have called more timeouts earlier, to try to put a tourniquet on the run-away game.

"But I don't know if that would have prevented it from happening later on," said Thomas, whose next recruiting class has been tabbed as a national top-50 unit by some talent touts.

Sports has played an intimate role in Thomas' life. His father, Emmitt, was a defensive back for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1966-78. Emmitt Thomas, 60, assisted five NFL teams before joining the Atlanta Falcons in 2002.

Derek Thomas had a fine example of work ethic, class and character in his own home.

"I know his father is very proud of him," Spoonhour said. "His father is a great man. It would have been impossible for Derek to be anything but a good person with the parents he has."

Derek said his father has taught him how to roll with the inevitable highs and lows that come with such a high-profile life in the sports world.

Spoonhour said he will have trouble Wednesday, trying to concoct a plan and devise schemes to beat someone for whom he has such fondness. Once, Spoonhour got into a sideline argument with Cincinnati coach Bob Huggins, a dear friend.

It got so heated, Spoonhour said, he threw a towel at Huggins.

Thomas said he will feel just as torn. When it appeared he might have a shot at getting the Western Illinois gig, Thomas knew Spoonhour had a couple of holes in his schedule. Just in case, Thomas said, save one for me.

A few weeks later, he got the job -- and a return ticket to Las Vegas.

The Leathernecks were guaranteed $40,000 for the game.

"It'll be different," Thomas said. "I'll be privileged to be playing back at the Thomas & Mack Center. I love Las Vegas and loved UNLV. If not for a head coaching opportunity, I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else.

"And I'll be privileged to play against coach (Spoonhour) and guys I helped recruit. I hope we have a good showing and make him look good, that he's taught me well."