Peters to return to test from Cal

Nick Christensen

Friday, Nov. 28, 2003 | 9:59 a.m.

So much for easing into the season.

When UNLV forward James Peters returns to the court for his first game after starting the 2003 season suspended, he'll be facing the California Golden Bears and all-Pac-10 center Amit Tamir, a 6-11 force in the paint.

"I think I'll be OK coming back in the game," Peters said of his return. "I work on everything in practice, doing a lot of running -- should be OK."

OK might not be enough. After facing Tamir, the Rebels leave on their annual road(eo) trip, this year subjecting themselves to USC, Loyola Marymount, and Stanford after their home matchup with the Bears.

Two of those three teams -- USC and Stanford -- defeated UNLV at home last season.

Nobody's expecting Peters to return at his top form, but UNLV's inside game has been struggling as Peters and forward J.K. Edwards sat for their involvement in the university phone system abuse uncovered this summer. Peters sat for three games, Edwards still has three more games on his suspension.

"We can't expect him to go out and be at midseason form," UNLV coach Charlie Spoonhour said. "He's been practicing with the second unit. It'll take awhile."

Peters appeared in all 32 games for the Rebels last year, averaging 6.4 points and 3.4 rebounds for his junior year. He was named to the Mountain West conference all-tournament team after scoring 36 points and bringing down 15 rebounds over three games.

"It gives us a chance to catch a break," Spoonhour said after Wednesday's 75-55 win over Western Illinois, in front of a Thomas and Mack Center crowd estimated to be around 4,500. "We can get a little rotation, rather than playing catch as catch can."

Spoonhour said that by bringing Peters in, power forward Odartey Blankson will get some more rest, and natural small forward Andy Hannan will stop playing out of position. Hannan was the shortest of the four Rebels over 6-5 available to Spoonhour while Peters and Edwards sat.

"It's going to be a big lift for us, to have someone else down there on the blocks," forward Louis Amundson said. "We know these are tough cames, it's good to get our seniors back. They help us a lot."

Blankson, who's leading the team with 19.3 points and 11 rebounds a game this year, said the return of Peters doesn't figure to impact his game too much.

"Nothing really changes a whole lot," Blankson said. "I'm still playing with J-Mo (Peters) or Louis (Amundson), but it brings in another fresh body."