Thursday, Oct. 2, 2003 | 9:58 a.m.
Rob Miech
A random week in the month of UNLV assistant coach Deane Martin, who has assumed much of the recruiting responsibility from former coordinator and assistant coach Derek Thomas. All times are local. The Division I contact period is Sept. 9-Oct. 5. Monday, Sept. 15
6 a.m. -- UNLV coach Charlie Spoonhour and Martin fly to Twin Falls, Idaho, through Salt Lake City, to watch an afternoon workout at the College of Southern Idaho.
8 p.m. -- Spoonhour and Martin fly back to Salt Lake City, where Martin remains and Spoonhour flies back to Las Vegas.
Tuesday, Sept. 16
12:30 a.m. -- Martin flies to Chicago, watches a workout at Julian High.
Wednesday, Sept. 17
6 a.m. -- Martin flies to Evansville, Ind., then drives 40 miles to Vincennes to watch a workout at Vincennes University.
7:20 p.m. -- After driving back to Evansville, Martin flies to Dallas instead of Raleigh, N.C., because Hurricane Isabel is bearing down on the Carolina coast.
Thursday, Sept. 18
9 a.m. -- Martin drives 50 miles to Hillsboro, Texas, to watch a late-morning workout at Hillsboro Junior College, drives 30 miles to Waco to watch an afternoon workout at McLennan Community College and then returns to Dallas.
9:40 p.m. -- Martin flies from Dallas to Las Vegas.
The Stops
Schools that UNLV assistant coach Deane Martin has visited, or is scheduled to see, during the contact period:
Barton County (Kan.) Junior College (twice) Chatham (Va.) Hargrave Military Academy (twice) Chicago Julian High (twice) The College of Southern Idaho Durham (N.C.) Mt. Zion Academy Fitchburg (Mass.) Notre Dame Prep Fort Scott (Kan.) Community College Hillsboro (Texas) Junior College Laurinburg (N.C.) Institute McLennan (Texas) Community College New Hampton (N.H.) High Vincennes (Ind.) University.
An audible two weeks ago, when he left Evansville, Ind., for Dallas instead of Raleigh, N.C., to dodge Hurricane Isabel's fury, proved to be deft for UNLV assistant basketball coach Deane Martin.
"The eye of the hurricane was just off the coast, and they predicted it would be in that Thursday," he said. "So it wouldn't have been wise to be there."
Over the past month, he has woken up in Wichita, shot over to Chicago to watch a workout and then called it a day, after 14 or 15 hours on the move, in Raleigh.
At this point, he might be able to navigate the drive from Wichita -- up I-135, to Great Bend, which entails a westward turn on Highway 56 at McPherson -- in his sleep.
The haul from Raleigh to Chatham, Va., home of Hargrave Military Academy, is a bit more scenic, while Raleigh-to-Laurinburg conjures up scenes from "Deliverance."
Today, Martin will be in Chatham for the second time in eight days. Tomorrow, he'll be in Baltimore for a home visit. Next week, maybe he'll sleep.
Since the Division I contact period began Sept. 9, 17- and 18-hour days have been the norm for Martin. When the period ends Sunday, he will have covered approximately 20,500 miles.
"We'll look at the top-10 junior college players every year," Martin said. "Wherever they are, we'll go. Every year, it's a different scenario of what you're looking for. We always have different needs.
"This year, we have two scholarships to give and we need two big men. So, in July and September, we've been looking at nothing but big men who can come in and play right away."
For 2003-04, UNLV does not have a true center on its roster. J.K. Edwards, at 6-foot-8 and 250 pounds, is the most imposing Rebel, and he and 6-8, 215-pound forward James Peters are both seniors.
The front line was further depleted when an internal snafu kept San Francisco City College power forward Chris Adams, whom some recruiting services had tabbed as the top JC player at his position, from being admitted to UNLV.
Martin had been directly involved in recruiting Adams for more than a year.
Barton County (Kan.) Community College coach Dave Campbell said the Rebels, like many other elite programs, are interested in 6-9 forward J.P. Batista.
According to Vincennes (Ind.) University coach Dan Sparks, UNLV is seriously pursuing 6-8, 235-pound power forward Joplin Johnson. There are about eight other post players on the Rebels' radar.
NCAA rules strictly prohibit college coaches from talking about prospects until they have signed national letters of intent.
Since UNLV assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Derek Thomas bolted for the top job at Western Illinois in the offseason, Martin has assumed the role of UNLV's de facto point man for recruiting.
"I think he'll do fine," Thomas said. "He's been in a lot of different places, he's been doing this for a long time and he has the most experience on the staff. I don't think there will be any problem at all."
Spoonhour, who has never specified a hierarchy on any of his staffs, confirmed Martin's expanded responsibilities in recruiting.
"Deane's been on the road a lot in his career, in junior college and with us at Saint Louis," Spoonhour said of his previous stretch coaching the Billikens, in which Martin served on a staff that included Thomas.
"He's been around. The whole thing is, you meet a lot of people over the course of time. There's a lot of advantages to do what Deane's done. He's not spoiled. I don't think any of the guys I've had, or have now, have been spoiled."
Fellow UNLV assistants Jay Spoonhour and Dave Rice, both family men, have spent some time on the recruiting trail. However, Martin, 39 and single, has had the most exposure representing the Rebels.
Organizing travel schedules, identifying -- and following up with -- prospects, and cultivating relationships with players, and their family and coaches, are crucial parts of the job.
"You always have to be on the phone talking to people, and you have to stay a step ahead of everyone," Thomas said. "You have to be organized, counting all the days other guys go out and keeping account of who's going where, and you have to tell Charlie who he needs to see.
"You always have to be thinking about it."
Martin began beating the bushes for talent at Cowley County Community College, in Arkansas City, Kan., from 1989-92, when budget-saving recruiting maneuvers included sleeping in his Ford Taurus and eating convenience-store donuts for breakfast.
Since Cowley, Martin, a former unanimous all-Missouri player at Mercer (Mo.) High who played at Central Missouri, has developed an impressive list of national contacts and some travel tricks.
Wearing sandals, not wearing a belt and only taking carry-on luggage help. Not having to remove shoes or a belt for security, nor wait for a Samsonite at the baggage carousel, eliminates potential delays.
Out on the road, UNLV's rich basketball tradition and Spoonhour's vast network of friends and acquaintances are always evident to Martin.
"Coaches always recognize UNLV," he said. "They are very knowledgeable about the Final Fours and the national championship. And it's kind of amazing how many people talk about 'Spoon.' One told me he was still laughing from one of Charlie's jokes.
"I'm at a high school or junior college, and someone will tell me to say hello to 'Spoon,' that he saw Charlie speak at a clinic in Chicago. Or I'll be in an airport wearing a UNLV shirt, and someone will say, 'Tell Spoon hi, I knew him at Saint Louis.' "
Then, it's off to another plane, another city and another recruit. Martin doesn't miss that Taurus one bit.
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