UNLV picked to finish in middle of pack

Steve Guiremand

Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2003 | 10:07 a.m.

Men 1. BYU (13)144

2. Utah (6)138

3. Colorado State107

4. UNLV97

5. Wyoming73

6. San Diego State55

7. New Mexico36

8. Air Force35

Preseason All-MWC Team Tim Keller, Jr., G, Air Force

Rafael Araujo, Sr., C, BYU

Mark Bigelow, Sr., F, BYU

Matt Nelson, Jr., C, CSU

Tim Frost, Sr. F, Utah

Nick Jacobson, Sr., G, Utah

Top Returning Player: Nelson.

Top Newcomer: Andrew Bogut, Fr., F, Utah Women 1. Utah (19)152

2. BYU (1)120

3. New Mexico119

4. Colorado State98

5. UNLV85

6. San Diego State57

7. Wyoming54

8. Air Force28

Preseason All-MWC Team Kim Smith, Soph., F, Utah

Shona Thorburn, Soph., G, Utah

Danielle Cheesman, Jr., F, BYU

Mandi Moore, Jr., G, New Mexico

Sherry McCracklin, Jr., F, UNLV

Top Returner: Smith.

Top Newcomer: Jenny Shetters, Jr., C, New Mexico

DENVER -- UNLV basketball coach Charlie Spoonhour says he doesn't put much stock into preseason polls. And considering the results of the Mountain West Conference preseason media poll released on Tuesday at the Denver Marriott Tech Center here, that's probably a good thing.

The Rebels, who came within six seconds of winning the Mountain West Conference tournament and an automatic NCAA tournament berth in March, were picked to finish fourth in the poll behind BYU, Utah and Colorado State.

Worse yet, UNLV didn't have a single player on the six-player preseason all-conference team. Why even Air Force -- yes Air Force -- had a player on the squad, junior sharpshooter Tim Keller.

"I've told my guys in the past that the problem is when you don't have any players on the all-conference team when the season is over," Spoonhour said. "That's when you have issues."

Part of the problem could be the fact that most of UNLV's top players entering the season are either transfers or rebounding from injuries. And the Rebels no doubt were downgraded in some voters' minds by the loss of star point guard Marcus Banks, an NBA lottery pick who will start this season for the Boston Celtics, and veteran all-MWC forward Dalron Johnson.

Senior center J.K. Edwards (9.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg) and senior big forward James Peters (6.4 ppg, 3.4) both started much of last season but didn't do enough to warrant preseason all-conference selection. The Rebels' top player likely will be senior guard Demetrius Hunter (7.2 ppg, 1.5 rpg), who displayed an NBA-caliber jump shot last season but was sidelined much of MWC play by a painful Achilles' tendon injury that required surgery in the spring.

UNLV's other top players likely be 6-foot-7 forward Odartey Blankson, a transfer from Marquette, 6-foot-8 forward Louis Amundson, who redshirted last year with a staff infection, and highly touted junior college transfers Romel Beck, a 6-foot-7 swingman considered an excellent 3-point shooter, and Jerel Blassingame, a 5-foot-10 point guard who along with Beck helped lead Los Angeles City College to the California JC championship, along with 6-foot-6 swingman Andy Hannan of Minneapolis Community and Technical College.

Two true freshmen guards, 6-foot-2 Michael Umeh of Houston and 6-foot-3 John Winston of Hercules, Calif., High School, are also expected to see substantial minutes.

"I've seen the magazines and I've seen the poll," Spoonhour said. "We're picked anywhere from third to fourth to second. I think that's a little bit of a compliment to the caliber of our program. We probably lost more than any other team did in the conference."

"I thought it was a great pick," Hunter said of the fourth place projection. "We're picked in the middle of the pack so there will be less pressure on us and we can sneak up on some people. I think the underdog role is the best role to play. Our football team wasn't picked too high, either, and look what they have done. Nobody thought they'd go in and beat Wisconsin like they did."

BYU, which returns four starters that a 23-9 squad that tied for the Mountain West title last year and lost to UConn in the first round of the NCAA tournament, was picked to repeat in 2003-04 and for good reason. The Cougars have two preseason all-conference picks in 6-foot-11, 265-pound strongman Rafeal Araujo and 6-foot-7 senior forward Mark Bigelow and also get 6-foot-8 forward Garner Meads, a former McDonald's All-American, back from a two-year LDS Church mission.

"Some people are saying (Meads) is the best player to ever come out of Utah," Utes coach Rick Majerus said. "That's really saying something when you think of guys like (Shawn) Bradley, Jeff Judkins and Fred Roberts."

"It's fine," Bigelow said of the Cougars having the bull's-eye on the jerseys. "No matter what you still have to show up and play every night. I'm excited. We're talented. The key, though, is coming together and playing as a team. You see so many teams who don't do that and self-implode."

Hunter hinted that was a problem for the Rebels at times last season.

"We're going to be a well-rounded team," he said. "I'd rather have 10 players average five or six points a game than one player averaging 30. The key right now is that everybody is on the same page. That wasn't always the case last year. Everyone is very coachable. We went to take that extra step and get to the NCAA tournament this year."