Beck opted to pass on Cowboy life

Steve Guiremand

Thursday, Jan. 22, 2004 | 9:31 a.m.

For UNLV swingman Romel Beck, home wasn't on the range.

Especially the Front Range. And especially in Laramie, Wyo.

A 6-foot-7 junior forward, Beck took his first college recruiting trip to Wyoming where his host was Cowboys point guard Jay Straight. And although he said he was impressed with Straight as well as Cowboys coach Steve McClain, Beck, who grew up just outside Los Angeles in Rancho Cucamonga, wasn't exactly impressed with the terrain where the deer and the antelope play.

"There's nothing up there," Beck said. "There's nothing in Wyoming.

"It was still a good trip, though. But that city was nothing compared to Vegas. ... There was nothing but land and a couple of houses. That's it."

Beck will renew acquaintances with Straight again on Saturday afternoon at the Arena-Auditorium when the Rebels (9-5, 0-2) face the Cowboys (8-8, 1-2).

"Jason was a pretty good host," Beck said. "He told me a lot about Wyoming. He was from Chicago, the city, like me. He was trying to tell me how he dealt with it with up there and how it was a nice place to play. It was a good trip, but it just wasn't for me."

Beck eventually choose UNLV and the very bright lights of Las Vegas, just a three-hour drive north up I-15 from his hometown. And the Rebels are glad he did.

Beck ranks second on UNLV in scoring with a 14.6 average and has also drawn praise for his defense in the second half of UNLV's MWC opening loss to Utah when he limited Utes guard Nick Jacobson to eight points on 2-of-8 shooting.

"I think he's done fine," UNLV coach Charlie Spoonhour said. "He's going to shoot the ball more efficiently I hope the rest of the way. But he's had some great moments. He's worked to get better defensively. He needs to improve his rebounding but he's made strides. I'm happy with him."

Beck came to UNLV known more for his 3-point shooting ability. Like the entire squad, he has slumped recently in that area but he still is connecting on a respectable 32.9 percent of his treys (24 of 73) and is shooting better than 50 percent (74 of 147, 50.3 percent) from the floor overall.

"The biggest difference in Division I basketball and junior college is the tempo of the game," Beck said. "In junior college, you tend to run more and have more fast breaks. The game is faster and more up-and-down. But in Division I the tempo is slower. You've got to be more patient. People take their time more and every possession counts."

Although this is his first official game in Laramie, Beck said he did play in a little in some pickup games during his trip there. So he is well aware of the effects of the 7,220-foot altitude that he and his teammates will be trying to overcome on Saturday.

"I played like 10 minutes up there and I was out of breath," Beck said. "We'll have to do some extra running before we get up there to make sure we're ready for it."

Because of the NCAA's 5-8 rule which limits schools to bringing in no more than five players in one academic year and eight over a two-year period, Williams waited until the spring semester to enroll at UNLV and will be counted against this spring's three-man signing class. He will be allowed to practice with the team this semester but won't be allowed to attend road games.

"I can't wait, man," said Williams, a 6-foot-5, 200-pounder. "It's been about six months since I've played. I just want to get back out there on that court."

Williams, a former prep teammate of Rebels point guard Jerel Blassingame at Redirection High School in the Bronx, N.Y., hasn't played in a game since the California state junior college championship final in San Diego in March when he scored 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds while helping lead LACC past Fresno City College.

Williams will have two years of eligibility remaining starting next fall.