Blankson hopes honor is omen for good week

Steve Guiremand

Tuesday, March 9, 2004 | 10:22 a.m.

ALL-MWC AWARDS

Nick Welch, Air Force, Jr., C

Rafael Araujo, BYU, Sr., C

Danny Granger, New Mexico, Jr., F

Odartey Blankson, UNLV,Jr., F

Nick Jacobson, Utah, Sr., G

Welch and Araujo

Joe Scott, Air Force

Kim Smith, Utah, So., F

RanDee Henry, UNLV, Jr.,F/C

Sherry McCracklin, UNLV, 6-2, F/C

Ashley Elliott, Wyoming, Jr., G

Lindsey Arndt, New Mexico, Jr., F

Smith

Joe Legerski, Wyoming

Odartey Blankson is keeping his fingers crossed that this week ends as well as it started on Monday.

A 6-foot-7 junior forward, Blankson had a day to remember on Monday when he picked up three awards including his first Mountain West Conference player of the week honor after averaging 25.5 points and 11.0 rebounds in UNLV's games last week against New Mexico and BYU.

A transfer from Marquette, Blankson also was picked to the all-Mountain West Conference first team by coaches and media. And if that weren't enough, he and teammate Jerel Blassingame were selected to the United States Basketball Writers Association's all-District VIII squad.

"I'm really happy for him," UNLV interim head coach Jay Spoonhour said of Blankson. "He deserves it. He has how many double-doubles? Eighteen? It's a deserving award for him and we're happy for him."

Blankson, who led the MWC in rebounding (10.3 per game) and was fourth in scoring (17.4 ppg), set a conference record with 18 double-doubles this season. He ranks second nationally in that category behind just Connecticut center Emeka Okafor.

"It's definitely a great honor," Blankson said of his first-team all-conference choice. "I just thank God for giving me the strength to come out here and do (well)."

Blankson said he didn't learn of the awards until told of them by reporters just before practice Monday afternoon at the Thomas & Mack Center.

"Hopefully this is a good omen for the week and we can go to Denver and get three wins," he said referring to the Mountain West Conference men's tournament that begins on Thursday. "I'm happy they selected me."

"Over the long haul, (Blankson) has been one of the better players in the league," Spoonhour said. "He's the guy that when everybody comes to play against us they have to worry about."

Blankson was joined on the first team by BYU center Rafael Araujo, Air Force center Nick Welch, New Mexico forward Danny Granger and Utah guard Nick Jacobson.

Blassingame and Rebels center J.K. Edwards were picked to the all-MWC third team.

"I'm not complaining," Blassingame, who led the conference in assists (7.43) and was 10th in scoring (13.1 ppg), said of his third team selection. "My biggest thing is to get us into the NCAA tournament. If I can get that on my resume, I'll be much happier than if I had made the first team."

Araujo and Welch were named the conference co-players of the year and Air Force's Joe Scott (who else?) was named the conference coach of the year. BYU guard Mike Hall garnered conference defensive player of the year honors and Utah forward Andrew Bogut was named the freshman of the year.

Within the span of about five minutes during Monday's practice two players expected to play key roles defending New Mexico forward Danny Granger went down with injuries. Senior forward James Peters (sprained left ankle) didn't return but is still expected to play, and sophomore forward Louis Amundson (knee) eventually returned to practice. ...

The buzz around the Thomas & Mack Center on Monday was about a reported meeting between former NBA head coach George Karl and UNLV athletic director Mike Hamrick that took place on Sunday for about 90 minutes. Karl, long regarded as one of the top coaches in the NBA, expressed his interest in the Rebels' head coaching job. Hamrick refused to confirm or deny that the meeting took place and Karl didn't return messages left on his cell phone both Sunday and Monday. Former Florida, Illinois and Kansas State head coach Lon Kruger is considered by all accounts the frontrunner for the job.