Wounded near 100 percent

Thursday, Dec. 29, 2005 | 8:13 a.m.

In three games as a Rebel, Wendell White has averaged 7.3 points and six rebounds, shooting only 29.6 percent from the field and a woeful 12.5 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.

He has been hobbled by a sore left ankle, but coach Lon Kruger was buoyed about White's status after Wednesday morning's practice -- in which White seemed to run and dunk without care -- at the Thomas & Mack Center.

"Wendell is pretty close to 100 percent," Kruger said. "I think the gimpy ankle has really limited him. He has a ways to go to get into game shape. What he needs most right now is just repetitions and conditioning."

White, a 6-foot-6 junior guard from Los Angeles, who academically qualified to play for the Rebels with a successful fall semester in the class room, averaged 21 points, eight rebounds and five assists last season at Antelope Valley College in California.

He has been the second Rebel off the bench since he became eligible.

"I think Wendell will contribute more and more," Kruger said. "How quickly that happens will be based on conditioning and the ankle."

Lou, Too

Louis Amundson, who leads the Rebels with averages of 14.4 points and 10.4 rebounds, also has been dogged by a sore left ankle. That ankle was wrapped in black tape Wednesday, and Amundson appeared to favor it at times.

But Kruger said he expects the senior forward to start tonight against Loyola Marymount.

"Lou is still a bit hobbling, but we're getting closer," Kruger said.

No Pepper

Kruger confirmed that Thursday afternoon's 75-61 defeat to Pepperdine at the Thomas & Mack was a speed bump. The Waves improved to 3-7 while the Rebels slipped to 4-6.

"It was just awful in every way," Kruger said. "Nothing pleasing came out of that one, which was a little bit of a surprise, from an efficiency standpoint. We had been pretty consistent with the effort, intensity and emotion.

"That one was extremely the opposite ... you can make a lot of excuses. Still, it's an opportunity to line up and play, and you can't have that happen."

Also Noted:

* The official at the Thomas & Mack whom Texas Tech coach Bobby Knight regularly barked at on Dec. 17 was Art McDonald. Thanks to the former ref and zebra supervisor who sent in that note.

* Tonight's game against Loyola starts at 7:30, and Saturday's against Southern Utah is scheduled for a 1 p.m. tipoff.

Tickets on the plaza and balcony levels to Saturday's game are available for $2 with the donation of a canned food item, which will benefit the Community Food Bank of Clark County.

* Kruger received his best Christmas presents a day before the holiday and two days after. His son Kevin, a sharpshooter at Arizona State, came home Saturday. Angie, Kruger's daughter and a recent medical school graduate at Florida, arrived Tuesday.

"Far and away, that's the best," Kruger said. "Kids being home for Christmas is always nice."

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Rob Miech can be reached at 259-4087 or at miech@lasvegassun.com