Defensively, he sets the tone

By Rob Miech

Friday, Nov. 10, 2006 | 6:56 a.m.

When guard Jo'Van "Wink" Adams hunkered down and got serious on defense last season, his UNLV teammates often followed suit. When he laid back and played on his heels, they did, too.

Rebels coach Lon Kruger explained to Adams how he's so important to the team's defensive dynamic, but videotape might have drilled home that fact. Last week, all of the Rebels saw that in reviewing the second half of last season's 65-58 victory against Utah.

Junior swingman Curtis Terry noted how Adams' on-the-ball pressure played such a key role in that game.

"People were coming off the bench, keeping us going," Adams said. "Everyone was playing defense. When I'm down, that's how they play. When I'm fired up, they're fired up. It really shows on film."

The Rebels, 17-13 last season, will be a curiosity when they open the 2006-07 season tonight against Hawaii at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Point guard Kevin Kruger (Arizona State transfer), center Joel Anthony (redshirt) and shooting guard Michael Umeh (surgery on both knees) are probable starters who either didn't play for UNLV last season or saw limited action.

While the team establishes its offensive presence, Lon Kruger is banking on his defense to set the tone. That's where the 6-foot, 190-pound Adams will play a prominent role, and Kruger hopes the sophomore's defensive aggressiveness is contagious.

"I can stop my opponent, and I can help a teammate out if another man drives to the basket," he said. "Then I can get back to my man. So I'm just all-around. I'll use my quickness, my smartness. I'll do everything."

Adams, a Houston native, admitted to being nervous during his freshman year. In his first seven games, he connected on only 19 of 66 shots. He never made more than half of his attempts in back-to-back games.

His role finally settled when he replaced Umeh in the starting lineup at the start of the Mountain West Conference schedule. Four games later, Adams tied a UNLV record with eight steals in a Jan. 18 victory against Colorado State.

"I knew we had people who could score," Adams, 21, said. "The best thing I could do was to play defense, use my quickness. That helped make me comfortable throughout the season."

To hone an awkward shooting motion, in which the right-handed Adams would kick-start his jumper with a low, swinging motion from the left, coach Kruger and his staff devised methods to hinder his left arm, forcing him into shooting on a straight line. Usually that entailed someone all but attached to that appendage.

"Defenders even used sticks to keep me from swinging the ball," Adams said. "So now I keep it right here, on the right side. I never thought about it, but now my shot is looking good."

It was only an exhibition, but it worked Tuesday night, when he sank four of his five 3-point attempts against Dixie State.

Kevin Kruger, Umeh, Anthony, Wendell White and Adams have been mostly running as UNLV's starting unit in practice in recent weeks, and Adams is high on the first team.

He said Kruger is the de facto leader and will be an all-around threat, Umeh appears to be back to his old self, Anthony has owned the low post, and White, having shed excess pounds off his 6-foot-6 frame, will be much more effective.

"People have been down on us because of our size," Adams said. "But we'll be quick. We'll play tight defense, and we all will know our roles."

The spit-fire sophomore will relish his, knowing his teammates will be taking a cue from him.

"I just never knew," he said, "how people follow me."