Kruger hopes ‘tough lesson’ will help player in next stage of career

Thursday, Nov. 15, 2007 | 6:53 a.m.

UNLV basketball player Emmanuel Adeife, the team's only true center, defiantly walked into the showers and sealed his fate.

In the locker room after a season-opening victory over Montana State on Friday night, coach Lon Kruger had the rapt attention of every Rebel.

Except Adeife, who stood and headed to the showers. Told to halt, Adeife, who had publicly and profanely griped to coaches on the bench about playing time during the game, continued.

Kruger bolted after Adeife, grabbed him and yanked him back into the locker area. Witnesses said they had never seen or heard Kruger so angry, and he kicked Adeife off the team.

"Sometimes things build and build, and there's a change," Kruger said. "You have to realize in this world there's a consequence. You try to warn. You try to warn. Until it happens, young people don't expect it to.

"Sometimes, it's a tough lesson."

Efforts to reach Adeife (pronounced uh-DEF-ay) were unsuccessful.

Matt Furjanic, who coached Adeife at Polk Community College in Florida last season, had issues with Adeife and kept UNLV assistant coach Lew Hill abreast of those incidents.

Furjanic said Adeife never showed him the level of disrespect he displayed to Kruger, but Furjanic hasn't talked with Adeife since he left in May.

"He left with our blessing, OK?" said Furjanic, who called the UNLV episode a shame. "You never know what a kid's thinking."

Kruger confirmed that Furjanic kept UNLV informed about Adeife's antics, but none was serious enough to dissuade the Rebels from recruiting the 6-foot-10, 220-pound prospect.

At Dillard High in Fort Lauderdale, basketball coach Kenneth Kelly said, Adeife was pleasant and fun to be around. Kelly was shocked to hear about the UNLV implosion.

"But (Kruger) has to save the team at that point," Kelly said.

"With 18- and 19-year-olds," Kruger said, "you can never be quite sure about what you're getting." Adeife turned 21 in September.

Initially, Kruger was upset that Adeife's public bench pouting took the focus off Curtis Terry's fine second half against Montana State. Adeife had 6 points and four rebounds in 16 minutes.

Kruger's anger escalated when Adeife sauntered into the shower.

"Emmanuel, he's a good guy," Kruger said. "It just didn't work here. I hope it works out for him at his next stop."

Now, 6-8, 240-pound sophomore Matt Shaw is UNLV's biggest player and UNLV will have to rely on guile, speed, 3-point shooting and a swarming defense.

Dixie State, a Division II team that UNLV walloped Tuesday night, might be an option for Adeife.

Kruger expects the sociology major to finish the fall semester at UNLV and transfer to a lower-division school, where he can begin classes in the spring and play next fall.

Adeife will bring a big smile and an engaging personality. He's quick with hellos, and he enjoys telling others about his love for vinegar-soaked pigs' feet.

He might have some explaining to do, too.

"You're always disappointed when things don't work out for a young guy," Kruger said. "We'll have a lot of fun the rest of the year, and he won't be a part of that."