Rebels reloaded and (mostly) ready

By Rob Miech

Thursday, June 26, 2008 | 2 a.m.

UNLV is touted as “one of the best college basketball teams to come to Sydney in decades” on one Australian Web site.

The site talks about the team’s rich history, noting that Larry Johnson, Reggie Theus and other former stars have had their “singlets” retired.

Many Rebels followers envy the Aussies for getting a sneak peek at the latest edition of coach Lon Kruger’s program in a competitive environment. Kruger’s fifth UNLV squad will be either his best or one that fails to meet expectations that are rising faster than gas prices.

Only eight healthy players traveled to Australia. They represent the core of the 2008-09 team, but some secondary figures who will be eligible to practice when they enroll in school in the fall will need to play supporting roles.

So what will the next UNLV team actually look like?

The engine will be 6-foot-4, 200-pound point guard Tre’Von Willis, who in 10 practice sessions leading up to Australia looked strong, smart and confident.

He wants to involve teammates, but he has not shied away from taking the ball strong to the basket through a sliver of an opening in the lane.

He will be tough to handle for shorter point guards in the Mountain West Conference, such as Brandon Ewing of Wyoming and Dairese Gary of New Mexico.

Opponents will be forced to make switches or zone the Rebels. That will be dangerous, because Wink Adams and Joe Darger will be licking their chops out beyond the 3-point line.

That arc will be deeper next season, but Adams and Darger are known for their long-range marksmanship.

Willis showed consistency from beyond the arc, too. It will be imperative for him to go at least 32 minutes a game, as Curtis Terry did last season, because new guard Oscar Bellfield is more of a shooter than a floor general.

Sophomore guard Kendall Wallace often looked overwhelmed as a rookie and needs more work, and depth among the shooters will allow freshman DeShawn Mitchell to ease his way into the fold.

Darger and Rene Rougeau also get the benefit of playing more on the wing, in their natural positions, rather than pestering opposing centers like Luke Nevill of Utah.

New power forward Darris Santee will help spell centers Beas Hamga and Brice Massamba. Santee is nimble and mobile, most comfortable facing the basket, and he will get more minutes because Matt Shaw will miss the season after knee surgery.

“Sure, there will be times Joe and I have to go back (inside) and grind,” Rougeau said. “At least we’ll be ready for it, thanks to last season.”

Rougeau, the Rebels’ wild card, was rewarded with Kruger’s last scholarship before UNLV left for Australia. He led the team in rebounding, blocked shots and steals as a junior, and he was the only Rebel who made more than half of the shots he attempted.

He aims to follow in the footsteps of J.R. Giddens, the New Mexico swingman who led the league in scoring last season and was fourth in rebounds.

“Coach Kruger calls me the secret weapon,” Rougeau said, “being able to guard big men and small guys.”

Assistant coach Lew Hill called Rougeau, who has grown three inches to 6-feet-7 since arriving in Las Vegas, one of the most versatile players in the country. “He brings a lot of energy, toughness and desire, and he keeps working, working, working,” Hill said.

With the addition of Hamga and Massamba, Rougeau and Darger will be mostly freed of low-post responsibilities. Just don’t expect Hamga and Massamba to emulate Gaston Essengue and Joel Anthony.

“They were very big, mature, strong athletes,” Kruger said of his low-post tandem of two seasons ago. “But it will be fun to watch Beas and Brice progress and develop.”

Hamga must get stronger, as former Rebels center Kaspars Kambala showed him two weekends ago. Hamga did not dunk or show much aggression in taking the ball to the rim, in general, in the lead-up to Australia. He had trouble timing rebounds and snatching them in traffic.

It also appears he will struggle to make 50 percent of his free throws because of a rough, jerky shooting motion.

Massamba, at 6-10 and 255 pounds, has a fine pedigree, having helped Findlay College Prep go 32-1 last season. Pilots coach Mike Peck raves about his feel for the game and his basketball IQ.

He is a bit soft, but training with the Swedish national team this summer should toughen Massamba. He reports to UNLV for its third session of summer school, and that’s when Peck expects him to transform under Rebels strength and conditioning coach Jason Kabo.

“His shape is a legitimate concern,” Peck said. “His time with Jason is critical for him. If that goes like it should, I think that kid is going to surprise some people.”

Kruger looks for the senior leadership from Adams, Darger, Rougeau and Mareceo Rutledge. The coach says the program, on the heels of victories in consecutive NCAA Tournaments, is right where he wants it to be.

“If you said four years ago that this is where we’d be, we’d absolutely take that,” Kruger said. “Absolutely.”