UNLV basketball notebook: Jones settles in as a Rebel

By Rob Miech

Friday, Oct. 3, 2008 | 2 a.m.

Steve Jones started his college basketball career by guarding, or hanging on trying to defend, Kevin Kruger at Arizona State.

Jones is capping his career by attempting to make life difficult for Wink Adams at UNLV.

“I’m trying my best out there,” Jones said after Wednesday’s practice at the Thomas & Mack Center. “At times, there’s nothing you can do about it. You just hold your hands up. ‘All right, Wink. Whatever.’

“In the open court, you either foul him or get out of the way. And when you foul him, he’s still going to finish it. At times, you’re at his mercy.”

Official practice starts Oct. 17, but Jones, a sticky 6-foot-1, 220-pound guard, has thwarted Adams at times over the past three weeks in limited workout sessions with the Rebels.

Jones, a walk-on transfer from Arizona State, searched for words and nearly scratched his head trying to describe his transition to Las Vegas.

“I want to be involved in the ‘Rebelution,’ that’s all,” he said. Asked about a long pause, he said, “They can’t all be winners.”

The son of veteran NBA television analyst Steve “Snapper” Jones was at a loss for words? We won’t let the old man know about that.

When pressed, the senior guard said he senses something special with the Rebels this season.

“There’s such a different buzz here, a crazy buzz among this team and the whole program,” Jones said. “It’s something great to be a part of the tradition. Something is really building around here. I like it a lot.

“I can’t really describe it. It’s just a feeling that UNLV basketball is going to do something great.”

His father, a member of the University of Oregon’s athletic Hall of Fame and a three-time ABA All-Star who never received a technical foul in nine professional seasons, has not pushed him into broadcasting.

“I’d love to do that because I think I could do a better job than him,” said Jones, laughing. “It would be fun, just to be able to watch basketball and get paid to talk about it. I wouldn’t mind doing that.”

Jones is just the type of player UNLV coach Lon Kruger seeks. In two seasons at Arizona State, Jones committed only one turnover. No, he didn’t play much as a Sun Devil.

As a sophomore, Jones drilled four 3-pointers in an early-season game against Cal State San Bernardino.

That was one of 27 games he played that season, and he turned it over only once. Last season, he played a total of 18 minutes in seven games and had no turnovers.

Time to move on, he concluded, from coach Herb Sendek’s program.

It was invaluable, Jones said, learning from Kevin Kruger his freshman season. The younger Kruger ultimately transferred from ASU and led UNLV to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament two seasons ago.

Forging a relationship with Kruger and his father led Jones to Las Vegas.

“As an 18-year-old, I was chasing him off screens, all sorts of stuff,” Jones said. “Kevin taught me how to play the game the right way, how to prepare. He took me under his wing.

“To have someone like that teach me the ins and outs, shooting extra, it couldn’t have been much better. Watching him do everything the right way helped me grow a lot just in one year.”

Jones, a Portland, Ore., native majoring in journalism and communications, might be the 15th player on a roster of 15 at UNLV. He might not log a half hour during the entire 2008-09 season.

But he feels fortunate.

Jones looks around at Adams and Rene Rougeau and Joe Darger and all the UNLV talent that demands hustle every moment of every practice, and he shakes his head. Every day he has to bring it or he will be run off the court.

There are 75 guys back home in Portland, he knows, who would do anything to be in his position.

“There’s nothing I can complain about,” Jones said, his practice jersey soaked in sweat. “I’m at a great Division I program playing basketball every day. There are a million people who would want to be me.

“Positivity is my No. 1 thing. It’s what I’m all about. That’s what I do.”

On the mend

Official practice hasn’t begun, but Matt Shaw and Derrick Jasper already itch to play as they watch teammates participate in limited workouts.

“I think it’s going to get even harder come game time,” Shaw said.

“It’s really tough,” Jasper said. “I’m a competitor. I want to be out there. But I know I have to get better. The knee is still hurting, so I know I wouldn’t be playing anyway,”

At the University of Kentucky, Jasper underwent microfracture surgery on his left knee in June 2007. He returned to action less than six months later to play sparingly for the Wildcats.

Maybe, he said, he rushed getting back on the court. Normal recovery time for such a procedures is about a year. Phoenix Suns center Amare Stoudemire took more than a year to recover.

A 6-6 native of Paso Robles, Calif., Jasper transferred to UNLV and will have two seasons of eligibility remaining starting in 2009-10. He hopes to start practicing full-bore by the new year.

“I came back in five months, and maybe it got worse,” he said. “But I have no regrets. I’d be sitting out this season anyway, by redshirting. But I’m looking forward to helping them in practice.”

Shaw, a 6-8 forward from Los Angeles, had summer surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and will sit out this season. He also has two seasons of eligibility left.

Shaw and Jasper have been playing H-O-R-S-E after practices and shooting casually on free rims during workouts. Shaw has been effusive in cheering for and praising teammates during the sessions.

“Coach talked to me and said it’s gonna be hard, just watching guys,” Shaw said. “I won’t look at it as such a negative. I’ll do what I can to try and learn from it. It’s out of my hands.”

An impressive goal

New starting point guard Tre’Von Willis, a transfer from Memphis with three seasons of eligibility remaining, says he wants to have a 4-1 assists-to-turnovers ratio this season.

That would solidify him as one of the top floor generals in the country.

Two seasons ago, Kevin Kruger had a 2.61 ratio (159-61). Last season, Curtis Terry had a 1.92 (169-88) ratio. DePaul senior Cliff Clinkscales led the nation with a 3.62 ratio (123 assists to 34 turnovers).

Maryland-Baltimore County junior Jay Greene (3.47, 236-68), Vanderbilt sophomore Jermaine Beal (3.10, 158-51) and Jacksonville State junior DeAndre Bray (2.98, 185-62) rounded out the top four.

BYU senior Ben Murdock, at 2.40 (125-52), finished 23rd in the country and was the top assists-to-turnovers player in the Mountain West Conference.

Chasing Chace

Chace Stanback, the UCLA transfer who will have three seasons left starting in 2009-10, has looked strong in recent practices.

Wednesday, he sank a slew of 3-point shots within the flow of the offense. In a half-court set, he sailed in from the left side for a strong two-handed dunk.

Defense, a lack of which might have played a role in his leaving Bruins coach Ben Howland’s strict, disciplinarian system, appeared to be no problem for Stanback.

He played tight on the wings, denying passes and rebounded strong. UNLV diehard fans have plenty to look forward to.