UNLV big men hope to maintain steady hand against K-State

By Ryan Greene

Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009 | 2:30 a.m.

One had to re-establish himself after missing a year because of kneey surgery, one had to get stronger and, well, meaner, and one had to lose 40 pounds.

But so far, junior Matt Shaw, senior Darris Santee and UNLV sophomore Brice Massamba have combined to give the No. 18 Rebels (7-0) a solid, diversified frontcourt attack.

That trio faces a tall task — literally — Saturday, when Kansas State (8-1) brings its long, tall, athletic lineup to town for a 4 p.m. contest at the Orleans Arena.

UNLV assistant coach Greg Grensing, who regularly works with the big men, thinks gaining a mental edge on the K-State forwards could prove to be key in the pivotal non-conference game. A win would be valuable down the road on either team's NCAA tournament resumé.

"I think our guys are mentally ready to take on the fight, but it's going to be a battle from go," Grensing said. "We talk about it all the time. You can either hit or be hit. We better focus on delivering the first blow and trying to be physical and intelligent about it. But you have to neutralize some of that length and athleticism."

Neutralizing things inside has been the specialty of the UNLV bigs through seven games so far, as they've proven to be a reliable, quiet complement in the Rebels' guard-heavy lineup. Seven members of Lon Kruger's 11-man rotation check in at under 6-foot-8.

A common theme throughout the UNLV lineup is the lack of egos. Nowhere does that prove to be more beneficial than down low.

Massamba (6-foot-10, 240 pounds) averages 12.3 minutes per game, while Santee (6-8, 225) is checking in at 14.0 mpg and Shaw (6-8, 240) leads the group by a slim margin at 14.9 mpg.

With so much scoring coming from the cast of characters outside of the paint, the 18.4 ppg and 9.3 rpg the three combine for fit just right.

The scoring output has been timely, while the defensive prowess from each of the three is consistent. If there's one knock, it's the combined rebounding average between the three. They've totaled double-digit rebounds in only three games.

But with the Rebels' ability to get boards out of their physical perimeter players — the team is led in boards by 6-foot-8 small forward Chace Stanback at 5.7 per game — it has yet to prove to be a major problem.

"I think that's a big deal about it — everyone knows what their role is and what we have to do," Shaw said. "No one gets caught up in playing time and if one person's playing well, we don't get upset if they stay in longer. Being unselfish and willing to do whatever to win is the mindset we have right now."

Shaw's found new life in UNLV's rotation after missing all of last season recovering from surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament, suffered just before the team headed to Australia for an exhibition tour in the summer of 2008.

His mean streak and propensity for banging around underneath the rim has been matched by Santee, who is a different player than the one who lost his starting gig and ultimately disappeared from the rotation towards the end of a disappointing 2008-09 campaign.

No play has epitomized his turnaround better than a first half jam against Louisville on Nov. 28. As part of a huge first half surge in the Rebels' 76-71 victory, Santee went up strong against lanky Cardinals forward Jared Swopshire. His two-handed throwdown, along with the accompanying foul it drew, brought a near-sellout crowd to its feet. A year ago, that shot might have been swatted into the stands.

For Massamba, who had trouble finding solid ground as a freshman, losing noticeable mass in the offseason has helped him gain the starting spot down low for the Rebels. His transformation may be more impressive than anyone's.

"I don't feel worn down yet, and I feel pretty good," he said. "Last year I was feeling terrible. But not this year. My conditioning's good with less weight. I'm quicker now, so coach tries to get me to use my quickness against slower big guys."

It will be the brawn of Massamba and friends that will serve them better than their quickness Saturday.

Between junior Curtis Kelly (6-8, 250 pounds), freshman Wally Judge (6-9, 248), sophomore Jamar Samuels (6-7, 220) and freshman Jordan Henriquez (7-0, 245), among others, the Wildcats have a lot of talent and bodies to throw around down low.

But while the Wildcats tend to go regularly with a bigger lineup, UNLV more than likely will stay with either a five-man attack featuring four guards or three guards and 6-foot-8 wing Chace Stanback. Deviating from what works could happen, but not if all goes to plan.

"If (the referees have) a fairly tight whistle, you could see a lot of lineups you haven't seen this year," Grensing said. "So, is it possible that those guys could be on the floor (at the same time)? Absolutely. Is it likely? Not unless the situation dictates it."

Another reason the three-man attack has worked so well is the philosophy behind it.

UNLV coach Lon Kruger has instilled in the big men the idea that, with the depth they have, going out on the court is to go as hard as humanly possible. If you get gassed or get in foul trouble, a safety net is always there.

"I think we've made really good progress. We work hard together, we play well together and we're coming along," Santee said. "I've seen they're very long, athletic and can block shots. So we've got to go in there and just play real strong, try to get them in foul trouble early and get them out of the game."