Rougeau trying to climb ladder all over again

Justin M. Bowen

Rene Rougeau of UNLV throws down a monster jam on Dec. 6, 2008 at the Lawlor Events Center in Reno. UNLV defeated UNR 64-57. Rougeau now hopes to climb the ladder in the pro ranks the same way he did as a former walk-on for the Rebels.

By Ryan Greene (contact)

Friday, June 26, 2009 | 2:30 a.m.

Sam Morris

UNLV guard Rene Rougeau blocks a shot by San Diego State forward Billy White at the Mountain West Conference Basketball Championships Thursday, March 12, 2009. San Diego State won the game 71-57.

René Rougeau, the first college graduate in his family, didn't take long to learn the strains of a 9-to-5 grind, even though his involves doing something he loves.

Rougeau, a former walk-on who averaged 10.9 points and 6.7 rebounds per game last season as a UNLV senior, is now venturing out to prove he can make a pro career for himself.

With the work he's put in so far since the Rebels' disappointing 21-11 campaign came to a quick halt with an opening round NIT loss at Kentucky, it'd be hard to find many doubters.

His hoops home since early May has been the Impact Basketball academy just off the Strip, run by renowned basketball trainer Joe Abunassar.

"This has been our job, Monday through Friday, and Saturday with an open gym," Rougeau said earlier this week after waking up from a mid-afternoon snooze in the Impact lounge before playing pick-up ball. "Our agent is paying for these workouts, so it's pretty much our job right now."

"I've noticed a difference. The physicality, the guards, the big men, everyone's a lot bigger, faster, stronger."

The agent fronting the bill, Greg Foster, also represents New Mexico product Tony Danridge, who has trained alongside Rougeau at Impact. In fact, Danridge crashed at Rougeau's house for the first month he was in Las Vegas.

For the two former collegiate rivals, the typical day starts with a morning skills workout on the floor, then a trip upstairs for a weights session before a two-hour lunch break.

Post-grub, Rougeau and his fellow prospects take it to the floor for pick-up contests until the end of the day. While he's taking care of body maintenance and skill polishing earlier in the day, it's the afternoon games which are giving a true introduction into what pro ball is like.

Aside from playing for the past month with first-round NBA draft picks such as Gonzaga forward Austin Daye and Louisville swingman Earl Clark, he's also run with some pros who Abunassar and Impact regularly train in the offseason, such as Toronto Raptors guard Quincy Douby and Kings guard Rashad McCants.

"Rashad is such a strong guard," he said. "There's a reason he played at North Carolina. Quincy at the time is so fast and a great outside shooter. It's a lot of pick and roll, basically. That's what the NBA pretty much is. So we've got to get used to guarding the pick and roll. You're the one using the pick and roll, so having to guard it is different for sure.

"You're definitely tired at the end of the day, though. Not even halfway through the day I'm tired."

Of course, Rougeau didn't go into Thursday night's NBA draft with hopes of hearing his name called over the course of the two rounds.

Instead, he's preparing for a job overseas, and in the process is trying to make himself into more of a guard than a forward, which he specialized as during his final two seasons at UNLV, with coach Lon Kruger installing a smaller lineup more times than not.

After entering the regular rotation during his junior season and then becoming a solidified starter, the 6-foot-6 Rougeau proved to be one of the Mountain West Conference's more versatile pieces. Aside from his point and rebound production, he averaged 2 blocks, 1.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

He showed his new focus on his perimeter skills during a pick-up session on Wednesday against a pro team visiting from the Philippines, both opting for and hitting outside shots before trying to assert himself inside.

"It's like starting over, like coming from high school to college all over again," he said.

Rougeau is hoping to land a spot on an NBA summer league roster, as 21 teams will construct rosters for the 10-day hoops exhibit which begins in Las Vegas on July 10.

For those 10 days, there will be just as many overseas scouts in town to watch free agents in action as there are NBA staffers. Probably more, in fact.

The European scouts can also gather info from an exposure camp held for prospects in Las Vegas just before the summer league begins. Rougeau will be there, if not also in the summer league.

Rougeau received positive feedback from recent UNLV products such as Mike Umeh (Germany) and Wendell White (Korea) on their overseas experiences. Factor in how much he said he took out of last summer's team trip to Australia, and it's an experience he truly desires.

"It's a little transition, but it's a lot of fun," he said. "As long as you're getting paid to do the thing you love, you can't really complain about it.

To make that happen, he's sticking to the same formula which helped him climb the entire ladder as a Rebel.

"I've just got to stay positive and hopeful," he said. "And anything can happen."