Days before team practice, Kruger likes what he sees

By Rob Miech

Monday, Sept. 14, 2009 | 2:10 a.m.

UNLV basketball coach Lon Kruger has been enthused by what he’s seen in his players during individual workouts over the past few weeks.

He even used the word “fun” in a Twitter post, writing that the 2009-10 version of the Rebels just might be a fun team to root for.

“Because of their athletic ability and their aggressiveness,” Kruger said Friday, “and they’re attacking on both ends of the court. I think they’ll be able to do some different things at both ends of the floor.

“It should be an easy group to cheer for.”

NCAA rules allow college basketball teams to practice as a whole, for no more than two hours a week, this week, and Kruger is scheduled to begin that phase Wednesday.

Official practice begins Oct. 16 with the Rebels’ FirstLook event, in which they’ll run drills and a pseudo scrimmage before the public at the Thomas & Mack Center.

The following day they run for real. In the past, Kruger has conducted two sessions a day for the first couple of days, so freshmen Carlos Lopez, Anthony Marshall and Justin Hawkins will have interesting orientations.

As it was during individual workouts in recent weeks, the two-hour-a-week team practices that begin this week will focus on offense.

Typically, Kruger will run his players three times a week in 40-minute sessions.

“It’s good to have everyone there at once,” he said. “As in the past, we’ll concentrate on a combination of full-court stuff and transition offense. It will encompass conditioning as well, but it will be mostly offense.

“With only two hours a week, you can’t do much. So we’ll take one or two things that we want to make a priority and we’ll emphasize those for the next four weeks.”

Kruger was pleased with individual workouts over the previous three weeks. He said his players’ interest levels and focus were high.

“As a group, they’re really hungry to get started,” Kruger said. “That’s been outstanding, all the things you’d hope are there early in the year. They’re eager, hungry and ready.

“You’d expect and hope that. If you don’t have that early in the year, you probably won’t get that.”

The rookie Rebs

When pressed for individual reports on Lopez, Marshall and Hawkins – the newest Rebels – Kruger said the 6-foot-10 Lopez has done a nice job.

“He’s worked hard and he’s lifting hard,” Kruger said. “He’s doing things to add weight and strength. He’s a good skill play who’s getting better and better.”

On Marshall, Kruger highlighted his work ethic and competitiveness. He’s totally locked in, Kruger said, which has been the case with Hawkins, too.

“Really, the three of them have done a good job and are enthusiastic about workouts and taking care of their responsibilities, both on and off the court,” Kruger said. “They’re really off to a good start.”

New look at the point

Fans should be eager to get a first look at new point guard Derrick Jasper at FirstLook on Oct. 16.

He has had a slow recovery from microfracture surgery on his left knee when he was a freshman at Kentucky. As a transfer, he sat out last season and has two seasons of eligibility left at UNLV.

The 6-foot-6 playmaker is down to 205 pounds, 23 pounds lighter than he was a year ago, and teammates said he’s been as mean as he is lean in pick-up games in recent months.

Jasper has instilled toughness in those runs.

“To make it more competitive,” he said. “It’s fun when you play real competitive pick-up games. I don’t like when everyone is lazy, letting everyone score.

“This year, everyone is tough on defense. We’re trying to make it hard for people to score, which is making the (pick-up) games way more fun.”

Has any one particular teammate impressed Jasper with a particular move or dunk?

“Oooh, I don’t know,” he said. “Every single player on this team has had a great move, where I’ve said, ‘Whoa! I didn’t know he could do that!’ I know we have a lot of weapons on this team.”

Calendar

UNLV plays host to Washburn in an exhibition game Nov. 10.

The Rebels open the season at the Mack on Nov. 14 against Division-II Pittsburg State, which has been coached by Gene Iba, nephew of the late Oklahoma State legend Hank Iba, since 1995.

The Gorillas, from Pittsburg, Kan., were 10-17 last season.

Thank Kentucky

Like the individual workouts, the team sessions over the next month are closed to the public and media.

That usually isn’t the case with Kruger practices, but the closed-door edict is from the NCAA.

College basketball’s governing body in Indianapolis seethed about what Kentucky pulled a year ago, when the Wildcats staged their Midnight Madness festivities a week earlier than the prescribed official start of practice, and ensured that it wouldn’t be repeated.