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twitterUNLV hoopsters push to limit in preparation for season
Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009 | 2:05 a.m.
UNLV assistant basketball coach Steve Henson.
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A week into team workouts, UNLV basketball players have been downright exhausted after sessions on the track and football field.
That’s been the desired effect, according to Rebels assistant coach Steve Henson. The other day, Henson said as much to several players.
You have to want to walk out of here dead tired after 40 minutes, Henson told them. It’s the only way to get ready for the season if you’re going to play that way.
“They seem to want it,” Henson said. “It’s not easy. It’s not comfortable. But I think they want to play that way. We’re just trying to develop some habits, in pace of play and how hard we have to run.
“Guys are huffin’ and puffin’. They have to want that feeling.”
To some degree, Henson admitted, that pace has been ratcheted up compared to a year ago.
“Yeah, a little bit,” he said. “I think the guys’ convictions, at this point, are to take it up a notch. Guys are committed to doing that. We’ve set it up to push them harder, probably, than last year.”
After a few weeks of individual workouts, NCAA rules have allowed UNLV to practice as a team, for a maximum of two hours a week, since last week.
Sixth-year Rebels coach Lon Kruger has divvied that up, as usual, into three 40-minute sessions, and they are mostly used for conditioning purposes.
Tuesday, the players ran 400-meter sprints in groups of three – bigs, wings and guards – on the UNLV track. Each finished in its allotted time.
“We try not to make the times real intense,” Henson said. “It’s not too difficult. Some of them blew their times away in an effort to get a good workout. It’s just a base deal.”
Last week, in a change of pace and turf, those groups ran 150-yard sprints on the UNLV practice football field. They’d walk back, 50 yards, to the start and do it again.
“They stride it out and have a recovery time that’s not long,” Henson said. “They barely catch their breath. It’s a good cardio workout.”
Some Rebels might surprise fans at the team’s FirstLook event on Oct. 16 at the Thomas & Mack Center. That will be the debut of Kruger’s next team to the public and media, since individual and team workouts, per NCAA rules, have been private.
The Rebels play host to an exhibition, against Washburn, on Nov. 10, and their season opener is against Pittsburgh State on Nov. 14.
UNLV guard Derrick Jasper shoots free throws as his teammates wind down a practice at the Cox Pavilion with a stretch session. Jasper, who transferred from Kentucky and will have two years of eligibility remaining after this season, works out individually as he gets his left knee and leg back to full strength following microfracture surgery almost two years ago.
The Sun has documented how sophomore center Brice Massamba and junior guard Derrick Jasper have trimmed their physiques, and sophomore guard Oscar Bellfield is among others who have become noticeably stronger in the offseason.
It is no surprise, Henson said, that the biggest surprise has been Massamba.
A year of strength and conditioning work, and honing his diet, under UNLV guru Jason Kabo has turned Brice Massamba into a leaner, meaner basketball player.
“His appearance is the most notable thing you’ll see,” Henson said to fans who will attend the Oct. 16 function. “He really committed himself to losing a lot of weight. He looks great and it shows.
“He’s able to do things, conditioning-wise, he wasn’t able to do in the past. He’s moving well on the court, and he’s been the biggest surprise per se.”
Kruger and his staff, and UNLV’s strength and conditioning trainers, always seek ways to establish a preseason conditioning base that most benefits the basketball players.
Different drills keep those sessions from becoming routine and redundant, and the varied surfaces reduce the pounding sustained by backs, knees and hamstrings.
“We don’t want anything to get stale,” Henson said. “Stuff on the court tends to be intense. There’s certainly a physical component to that, but it’s also mental, getting tougher and challenging guys.
“They have to respond if someone misses a line or doesn’t make a time. Conditioning has to be tough, mentally and physically.”
A disappointing season – losing seven of your final 11 games, with an NIT defeat at Kentucky, like UNLV did in 2008-09 – can also inspire in the summer and September.
“Absolutely,” Henson said. “Guys knew we didn’t finish the way we wanted to. Guys want to prove we’re better than that. Guys want to move on and put that behind us, and get off to a great start this season.
“I think guys are committed to that. Guys want to redeem themselves, if you will.”
Transfers, like Jasper (from Kentucky) and Chace Stanback (from UCLA), have another edge.
“They want to prove they are good players who are going to win ball games,” Henson said, “and show what they’re made of.”
Discussion: 28 comments so far…
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REBELS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
REBELS!!!!!!!!!!!!
REBELS!!!!!!!!!!
i need to pace myself.... getting too fired up here. rebels!!
Reeeeeeeeeebbbbeeeeeeeelllls!!!!! Bring on the hoops! Can't wait! Keep it up boys!
Reeeeeebbbbbbbbbbbeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelllllllllllllllsssssssss! Bring on BYU!
REBELS!!!!!!!!!!
What's wrong with oliversdad, jeff, klub-kruger, and jerry wayne. Why aren't you as excited about Rebels basketball as RunninRebels? He was way more exclamation points than you guys. You should be ashamed.
Now johnvegas should not even be allowed to go to the games. Only one exclamation point? Wow, and you call yourself a rebels fan.
Rebels!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![(x+1)(!!!!!!)]+!!!!!!(tarkanian+hey reb/Clint Rossum)
Wow, how to follow that?
Come win with the REBELS of U-N-L-V....U....N....L....V, U-N-L-V GO-FIGHT-WIN!!!!!!
AND NOW...YOUR...RUNNIN....
Oh yeah, a month and 17 days left. I'm depressed.
And now... The Rebel Girls!
You left out half of the lyrics FastCamron.
Win with the Rebels a victory today!
Win with the Rebels, the Scarlet and Gray.
From mountains that surround you to far across the sea
We'll win with the Rebels of UNLV.
U-N-L-V UNLV Go, Fight Win.
We'll win with the Rebels of UNLV.
And what about the fireworks ? Thats goes back to the Convention Center days!!! You can't forget the fireworks. Hell even Tark wrote a blog about the fireworks.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/blogs/shark-b...
Now were talking. Rebels b-ball is all business!!!
Henson needs to push them until they throw up because after watching how they played in conference play last year I was throwing up. That Air Force game was one of the worst Rebel performances in school history. It was so bad rumors were floating around season ticket holders that Wink was throwing games. I don't believe it for a second but the fact it even started shows how bad things fell apart on the court.
That's quite an outlandish allegation Lenny, to say the least. UNLV beat Air Force twice. I think two of the more distasteful defeats were at the start, at TCU and at Colorado State. Those indicated that some tough games lay ahead, but I think the returnees learned well from that. thx
Reagan21 mentioned Clint Rossum, one of my favorite Rebels. Great team guy who could stick the 3 and was a pest on defense. Any of you locals who can tell me what he is doing now?? By the way Rob nice write up on the Rebs in Lindys. Did not have to read to far to figure out that you were the author! Calling Lopez a "dervish" gave it away. Hope Santee and Massamba discovered how to play over the summer or they will be watching Shaw and Lopez from the bench.
Lenny, that IS crazy what you said. I understand what you're saying about conditioning, however. Tark's teams used to be in incredible shape.
Bobby Knight paid homage to Tark in the foreward of his book "Runnin' Rebel" regarding that very niche: He was able to get his players to play outside their comfort zones.
If this year's team is committed to doing that; look out college basketball.
It's amazing how excited everyone is over a team that got clobbered in the first round of the NIT last year. I hope we're a little better this year but I'll believe it when I see it.
thanks, gumby ... some words are signature, eh? :-) tweeter, I wasn't around here in the late 80s and early 90s, but from what I've been hearing from long-timers is that that "atmosphere" is itchin' to return, in that folks are upset about a 20-victory season. THAT, many tell me, is how it was way back when. Expectations can be difficult to achieve, but aspiring to lofty ones comes with the territory if you want to be an elite player.
Oh ya Rob expectations were VERY HIGH in the Tark days. I feel we are at the point of no return being twenty years removed from our last final four if we don't make that leap now the Tark years will just be a footnote. This town will explode when it happens (a return to the FF) and it'll be the hottest ticket in town again. GO REBELS!
Oh BTW, the AFA game at home was the worst UNLV shooting performance since year 2 of the program I believe. The way you win does matter, it's time to put the Runnin' back in Runnin' Rebels!
Lenny Im with you on putting the Runnin back in the Runnin Rebels. Last year there were a few games that I watched Oscar Bellfield casually take it up the court with less than a minute to go in the game and we were down a couple points or tied. I want to see the old ways of high pressure defense and very up tempo offense. I hope that the conditioning they are doing now will help these players play at a higher level this year and wear down the competition with superior athletes and conditioning. Go Rebels! I cant wait to watch the team this year.
If you want the Runnin' Rebels of old back we need to hire Reggie Theus.
Lon Kruger is not the guy to get the job done. You have seen his best days already and they weren't that great.
UNLV is a middle of the pack MWC program that is lucky to make the NIT with Kruger. This year will be no different. If we finish in 5th place you all will be singing his praises.
UNLV Basketball is not good under Kruger. We are barely a Top 50 program and will likely struggle to remain in the Top 100 of the RPI this season.
You were going along good for awhile there, Succ. Had to go and relapse, didn't ya!
If we finish 5th this year I will not be singing his praises. At this stage it's debatable where we're at. You should be willing to see what Kruger does this year before condemning him. If we're in the NIT again there will be a lot of talk like yours. I would love to see Reggie coach UNLV but not if Kruger is progressing us towards a FF appearance. Whoever can get us there has my vote.
Kruger has at least laid some kind of foundation to build upon. Whether he is the guy or not to get us to that next level that is still in question. This I do know for certain that Lon is the best coach we've had here since Tark. Besides it is the players that have to go out, run up & down the floor, put the ball in the basket, & play smothering D. Players win games on the floor not coaches.
I remember Greg Anthony saying, our practices were so brutal and hard that when we finally played in a game it was like disneyland to us, we were just out there having fun.
Ahh, Mr Positive returns ... how ya been Robert, er, Sufferin'???
How quickly some of you "fans" forget that we won ncaa tournament games in 2 out of the last 3 seasons. Hopefully the day will come when every UNLV basketball team won't be compared to the championship squad of 20 years ago. Get over it.
Kruger is the best thing to happen to the rebels in a long time.
I suspect Sufferin is right. I hope not, but look at Krugers past records. He builds up, has a few good years, then falls. I hope I am wrong.
I would love to see Reggie in the T&M supported by an AD that understands Las Vegas and UNLV not some guy from the east coast. !!!!
When did Kansas become part of the East Coast? Also out of Florida, Kansas St., and Illinois, only Florida missed the NCAA's in Kruger's final year. I don't think I would characterize his career as building teams up to let them fall.