UNLV Sports

Olekaibe shakes off rust in surprise appearance at Desert Reign

Sam Morris

Fresno State transfer and former Cimarron-Memorial guard Kevin Olekaibe pushes past Joseph Tuss during their game on the first night of the Desert Reign tournament Tuesday, June 18, 2013.

Olekaibe shakes off rust in surprise appearance at Desert Reign: UNLV basketball: The UNLV transfer expects to be able to participate in team workouts within the next week; Wed, Jun 19, 2013 (2 a.m.); By Taylor Bern; Kevin Olekaibe’s basketball life currently includes about as much paperwork as it does nets. Tuesday night he was able to enjoy some of the latter as he played with a handful of other once and future Rebels in front of a few dozen fans at the first night of the Desert Reign ProCity League at Grant Sawyer Middle School.

Jerry Rice Jr. (left) talks to UCLA football coach Rich Neuheisel during a practice on Oct. 25, 2011. In three seasons as a Bruin, Rice Jr., the son of the NFL Hall of Fame receiver, played nine games and caught nine passes for 69 yards.

Son of NFL legend Jerry Rice plans to transfer to UNLV football: Rebels quick hits:; Friday, June 14, 2013; By Taylor Bern; At wide receiver for UNLV, Jerry Rice … Jr. Fans may hear that over the Sam Boyd Stadium loud speakers this fall as the son of the greatest receiver in NFL history tweeted Friday that he plans to spend his final season with the Rebels.

Savon Goodman, left, talks with DaQuan Cook during the Desert Reign summer league Tuesday, July 10, 2012.

At least six Rebels expected to play in Desert Reign ProCity League: UNLV quick hits: Newcomers Jelan Kendrick and Kendall Smith are among the Rebels slated to appear in games starting next week; Friday, June 14, 2013; By Taylor Bern; Fans don’t have to wait until fall to get a look at the newest Rebels basketball players.

UNLV mascot Hey Reb waves a flag as the Rebels take the court at the Thomas & Mack for their home conference opener against Air Force Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013.

Rebels roundup: Basketball schedule coming into focus; teams ace APR: UNLV athletics:; Thursday, June 13, 2013; By Taylor Bern; This offseason has been anything but dull on Maryland Parkway. That includes a few items over the weekend and early this week. Let's get everyone caught up, starting with more news from the UNLV basketball team.

Fresno State's Kevin Olekaibe drives to the basket against UNLV during their Mountain West Conference game March 9, 2013 at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Hardship waivers an inexact science, but Olekaibe likely to get one at UNLV: Analysis:; Wednesday, June 12, 2013; By Taylor Bern; On the surface, the NCAA’s hardship waiver was created for a student-athlete just like Kevin Olekaibe, the former Fresno State junior whose father is in Las Vegas hospice care after multiple strokes have left him unable to speak and paralyzed below the waist.

Kevin Olekaibe (3), playing Jan. 23 with Fresno State, brings the ball down the court against Boise State. Olekaibe is transferring to UNLV.

Kevin Olekaibe transfers to UNLV from Fresno State; has strong case for hardship waiver to become eligible: rebels basketball: The Cimarron-Memorial star only transferred to UNLV to be with ailing father; has one year of eligibility; Monday, June 10, 2013; By Ray Brewer; Former Cimarron-Memorial High basketball standout Kevin Olekaibe is enrolled in summer school classes at UNLV. Olekaibe, a 6-foot-2 guard and one of Fresno State’s top players, hopes to join the UNLV program for the upcoming season.

UNLV head coach Bobby Hauck talks to his players after their spring football game Friday, April 12, 2013.

Golden Nugget makes UNLV football double-digit underdog against Minnesota, Arizona: rebels football: The downtown property will open betting Friday on 240 college games, including three involving the hometown Rebels; Thursday, June 6, 2013; By Ray Brewer; The UNLV football team will be a betting underdog in its initial two games of the season. The Golden Nugget at 1 p.m. Friday will open betting on 240 college football games for the fall, including three contests involving the hometown Rebels. The downtown property is the first local establishment to release college football odds for 2013.

New Mexico takes on Wyoming during their Mountain West Conference Tournament game Wednesday, March 13, 2013, at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Mountain West unveils format for 11-team basketball tournament: Rebels quick hits:; Tuesday, June 4, 2013; By Taylor Bern; The Mountain West men’s and women’s basketball tournaments will include all 11 teams after the additions (Utah State and San Jose State) plus the decisions of Boise State and San Diego State to remain in the league, the league announced Tuesday afternoon.

Kevin Penner from the UNLV 2013 golf team.

UNLV golf team's season ends after narrow quarterfinal defeat: Rebels golf:; Friday, May 31, 2013; By Taylor Bern; The UNLV men’s golf team’s season rested on the shoulders of its best player but in the end the Rebels couldn’t keep the magic going one more day.

Rebels' golf team rides amazing shot into finals at national championships: UNLV golf: Kurt Kitayama hit a long eagle on the final hole and the Rebels survived a four team sudden death playoff; Thursday, May 30, 2013; By Taylor Bern; Kurt Kitayama holed out from more than 200 yards on his final shot, putting the UNLV men’s golf team in position for a playoff that they survived late Thursday to advance to Friday’s match play at 8:30 a.m. Las Vegas time at the NCAA Division I Championships in Atlanta.

Basic High School's Devonte Boyd is shown during practice at the school in Henderson Monday, Aug. 13, 2012.

Players in senior all-star game feel they will make difference with Rebels: high school football: West Charleston Lions Club 42nd Annual All-Star Football Game raises about $40,000 for charities in Southern Nevada; Thursday, May 30, 2013; By Ray Brewer; This year’s high school football senior all-star game should have a different feel. The West Charleston Lions Club 42nd Annual All-Star Football Game, which is 7 p.m. Saturday at Bishop Gorman, will include a heavy helping of players signed with Division I college programs. Previously, some of those college-bound players were instructed by their future coaches not the play, forcing all-star game organizers into an awkward spot of having to fill roster spots on the week of the game.

Hey Reb walks off with UNLV guard Katin Reinhardt after the Rebels knocked off Boise State 68-64 Tuesday, March 5, 2013 at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Former UNLV guard Katin Reinhardt heading to USC: Rebels basketball: Katin Reinhardt is the second player from the 2012-13 team to transfer to the Pac-12; Thursday, May 30, 2013; By Taylor Bern; Turns out Katin Reinhardt will honor his original commitment after all. Two years after giving a verbal commitment that later fell through, Reinhardt will attend USC, he told Scout.com.

Majestic Realty partner Craig Cavileer packs up a cutaway model of the UNLV Now stadium project after the Nevada System of Higher Education's Board of Regents meeting on Friday, Jan. 11, 2013. UNLV and its private developer partners updated regents on the project, which now features a 100-yard-long video screen and six VIP suites seating 300 people.

Majestic seeking support for off-campus stadium for UNLV football: Thursday, May 30, 2013; By Paul Takahashi; Majestic Realty has a new plan for an off-campus UNLV football stadium, but it won't go far without support from the very university that dropped its private developer partner two months ago.

Lee Taft, who runs the Lee Taft Speed Academy, runs basketball strength coaches through change of direction agility moves at a seminar on May 18, 2013, at the Mendenhall Center.

Basketball strength coaches trade secrets during weekend seminar at UNLV: Rebels basketball:; Thursday, May 30, 2013; By Taylor Bern; Often times when college basketball players step off the court, they stop competing against one another and return to talking as friends. Sometimes they’ll discuss each other’s relative strengths and weaknesses in hopes of bettering themselves and the person with whom they’re speaking.

UNLV coach Dave Rice talks to guards Katin Reinhardt and Bryce Dejan-Jones during their second round game against Cal at the NCAA Basketball Tournament Thursday, March 21, 2013 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. UNLV lost to Cal 64-61 to exit the tournament after one game for the fourth year in a row.

Reinhardt's departure creates even larger void for 2013-14 Rebels to fill: Analysis:; Wednesday, May 29, 2013; By Taylor Bern; Despite the sudden departure of Katin Reinhardt, who ranked second in shots and minutes last season, Dave Rice is content with the group he has and may keep that scholarship open for a possible midyear transfer.