Rob Miech

Story Archive

Findlay starts ’09-10 where it finished ’08-09 — No. 1: Monday, Nov. 2, 2009; Findlay College Prep opens the 2009-10 season as the No. 1 basketball team in the land, according to a national poll of insiders, writers and coaches.
UNLV's Quintrell Thomas can't wait to get back on court: Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009; UNLV assistant coach Lew Hill keeps telling Quintrell Thomas he should have just come to Las Vegas out of Elizabeth (N.J.) St. Patrick High. Instead, Thomas went to Kansas, did a whole lot of watching and sitting on coach Bill Self’s bench, and he now is a Rebel – a year too late, in Hill’s mind.
UNLV recruit Cory Joseph visits ’Nova, heads to Minnesota: Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009; Three down, two to go for Findlay College Prep ace guard Cory Joseph.
The senior who guided the Pilots to the ESPN national championship last season visited Villanova over the weekend and got to know coach Jay Wright, his staff and the Wildcats a little better.
Findlay Prep hoopster has talent, drive and ... great hair: Dekeeba “Keeba” Battee-Aston impressing coaches with his determined play; Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009; Before Dekeeba “Keeba” Battee-Aston entered grade school in Australia, movies with a legal or crime theme enthralled him. “And my mom always told me that I’d be a lawyer,” said Findlay College Prep’s new power forward, “because I love to argue.”
Jasper's 85-second flurry highlights scrimmage: Jasper turns from directing traffic and deferring to others to taking over the action and dominating; Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009; There was a stretch at the start of the fourth and final 5-minute UNLV basketball scrimmage Wednesday afternoon that would have made any Rebels fan salivate. Oscar Bellfield, who was on all four winning teams, had already put on a show inside the Cox Pavilion practice gym, and Darris Santee produced a solid performance that is becoming common.
Martinez back at practice after twin laser eye surgeries: Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009; For the first few days of UNLV’s basketball practices, it was apparent that Mychal Martinez had an issue with his eyes. His occasional blinking of his eyes was pronounced.
5 NBA players with Las Vegas ties to begin season: Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009; The new NBA season starts today, which means one of a quintet of professional basketball players with ties to Las Vegas will be working tonight.
Rebels to play closed scrimmage at Long Beach: UNLV to play 49ers in a private run on Nov. 7 before exhibition game; Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009; UNLV’s basketball team will get its first run against someone else next weekend before its Nov. 10 exhibition game against Division-II Washburn at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Darris Santee runs silent, runs deep: By all accounts, UNLV's senior power forward is a different player this season; Monday, Oct. 26, 2009; Darris Santee wears his soul on his left shoulder.
For Rebels, it's lights, cameras, scrimmage: Todd Hanni paces UNLV basketball team with six points in two three-minute runs; Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009; With cameras rolling, UNLV basketball coach Lon Kruger returned to scrimmages to gauge his players at the end of Friday morning’s practice.
In the Cox Pavilion practice gym, walk-on guard Todd Hanni, a 6-foot-4 junior from Danville, Ind., led everyone with six points in the two three-minute runs.
Once again, Santee leads scrimmage in scoring: Friday, Oct. 23, 2009; Six days after a public scrimmage at the Thomas & Mack Center, it was the same tune Thursday afternoon inside the Cox Pavilion practice gym. In The Dungeon, like he did in the Mack, senior center Darris Santee led everyone with a team-best 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting. Last Friday night, he was the lone Rebel in double figures in scoring with 13.
UNLV target Joseph visits UConn when athlete slain: Findlay Prep top-10 prospect Cory Joseph wasn't near dance where football player stabbed to death; Friday, Oct. 23, 2009; Findlay College Prep star guard Cory Joseph, who is still considering UNLV, wasn’t anywhere near the slaying of a Connecticut football player early Sunday morning.
If a meeting at Huskies basketball coach Jim Calhoun’s home hadn’t gone long Saturday night, though, Joseph might have wound up outside a school-sponsored dance on the UConn campus, the scene of the tragedy, with some of its basketball players.
Lighter Massamba overcomes injury, increases threat: Sophomore center brings more mobility, agility to his game; Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009; It took 65 seconds for UNLV basketball fans to see the new and improved Brice “Truck” Massamba producing for the Rebels.
Notebook: Chace Stanback ready to bounce back from injury: Sophomore UCLA transfer missed FirstLook with ankle sprain, expected back soon; Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009; Anyone itching to see Chace Stanback in UNLV’s late-night scrimmage Friday at the Thomas & Mack Center was no doubt disappointed when he didn’t leave the bench.
Mychal Martinez makes unexpected move onto UNLV roster: Monday, Oct. 19, 2009; Mychal Martinez made a basket in a Rebels uniform, with fans watching inside the Thomas & Mack Center, before Derrick Jasper or Chace Stanback.
Rookies finding their groove with UNLV basketball team: Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009; Twice late Saturday morning, Brice Massamba executed deft touch passes to Carlos Lopez for inside baskets. In 3-on-2 drills, Lopez returned the favor with a slick zip to Massamba for an easy bucket.
Randall Cunningham supportive of UNLV, mum on Sanford: Legend on hand as 1984 team honored at Sam Boyd Stadium; Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009; Early in the second quarter Saturday night at Sam Boyd Stadium, former UNLV quarterback Randall Cunningham was optimistic. “Utah’s only up by one point now,” he said. “We just have to get things going. I don’t know. I’m glad I don’t make decisions in this town.”
Cimarron-Memorial grad runs for 111 yards against UNLV: Eddie Wide paces Utes offensive attack in 35-15 victory; Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009; After Utah’s 35-15 victory over UNLV on Saturday night, Terrance Cain and Eddie Wide were as surgical and unemotional about the outcome as Internal Revenue Service agents.
Back from injury, Shaw stands out in Rebels scrimmage: Fans get first look at UNLV basketball team during intrasquad game; Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009; Matt Shaw made the big plays at both ends of the Thomas & Mack Center court late Friday night to clinch a game for his team. Doing it when it matters is the next step for UNLV’s 6-foot-8 junior power forward. But Friday’s intrasquad scrimmage before maybe 5,000 fans mattered plenty to Shaw. “I’m so happy just being able to be back in basketball, in general,” Shaw said.
Jasper to take center stage at FirstLook basketball scrimmage: Junior Kentucky transfer one of several fresh faces on display tonight; Friday, Oct. 16, 2009; UNLV guard Derrick Jasper’s first breathless move happened in April. The season had ended in the National Invitation Tournament at Kentucky. Basketball conditioning drills began in Las Vegas. Cleared to go after the long rehab of his surgically repaired left knee, Jasper sprawled all-out for a loose ball inside The Dungeon – the Cox Pavilion practice gym. A hush fell over teammates and coaches.
Assistant hoops coach Lew Hill, like Rebels, hungry to win: Public to get its first look at the 2009-2010 team Friday night; Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009; UNLV assistant basketball coach Lew Hill knows it’s early. The public gets its first look at the 2009-10 team Friday night and full-bore practice begins Saturday.
Kobe Bryant leads revamped Lakers back to Las Vegas: New set of weapons will accompany NBA superstar at Thomas & Mack; Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009; The world has indeed become Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant’s oyster, which was bolstered when he guided the U.S. to Olympic gold in China in 2008.
He returned to Las Vegas for the Lakers’ annual preseason game a year ago without much rest, but his Beijing experience seemed to boost his desire for more hardware.
UNLV kicker's desire to play led to unique path: Senior Kyle Watson says playing at historically black school was an eye-opener; Monday, Oct. 12, 2009; UNLV senior kicker Kyle Watson doesn’t think of himself as a pioneer or a trailblazer by being among the first white players at historically black Texas Southern. He just wanted to play football.
Harvey Unga puts on show for BYU fans in 'Provo West': Junior tailback punishes Rebels again with three touchdown runs; Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009; At less than full speed and on the road, it would have been understandable if BYU junior running back Harvey Unga struggled Saturday night. Then again, the Cougars were in Provo West, or Sam Boyd Stadium. And the foe was UNLV, with one of the worst defenses in the nation.
BYU's Harvey Unga poses challenge for UNLV defense: Junior tailback is on a roll with hamstring injury behind him; Friday, Oct. 9, 2009; BYU junior running back Harvey Unga admits that he salivated a bit this week when he glanced at the 559 yards that UNLV yielded to UNR on the ground last week.
“A part of me does,” he says, “then a part of me doesn’t.”
Koloskie says coaches can't be judged solely by wins and losses: UNLV interim athletic director gets earful from fans after football team's loss to UNR; Friday, Oct. 9, 2009; Jerry Koloskie’s adoration of The Three Stooges has served him very well lately. The UNLV interim athletic director’s world has been turned upside down. He can’t locate his shirts. He can’t find the black belt to match the black oxfords. Forks and knives are somewhere.
BYU quarterback Max Hall talks UNLV, early success: Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009; With 25 victories to his credit, BYU quarterback Max Hall is second on the Cougars’ career list. Ty Detmer, who threw from 1988-91, has 30 wins.
Findlay Prep releases schedule, starts season Nov. 13: Friday, Oct. 2, 2009; Findlay College Prep begins its national title defense at home, in the Henderson International School gym, against National College Prep of California on Nov. 13.
Ryan Moore: Golf (2001 - 04): Friday, Oct. 2, 2009; Ryan Moore’s first victory on the PGA Tour, at the Wyndham Championship in North Carolina on Aug. 23, 2009, surprised nobody who saw him play golf at UNLV.
As a Rebel, Tyler Norman rediscovers the joy of basketball: Friday, Oct. 2, 2009; It quickly hit a crescendo. At a summer pick-up game, elite UNLV basketball players goaded Tyler Norman to dunk the ball. Throw it down, they said. Climb some air.
Do a windmill!
“I’d never windmilled it before,” Norman says with a smile. “But I went up and windmilled it, and the guys just went crazy. They’d never seen a white guy windmill it before. That was a highlight.
“That was fun.”
Findlay Prep hoops duo pondering college options: Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009; Cory Joseph isn’t ruling out UNLV, and Godwin Okonji might be leaning away from Utah. As those two Findlay College Prep players prepare for their senior seasons, they are also trying to determine where they’ll play in college next year.
Ex-UNLV guard Terry to join African team for season: Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009; Former UNLV guard Curtis Terry is flying to Africa to play basketball for Petro Luanda, in Luanda, Angola, this season.
The anatomy of a Rebels road losing streak: 1,815 days later, UNLV still seeking a Mountain West road victory; Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009; Once again, UNLV can be thankful for Duke.
The school that the Rebels belted by 30 points for the 1990 NCAA basketball championship owns college football’s longest road losing streak against conference opponents.
Duke has lost 20 consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference games away from Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, N.C.
Liberty unleashes powerful ground game in 34-14 win over Green Valley: Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009; Green Valley High caught Liberty off guard by pooching the opening kickoff Friday night and recovering the football deep in the Patriots’ territory. The Patriots, however, dominated the rest of the way to make their first victory, at 34-14, over the Gators a resounding one.
Shadow Ridge football player says mom is No. 1 coach, inspiration: Zak Hill's mother played basketball at UNR; father is boxer Virgil 'Quicksilver' Hill; Friday, Sept. 25, 2009; Shadow Ridge High senior tailback Zakary Hill sometimes shocks friends and peers when they inquire about his father. Virgil Hill held the WBA light heavyweight title belt for 8 1/2 years. He was 30-0 when he sustained his first loss, to Thomas “Hit Man” Hearns, at Caesars Palace in 1991. Wow, they tell Zak. Your dad is the boxer Virgil Hill? I can’t believe it! The world famous Virgil Hill?
UNLV hoopsters push to limit in preparation for season: Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009; 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.
George Tarkanian takes Bonanza High hoops job: Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009; George Tarkanian is coaching again, at Bonanza High a short walk from his tenured teaching position at the College of Southern Nevada, but he’s not too sure what he’s getting into.
Hawaii defense gives UNLV credit for pivotal drive: Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009; Hawaii cornerback Tank Hopkins didn’t want to talk about it and teammate Spencer Smith offered only 29 words about UNLV’s game-deciding drive late Saturday night at Sam Boyd Stadium. Compared to his fellow Warriors, linebacker Jake Heun delivered a Gettysburg Address-like speech about Hawaii’s 34-33 defeat before a boisterous crowd of 29,717. “Definitely, the energy was back,” Heun said of the moments that followed his sack of Rebels quarterback Omar Clayton in the game’s final minute. “We just couldn’t get it on the next snap. It happens.
UNLV's challenge: Contain Hawaii QB Greg Alexander: Warriors senior has thrown for 757 yards, completed 69.1 percent of passes through two games; Friday, Sept. 18, 2009; Hawaii senior quarterback Greg Alexander’s initiation into elite college football started at Florida last season and ended in a bowl game against Notre Dame. They were bookends filled with blemishes. Against two of the game’s powerhouse programs, the Warriors wiped out, 56-10 in the former and 49-21 in the latter.
Healthy Jasper looks to fill leadership void: Returning from knee injury, UNLV transfer taking on a bigger role; Thursday, Sept. 17, 2009; The reports on Derrick Jasper’s progress, if not dominance, at UNLV pick-up games in recent months have been impressive.
They have come from Kevin Kruger and Curtis Terry, authorities on all hoop matters scarlet and gray who two years ago helped the Rebels reach their first Sweet 16 since 1991. Terry talked about how Jasper, the 6-foot-6 guard who transferred to UNLV from Kentucky and mended a surgically repaired left knee last season, often drove strong over or through defenders.
Days before team practice, Kruger likes what he sees: Rebels to start brief practice period with full team beginning Wednesday; Monday, Sept. 14, 2009; 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.
James and Jacquizz Rodgers power Oregon State: The brothers combine for 323 total yards in OSU’s 23-21 victory over UNLV; Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009; The Rodgers brothers insist that Jacquizz did not trail older sibling James from Texas to Oregon State.
“I was not following in his footsteps,” said Jacquizz, a sophomore tailback.
“I don’t think he followed me,” said James, a junior wide receiver. “I think he just came because of his situation. He made his own decision.”
NFL rookie Frank Summers back to support UNLV: Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009; Wearing highlighter-yellow Nikes, jeans, a long white T-shirt and stylish shades, Frank Summers stood on the sideline before tonight’s UNLV game and tossed a football to himself.
The former Rebel looked as if he was itching to put a scarlet-and-gray uniform back on and punish a few Oregon State linebackers in Sam Boyd Stadium.
Not the case, he said.
Oregon State's Las Vegas recruiting success withers: Roster has been emptied of local talent, but Beavers say they aren't giving up; Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009; Oregon State’s football pipeline to Las Vegas has dried up like an ice cube on the Strip in the middle of summer.
When the Beavers visit Sam Boyd Stadium to play UNLV tonight, they will have nobody from Las Vegas on their roster.
Renowned matador featured in South Point's bloodless bullfights: Zotoluco has starred in rings in Mexico, France and Spain; Friday, Sept. 11, 2009; Eulalio “El Zotoluco” Lopez will flirt with half a ton of trouble twice Monday afternoon in the bullring at the South Point Arena when a rare bullfight is staged in Las Vegas. The famous matador is a national hero in Mexico, and he said what gives him an edge, what keeps his senses sharp, is sweating and having a degree of doubt when he enters the ring.
Nephews of hoops greats follow in famous footsteps at Findlay: Two Pilots thrive in memory of late uncles Drazen Petrovic and Dennis Johnson; Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2009; The two nephews of the late basketball stars at times feel the weight of the last names on the back of their jerseys.
However, Marko Petrovic and Nick Johnson, two of the newest Findlay College Prep players, counter those emotions with immense pride in their surnames.
“I’m very proud of that name,” said Petrovic, nephew of the late Drazen Petrovic. “That name left some footsteps in basketball, in Europe and in America. I want to continue that.”
UNLV defense keeps Sacramento State out of end zone: Sunday, Sept. 6, 2009; Sacramento State hadn’t been this close to the end zone all night. The Hornets were on the UNLV 20-yard line and looking to earn some honor against the program from the elite division. But the Rebels were relentless on defense and stifled the squad from the former Division I-AA.
Brothers square off at UNLV-Sacramento State game: Sunday, Sept. 6, 2009; Brian and Jason Heath executed the plan to perfection Saturday night at Sam Boyd Stadium. Brian, a senior tight end for Sacramento State, made sure he and Jason, a redshirt freshman left guard for UNLV, lined up opposite each other for the pre-game handshakes involving both teams.
UNLV among many programs vying for Cory Joseph: Findlay standout says there’s no timetable for his decision; Friday, Sept. 4, 2009; Official basketball practice at UNLV doesn’t start for more than a month, the first game is more than two months away and the NCAA tournament is way down the line.
However, this is a big weekend for Rebels hoops. And Louisville. And Kansas. And Minnesota, Ohio State and Marquette, among many others.
UNLV, Sac State are strangers with a common foe: Rebels know little about this weekend’s opponent, but the Rams know them both; Friday, Sept. 4, 2009; UNLV and Sacramento State have never played each other in football. Their respective coaches supposedly don’t know each other. They’ve never even met. The two teams, however, do share Fort Collins, Colo., as a connection.