The Rebels lose four players who started
at least 18 games last year from a team that was disappointing
much of the campaign. UNLV did have a nice late season surge,
winning six of their last seven regular season games to earn
them a trip to the NIT. For 2005-2006, Lon Kruger will have to
quickly find consistency from a group of talented newcomers or
this year could end up to be much worse than last.
Who’s Out:
Odartey Blankson led the team with 17.5 points and 8.1 rebounds.
Jerel Blassingame was dish leader with 5.5 assists and tacked on
8.9 points per contest. Romel Beck was the Rebel’s best long
range threat and averaged 13.6 points per game. Andy Hannan
started 20 games on the wing and seldom used guards Colin
Darfour and John Winston have exhausted their eligibility and
transferred, respectively. It will be a new look with all the
departures, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing for a team
that underachieved.
Who’s In:
Point guard Jovan Adams will battle returnee Ricky Morgan for
minutes at the point. Adams averaged 28.0 points, 12.0 assists
and 8.0 steals per game last year at Gulf Shores Academy in
Houston, Texas. Junior college transfers Jason Petrimoulx and
Wendell White will add some much needed depth on the wings.
Petrmioulx’s shooting from behind the arc will get him some spot
minutes and White’s toughness and ability to finish could earn
him a starting job. Small forward Joe Darger will most likely
find himself pretty far down the bench as a freshman, but he is
a fine shooter and can offer more on the defensive end than the
other newcomers on the wing. Gaston Essenque, a native of
Cameroon, provides UNLV with a much needed strong power forward
who can run the floor. Essenque averaged 14.1 points and 9.1
rebounds last year at Weatherford (TX) College. Jerome Johnson
is another solid option in the post, but the freshman will need
a year or two to develop. Redshirt Rene Rougeau and walkon Scott
Hoffman will provide some emergency depth to the backcourt.
Who to Watch:
Louis Amundson started 30 games last year,
averaging 7.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks. The 6-9
senior still has plenty of room to improve and his starting job
isn’t even secure with Joel Anthony coming on strong late last
year. Amundson isn’t a great post scorer and could stand to
develop some moves, but his experience should earn him the
starting nod. I often say I could shoot better free throws than
that guy, but in this case there is no doubt. Amundson shot a
dismal 28.8% from the charity stripe last year. Amundson tends
to fade late in the year, but with more options off the bench,
he shouldn’t have to see as many minutes.
Projected Conference Rank:
They say the point guard and center are the
two most important positions in the college game. At the point,
Ricky Morgan has the experience and Jovan Adams oozes potential.
The center spot is up for grabs, but there are two decent
options in Louis Amundson and Joel Anthony. Michael Umeh is the
returning leading scorer and has the potential to carry much of
the scoring load. In a conference that is down, it is really
anybody’s title. UNLV has the potential to be very dangerous
after some early season troubles due to all the newcomers. A 2nd
place finish in the MWC might not be good enough for an NCAA bid
this year, but another trip to the NIT is a step in the right
direction for the Rebels and Lon Kruger.
Projected Post-season Tournament:
NIT
Projected Starting Five:
Ricky Morgan, Senior, Guard, 4.1 points per game
Michael Umeh, Junior, Guard, 9.7 points per game
Wendell White, Junior, Guard, DNP last season
Gaston Essengue, Junior, Forward, DNP last season
Louis Amundson, Senior, Forward, 7.8 points per game
