Rebels won’t rush Jasper into action

After he hit the floor late in Thursday's practice, UNLV junior Derrick Jasper had to be helped up. It was deja vu for Jasper but in a positive sense. This time, he was smiling.

Five weeks ago, after he fell near the same spot on the Thomas & Mack Center court, Jasper was fearing the worst as he was helped to the locker room.

"I was pretty scared about it," he said. "I knew there was going to be a long road coming ahead."

The 6-foot-6-inch guard was worried his basketball season was finished. But the injury he suffered in the Rebels' win over Air Force on Jan. 26 turned out to be a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee, and he eventually accepted the prognosis as a blessing.

"I knew I was done for a while because I could feel it tear and pop," he said. "I'm not going to lie. I was a little bit depressed and pretty down about it.

"So I'm just grateful to even be able to play this season. I'm real excited to get the opportunity."

For the first time since the injury, Jasper went full speed in practice Thursday. He wore a flexible brace on the knee, which he said was "a little sore."

Jasper is uncertain if he will play when UNLV (22-7, 10-5) hosts Wyoming (10-19, 3-12) in the Rebels' Mountain West Conference regular-season finale at 1 p.m. Saturday.

"We'll see how he responds to strenuous activity. If he's ready by Saturday, we'll play him. Regardless, he won't play much," coach Lon Kruger said. "It's totally up to Derrick because we're certainly not going to rush him back sooner than what he's comfortable doing. That happened once already in his career, and that kind of set him back."

Jasper averaged 6.7 points and 4.9 rebounds while starting the Rebels' first 21 games.

In the summer of 2007, before his sophomore season at Kentucky, Jasper needed microfracture surgery on his left knee. He returned to action in December and played in 20 games but said he came back too early.

Jasper's latest injury was expected to sideline him for five weeks. He has worked with UNLV athletic trainer Dave Tomchek almost daily to strengthen the knee, and teammate Tre'Von Willis has provided mental support.

"Tre'Von has been by my side most of the time," Jasper said. "He's been talking me through it and telling me they need me back.

"It has been hard, but I've already been through it. I've been rehabbing my whole college career. I'm feeling pretty good. I'm just taking it day by day. I'm still a little sore and still a little rusty."

Kruger said junior forward Matt Shaw, out the past four games with a sprained left ankle, will play against Wyoming.

Contact sports reporter Matt Youmans at 702-387-2907 or at myoumans@reviewjournal.com.