Forward Santee gives Rebels inside force

Most of the time, Darris Santee is relaxed and quiet. He seems almost too polite to be a power forward.

But there are two sides to Santee, and UNLV's 6-foot-8-inch junior adjusts his attitude to include a mean streak when he's on the basketball court.

"I take on a challenge, no matter how big it is," he said. "I like to play physical."

His new teammates are noticing. Santee, a transfer from Midland (Texas) College, is making a big impression as a player capable of being an inside force for the Rebels.

Through four days of practice, Santee has been running with the first team, and he's likely to start along with guards Wink Adams and Tre'Von Willis and forwards Joe Darger and Rene Rougeau.

"Darris doesn't back down from anybody," Rougeau said. "He's a beast down there. He likes to mix it up."

UNLV coach Lon Kruger had no choice but to play small ball last season. With no center on the roster, Kruger asked the 6-7 Darger and 6-6 Rougeau to man the middle.

The formula worked to the tune of a 27-8 record, a Mountain West Conference Tournament title and a trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Expectations are even higher now, and Kruger has more options.

Santee might not be a true center, but he can handle the position, and 7-foot redshirt freshman Beas Hamga and 6-10 freshman Brice Massamba should provide quality depth.

"Darris is a couple years older and a couple years more experienced. He seems a little bit more comfortable. The game is not moving as quickly for him as it is for our two big freshmen," Kruger said. "But I love what our big freshmen are doing.

"Darris is a blue-collar type post man who's attacking all the time. He's also skilled enough to make that mid-range jumper, too, so that allows him to keep the defenses honest."

Kruger complimented Santee's maturity and strength, and Santee said he owes his development to his two years in junior college.

As a high school senior in Missouri City, Texas, Santee was recruited by UNLV, Florida State, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. He didn't get the SAT score he needed to be eligible and detoured to Midland College, where he played on a NJCAA national championship team as a freshman and averaged 14 points per game as a sophomore.

"It made me a lot tougher and mentally stronger," Santee said. "You've got to be tough to play in junior college. You've got to stand out."

Rebels assistant coach Lew Hill started recruiting Santee as a high school sophomore, and Santee said a "family atmosphere" at UNLV made his college decision easy last fall.

"I'm just a family guy," said Santee, who has five brothers. "Off the court, I'm a really laid-back person. I don't go out a lot. Sometimes the guys will say, 'Let's go out,' and I say, 'I'm just going to chill and watch TV.'

"I like to joke around. A lot of people don't know that, and they think I'm quiet, but I joke around a lot when I'm with the team. Once you get to know me, I open up a little more."

The presence of Santee in the paint -- in addition to Hamga and Massamba -- should help open the floor and balance the Rebels' offense, allowing some better perimeter looks for Adams, Darger, Rougeau and Willis.

"Now that we have some big men, we can go into the post. All three can score, and they're all different," Rougeau said. "We're still going to be running and gunning, and all three of them can run the court.

"Brice is really a banger. Beas is more of a mid-range type of guy, and he blocks shots. Darris gets the job done, whatever it takes, and he likes that jumper inside the paint."

Santee said he feels prepared to be in the starting lineup in UNLV's season opener against San Diego on Nov. 15.

"I'm working hard every day in practice," he said. "I'm getting more confidence and getting more comfortable."

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