Rebels’ lessons will come in handy

Wink Adams says he put UNLV's improbable basketball journey of last season behind him the minute his first jump shot left his hands during individual workouts this fall.

"Then," the Rebels junior guard said, "it was all about this season."

But Adams shouldn't totally forget last spring's dramatic memories. There were so many of them, coming at the Rebels one after another, all in one grand and glorious blur.

After being picked to finish sixth in the Mountain West Conference, they won the league tournament. Then they sent higher seeds Georgia Tech and Wisconsin home from the NCAA Tournament, leading to a Sweet 16 game against Oregon. They finished with 30 wins.

Above all, they resuscitated a program's pride.

Remembering all of those achievements just might be the best vehicle by which to avoid long stages of adversity over the next several months.

The Rebels' season media guide speaks about a young roster hoping to jell early. It's an obvious premise for a team that must replace five seniors, four of them starters, from a team that returned UNLV to a national stage and rejuvenated a zealous fan base that had become frustrated with seasons that ended in the letters NIT.

Trying to forget all that would be rash, because knowledge of how success is achieved can be a valuable tool when faced with the reality of inexperience. Five players who appeared in at least 33 games return, meaning there are enough of those positive memories from which to draw when bad streaks inevitably occur.

"I think last season becomes a reference point, but not something we'll hold over their heads," coach Lon Kruger said. "Losing five players -- all of whom have a chance to be playing pro ball somewhere this year -- is huge. We have to challenge this group to grow and mature with respect to understanding little details and not just want to get to the end right away, which is a common mistake.

"I think all the guys who experienced that run and now return have a great respect for how hard it is. They all benefited from a confidence standpoint. I think they're both anxious and in a healthy way scared about what the expectations now become.

"A healthy dose of fear used in the right way can be very good. But we don't want to worry about March and not take care of business in September and October. That's what we have to concern ourselves with right now."

Respect has been earned. Adams is the only returning starter, but UNLV is still picked second in the conference (my ballot had the Rebels third). It's unknown how players such as seniors Curtis Terry and Corey Bailey and junior Joe Darger might respond to more significant roles, or how much the NCAA mandated redshirt season for freshman center Beas Hamga could cost UNLV.

On the latter, I assume not much as some believe.

Hamga today is more about future upside than present impact. He should become a more skilled player for this chance to gain strength without pressure to produce immediately, although a sensible forecast for his numbers this season would have been in the 20-minute range while averaging six points, four rebounds and a few blocks.

The Rebels can make up those stats, and Hamga will be better for it. They're not as deep inside without him, but they were going to struggle matching up with big teams whether he played or not. UNLV could finish anywhere from first to probably fifth in conference, a truth that wouldn't change had Hamga been ruled eligible for this season.

Marcus Lawrence had a different type of on-court education as a freshman last year. Now, there might not be a more important player on the roster.

Adams is the unquestioned leader and the team's best player, but how far a leap Lawrence makes from backing up Kevin Kruger at point guard to assuming the lead role could determine how accurate that second-place prediction really is.

Lawrence inherited a freshman's dream scenario, able to soak in the wisdom of Kruger while also seeing enough time (seven starts while playing in all 37 games and averaging 14.1 minutes) to understand the difficulty of dribbling from preps to college.

"You can't measure how much it helped me to play behind Kevin," Lawrence said. "It was a hard transition and he made it a lot better. It's more a respect factor than anything now. I feel as a leader, you have to know each of the guys on and off the court. I do. I know who they are, what their interests are. They respect me. I know they do."

It's a young team with a young point guard, but that shouldn't discourage the Rebels from remembering often how memorable journeys are accomplished.

To try to forget would be rash.

Ed Graney's column is published Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. He can be reached at 383-4618 or egraney@reviewjournal.com