Rebels’ hole in middle widens

As it turned out, the rumors about Lamar Roberson's demise at UNLV were not exaggerated. The sophomore forward left the basketball team in what was not a surprise move.

Rebels coach Lon Kruger said he learned of Roberson's decision to transfer Wednesday night.

Roberson was close to quitting the team on at least two prior occasions. He was absent from a practice in late November but returned and played through the nonconference season.

"We're disappointed for Lamar that it didn't work out for him, and we hope it goes well wherever he ends up," Kruger said after Thursday's practice. "He's been on the edge of going either direction."

UNLV (11-3) opens its Mountain West Conference schedule Saturday at Colorado State (6-7).

The loss of the 6-foot-8-inch Roberson leaves the Rebels with three players who can fill the center position -- 6-8 Matt Shaw, 6-7 Joe Darger and 6-6 Rene Rougeau.

Roberson, unhappy with his limited role on the team, averaged 3.8 points and 3.2 rebounds in 13 games off the bench. He sat out the Dec. 8 game against Fresno State for disciplinary reasons.

In his final game at UNLV on Sunday, Roberson scored two points in 10 minutes in an 81-64 victory over Minnesota.

"Lamar always kind of works hard when he wants to. He didn't fit into this program as well as he liked," Darger said. "We definitely could have used Lamar if he would have just bought into the system and worked hard.

"He did bring something to the table, with blocked shots and rebounds, but we'll be fine without him. He's a great kid, and I hope the best for him."

Kruger has three players committed for the Rebels' 2008 recruiting class. With a fourth scholarship now available, it's a good bet Kruger won't look for a transfer from Houston.

Roberson, from Baton Rouge, La., spent his freshman year at Houston before transferring to UNLV, where he practiced with the team while sitting out last season.

After this season's first game, 6-10 junior center Emmanuel Adeife, another transfer from Houston, complained about a lack of playing time and was dismissed by Kruger.

Roberson's effort in some practices was questionable, and his game production also was inconsistent.

He shot 21-for-51 from the field and 8-for-20 on free throws and had 19 turnovers, 12 assists and 10 blocked shots. He averaged 13.5 minutes per game.

Roberson played a season-low four minutes in the Rebels' loss to Arizona on Dec. 19. He had his best game three days later with eight points and seven rebounds in a victory over Tennessee-Martin.

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