Rebels’ Lopez refuses to let pain slow gains

When the swelling around his right ankle ballooned to the size of two softballs, UNLV sophomore Carlos Lopez began to lose optimism about playing basketball again in November.

Soon after he hit the floor during practice on Nov. 2, Lopez looked at his ankle and feared the worst.

"It was pretty bad. I thought that was it for me," he said. "I saw it getting huge, and it was so painful I wanted to cry."

He was relieved when X-rays the next day showed a severe sprain. Lopez spent four days on crutches and missed the Rebels' season opener, but 12 days after the injury he was back in game shape.

"It's pretty much a miracle," Lopez said of his quick recovery.

The 6-foot-11-inch forward is ready and more than willing to come off the bench again today when UNLV (2-0) hosts Canisius (1-1) at 7 p.m. at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Lopez returned Monday and produced nine points, four rebounds and four blocked shots in 18 minutes in the Rebels' 71-67 victory over UNR. His ankle was sore after Wednesday's practice, but to him, sitting out would be excruciating.

"I hate doing that. I can't deal with it. I feel useless," he said. "It doesn't feel good. I'm still at 75 percent. But it's all about just playing the game and forgetting about the pain.

"I just want to play and help my team. It doesn't matter how much I have to suffer."

UNLV coach Dave Rice, who was standing near the spot where Lopez jumped and landed on center Brice Massamba's foot, said, "I knew that Carlos was hurt significantly."

Rice guessed Lopez could miss three weeks or more. But Lopez received treatment as many as three times a day from athletic trainer Dave Tomchek, who credited him for a "very high pain threshold."

The work Lopez did in the low post was valuable to the Rebels during a second-half run against UNR. He is sharing minutes with Massamba and junior Quintrell Thomas at the center spot, but Lopez also has the ball-handling and shooting skills to play power forward.

"I'm really excited we've got three guys who all play hard and bring something a little bit different," Rice said. "The good thing about Carlos is he's versatile, so he can play the 5 (position) and he can play the 4, and he's a really high basketball IQ guy.

"Our offensive transition system is not just running the ball up the floor. It's actually running the ball up the floor and trying to throw it in the post and put pressure on the defense."

Lopez, a native of Puerto Rico, was a wiry finesse player when he arrived at UNLV via Findlay Prep in 2009. He weighed 190 pounds and was a weakling in the weight room. But his weight is up to 220, his body fat is down to 9 percent, and his bench press has increased about 100 pounds to 230.

Jason Kabo, the Rebels' assistant director of strength and conditioning, said Lopez has become one of the team's most determined workers. He also studies film more.

"My mindset, I believe, is different. I'm always trying to figure out what to do to get better," Lopez said. "I guess I'm getting more mature. My first few years at Findlay were really rough, but I got over the hump.

"I was extremely skinny. I'm still skinny, but I'm strong. I'm not going to back down."

Restricted in what he could do offensively last season, when he averaged 4.8 points and 11.7 minutes in 33 games as a reserve, Lopez will get more opportunities from Rice and a new coaching staff.

"When the coach gives you freedom to play, that's huge," said Lopez, who often freely expresses his emotions on the floor.

"I like to get the crowd involved," he said. "We have the best fans in the nation, so it's great to get energy out of the crowd."

■ NOTES -- Junior guard Anthony Marshall sprained his left thumb in Monday's game, when he shot 0-for-7 from the field and 7-for-8 on free throws. Marshall had the thumb wrapped in Wednesday's practice but said it won't hinder his play. This is the first meeting between the Rebels and Golden Griffins, who were picked to finish in the bottom half of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

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