Rebel’s career not yet in flight

2780260

Not yet a world traveler, Kendall Wallace is anxious to get to Australia with the UNLV basketball team.

Wallace has crossed the U.S. border just once to hit the beach on a spring break trip to Rocky Point, Mexico. His next foreign experience might be more memorable, though he’s not looking forward to one part of it.

“The plane trip is going to be brutal,” Wallace said of the flight from Las Vegas to Sydney, Australia. “I’ve heard (the trip is) from 14 to 18 hours.”

The Rebels practice at 10 a.m. today before departing at 6 p.m. for Australia, where they will play six exhibition games over two weeks.

Wallace, a 6-foot-4-inch guard from Mesa, Ariz., plans to use the trip as a springboard for his sophomore season. After nine days of practice, his progress report is full of high marks.

“Kendall has been shooting really well during these two weeks,” coach Lon Kruger said. “He just continues to work. He’s a basketball junkie and he loves being in the gym.

“He’ll run some point and he’ll play some off (guard) for us. He’s a combo guard who needs to make shots regardless of where he’s playing.”

Wallace lost his touch during his freshman season. He shot 29.3 percent from the field, including 10-for-48 from 3-point range, and averaged 2.4 points. He said he lost confidence.

“Kendall is a guy who’s shot the ball well all his life, so when he goes through a stretch where all of a sudden he’s not shooting well, it’s going to affect him,” Kruger said.

After suffering a stress fracture to his right fibula in October, Wallace missed the first month of the season. He debuted Dec. 5 and scored nine points in a win at Northern Arizona. But that probably was his best performance.

“For the most part, freshmen come in and they have that adjustment period,” Wallace said. “I was slowed down by the injury, and I went into a slump in the middle of the year. I couldn’t really get it going.”

Wallace figures to see time behind sophomore point guard Tre’Von Willis and senior shooting guard Wink Adams.

The player Wallace most often is compared to is Kevin Kruger, the son of the coach. Kevin Kruger ran the point as a senior in 2006-07, but he already was polished when he transferred to UNLV.

“Keep in mind, you guys only saw me when I was a senior,” said Kevin Kruger, who has been practicing with the Rebels and is reporting to NBA camp today with the Orlando Magic. “Playing point guard as a freshman and sophomore is tough, and especially with as many seniors as they’ve got, it can be demanding.

“I think Kendall can be a great asset. He opens the floor up. He can play shooting guard — he shoots it really well — and I don’t think there’s any doubt he can fill that position. But he also can play the point.”

Wallace, who averaged 11.7 minutes in 28 games last season, is hoping his improved play the past two weeks carries over to Australia.

“I’m playing confident, and I just want to show what I can do over there,” he said.

• NOTES — Lon Kruger said senior forward Rene Rougeau probably will get the last available scholarship for 2008-09. Connecticut transfer Curtis Kelly, who was considering UNLV and Kansas State, is out of the picture. … Former Rebels coach Jerry Tarkanian was courtside Saturday as about 700 fans watched the Rebels’ public send-off practice at the Thomas & Mack Center.