Terry’s call was happy hookup

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In need of a date and getting no offers, Curtis Terry picked up the phone four years ago and made a proposal.

But he was not looking for a girl to take to the movies. He was in search of a college, and he desperately wanted to play basketball.

“I felt like I got overlooked in high school,” he said.

So he called someone he barely knew and tried to sell himself. Lon Kruger, just settling in as coach at UNLV, took Terry’s call and agreed to a blind date.

“Literally, he called and said, ‘Hey, Coach, I’d like the chance to come and walk on and play,’ ” Kruger said. “I said, ‘Come on.’ “

Kruger said he had “no idea” what he was getting “because I had never seen him play.”

Over the past four years, Kruger has coached the Rebels in 127 games. He has seen Terry play in every one.

“You never know how things are going to work out,” Terry said.

The 6-foot-5-inch senior will play in his final regular-season game when UNLV hosts Utah at 1 p.m. today at the Thomas & Mack Center.

The Rebels, 22-7 overall and 11-4 in the Mountain West Conference, hope to take a step closer to an NCAA Tournament bid and avenge an 81-73 loss to the Utes (16-12, 7-8) on Feb. 6 at Salt Lake City.

Terry, from Tacoma, Wash., is the half-brother of NBA star Jason Terry, who played for Kruger when he coached the Atlanta Hawks from 2000 to 2003.

Curtis Terry sometimes visited Hawks practices, and that was the connection he needed to phone Kruger on the most important call of his life.

“Right away, we recognized that Curt’s got a real good feel for the game, good instincts, and he loved to work and loved to compete,” Kruger said. “It’s just remarkable it’s gone by so quickly.”

UNLV had little success the first two years Kruger and Terry were together — a 34-27 record and one appearance in the National Invitation Tournament.

The picture has been much prettier the past two seasons, during which the Rebels are 52-14, and the highlight was last year’s trip to the Sweet 16.

“I’ve seen it all. We’ve been through some tough things, but we’ve also had some great times on the court,” said Terry, who earned a scholarship before his sophomore year. “I just wanted to be able to play, be a part of rebuilding and turn around UNLV basketball.

“Every year, we’ve gotten better and better. Last year, we really turned the corner. The expectations and the level of excellence is going to keep going higher.

“There’s no slacking now. If you’re looking for an easy way out, you’re not going to get it here. The coaches aren’t going to have it.”

Terry, a fixture in Kruger’s rotation since the beginning, will tie a Mountain West record today by playing his 128th game. He has started 54 and made a 3-pointer in 75 games.

He has played power forward in the past, and he started every game at point guard this season while averaging a career-high 10.1 points.

“Curt’s role obviously has changed a lot each year,” Kruger said. “He’s played a lot of different roles, and just has been a great ambassador … all that he’s done and contributed to the program.

“I think people who understand the game see the guy has always got team thoughts first, all good things.”

But Terry’s perception among some fans has been a love-hate affair. He’s as apt to make a winning shot as he is to fire up an ill-timed 25-foot air ball. He often gets criticized for not being a capable point guard, but he has 143 assists to 68 turnovers this season.

“I definitely feel like I’ve earned some trust from Coach Kruger and the coaching staff,” Terry said. “It’s a lot easier to sit up in the stands and critique someone than to get out here and put in the work.

“But it doesn’t bother me. That’s what fans are supposed to do, whether they’re for you one night or against you, depending on how you play. I still love the fans, no matter what.”

In the second round of the NCAA Tournament last March, Terry hit two clutch baskets late in the Rebels’ 74-68 victory over Wisconsin.

“I’m happy with how my career has played out. It’s definitely more than I expected,” Terry said. “I’m really excited to finish out the season, but I don’t want it to be over at the same time.”

• NOTES — Terry and Corey Bailey will be honored for Senior Day before the game. … UNLV is encouraging fans to wear white for a “White Out” promotion. The first 6,000 fans receive a white T-shirt.

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