UNLV guard Adams eager to practice, travel to Australia

At a time when most people are planning summer vacations, Wink Adams refuses to stop working. He’s playing basketball, going to school and choosing to stick to his routine.

Adams said he has not had one day off since UNLV’s season ended in late March.

“I’ve been working out every morning. I really haven’t taken a break yet,” he said. “My summer is pretty occupied.”

The senior guard is about to go on a two-week trip, but it counts as business. The Rebels’ tour to Australia from June 23 to July 5 means the basketball season unofficially starts now.

UNLV is allowed 10 practice days before the foreign tour, and coach Lon Kruger is holding the first sessions, which are open to the public, at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. today in the Cox Pavilion practice gym.

Kruger also has scheduled two-a-day practices for Wednesday and Friday at the Cox main gym.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Adams said. “I’m ready to practice.”

The Rebels will play six exhibition games on the Australian tour, which begins in Sydney. The first game is against the Sutherland Sharks on June 26.

Nine players are eligible to go on the tour, including seniors Adams, Joe Darger, Rene Rougeau and Mareceo Rutledge.

Juniors Scott Hoffman and Matt Shaw, sophomores Kendall Wallace and Tre’Von Willis, and redshirt freshman Beas Hamga also will go. None of the four incoming recruits can participate.

“The timing is very good,” Kruger said. “We’ve got four senior leaders on the team coming back with some new responsibilities. I think everyone will benefit greatly.”

Adams, who averaged 16.9 points per game as a junior, is the top returning scorer from a UNLV team that finished last season 27-8 and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

“This makes next season get here a little faster,” Adams said. “Usually, we go through the summer and play in open gym. Going to Australia and playing against good competition, I think that’s going to be real good for our team.”

Kruger made two trips to Australia with previous teams, taking Florida in 1993 and Illinois in 1997. In the seasons following the foreign tours, the Gators went to the Final Four and the Fighting Illini won the Big Ten.

He said the trip also can be a positive cultural experience for the players, who get time to sightsee and visit the Great Barrier Reef.

“It’s a very good trip,” Kruger said. “It’s a long flight to get over there and back, but when it’s all said and done, the teams we took before really benefited and really enjoyed it.”