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Ex-Rebel Wendell White thrives in Japanese basketball league

It was the second-to-last time I saw Wendell White.

He had just scored 22 points to lead UNLV to a stunning victory over second-seeded Wisconsin — the Badgers had been ranked No. 1 in the nation only a few weeks before — during the second round of the 2007 NCAA Tournament at the United Center in Chicago. White was sitting on the postgame dais, answering questions about leading Lon Kruger’s team back to the Sweet 16.

A few minutes earlier, cranky Bo Ryan, the Wisconsin coach, sat at the same dais and complained about a loophole in NCAA rules that allowed Kevin Kruger to transfer from Arizona State and play for his old man without having to sit out.

Kruger also played great, as I recall, but had Ryan anybody capable of guarding No. 5 (White’s number) in the paint, he probably wouldn’t have spent his time on the dais tossing sour grapes to the media.

The last time I saw Wendell White was a few days later, in St. Louis, where the Rebels lost to Oregon despite making a furious comeback. White, UNLV’s leading scorer that fine season, was held to nine points on 4-for-11 shooting.

And because he did not go on to sell cars at Findlay Automotive, that’s pretty much the last anybody around here has seen or heard from Wendell White.

On Wednesday, I received a Twitter message from Ed Odeven, who covers pro basketball overseas for the Japan Times. He thought Rebels fans might want to know White has been named Most Valuable Player of the bj-league over there for the second time.

Odeven’s story said the 198-cm (around 6 feet 6 inches) UNLV alumnus averaged 25.3 points, 12.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists for the Sendai 89ers, who finished 37-15. It said the 31-year-old White, who is married to the former Kelli Valentine, daughter of former major league outfielder Ellis Valentine, was a cerebral, productive presence on both ends of the floor.

There was no mention of Bo Ryan or sour grapes.

RAIDERMANIA REDUX

While there seems to be palpable authenticity to this latest round of talks that would have the Oakland Raiders moving to Las Vegas (provided a bazillion dollar stadium is built near UNLV and fireworks don’t knock airplanes out of the sky), there also seems to be palpable skepticism that Fred Biletnikoff will ever watch a pro football game here from the luxury suites.

Most of the skepticism, palpable and otherwise, is being raised by local taxpayers or Kansas City Chiefs fans.

If I could add anything here, it would be that I didn’t believe for one moment that the Charleston Chiefs of “Slapshot” fame were ever moving to Florida, regardless of how many transplanted old geezers down there missed pro hockey. But you remember how it turned out.

At the end, after the Chiefs beat those punks from Syracuse to win the Federal League title, Reggie Dunlop was named coach of the Minnesota Nighthawks. He told his estranged hairdresser wife, Francine, he was bringing his guys up there with him.

So I wouldn’t rule anything out.

BLAIR BREAKS IN

With men on second and third in the bottom of the first inning Friday, the newest member of the Atlanta Braves’ pitching rotation pulled the string on a pitch that tied Chicago Cubs slugger Jorge Soler in knots.

Strike three. Up in the broadcast booth, Jim Deshaies said this new Braves pitcher, Aaron Blair, must have pulled that changeup out of his back pocket. He said a pitch like that would really get the attention of the Cubs hitters.

Blair, 23, once pitched for Spring Valley High School. The game against the Cubs was his second start since being called up.

He went 5⅓ innings against the New York Mets, allowing six hits and three earned runs. Against the Cubs, he went six innings, allowing only two hits and none until the fifth. His changeup was really working, and his other pitches weren’t too shabby, either.

“He was really good,” Len Kasper, the Cubs’ play-by-play man, said of Blair after the Braves yanked him for a pinch hitter with the score tied 1-1.

Yes he was, and if he can keep fooling big league hitters with that changeup, he just might stick around awhile.

SANDPIPERS MAKE SPLASH

A spokesperson for the Las Vegas Sandpipers said 10 club team members will be swimming in next month’s U.S. Olympic Trials at Centurylink Center in Omaha, Nebraska.

Isabella Goldsmith (400 IM), Hailey Houck (400 IM, 800 freestyle), Nick McDowell (1500 free), Erica Sullivan (400, 800 free) and Carter Grimes (1500 free) will represent the Sandpipers’ high school-aged contingent in Omaha. Goldsmith, Houck and Sullivan attend Palo Verde; McDowell and Grimes are home schooled.

Older Sandpipers who have punched a Trials ticket include Erin Emery (200, 400, 800 free), Logan Houck (400, 1500 free), Bowe Becker (50, 100 free), Olivia Barker (100, 200 butterfly) and Cody Miller (100, 200 breaststroke). Emery and Houck are Palo Verde graduates who swim at Minnesota and Harvard, respectively. Faith Lutheran’s Becker also competes at Minnesota; Bishop Gorman’s Barker is a junior at Indiana. Miller, who also went to Palo Verde, is 23 and now swims as a pro.

While none of these Sandpipers has yet to make a Subway commercial a la Michael Phelps, having this many swimmers from one club team in the desert make it to the trials still seems totally out of the deep end.

LAS VEGAS CAGE MATCH

Dexter Fowler of the Cubs began Saturday leading the National League in on-base percentage. Give Mike Bryant, father of Chicago slugger Kris Bryant, a small assist.

When Fowler was a free agent during the offseason — he ultimately re-signed with the Cubs in February — the speedy outfielder would stop by the batting cage at Mike Bryant’s Las Vegas home to take practice swings. This is where Kris Bryant, Mike’s son and last year’s National League Rookie of the Year for Chicago, would pester Fowler about re-signing with the Cubs.

“Dexter is a quality guy,” the elder Bryant said in a text message. “Very respectful and thankful to me for using my cage.”

Fowler’s OBP is .474. I’m not sure what his WAR is. I imagine it is pretty high, if a high WAR is good.

NATIONALS PASTIME

Charles Krauthammer, a political writer of some renown for The Washington Post, wrote a column about baseball the other day. It was mostly about Las Vegan Bryce Harper and the Washington Nationals.

Wrote Krauthammer: “If you live in Washington, you get to watch this — our own young Mickey Mantle — 81 times a season. How then can you get too despondent about our presidential choices, the kowtow to Cuba or the decline of the California smelt? It’s spring. It’s warm. There’s baseball. There’s Harper. Why, even the Cubs are good this year.”

And it’s still early, with much baseball to be played. So the California Smelt could still turn it around.

Las Vegas Review-Journal sports columnist Ron Kantowski can be reached at rkantowski@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0352. Follow him on Twitter: @ronkantowski.

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