UNLV figures to rebound better with newcomer Shakur Juiston

When Shakur Juiston began playing basketball in eighth grade, he struggled against players who had put years into developing their games.

He knew he had to find a way to get onto the court, and rebounding was that ticket.

“I wasn’t that good,” Juiston said. “I was a little behind skill-set-wise, but I always had a tough type of mentality. If the rebound’s in the air and I see someone staring at it, I just go and hopefully I get it. Most likely, I do.”

He also hit a growth spurt, going from 5 feet 11 inches in eighth grade to 6 feet 11 inches by his junior season at Eastside High School in Paterson, New Jersey. Juiston became a master rebounder, and his offensive and defensive games rounded into form.

Now he is at UNLV, a newcomer expected to play a key role as the Rebels try to come back from their 11-21 record last season.

They are preparing for the Nov. 11 season opener against Florida A&M at Thomas & Mack Center. UNLV will take part in a closed-door scrimmage at California on Saturday. The Rebels’ first public appearance will be in a Nov. 3 home exhibition against Alaska Fairbanks.

“Practice is good,” Juiston said. “We get after it every day. The coaching staff pushes us. We push each other through practice so we can get the best out of each other. Some days may be overwhelming, but it will be worth it in the long run.”

UNLV entered the recruiting process late for Juiston, who was seriously considering Iowa State and DePaul and had received interest from schools such as Kansas and Rutgers. He averaged 17.3 points and 12.1 rebounds and made 60.9 percent of his shots in leading Hutchinson (Kansas) Community College to the national championship.

Rated the nation’s top junior college prospect, Juiston received his share of recruiting pitches. Rebels coach Marvin Menzies’ approach was different from others who called.

“First of all, he was asking about my family, how my life is, how’s school, how I’m feeling,” Juiston said. “And then he went to basketball. Most coaches wanted to know about basketball and not how you’re doing. They may ask, but I believe Marv actually really cared.”

The Rebels, who last season finished ninth in the Mountain West in rebounding margin, could use Juiston’s rebounding ability. He learned over the years a player’s height seldom has much to do with success on the boards.

Juiston pointed to his wing span that measures 7-1½, his athleticism and “huge hands” that help him “grip the ball at any point” as important elements in his rebounding prowess.

Rebounding is about effort, too, and Juiston is in no short supply of that.

“Giving effort counts more than boxing out sometimes,” he said. “There’s no skill in rebounding. You can have some maneuvers and some type of moves and stuff, but it all comes down to effort.”

To think, however, he is simply someone who runs hard toward the basket would be a mistake. Juiston was a top recruit because of the overall game he developed, someone who can pass, play strong defense, and is quite comfortable taking a 15-foot shot.

“I just want to bring energy and motivation even off the court,” Juiston said. “I do that every day in practice. I lift people and I get rebounds, so they see that.”

Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @markanderson65 on Twitter.