Findlay Prep’s Lopez has plenty to say now

He was wondering why he left Puerto Rico, and thinking a lot about going back home.

Lopez remembers the hot August day in 2006, when he greeted Findlay College Prep basketball coach Mike Peck at McCarran International Airport.

“I said, ‘Nice to meet you. My name is Carlos.’ And that’s it. I didn’t talk to him anymore,” Lopez said.

The uncomfortable silence of their first meeting lasted for several weeks. Lopez described his first year at Findlay Prep as “awful.” He was slow to warm up to Peck or anyone else.

“I was in my room just thinking, ‘I can’t do this.’ The first two months, I didn’t want to be here,” he said. “I didn’t know anybody from here.”

Two years later, a lot has changed for Lopez. “I just got lucky,” he said.

Lucky that he met Peck, lucky that he stuck it out at Findlay Prep and lucky that he can call Las Vegas his home.

Lopez is talking a lot more now, and last week the 6-foot-10-inch junior forward gave an oral commitment to UNLV.

“Carlos barely knew any English,” Peck said. “He’s shy. It takes awhile for him to get trust with people. He has come a long, long, long way.”

Lopez is the second member of the Rebels’ 2009 recruiting class. Justin Hawkins, a 6-3 junior guard from Woodland Hills (Calif.) Taft High, committed in October.

Lopez also is the second player from Findlay Prep to commit to UNLV in the past three months. Brice Massamba, a 6-10 senior from Sweden, announced his intentions in January.

After considering offers from Gonzaga and West Virginia, Lopez said he chose the Rebels mostly because of familiarity. He said Massamba’s commitment was a “big influence” in his decision.

“It’s like a huge family,” Lopez said. “I like being here, and I like the people around me, so UNLV is the best option for me.”

Adjusting to a new home was not easy for Lopez. He said he missed his parents, two brothers and grandmother in Puerto Rico. His struggles to learn a new language complicated everything.

“My English was awful, but now I understand what people tell me,” Lopez said. “The school was a huge challenge. All the classes are in English. When I was in Puerto Rico, the classes were in Spanish.”

Lopez said he no longer feels like an outcast on the Henderson campus, and, according to Peck, he has become easier to coach.

“He said, ‘Coach, last year you were just my coach. I’ll do whatever you say because you’re my coach,’ ” Peck said. “But now, over the course of two years, we’ve developed a relationship where it goes beyond just that, and he has trusted us.

“He’s a great kid, he’s matured a ton, academically he’s doing great, and he has become a low-maintenance guy for us off the court. He’s obviously a lot more comfortable in his surroundings.”

Lopez averaged 8.8 points and 4.5 rebounds in 28 games for the Pilots, who finished the season 32-1 and lost to Hargrave Military Academy (Va.) in the National Prep Championships title game.

When he arrived at Findlay Prep, Lopez was a rail-thin 175 pounds. He is up to 205.

“I’m eating everything,” Lopez said. “I’m working really hard weight-lifting.”

Peck said Lopez’s potential at the college level is unlimited because of his smooth ball-handling and shooting skills, and his exceptional feel for how to play the game.

Two years ago, when Lopez showed up at Findlay Prep, none of that was obvious. He almost went home to Puerto Rico, and probably would have regretted it.

“It was something lucky,” Lopez said, “a really good opportunity that came out of nowhere, and I just took it.”

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