Rebels’ risk with Dejean-Jones could reap reward

Fact: Bryce Dejean-Jones was a risk.

He was all sorts of talent with above-average baggage, a college basketball player whose actions on the court could make a significant difference in winning and those off it a significant concern for any coach who chose to offer him a second chance.

Dave Rice did, and for it UNLV has a sophomore guard today as skilled as most who play his position nationally.

The 18th-ranked Rebels began what is expected to be a memorable season Monday night, pasting Northern Arizona 92-54 before 18,187 at the Thomas & Mack Center, the largest gathering for a home opener in program history and unquestionably the largest to witness UNLV beat a side of Oompa Loompas in some time.

I love attitude in a player when it is controlled and channeled in the proper direction. Dejean-Jones has it. He just hasn't always channeled it correctly.

He departed Southern California's program during the 2010-11 season after a few reported run-ins that included punching and fracturing the nose of a teammate in a locker room scuffle and confronting a resident adviser in his dormitory.

Dejean-Jones said at the time that he left the Trojans over a lack of playing time, and his father told reporters USC coaches had been dishonest with his son during the recruiting process about what his role would be.

There was obviously more to it.

But a relationship quickly developed with UNLV associate head coach Justin Hutson, then on staff at San Diego State. Hutson would be Rice's first hire here, and Dejean-Jones soon followed with his commitment to transfer to the Rebels.

There have been worse days for those around the San Diego State coaching offices when Hutson left and Dejean-Jones chose the same Mountain West Conference rival over the Aztecs, but not many.

Dejean-Jones sat out last season, when his play during practice was often the team's best.

Problem: His mouth tended to move most days too.

He is the player opponents loathe ... until he's on their team.

"We needed a guy in our program who had an edge, and Bryce absolutely hates to lose," Rice said. "No one works harder than he does. The improvement he has made in terms of his disposition on the court has been remarkable.

"He is as coachable as anyone we have. He just wants his team to win, and he wants to be as good as he possibly can be. (Monday) was a great first step in what I believe will be a terrific UNLV career for Bryce."

He can obviously play. He is still not fully recovered from a broken left hand suffered last month, but showed enough Monday to make you believe that when the time comes where he is 100 percent, he could be one of the hardest MWC players to defend now and in coming seasons.

He scored 15 off the bench on 5-of-7 shooting in 20 minutes against small-and-smaller NAU, a mixture of jump shots that ranged from 15 feet to deep 3-pointers, a night where his game was both impressive and sloppy. The latter (six turnovers) can be mostly attributed to rust, to his having not played a college game in 18 months.

But you can win in March with a player like Dejean-Jones, an athletic guard with a mid-range game mostly lost on the college game. He can create a shot when a possession seems lost, can disrupt a passing lane when a turnover needs to be forced, can get in the face of a teammate when that edge Rice talks about needs to surface.

"Sitting out (last year) gave me time to mature as a player and a person," Dejean-Jones said. "I started doing better in school and got in the gym more. Coach Hutson has helped a lot. Being on the scout team for a season helped me channel things a different way. I have definitely grown up a lot since coming here. I'm very happy I made the decision to be at UNLV.

"The (hand) is getting a lot better. It's a process, a day at a time. It felt great to finally be back out there after a year-and-a-half. Everyone played well at both ends. It felt great."

He's really good.

If the risk part is indeed gone, the reward of signing him could prove better than Rice ever imagined.

Las Vegas Review-Journal sports columnist Ed Graney can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4618. He can be heard from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday on "Gridlock," ESPN 1100 and 98.9 FM. Follow him on Twitter: @edgraney.