Guard answers wake-up call

SAN DIEGO -- Sleeping in and skipping class is a regular occurrence for some college students. UNLV sophomore Marcus Lawrence did it too often and learned a lesson from it.

The courses he missed in school landed him a reserved seat on the bench next to Rebels coach Lon Kruger, who disciplined Lawrence by sitting him for the basketball team's exhibition game and regular-season opener.

That was bad enough, Lawrence said. But the lecture he received from his mother, Carmen, was even tougher.

"My mom, she didn't like that at all, and she was upset," he said. "It was embarrassing, especially for my family.

"You've got people asking questions, and people will be saying, 'Is he a bad kid? He's not taking care of his business.' It made me think about a lot of things."

Lawrence arrived at the conclusion that he will wake up earlier, make it to class and keep Kruger and his mother off his back.

The point guard from Bishop Gorman High School will be on the floor when UNLV (2-0) faces San Diego (2-0) in a nonconference game at 6 p.m. today at Jenny Craig Pavilion.

Lawrence made his season debut Tuesday and had six points and four assists in the Rebels' 97-66 victory over Division II Dixie State. He played 15 minutes as a backup to senior Curtis Terry.

Kruger complimented Lawrence for giving the team an energy boost off the bench. A week earlier, Kruger reprimanded him for not setting a good example.

"They all know what is expected academically, and Marcus feels worse than anyone else about not taking care of those responsibilities," Kruger said. "And the fact that he needs to be a leader for us, he knows that."

If UNLV is to be successful pressing and pushing a fast pace with a small lineup, Kruger needs the 5-foot-11-inch Lawrence to be in the regular rotation. Lawrence is the team's purest point guard, a pass-first, shoot-second facilitator who also excels on defense.

Terry and junior shooting guard Wink Adams are the Rebels' leading scorers. Lawrence brings a different dimension with his ability to run the offense.

Lawrence played in all 37 games as a freshman, and started seven times, but he averaged just 1.4 points per game and shot 30 percent from the field and 47 percent on free throws.

He spent most of the summer working on his shooting and does not leave the court after practice until he makes 50 3-pointers.

"I'm more confident in my shot," he said. "If I have an open look, I'll shoot it, no problem."

He also vows to cause no more headaches for Kruger, who dismissed Emmanuel Adeife from the team last week after the junior center complained about his lack of playing time. Lawrence displays none of the same attitude problems.

He said he was ashamed to be in street clothes eight days ago and watching UNLV's 76-65 season-opening victory over Montana State.

"It's one of the hardest things ever to do, so I learned from it," Lawrence said. "I messed up, and everybody messes up one time in their life. I don't have bad grades, but I just didn't take care of what I had to do. It won't happen anymore.

"Coach Kruger talked to me. There was no love lost about it. I still respect Coach, and I still have love for coach. He's still there if I need to talk to him.

"Coach is a lot about trust. So me missing class, we lost some trust.

"But I've got everything situated, and I'm just ready to focus on the season. Leadership is not just people listening to you, it's also the things you do. You've got to take care of academics and be on time."

• NOTES -- The Toreros, picked fifth in the eight-team West Coast Conference, opened the season Nov. 9 with a 73-72 win at Hawaii. ... San Diego's Bill Grier is in his first season as a head coach after spending 16 years as a Gonzaga assistant.

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