UNLV seniors Kendrick, Doolin take circuitous routes to journey’s end

Even when the journey threw obstacles in his way, Jelan Kendrick continued to head for this destination. He is on schedule to walk in graduation ceremonies in May.

Cody Doolin lost his love for the game and considered giving it up. But a second chance, his one year at UNLV, changed everything.

“I’m a big believer in everything works out for the best, and I think in this situation, it truly did,” Doolin said. “I feel really fortunate. It’s just been perfect for me.”

Kendrick took the path less traveled, spending five years at four colleges.

“There were some bumps in the road,” Kendrick said. “I knew I was going to make it to Senior Night ever since my mom and my father sent me off to college. I never doubted that. One of the things my parents instilled in me was to get your education.”

Sometimes, seniors are celebrated for helping a team pile up wins and championships. Doolin and Kendrick, starting guards for a mediocre team, will be honored tonight for career achievements that go beyond basketball.

Barring an improbable run in next week’s Mountain West tournament, the Rebels will miss the NCAA Tournament and likely finish their season in the shadows with a record around .500.

But the spotlight will shine on Doolin and Kendrick before UNLV (16-13, 7-9) meets San Diego State (22-7, 12-4) at 8 p.m. at the Thomas & Mack Center, where fans are asked to dress for the annual “White Out” promotion for the final regular-season home game.

The Aztecs are tied with Boise State for first in the conference. The Rebels are alone in seventh and in jeopardy of missing the postseason for the second year in a row.

Kendrick arrived at UNLV — after stops at Memphis, Mississippi and Indian Hills (Iowa) Community College — talking of winning a national championship. He is leaving talking about other things, such as a bachelor’s degree in sociology he’s set to earn in two months.

“I look at the experience as a blessing,” he said. “I’m just truly blessed to be in this situation, to meet really great people here, and go through ups and downs.

“You’re living in one of the most exciting cities in America in Las Vegas and playing in front of some of the best fans in America. There are a lot of things I take from my experience here. Honestly, it was everything I thought it could be and probably a little bit more.”

Kendrick, a former McDonald’s All-American from College Park, Ga., has started in 30 of his 60 games and averaged 6.4 points in his two seasons for the Rebels.

Doolin started all 103 games and scored 1,007 points in three-plus seasons at the University of San Francisco, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in finance last spring. Four games into his senior year, after an incident with a teammate in practice, he left the team and returned home to Austin, Texas.

A call from UNLV coach Dave Rice, who needed an experienced point guard to help lead five incoming freshmen, encouraged Doolin to give basketball another shot.

“I’ve just really enjoyed being here and playing for Coach Rice,” Doolin said. “I’ve had the chance to play with some really good players in a program with a lot of history. It’s something I’m very proud of to say I played basketball at UNLV.

“Maybe the season didn’t go as well as we wanted up to this point. There were going to be a few growing pains, and we’ve worked our way through those. I just wanted to try to help the team win as many games as possible.”

Doolin, the only player to start all 29 games this season, is averaging 6.2 points and leads the team with 115 assists. He is attending graduate school classes in the public administration program and plans to pursue a master’s degree.

Rice praised Doolin and Kendrick for setting positive examples for the Rebels’ younger players.

“I think Jelan and Cody deserve a lot of credit for teaching our guys what this level is all about,” Rice said. “Jelan’s one of the guys who has been able to rally the locker room and say some of the right things to keep us moving forward. As well as Cody has played this year, I think the biggest impact he’s going to have is on the future of our program.”

Senior Night is also a likely send-off for Doolin’s roommate on the road, sophomore forward Chris Wood, who appears set to declare for the NBA Draft.

“We’re excited about hopefully making a run in the conference tournament,” Doolin said. “We have a positive attitude. If we can rattle off some wins, we can keep playing.”

■ NOTES — The Aztecs, who beat the Rebels 53-47 on Jan. 17, have won the past four meetings in the series. … San Diego State’s 29-game home win streak was snapped Saturday in a 56-46 loss to Boise State. The Aztecs have gone 75 games without a two-game losing skid.

Contact reporter Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907. Follow him on Twitter: @mattyoumans247.