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By Rhett, February 15, 2009 9:17 am

In what will hopefully become a semi-regular occurance, I will do my best to keep you East coast and Mid-West hoops fans up to date on the players in the Pacifc time zone that make a difference. You don’t know about them because you go to bed at 10:00 when I’m getting settled in for a late game. What better place to start than my current hometown team, the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels and Sophmore guard Tre’Von Willis.

Willis is a transfer from Memphis two years ago who sat out last year on the bench, and is finally reaping the rewards of his patience. 6′4″, 200 lbs, big enough to check most taller guards, fast enough to stay in front of quicker PG’s. He’s originally a West Coast guy, heading to Memphis out of Fresno, CA. I think the west suits him better. Shuffeled in and out of the starting lineup, he has not let anything stop him from developing as the season has gone on. I think Willis realized he could become the leader of this team after the nailbitting win @ Louisville on New Years Eve. Wink Adams is the unquestioned leader now. With him out, Rene Rougeau carried the load, with Willis stepping up to fill the scoring load with 16 points and 7-8 from the FT line in a hostile envrionment, many coming towards the end of the game. His minutes per game have increased as the season has gone on, an obvious sign that coach Lon Kruger has faith in his game and knows that he can get to the rim to draw fouls or convert easy baskets. Next year he’ll be a full time starter and have the chance to become the leader of the team with several Seniors moving on. Keep your eyes and ears open for Tre’Von as this season ends and the next one begins. Tre’Von Willis – Stat Log