UNLV’S newest inside presence made mark as rugged rebounder
Junior college recruit Juiston seeks to help Rebels bounce back
When Shakur Juiston began playing basketball in eighth grade, he struggled against players who had put years into developing their games.
He knew he had to find a way to get onto the court, and rebounding was that ticket.
“I wasn’t that good,” Juiston said. “I was a little behind skill-set-wise, but I always had a tough type of mentality. If the rebound’s in the air and I see someone staring at it, I just go and hopefully I get it. Most likely, I do.”
He also hit a growth spurt, going from 5 feet 11 inches in eighth grade to 6 feet 11 inches by his junior season at Eastside High School in Paterson, New Jersey. Juiston became a master rebounder, and his offensive and defensive games rounded into form.
Now he is at UNLV, a newcomer expected to play a key role as the Rebels try to bounce back from an 11-21 record last season.
They are preparing for the Nov. 11 season opener against Florida A&M at Thomas & Mack Center. UNLV will take part in a closed-door scrimmage at California on Saturday.
The Rebels’ first public appearance will be in a Nov. 3 home exhibition against Alaska Fairbanks.
“Practice is good,” Juiston said. “We get after it every day. The coaching staff pushes us. We push each other through practice so we can get the best out of each other. Some days may be overwhelming, but it will be worth it in the long run.”
UNLV entered the recruiting process late for Juiston, who was seriously considering Iowa State and DePaul and had received interest from schools such as Kansas and Rutgers. He averaged 17.3 points and 12.1 rebounds and made 60.9 percent of his shots in leading Hutchinson (Kansas) Community College to the national championship.
Rated the nation’s top junior college
prospect, Juiston received his share of recruiting pitches. Rebels coach Marvin Menzies’ approach was different from others who called.
“First of all, he was asking about my family, how my life is, how’s school, how I’m feeling,” Juiston said. “And then he went to basketball. Most coaches wanted to know about basketball and not how you’re doing. They may ask, but I believe Marv actually really cared.”
The Rebels, who last season finished ninth in the Mountain West in rebounding margin, could use Juiston board play. He learned over