Royce Hamm Jr. making the most of his opportunity at UNLV

UNLV elder halfway Royce Hamm Jr. has ever played with relentless energy. Always been a voracious rebounder who devours boards similar Thanksgiving dinner.

But until this season, helium deployed his hustle mostly successful signifier astatine Texas — arsenic a reserve down NBA-caliber station players.

“That was a large stepping-stone for maine successful my life,” Hamm said. “The process of conscionable being determination with those guys, taking successful truthful overmuch information, watching their movements. Watching what they do. What makes them great. … Learning those small techniques helped maine amended myself.”

Hamm is blossoming into 1 of the Rebels’ astir indispensable players, doubling arsenic their antiaircraft anchor and 1 of the champion rebounders successful the country. He’s averaging 12.4 done 5 games, ranking seventh among qualified Division I players. He’s besides grabbing 18.8 per 40 minutes, ranking sixth among that aforesaid group.

The fifth-year elder was buried connected the Longhorns’ seat down Mo Bamba, Jaxson Hayes, Greg Brown, Kai Jones and Jericho Sims, each of whom were NBA draught picks.

“We knew helium was athletic, but we weren’t truly definite being 4 years removed from a dense relation since precocious school, it’s truly conscionable been pleasantly astonishing each day,” said UNLV manager Kevin Kruger.

“He’s the nonstop aforesaid successful signifier arsenic helium is successful the games. I would stake that’s precisely what helium was similar for 4 years astatine Texas, careless of what helium was asked to bash connected crippled night. That’s wherefore we’re conscionable blessed to spot him having occurrence and having amusive playing.”

To Kruger’s point, Hamm played sparingly during his 4 years astatine Texas. He started 8 games determination and ne'er averaged much than 12.3 minutes successful a azygous season.

The program’s cachet appealed to apical recruits. But helium was unwavering successful his attack contempt the level of contention connected the Texas roster, determined to situation his erstwhile teammates and privately amended earlier committing to Kruger and UNLV (3-2) arsenic a postgraduate transfer.

“I conscionable effort to play hard. Just effort to springiness energy,” helium said. “That’s my biggest thing. When I’m not scoring, erstwhile I’m not putting the shot successful the bucket, I inactive impact the game. That’s what I conscionable deliberation about. How tin I assistance my squad win? … Rebounds are an effort thing. You can’t manager that.”

The Houston autochthonal battles connected some the violative and antiaircraft glass, utilizing an knowing of positioning and angles to unafraid second-chance opportunities and gully loose-ball fouls that make other possessions.

He’s besides a bully screener and his hard rolls tin gully assistance defenders from the anemic broadside to escaped up shooters successful the corner.

He averages a team-high 1.8 blocks and tin contention shots without jumping by playing assertive positional defense. He’s besides scoring 8.2 points per game, feasting mostly arsenic an violative rebounder by converting 7 of 9 putbacks this season, per Synergy Sports Technology.

“He’s an animal. Coach Kruger brought him successful present to bash precisely what he’s doing,” Rebels constituent defender Jordan McCabe said. “There were promises made connected some sides successful presumption of ‘You’re coming present to bash your occupation and successful return, I’ll bash this arsenic a coach. I’m going to fto you guys play with this benignant of state arsenic agelong arsenic you bash what I inquire connected the antiaircraft extremity of the floor.’

“With Royce, you don’t person to ask,” McCabe added. “He’s conscionable going to spell bash it.”

Contact newsman Sam Gordon astatine sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon connected Twitter.