RGV Capsules: Uzoh building game with while Vipers
PHARR — Rio Grande Valley Vipers coach Nick Nurse’s “above average” assessment of point guard Ben Uzoh’s overall game is not a knock.
However, something that Uzoh doesn’t possess — yet — is an elite skill, Nurse said. Once he does, Nurse believes the 6-3 guard from San Antonio could be on his way to returning to the NBA, where he played 42 games last season for the New Jersey Nets as a rookie from Tulsa.
“He does everything above average, and that’s a really good quality,” Nurse said of Uzoh, a 2006 graduate of Warren High School. “He’s a complete player. He handles it above average, he shoots it above average, he scores it above average. He’s got a lot of things in his arsenal.”
Uzoh averaged 3.8 points and 10.4 minutes with the Nets last season. He was assigned to the Springfield Armor of the NBA Development League for four games while he was with the Nets. He was with a team in Russia for two games last October before he was released. The Vipers picked him up in January. He made a quick impact when he was named the D-League’s player of the week in his second week with the Vipers.
Area fans have only had a chance to see Uzoh once as the Vipers played nine of their last 10 on the road. That will change beginning tonight when the Vipers open a six-game home stand. They open it with a back-to-back series against Austin at State Farm Arena in Hidalgo.
Uzoh’s name has appeared on several lists of NBA call-up prospects. The 10-day contract period in the NBA began earlier this week, and that should open the way for more movement at the top level. That likely means NBA D-League rosters, including the Vipers, could see some shake-ups.
“It’s a unique time,” said Uzoh, who has averaged 16.8 points. 4.4 assists, 6.5 rebounds and 34.4 minutes in 12 games for the Vipers. “There are a lot of different changes, a lot of domino effects. Contracts are getting guaranteed in the NBA and guys in the D-League are getting opportunities. But, at the same time, what’s going through my mind is the opportunity to keep developing, to keep grooming myself.”
One area Nurse believes Uzoh could get him that elite skill is his 3-point shot.
“He’s probably got to become a little better and more consistent 3-point threat,” Nurse said. “Anyone who plays (point guard, shooting guard, small forward) in the NBA has to be able to space the floor and make threes. He’s a good shooter, and he has good mechanics. He just needs to extend his range a little bit.”
With the Vipers, Uzoh hasn’t displayed his long-range game. He’s made just 4 of 14 attempts from beyond the arc. However, guards Kelvin Lewis and Lee Humphrey are responsible for taking a majority of the threes.
Uzoh doesn’t get caught up in thinking about a call-up. He knows it’s always a possibility, but he doesn’t let it distract him.
“It’s just about keeping yourself in the moment,” Uzoh said. “You try to get better everyday. It’s as simple as that. You focus on those things and everything will take care of itself. … I need to continue to run and push the pace. I need to continue to shoot the three. I can do that. I need to do that consistently.”
One area in which Uzoh excels is hustle, Nurse said. His work ethic gives him value and that could open some opportunities.
“The things he does for us don’t always show up on the stats,” Nurse said. “He’s one of those guys that gets a lot of loose balls, he tips the ball so someone else can get the loose ball, he keeps a rebound alive and doesn’t get credit for it. When he’s playing good and when he’s really in it, the extra possessions he gives us are really important. If you are a guy who is creating four or five extra possessions a game for your team, that’s a real impactful thing on the scoreline.”
NOTE: Center Greg Smith, who was signed by the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, was assigned to the Vipers on Thursday. Smith’s contract with the Vipers is guaranteed for the rest of the season. Smith joins Marcus Morris as the two Rockets’ assignees with the Vipers.
David Hinojosa covers the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. You can reach him at (956) 683-4442 or via email at dhinojosa@themonitor.com.
Rockets assign Smith to Vipers
McALLEN – Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced Thursday the team has assigned center/forward Greg Smith back to Houston’s single-affiliation NBA D-League partner Rio Grande Valley.
The assignment marks the 35th time an NBA player has been assigned to his NBA D-League affiliate during the 2011-12 season. It also marks the first official assignment of Smith’s career.
Smith (6-10, 250, Fresno State), who Wednesday was selected as a 2012 NBA D-League All-Star, has averaged 16.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.28 blocks and 1.06 steals in 18 games (14 starts) with the Vipers in 2011-12. The current D-League leader in field goal percentage (.677, 130-192 FG), Smith also stands tied for third in the league in double-doubles (eight), eighth in rebounding average (8.3) and 10th in blocks per game (1.28).
In his first stint with the Rockets, Smith averaged 1.5 points and 2.0 rebounds in two preseason games with Houston before being waived on Dec. 22, 2011. In college, Smith averaged 11.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game as a sophomore last season at Fresno State. He was also the 2009-10 WAC freshman of the year, which was voted on by the WAC head coaches.
-- Vipers Services
Hockey
Gendur leads Bees past Laredo
LAREDO - Behind a three-point performance from Dan Gendur, the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees defeated the Laredo Bucks 5-3 on Thursday.
The Bees also received goals from Kirill Startsev, Tomas Klempa and Reid Edmondson.
Startsev started the scoring for the Bees (20-19-6) with his second goal in as many games at 9:07 of the first period. Reid Edmondson and Zac Pearson earned the assists in the goal.
The Bees increased their lead to two at 12:33 of the first period as Brandon Campos slid a puck to the slot, where Gendur tapped it through the five-hole of Laredo goalie Torrie Jung. Klempa earned the secondary assist.
The Bees scored their third goal of the period at 14:44 of the first as Klempa skated the puck from his own zone and ripped it between the pads of Jung.
After the goal, Laredo (18-25-1) pulled Jung in favor of Ryan Rondeau.
The Bucks got their lone goal of the first period at 17:15 of the period as Trevor Hunt took a shot from the point that trickled through traffic to the back of the net. In the second period, neither team found the back of the net.
The Bucks struck early in the third period as Neil Trimm broke free and shot the puck to the back of the net. But Gendur then scored his second of the game while the Bees were on the power play. Gendur now has 16 goals this season.
The Bees struck again at 11:48 of the third as Edmondson scored in his first game since coming off the injured reserve list. Gendur and Edmondson came in 2-on-1 and Gendur slid the puck across to Edmondson, who touched it to the back of the net. The goal was the third power-play goal of the night.
The Bees' power play went 3 for 7 and the penalty kill held Laredo to 0 for 6 with the man advantage. Laredo added one late goal at 12:41.
The Killer Bees are in action Saturday and Sunday, facing the Allen Americans and Tulsa Oilers. The Allen game starts at 7:35. The Sunday game against Tulsa starts at 4:05 p.m.
-- Killer Bees Services
College
UTPA men sweep Prairie View A&M
PRAIRIE VIEW – The University of Texas-Pan American Broncs men’s tennis team picked up its first win of the season by sweeping the Prairie View A&M University Panthers 7-0 on Thursday at the Prairie View Tennis Complex.
The Broncs (1-1) are now 9-0 all-time against the Panthers (0-3), including seven sweeps.
Beau Bernstein and Chetan Panditi teamed up to beat Ronald Chidzikwe and Karim Fotso 8-0 in the No. 1 doubles match. The No. 2 team of Sebastien Job and Shane Kryal and the No. 3 team of Victor Alves and Rolf Nederstrasser each won their doubles match 8-4.
In singles, Bernstein dispatched Chidzikwe in the No. 1 position in straight sets, 6-1, 6-1 while Panditi beat Fotso 6-3, 6-3. Job was the only Broncs player to have to face a tiebreaker, winning his first set against Kristen Powell 7-6 (1-0) before taking the second set 6-0.
Alves beat Trenton Johnson 6-2, 7-5 in the No. 4 position, Kryal defeated Jonathan Dingle 7-5, 6-3 in the No. 5 spot and Nederstrasser was victorious against David Aldaz 6-2, 6-1 in the No. 6 match.
The Broncs return to action at 10 a.m. Friday when they face Bethany College at the Prairie View Tennis Complex.
-- UTPA Services
