BY MIKE DeCOURCY
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Muscular center Kaspars Kambala, a native of Latvia who played high school basketball in the Milwaukee area this past winter, announced Wednesday he would sign a letter of intent with UNLV, choosing the Rebels over UCLA and the Cincinnati Bearcats.

Kambala, who is 6-foot-9, 250 pounds, visited UC last weekend and told John Chekouras, his coach at Homestead High in Mequon, Wis., he would announce a decision this week. UNLV added Kambala to a class that includes McDonald's All-American Lamar Odom of New York City and gifted point guard Edwin ''Greedy'' Daniels of New Orleans.

Kambala's decision to attend UNLV was considered something of a surprise, given the Rebels have a returning star at the center position in 6-11 Keon Clark and promising Issiah Epps sitting out as an academically ineligible freshman.

UCLA has no one backing up sophomore Jelani McCoy, who may yet enter the NBA Draft. The Bearcats are looking to shore up the center position with 6-9 Jackson Julson and 6-7 Bobby Brannen entering their senior seasons and Brannen possibly looking at a move to power forward. UC also has 6-8 sophomore-to-be Kenyon Martin.

Ranked among the top 100 prospects by most recruiting analysts, Kambala also considered Florida State, Florida and Vanderbilt before narrowing his list to three schools

Kambala attended the adidas ABCD Camp in Teaneck, N.J., along with nearly 200 other top college prospects and averaged 11.3 points to rank just outside the top 25 scorers and 6.4 rebounds to rank 11th.

He moved to the United States to attend school and play basketball, the connection to Wisconsin being that his father had a business partner who had lived in the state and the presence of a large Latvian community in Milwaukee.

''He thought it would be in his best interest to stay here and try to get a Division I scholarship,'' Chekouras said. ''He's made progress.''

Postseason

PREP STAR NARROWS LIST TO 3 April 7, 1997
WILLIAMS SAYS HE'S RETURNING April 5, 1997
FORTSON: 'I KNOW I CAN PLAY' April 2, 1997
RECRUITING TAKES ON URGENCY April 2, 1997
WOODEN SELECTORS SPURN FORTSON April 2, 1997
FORTSON LEAPS TO NBA April 1, 1997
BEST GUESS: FORTSON'S GONE, AND HUGGINS COULD GO, TOO March 17, 1997

NCAA Tournament stories

MARCH 16, 1997
IOWA STATE 67, UC 66
UC LOSS NOT ALL SURPRISING Daugherty column
BRANNEN BECOMES SCORER

MARCH 15, 1997
IDENTITY CHECK FOR UC
IOWA STATE GETS ASSISTS FROM HOLLOWAY

MARCH 14, 1997
UC 80, BUTLER 69
IOWA STATE IS TALL ORDER
20 MINUTES ENOUGH FOR UC THIS TIME Daugherty column

MARCH 13, 1997
UC'S FORTUNES HINGE ON FORTSON
NCAA LETTER LED TO WILLIAMS INQUIRY
WILLIAMS PUNISHED BEFORE TRIAL Daugherty column
HUGGINS TO OSU? A COMMON QUERY

MARCH 12,1997
GUARD PROBLEMS PLAGUE BEARCATS
HUGGINS QUOTES GILLEN ON OSU JOB

MARCH 11, 1997
FORTSON ALL-AMERICAN
WILLIAMS PREPARES TO START
MARSHALL HAS THE MUSCLE TO CHECK FORTSON

MARCH 10, 1997
UC, XU ON COLLISION COURSE IN SWEET 16
LET FORTSON PLAY, REFS - IT'S HIS TIME Daugherty column
OPPONENT DOESN'T MATTER TO BEARCATS
BUTLER ROSTER HAS LOCAL FLAVOR