Daniels Wanted for Questioning in Theft of UNLV Tickets

University of Nevada Las Vegas police want to question troubled basketball recruit Lloyd Daniels, who is already facing drug charges, about the theft of several NCAA Final Four tickets from the school’s ticket office, a spokesman said Wednesday.

Ed Rivas, campus police chief, said someone reached through the window at the UNLV ticket office Wednesday and took five $50 tickets for Saturday’s Final Four semifinal game between Indiana and UNLV. Several of the tickets were later returned.

“We are not calling anyone a suspect at this time; we just want to talk to Daniels and a few other people,” Rivas said. “He (Daniels) was in the area, and we believe he gave the tickets to assistant coach Mark Warkentien. There are several other people we are looking for, but only for information at this time.”

Rivas said three of the five missing tickets were given to university regent Chris Karamanos by Warkentien, who was appointed Daniels’ legal guardian last year.

Daniels, judged by the UNLV coaching staff as the best prospect from New York City since Lew Alcindor, was arrested Feb. 9 along with 60 others in a police crackdown on narcotics trafficking. Daniels, free on $1,500 bail, awaits trial on charges of attempting to purchase crack, a cocaine derivative, from an undercover officer.

UNLV Coach Jerry Tarkanian, currently in New Orleans with his top-ranked Rebels, said following Daniels’ arrest that the 6-foot 8-inch standout would never play for UNLV.