After we recently announced the All-Time Ultimate Hoops Mt. Rushmore, LC Comine and Joe Neuenfeldt decided to dive into the UH Las Vegas history and select a Mt. Rushmore specific to Vegas.

Here is Part 1 .

Who belongs on the Mt. Rushmore of UH Vegas?  With UH Nation voting on the Mt. Rushmore for all the positions across UH, I have decided to look at our region and come up with our own Mt. Rushmore. 

To be honest, I thought it would only be right if UH Hall-of-Famer Joe Neuenfeldt did his own Mt. Rushmore for the market he created and made.  I am sure our selections will cause some controversy and create some buzz which is exactly what we would want.

First we both are on the same page with this that it's not all about the best players, the most popular, or the guys who have been playing the longest. 

This is not a GOAT discussion.  We can have those another day. 

This is about who has impacted UH Vegas in our eyes the most.  Joe had his run before I even arrived in UH and I wasn’t even an employee when Joe left UH.  I think we will both agree and disagree on some of our selections and also I think we will have a few guys we will have to make a tough choice on.

So here we go….

Joe’s first selection:  Chase Skinkis

The criteria for this first selection was pretty simple; who would be the one person you think of when you think of Ultimate Hoops Las Vegas? 

The first face you see on Mt. Rushmore is the most important one. I reserved this spot for the biggest star of UH Vegas. The player who has done the most, the longest, and at the highest level.

Chase is one of the best representations of Ultimate Hoops nation. Much more than just a highly talented basketball player, he's loyal and committed to playing on many different  teams in the various leagues Ultimate Hoops offers while making every player and every team he's on better.

Doesn't impress you?

Well, he also has a basketball life outside of UH the rest of us could only dream of. He was a competitor in a Dunk Competition that aired on TNT and gets to hang around the biggest NBA stars every year at the All Star Game.

When Chase first joined Ultimate Hoops in 2012, it wasn't exactly with a bang. He appeared to be an athletic guy with good basketball knowledge but he was certainly playing for the wrong team.

Good teammate that he was though, he didn't rock the boat. When he finally did announce his presence to everyone, it was like something we had never seen before in the 1 and a quarter year old history of our league; with a follow up dunk on a missed lay up over a 6'6" guy.

Who the hell knew the quiet, mild mannered 6-foot dude could do that?

It isn't always easy to recognize a star player that doesn't look to score first. But once teams started to build around Chase as the star, they basically never looked back.

Chase paid his dues early on while the Charles Vinson's and Jason Smith's had their runs as MVP and "Best Player in the League." And he took a one season backseat to Jeremiah Massey as well.

By the time I left UH Vegas in April of 2015, Chase had been the Best Player in the League longer than any other player. And honestly, I believe he eased his way into that role because that's the guy he is. 

Regardless of whatever your opinion may be on the talent of UH Vegas in its early days, Chase has proven that he can play with all the big boys, whether it be the current incredible talent in Vegas, or the stars from around the country that have come out over the years at the National Tournament. 

In closing, Chase is a first ballot Hall-of-Famer, and in my opinion, the most worthy selection with the possible exception of Paris Kyles (debate for another time). He's a champion and MVP many times over.

He's the all time assist leader in Ultimate Hoops history. And even with that, his offensive efficiency is underrated (61% career from the field) and under appreciated because he's not a killer as a scorer.

What you won't find in a box score may just be what Chase is best at. He plays hard at all times. To the point where his body is quite beat up. Yet he never takes a defensive possession off.

Having achieved almost everything you could possibly achieve in Ultimate Hoops (National Title Runners Up x3), including a viral video of an alley-oop game winning dunk (Trevino walk off pass), you'll still find a hard working competitor interested in getting the best out of his team playing in a Sunday night Draft League.

Because that's what matters to him. Playing hard at all times and playing as a team. 

L.C’s first selection:  Chase Skinkis

This is the only selection Joe and I are on the same page about and it was a very easy one to agree on.  Chase made his UH Vegas debut on November 6, 2012 when he joined the Beast Mode squad as they defeated the Showtime Lakers 71-66. 

Little did we know that night that one of the most storied careers in the history of UH was beginning.  Since that night Chase has gone on to win 14 championships in multiple leagues and in multiple clubs.  He has played in countless title games and has been the face of UH Vegas for almost 7-8 years now. 

Chase has competed in 9 National Tournaments in his UH career and has helped lead 3 of those teams to a national title game appearance.  Unfortunately his resume doesn’t have a national title but it has everything else you would want. 

Chase has had some huge WOW moments in his career.  Whether it was the “I have arrived” dunk on Wes Bell, the “cash money” game winning shot, the game winning alley-oop dunk over Lazo’s team, the dunk on NFZ, or even the facial dunk on one of the Claude Baruk players in a title game.  Chase has had some dramatic moments that  will definitely go down in history.  

Chase was elected to the Inaugural UH Hall of Fame in 2018 as a first ballot inductee, he leads the nation all time in assists, he is #9 in rebounds, #11 in steals, and #28 in points scored. For his career he averages 17.7 PPG, 10.4 REB, and 8.6 AST.  With shooting splits of 61/32/60.  He is 14th all time in titles and 20th in wins with 334. 

All these are impressive and he will continue to rise but what makes Chase one of the greatest to play in UH is the style of basketball he plays.  Chase isn’t about his stats or getting his every week.  Chase is about playing a certain style of basketball and making everyone around him better.  He believes in making the right pass to the open guy and playing with the right amount of effort an energy every single second of the game.  Defense is the name of the game if you have been on a team with him you know exactly what I am talking about.  

Chase is an intense and a hungry competitor.  He can guard any position at any time.  He makes everyone on the team better and believe it or not he is willing to accept a role if it makes the team better. 

He is the best teammate and without question the most known player in all of UH Vegas.   Chase has also brought positive visibility to UH and some great buzz to UH over the last 4-5 years with his involvement with the NBA slam dunk contest.  He has been involved with the winners of the last 4 contests and has been seen on the court helping those winners live on national tv. 

Chase also was a competitor on TNT’s Dunk King Season 1 back in the Summer of 2016.  There is no doubt Chase has done a lot for UH for Las Vegas but also nationally. 

It has been a stunning career and I am sure we will see a lot of more great things from him.