UNLV Rebels forward Cheickna Dembele (11) goes up for a shot against New Mexico Lobos in the men's basketball game at The Pit on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017, in Albuquerque, N.M. UNLV won 71-66. Erik Verduzco/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @Erik_Verduzco
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Touba is a small town in the Koulikoro Region of southwestern Mali, a landlocked country in Africa with a population of nearly 15 million. When he was young, Cheickna Dembele would have to walk more than 30 minutes to find a basket at which to shoot, because that’s what everyone did.