UNLV Basketball

Anthony Bennett exploded on to the national radar as a freshman at UNLV, and is now considered one of the top prospects in the country.

Bennett was highly touted out of high school, but questions remained over his natural position and ability to transition from one level to the next. While that's still the case, the upside he flashed won't keep that question mark from mattering.

If Bennett finds a niche as a combo forward, we could be talking about one of the tougher offensive mismatches.

He averaged 16.1 points and 8.1 rebounds per game on nearly 53.5 percent shooting and 37.5 percent from three.

Physical Tools

Bennett is a compact, 6'7'' forward with exceptional upper body strength and a frame built for contact. He's what I like to call a power athlete because of his vicious explosiveness attacking the rim. 

But along with his power comes speed and agility. Bennett can fly down the court and face the rim from the perimeter.  

This play sums up just exactly how physically gifted Bennett really is. On this play, Bennett demonstrates mobility, speed, agility and explosiveness—driven by 240 pounds of muscle.

Versatility

Bennett has the strength of a 4 and the mobility of a 3, which allows him to play off anyone in the frontcourt and provide lineup flexibility.

As a 4, Bennett illustrates a high activity level at and above the rim. He's a physical presence on the glass and blocks over a shot per game.

Bennett has a soft touch inside, and can score over the shoulder with his back to the basket. Though he's undersized for a natural power forward, his strength and aggression should allow him to body up down low, given the matchup isn't blatantly overwhelming at the next level.

Bennett is also capable of playing face-up basketball, which is what makes him such a dangerous offensive player. His foot speed gives him an advantage against power forwards who aren't laterally quick enough to keep up on the perimeter.

Check out this crossover Bennett lays on James McAdoo, one of the quicker power forwards in the country:

Bennett's sweet spot is out of the triple-threat position in the mid-range with space around him to operate. Because he's so quick and balanced off the bounce, defenders have to play back a bit and respect the dribble-drive.

Here, Bennett squares to the rim to rise and fire from 16 feet away:

Bennett also has three-point range on his jumper, and is making 37.7 percent of his attempts from behind the arc. Having the ability to play off the ball and spot up on the perimeter will maximize his court-purpose and increase his scoring opportunities.

Larry Johnson Comparison

Bennett and Larry Johnson have a lot more in common than just UNLV. These guys are built the exact same way with similar offensive skill sets.

This is the type of player Bennett projects to be if he reaches his ceiling—a physical enforcer who can play inside and out with power or finesse.

Star Power

Bennett is one of the few prospects in the country who can offer star power at the next level. He's got a top-five ceiling with All-Star potential, and has appeal as a face to help market a franchise.

The way Blake Griffin and "the big play" helped bring excitement to the Clippers (before they got Chris Paul), Bennett has the chance to do the same for someone else.

It's plays like this that help build fanbases:

Risk

There's always risk with combo players. While the glass-half full says he's versatile, the glass-half empty shows he's undersized for a power forward and lacks the skill set of a small forward.

Bennett is going to have to improve his perimeter game, particularly as a shot-creator. He's not always going to be big enough to play the 4. Being able to generate his own offense 20 feet from the rim will maximize his effectiveness and offensive versatility.

Draft Projection and NBA Outlook

Though Bennett will be sidelined during the pre-draft process after undergoing surgery on his shoulder, his draft stock remains intact.

It's possible he goes as high as No. 3 to Washington or as low as No. 8 to Detroit, but it would be hard to imagine him falling out of that range.

There is some risk here. We've seen a number of combo forwards fail to make the transition, getting stuck between the 3 and 4 positions. Bennett will need to exploit the advantage his open-floor agility and interior power present.

Consider Bennett one of the higher-risk, higher-reward options in the draft.

Although UNLV Runnin' Rebels freshman forward Anthony Bennett was the No. 7 recruit of 2012 (according to ESPN.com), the buzz around his name has been slow to grow despite a stellar start to his inaugural college season.

With highly touted recruits like Nerlens Noel, Alex Poythress, Shabazz Muhammad and Kyle Anderson ranked higher than Bennett coming into the season, they have yet to play to the level Bennett has so far.

Bennett has averaged 19.4 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game, and he is shooting 54 percent form the field and 31 percent from three.

No other frosh has numbers as well-rounded as Bennett besides Kentucky's Poythress. He has put up 15 points and 6.3 rebounds per contest, shooting a blistering 65 percent from the field and 45 percent from three.

Noel has been a rebounding and defensive force, averaging nine boards, 3.9 blocks and 2.8 steals per game. But he has yet to excel elsewhere on the court, averaging 10.4 points on 54 percent shooting from the field.

Muhammad has yet to show that he is anything more than a scorer, averaging 17.8 points and collecting 4.8 rebounds and just one assist per game. Muhammad has been very quiet on the defensive side of the ball, averaging just 0.6 steals per game, and he has yet to record a single block.

When you look at the numbers, it is clear that Bennett has outplayed those recruits ranked ahead of him and has been the most consistent freshman so far this season.

Largely due to Bennett's play, UNLV has found itself in the Top 25 all season long. The Runnin' Rebels currently sit at No. 21 in the AP and No. 18 in the coaches' poll, and they are coming in with the No. 18 RPI in the nation

Kentucky is ranked No. 23 in the coaches', but it is unranked in the AP. UCLA, meanwhile, is unranked in both polls. In the RPI rankings, Kentucky comes in at No. 59, while UCLA is lower at the No. 100 spot.

So not only has Bennett's play lifted his name individually, but he has also lifted his team to a better place as well. This is despite UNLV losing its top returning player from last season when forward Mike Moser went down with a dislocated elbow in early December.

Look for all parties involved in this article to improve, but Bennett has shown that he is a consistent force, and he has shown no signs of slowing down.

If Bennett keeps playing at the level he has shown 11 games into his collegiate career, he will not only be a Freshman of the Year candidate, but he will be a Player of the Year candidate as well.

In a year that was hyped before it even began for the No. 20-ranked UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball team, their season hit a major bump in the road with star forward Mike Moser sidelined with a dislocated elbow.

The injury could have been far worse after the gruesome accident early on in UNLV's 76-75 win over the California Golden Bears in Berkley, Calif. Moser will miss about a month (per the Las Vegas Sun) as his elbow heals, but his absence doesn't automatically mean the Rebels will struggle in the meantime.

Moser is UNLV's co-leader in rebounds, with freshman phenom Anthony Bennett, at 8.3 per contest. He is the team's third leading scorer, netting 10.3 points per game.

With the Rebels having six players averaging nine points or better on the season, there should be a UNLV player who steps up the scoring.

Bennett is averaging 19.5 points so far this year and has shot 55 percent from the field. With the consistency he has shown early on this season, he is one player who should be counted on each game with or without Moser.

USC transfer Bryce Dejean-Jones got off to a slow start in his inaugural season with the Rebels. He sat out all of last season after transferring at the end of the 2010-11 season.

Dejean-Jones stepped up in a big way when Moser went down against Cal, posting a 22-point effort. If Dejean-Jones can put up numbers anywhere near his effort against Cal, then the Rebels will be have to worry that much less about Moser's absence on offense. 

Senior guard Justin Hawkins is also a player who can put up points when the Rebels are in need of some help on the offensive side of the ball. Averaging nine points a game this year, Hawkins has had scoring outputs of 16, 15 and 12 this season, making him a key player in Moser's absence in the scoring department.

Freshman sharpshooting guard Katin Reinhardt is another UNLV player who could help fill the scoring void. Although Reinhardt is in somewhat of a slump at the moment—shooting 3-of-17 in his last two games—he has a great shooting touch.

Reinhardt has had five double-digit scoring nights, with 18 points being his season and career high thus far.

On the rebounding side of the ball, UNLV has more than a few talented players ready to crash the boards with Moser out of the equation.

Senior forward Quintrell Thomas is a powerful post player who will see a bump in his minutes while Moser heals. Thomas has had two games with nine-rebound efforts this season and is UNLV's third leading rebounder at 5.4 boards a game.

UNLV will get a big boost that could take up some of Moser's slack in his absence, as former McDonald's All-American Khem Birch becomes eligible for the Rebels game at UTEP on Dec. 17.

Birch will take some time to adjust to game play, but he should be counted on being a rebounding presence right away for UNLV.

Savon Goodman and Dejean-Jones are also key players that can help possible rebounding deficiencies left by Moser. Both have shown flashes of strong rebounding so far this season.

Another player who could prove his worth this season as Moser sits is junior forward Carlos Lopez-Sosa. Once a fan favorite, Lopez-Sosa has had slow start to his 2012-13 season and could win fans back by stepping up in Moser's month-long hiatus.

With UNLV missing a key piece to its plans of a strong season with deep postseason hopes, don't expect the Rebels to miss a beat with the depth they have this season.

USA Today's preseason college basketball poll has been released and the UNLV Runnin' Rebels came in at No. 19 in the first poll of the 2012-13 season.

Helping the Rebels land the ranking is a slew of returning talent including senior guard Anthony Marshall, junior forward Mike Moser among others and a talented group of newcomers ready to make their UNLV debut.

Incoming transfers Bryce Jones (USC) and former McDonald's All-American big man Khem Birch (PITT) and UNLV's No. 7-ranked recruiting class of 2012 (according to ESPN.com) will no doubt have as big of an impact on the Rebels this season as any returning player.

Included in UNLV's much-hyped recruiting class are No. 7 overall prospect, forward Anthony Bennett and No. 47 overall prospect, sharp-shooting Katin Reinhardt among a few other talented freshmen.

The Rebels have the talent to be ranked in the top 10 on any list, but as in any situation where you have some many new faces, the question of how the team will mesh is still a something that needs to be answered on the court.

A four-game exhibition tour of Canada that UNLV took during the summer will work to their advantage as far as meshing goes, as the Rebels went 4-0 on the trip and were able to test different lineups during the course of those games.

Bennett and Birch were both unable to play on the exhibition tour of their home country due to Bennett not being declared eligible at the time by the NCAA and Birch not being eligible until the midway point of the season due to transferring halfway through last season.

UNLV has the opportunity to open the season 11-0 before meeting the currently No. 12-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels on December 29 at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, NC. The Rebels' biggest tests before the Tar Heels game come against Oregon at home on November 23, at California on December 9 and at UTEP on December 17.

If the Rebels win all the games they "should" then UNLV could very well be in the top 10 when they meet North Carolina at the end of December.

UNLV sparked their season last year with a big upset of then No. 1-ranked North Carolina at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. as part of the Las Vegas Invitational.

Revenge will undoubtedly be on the Tar Heels 'minds this year, but the UNLV team they will be facing this time around are better on paper than last year. The Rebels could very well come out on top once again in UNLV's marquee non-conference matchup of the season.

Rebels' head coach Dave Rice had a stellar inaugural season at the helm of UNLV amassing a record of 26-9 and being ranked as high as No. 11. Rice and the Rebels had a sour taste left in their mouths at the end of the 2011-12 season, after a lackadaisical showing in the NCAA tournament being knocked out in the round of 64 by Colorado.

There is a lot of hype surrounding this UNLV squad this year and two CBS analysts even have the Rebels as one of their Final Four picks.

UNLV's Mountain West rival San Diego State also found themselves on the top 25 list, coming in right behind the Rebels at No. 20.

The UNLV Runnin' Rebels are in several publications' preseason Top 25 rankings, largely on the strength of an absurdly loaded frontcourt. Some early games, however, may be more difficult than expected due to a key injury in the backcourt.

Shooting guard Bryce Dejean-Jones is expected to be in a cast for four to six weeks after suffering fractures in his left hand during a team workout on Thursday, according to the Las Vegas Sun. Dejean-Jones broke the bones that lead to the middle and ring fingers on his non-shooting hand.

UNLV begins its regular-season schedule on November 12 with a home game against Northern Arizona. Following that, Jacksonville State visits, followed by host duties at the Global Sports Classic. The Rebels will play Oregon on November 23 and either Iowa State or Cincinnati the following day.

If the more optimistic projection holds true, Dejean-Jones could be out of his cast well before the season opener. The games against NAU and Jacksonville should not pose major challenges to the Rebels, but the opposition at the GSC is a different story, especially if Dejean-Jones is a slow healer.

Oregon has more than enough size to compete with the Rebels' frontcourt, and Dejean-Jones' perimeter shooting will be needed to spread the floor.

Iowa State led the Big 12 in three-point defense last season, and even if Dejean-Jones is back he'll need to shake off the rust quickly to succeed against the Cyclones' tenacious defense.

Cincinnati is likewise a strong defensive squad, but may lack the size needed to compete with the Rebels' bigs.

Injuries are always an inopportune visitor to preseason practices, but Dejean-Jones' broken hand should at least heal early enough for the Rebels to escape the worst effects.

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After weeks of playing the waiting game on whether or not the biggest recruit to come to UNLV in 20 years can play, the NCAA finally declared high school All-American Anthony Bennett eligible for the 2012-13 college basketball season on Thursday.

Bennett first got the talk of his eligibility going with this tweet:

Everything's a GO !! We Live

— Anthony Bennett (@ABennett24) July 26, 2012

Not too long after the tweet was the news confirmed by long-time UNLV beat writer, Ryan Greene, when he reported (per VegasSeven.com) the news was confirmed by UNLV head coach, Dave Rice.

Rice told VegasSeven.com:

We're excited for Anthony, but we're also very excited for our team," Rice said. "A lot of credit goes to (compliance director) Eric Toliver and (student-athlete academic services director) David Jackson for their hard work in the waiver process.

Bennett, the Rivals No.7-ranked senior of 2012 becoming eligible is huge news for the Rebels, as he will be as big of an impact player on the court for UNLV as they have, alongside returning forward Mike Moser and largely unheralded incoming USC transfer, guard Bryce Jones.

Although Bennett is eligible to play in the upcoming season, there is a slim chance the 6'7", 230-pound forward will play with the Rebels in his home country of Canada when UNLV embarks on a exhibition tour (per Las Vegas Sun) that schools get to partake in once every four years.

Bennett is the biggest part of the ESPN No. 7-ranked recruiting class of 2012, in addition to incoming freshmen, Katin Reinhardt, Demetris Morant, DaQuan Cook and Savon Goodman, to go along with incoming transfers, former All-American big man, Khem Birch and former UConn Husky, Roscoe Smith.

The preseason hype has the city of Las Vegas feeling like it's in a time warp, back to the days when the legendary Jerry Tarkanian had the Rebels running the town. For a better part of two decades, Tarkanian made the Rebels one of college basketball's powerhouses and led UNLV to its only national title back in 1990.

On the heels of a 26-9 record a year ago, and the returning slew of players including Moser as well as guards Anthony Marshall and Justin Hawkins, added to by the high-profile newcomers, there is buzz about UNLV being a top 5 preseason-ranked team heading into the upcoming season.

The buzz has translated to huge season tickets sales (per Las Vegas Review-Journal) for the Rebels, as UNLV looks to return to being a national powerhouse and a perennial Final Four team once again.

Head coach Dave Rice and the UNLV Runnin' Rebels nabbed the final piece to their 2012-13 recruiting class when the Rivals No. 72-ranked, Savon Goodman signed with the Rebels, filling up their final scholarship for this year's crop of recruits.

Goodman is a 6'6" forward who will add to the already impressive frontcourt for the Rebels, joining Rivals No. 7-ranked Anthony Bennett, Rivals No. 144-ranked Demetris Morant, transfers Khem Birch and Roscoe Smith and returning NBA prospect, Mike Moser, giving UNLV one of the strongest, if not the strongest frontcourt in the nation.

Coach Rice told RunRebs.com that if Smith clears his eligibility waivers and can play this upcoming season, then Goodman understands he will be asked to redshirt for the 2012-13 season.

"I was very honest through the whole process with Savon about Roscoe Smith," Rice said. "Savon knows if the waiver (for Smith) is approved, he'll redshirt."

The Rebels have all kinds of hype surrounding them now, as joining the slew of big men talent, UNLV also have talented guards in seniors Anthony Marshall and Justin Hawkins, in addition to newcomers Rivals No. 38-rated Katin Reinhardt, DaQuan Cook and transfer Bryce Jones.

ESPN currently has UNLV's 2012 class as the No. 13 ranked class, but that is not including any transfers, as newcomers are the only ones counted in the rankings. With the addition of Goodman, they should move up a few spots.

The Runnin’ Rebels of Las Vegas continue to impress many around the college basketball world.  The team, led by head coach Dave Rice, strives to be more than a first-round team in the NCAA tournament.  UNLV hopes to dance a bit further this upcoming season, and fortunately, the team has added much-needed backup.  Whether the additions are out of high school or are transfers, the punch that the Rebels pack stirs with deadly force.

Recent news that Anthony Bennett, top-10 in the class of 2012 from Findley Prep, chose UNLV has given the Rebels much-needed punch in the frontcourt.  Bennett chose between Oregon and Las Vegas as his college destination, but the Findley Prep star stuck to his Vegas roots.  The McDonald’s All-American will add to the punch alongside Moser and spread the offense to stretch the opposing defense.

Anthony Bennett will not be the only addition for the Runnin’ Rebels of UNLV in the frontcourt.  Poewr forward Khem Birch transferred from Pittsburgh after difficulties with coach Jamie Dixon’s slow-paced system.  He will not be eligible until December of the upcoming season, but the McDonald’s All-American has Rebel fans grinning. 

Birch is not the only transfer addition to the team. USC Trojan transfer Bryce Jones, who red-shirted this past season, is ready to rock and roll for the backcourt.

Another guard who'll provide UNLV with depth is incoming freshman Katin Reinhardt from Mater Dei High School in California.  The talented 6'5" combo guard brings a talented shooting threat, along with an ability to slash to the basket.  The point guard situation will be an interesting, as Reinhardt, Anthony Marshall and several other guards are vying the spot.

With the many additions already entering UNLV’s basketball program, another player has transferred. this time from UConn.  Roscoe Smith is the latest to become a Running Rebel, though he will not be eligible this upcoming season. Fortunately for Smith and the Runnin’ Rebels, though, next season will continue the strength that the team currently has and will only suffer a few losses, including a possible Moser exodus after this year.

With Mike Moser, Anthony Marshall and Justin Hawkins leading the way, the new Rebels will help this team step up from last year. 

March Madness ended rather quickly this year, as they lost to Colorado and exited the NCAA tournament quietly.  A deep run is in the foreseeable future for UNLV, so long as the stars come to play and the bench plays deep as expected.  The Mountain West Conference will be as tough as always, but it should be theirs for the taking thanks to the talent pool running and gunning for Coach Rice.

UConn transfer Roscoe Smith will be transferring out west and joining the Runnin' Rebels of UNLV, according to Jeff Goodman of CBS Sports.

Goodman tweeted:

 

UNLV has landed UConn transfer Roscoe Smith -- and the Runnin' Rebs have positioned themselves for sustainability -- cbssports.com/collegebasketb…

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanCBS) May 25, 2012

 

Landing the 6'8" Smith adds to the already strong front court for the Rebels, as they have returning forward Mike Moser, incoming freshman All-American Anthony Bennett and midseason-eligible Pitt transfer Khem Birch already in place.

Smith will be a key reserve for the Rebels, as they seemed to run out of gas towards the end of the season after playing heavy minutes throughout the year—specifically Moser—and will allow more rotation at the forward positions for UNLV, keeping players fresh for what is set up to be a great season.

The addition of Smith adds to the already impressive list of players UNLV coach Dave Rice has brought in for the 2012-13 season, as Smith will be joined by freshmen forward Bennett, the No. 7 Rivals-ranked recruit, guard Katin Reinhardt, the No. 38 Rivals-ranked recruit, forward Demetris Morant, the No. 144 Rivals-ranked recruit, three-star guard DaQuan Cook and forward transfer Birch.

Although class rankings do not include transfers, UNLV would have a top five rated class if transfers were included, but the Rebels still were ranked as the No. 13 class by ESPN overall without Smith and Birch included.

Add the Rebel big men to the solid backcourt of combo guard Anthony Marshall, consistent sixth man Justin Hawkins and newcomers Reinhardt and Cook, and the Rebels have all the makings, on paper, to be one of the early favorites to make a Final Four run.

The Rebels are set up to have their best season since 1990-91, when the Jerry Tarkanian-led UNLV team went undefeated before being upset by Duke in the 1991 Final Four.

Adding Smith, a member of UConn's 2011 national title team, will give the Rebels a post season presence no other player on the team can provide.

Note: UNLV has one more scholarship left this year, as guard Reggie Smith has left the Rebels to be closer to his family back in the Chicago area, which UNLV could hang onto to nab a midseason transfer in the upcoming season.