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UNLV’s Marvin Menzies lays groundwork with recruits

The preparation now is for three exhibition basketball games in a popular cruise-ship stop known for its beaches and coral reefs and diving and snorkeling and bikinis.

Not necessarily in that order.

But the work that probably will define how UNLV grows and potentially succeeds over the long term under first-year coach Marvin Menzies and his staff began in earnest last month.

The summer evaluation period has come and gone, meaning the Rebels have an idea where they stand with some recruits and not so much with others.

“The name UNLV and the brand and history of the program are all strong,” Rebels assistant coach Eric Brown said. “Coach Menzies’ reputation as a person and coach is tremendous. We have a great staff with a lot of experience. Is there ground to be made up (with recruits)? Absolutely. We just talk about what we can do. We can’t talk about the past. We weren’t here. We work one day at a time to make up as much ground as possible.”

UNLV’s new staff and incredibly new and rebuilt roster are headed to the Bahamas for a weeklong venture that will include games against the University of Toronto and a few teams from the islands, meaning games against guys the same age and experience level of the Rebels and others against much older and likely tougher ones.

It’s true the most important part of the trip are those 10 practices UNLV will have held before it, those drills and scrimmages that have been closed to the media, a fact we will reserve judgment on until things get going for real in October when we determine if Nick Saban is now setting such policies for the program or not.

But while a trip to Nassau is never a bad thing, how recruits in the 2017 and ’18 and ’19 classes react to the words and vision and blueprint that Menzies offers will determine how quickly UNLV might again know the reality of an NCAA Tournament berth.

Or at least a better finish than sixth in conference.

The staff is fighting realities of a forgettable coaching search at UNLV and the decline and fall of Mountain West basketball, which has plummeted from the nation’s No. 1-ranked league in Ratings Percentage Index to No. 12 in just three years.

It was, for the first time since 2001, a one-bid NCAA league last season.

It was really, really bad after a few teams.

“No question, we are battling some of that out there,” Menzies said. “But those four letters of UNLV across the chest immediately make us relevant. The 2017 class has been recruited for so long, we’re just trying to get in with guys who haven’t committed and forge those relationships. How we build this — guys from the 2017 and ’18 and ’19 classes, maybe a junior college kid or a graduate transfer — is really yet to be determined. The right pieces have to fit.

“But we want kids who want to be Rebels first. They need to be focused on that and not the next step of maybe being a professional. Too often, guys walk in and already have one foot out the door because they’re thinking about the NBA. If you’re going to come here, you need to be here for the right reason, and that’s for UNLV. Enjoy your time, learn, grow, and if that next chapter eventually presents itself, all the better.”

They have been pleasantly welcomed by top local recruits, an example being two prep stars from the 2017 class — Troy Brown Jr. of Centennial and Charles O’Bannon Jr. of Bishop Gorman — listing the Rebels among their final eight choices and visiting practice this week.

Another local product and son of former UNLV player Patrick Savoy on Tuesday night chose a different path when Patrick Savoy Jr. of Sheridan Community College in Wyoming by way of Las Vegas High committed to Florida State over the Rebels and Utah. Savoy Jr. has three years eligibility remaining.

Menzies can recruit. He hired assistants who can recruit. But this won’t be near a walkover when it comes to convincing elite players, local or otherwise, to be part of what is a certain rebuilding project.

“We will go anywhere to find someone who’s talented, has good character and is a good student,” Eric Brown said. “If there is a Vegas kid who is not a good student or not a good kid, we can’t recruit him. Some of the best players in the world — Paul George, Kawhi Leonard — came out of our conference. The league has been very good during much of its history and will be again.

“We’ve got to go out and continue developing relationships with local high school coaches. They might have a player, they might not. But it’s important we have the community involved with what we’re doing.”

Important not for the Bahamas but instead far more significant days ahead.

Ed Graney can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4618. He can be a heard on “Seat and Ed” on Fox Sports 1340 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. On Twitter: @edgraney

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