Former Valley standout Christian Kessee wants to play for hometown Rebels
Christian Kessee thought he was on the verge of returning home to commit to UNLV.
But the weekend he was to visit overlapped with Chris Beard deciding after a week officially on the job to leave the Rebels to coach Texas Tech.
After Beard’s departure, Kessee had to reassess the situation, though his heart was still in playing basketball for the Rebels. Kessee is a 6-foot-2-inch guard who is looking to transfer from Coppin State, and because he has graduated, he would be eligible to play immediately.
Last season at Coppin State, Kessee averaged 14.6 points and made 39.5 percent of his 3-pointers.
Kessee, who went to Valley High School, has visited Old Dominion and Tulane, and he is scheduled to visit UNR on Sunday and Monday. He said he might schedule another trip next week.
But, ultimately, Kessee would like to end up at UNLV, which has plenty of spots to fill. New coach Marvin Menzies is working feverishly to bring in players, and not officially being hired until last Friday made his task more difficult.
“My dad reached out to him (Thursday),” Kessee said. “He said he’s been real busy. I don’t know if he’s not interested or if he’s looking at other guards. I don’t want to wait too long. I know other schools want to be quick with the process.”
Menzies is not allowed under NCAA rules to comment on recruits.
FISHER DECOMMITS — As has been expected since word surfaced that UNLV signee Jaylen Fisher planned to visit Texas Christian this weekend, he announced Thursday he was decommitting to the Rebels.
“I’d first like to say I’m grateful to UNLV for recruiting me and for the opportunity it gave me to further my education and basketball career in the great city of Las Vegas,” Fisher tweeted. “I was very much looking forward to the opportunity to be a Rebel this year. But there have been a lot of changes with the program since I committed to UNLV; changes that have made (me) reconsider whether UNLV is still a good fit for me.”
— Jaylen Fisher (@areal_hooper) April 29, 2016
REBELS ON SHORT LIST — Charlie Moore, who received a release on his letter of intent to Memphis and is ranked by ESPN as the nation’s No. 61 prospect, has listed UNLV as one of his eight finalists.
Moore, a 5-11 guard from Chicago, also is considering California, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Louisiana State, Miami, Southern Methodist and Western Kentucky.
“I appreciate all the coaches who put (their) time and effort in recruiting me,” Moore said on Twitter.
I appreciate all the coaches who put there time and effort in recruiting me but these are my final 8 schoolspic.twitter.com/0AnHpuvug9
— Charles Moore (@CharlieM2_) April 27, 2016
An attempt to reach Nick Irvin, Moore’s coach at Morgan Park High, was unsuccessful.
HIGHLY RANKED — Forward Ben Carter, who is considering transferring from UNLV, is listed by ESPN as the nation’s eighth-best transfer. Carter has visited with Arizona and Arizona State, and is planning to visit Michigan State, North Carolina State and Miami.
ESPN listed the top 500 transfers, and five, including Kessee, had UNLV listed as possible landing spots. The others were Devin Watson and Uche Ofoegbu, both of San Francisco, Virginia Tech’s Jalen Hudson and Tennessee’s Ray Kasongo.
Watson, who is considering Kansas, San Diego State and California, among others, is ranked the nation’s fourth-best transfer.
FIRST-ROUNDERS? — CBS Sports projected former Rebels Stephen Zimmerman Jr. and Patrick McCaw to go on back-to-back picks in the June 23 NBA Draft. Zimmerman was pegged to go 25th to the Los Angeles Clippers and McCaw 26th to the Philadelphia 76ers.
SHOUT-OUT — Former UNLV coach Dave Rice’s decision to become an assistant at UNR drew its share of criticism from Rebels fans, but Carter tweeted his congratulations.
“Wishing the best to @CoachDaveRice as he begins his next chapter,” Carter wrote. “One of few truly genuine people you will come across in this business.”
Wishing the best to @CoachDaveRice as he begins his next chapter. One of few truly genuine people you will come across in this business.
— Ben Carter (@Ben_Carter13) April 27, 2016
Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow on Twitter: @markanderson65
