UNLV’s Marvin Menzies adds Chicago’s Ben Coupet

When Ben Coupet visited to UNLV on Friday, it seemed only a matter of time before he committed given the Rebels’ paucity of official trips they can hand out.

That time came Monday.

Coupet, a 6-foot 7-inch forward from Chicago’s Simeon Career Academy, signed with UNLV’s basketball team on Monday.

”(Signing) means a lot because I went through a lot with everything,” Coupet said. “The recruiting process has been long, so it’s just a blessing. I’m happy for myself to be able to say I could finally commit.”

The booster club for the Simeon basketball team tweeted a photo of Coupet signing a letter-of-intent with the Rebels.

Coupet averaged 5.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, but was known as a standout defensive player. He once was considered one of the nation’s top up-and-coming players, and showed why earlier this season when Coupet totaled 24 points and seven rebounds in a Public League playoff game against Morgan Park and UNLV recruit Charlie Moore.

”It showed what I could do on the court,” Coupet said. “A lot of people didn’t know what I could do, so it was a confidence builder.”

Now maybe Coupet and Moore can become teammates. Moore reportedly visited Southern Methodist on Sunday, and the 5-10 point guard is listed by 247 Sports composite rankings as a four-star prospect and nation’s the No. 71 player.

”I’m going to call him later on to see where his head’s at,” Coupet said. “We’re real close. We work out all the time.”

Coupet is a three-star prospect, according to 247 Sports. He also received scholarship offers from Bradley, DePaul and East Carolina, but was impressed with UNLV’s campus, the coaches, the team, playing in the Mountain West and the demanding nonconference schedule that includes Duke, Kansas and Oregon.

”Everything stuck out to me,” Coupet said.

Former Rebel Patrick McCaw, who played with Coupet on the same AAU team three years ago, helped convince his old teammate to pick UNLV.

“(McCaw) didn’t get a chance to play for Coach, but he really likes him,” Coupet said. “He said I should come and play for him.”

Coupet is the fourth recruit to pledge to UNLV under new coach Marvin Menzies, giving the Rebels at least eight roster players for next season.

Menzies has three official recruiting visits to offer. The end of the spring signing period is May 18.

“(Menzies) told me if I come and in work hard, I’ll play for as many minutes as I work for,” Coupet said.

Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow him on Twitter: @markanderson65