Deville Smith is not returning to the UNLV basketball team for his senior season, it was confirmed Thursday after more than a week of speculation. Smith was the team’s No. 5 scorer with an average of 9.7 points and ranked second in assists (87) and 3-pointers made (45).
Bismack Biyombo went ahead of him. So did Jimmer Fredette and Markieff Morris and Alec Burks. Fourteen names were called during the 2011 NBA Draft before Kawhi Leonard made his way to the stage for a congratulatory handshake from then-commissioner David Stern.
It took more than a year for UNLV’s recruiting class to come together. As soon as Jordan Cornish put the finishing touch on it, his first phone call was to a close friend halfway across the country. Rashad Vaughn, the Rebels’ highest-ranked incoming recruit, also proved to be a valuable recruiter.
The UNLV basketball team’s roster turnover continued Wednesday with the addition of former Rutgers guard Jerome Seagears.
Demetris Morant, who played sparingly as a redshirt freshman, is transferring from UNLV to a college in Florida to be close to his ill father.
Ben Carter, who recently made it official that he is transferring to UNLV, will wait until the 2015-16 season to prove his point. He must sit out this coming season as a redshirt while practicing with the Rebels.
