Junior college forward commits to play for UNLV

Off the court, UNLV coach Dave Rice continues to win. He is putting the finishing touches on a recruiting class expected to rank in college basketball’s top 10 for the second consecutive year.

Tyrell Bellot-Green, a 6-foot-7-inch, 225-pound forward from Hill Junior College in Hillsboro, Texas, announced his commitment Monday to play for the Rebels. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining, beginning in 2015-16.

Bellot-Green, who made a weekend visit to UNLV, also considered Mountain West rival Colorado State.

“It was a hard decision. I had to think about it a lot,” he said. “I talked a lot with Coach Rice. He said he’s very excited about me and I can be a big part of the team. The coaching staff treated me very well, and the players treated me very well.”

Rice made it a priority to add perimeter shooters, and he accomplished that goal this month. Bellot-Green hit 95 3-pointers last season, when he averaged 14.6 points and 6.2 rebounds as a sophomore.

Ike Nwamu, a 6-5 senior shooting guard, announced May 2 his plans to transfer from Mercer to UNLV. Nwamu, also eligible for the 2015-16 season, led the Bears in scoring last season at 15.1 points per game and shot 37.2 percent from 3-point range.

Bellot-Green and Nwamu were recruited primarily by Rebels assistant coach Todd Simon.

Rice has one scholarship available. The status of Justin Jackson, a 6-7 forward from Findlay Prep, remains unclear. Originally a 2016 recruit, Jackson hopes to reclassify and join the Rebels’ freshman class.

Bellot-Green is the fifth player in Rice’s class. UNLV signed three incoming freshmen — Bishop Gorman High 7-footer Stephen Zimmerman, 6-4 point guard Jalen Poyser from Canada and 6-6 forward Derrick Jones from Pennsylvania — before Nwamu’s transfer.

A native of Toronto, Bellot-Green has a relationship with Poyser after playing for the same AAU team in Canada.

Bellot-Green will compete for minutes at both forward spots with 6-8 junior Ben Carter, 6-8 sophomore Dwayne Morgan and Jones. Nwamu and sophomores Patrick McCaw and Jordan Cornish top the depth chart at shooting guard.

Zimmerman and 6-10 Goodluck Okonoboh lead the front line. Poyser, senior Jerome Seagears and junior Daquan Cook are the point guards.

Off an 18-15 season, the Rebels have missed the NCAA Tournament the past two years.

“I think we’ve got a chance to be a good team and make a run in the tournament,” Bellot-Green said. “We have more than enough talent on the roster.”

• NOTES — UNLV’s game at Wichita State will be moved back one week to Dec. 9 and picked up by ESPN2. … The Rebels, who compete in the Maui Invitational in late November, host Arizona State on Dec. 16 and play at Arizona on Dec. 19.

Contact reporter Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907. Follow him on Twitter: @mattyoumans247.