Kendall Smith says he’ll play basketball for UNLV
Bright and early Friday morning - 7:30 to be exact - Kendall Smith arrived at the Thomas & Mack Center for a light workout.
"I was getting shots up," he said. "I could say all the things all basketball players say, I love being in the gym. But I truly do. I'm a gym rat."
About two hours later, Smith decided it felt like his home gym, and the 6-foot-2-inch senior guard from Deer Valley High School in Antioch, Calif., orally committed to UNLV. He made the announcement on Twitter, after also considering scholarship offers from UCLA and Connecticut.
Smith, averaging 22.9 points and 6.3 assists this season, is the third recruit to commit to coach Dave Rice. Chris Wood, a 6-10 forward from Findlay Prep, and 6-7 guard Jalen Kendrick, who is playing at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa, signed in November.
Kendrick and Smith each prefer the point guard position, but Smith said he's versatile. On his official visit, he watched the Rebels commit 21 turnovers Thursday in a sloppy win over Chicago State.
"I'm really more of a combo guard," Smith said. "I could kind of see last night that they really need a point guard. They had a lot of careless turnovers, and that's one thing I really don't like to do at all is turn the ball over. I'm looking forward to coming in here and running the team."
Smith said Rebels assistant coach Justin Hutson was a big influence in his decision.
"He's just a great guy. I've never met a coach like him," Smith said. "When I talk to him, I feel like it's not just a coach-player talk, it's a family talk. He's real loyal and everything is coming with the truth."
Contact reporter Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907. Follow him on Twitter: @mattyoumans247.
