Local product Marshall takes stock of Rebels career, might fight tears on Senior Day

Anthony Marshall’s every move, for four years, has been under a microscope. And that’s the way he wanted it.

He wanted to play in front of family and friends and for his hometown school. He wanted to be close to his four younger siblings and be a role model for other kids in the community.

He knew that if he made a mistake, on or off the basketball court, everyone would see it. But he was prepared for the good, the bad and everything else that came with his college choice.

“I wanted to be one of the first guys who stayed home and helped UNLV get back to the glory days,” he said. “I always knew from being a kid, deep down in my heart and in the back of my mind, I knew this was where I was going.

“I just wanted to be a role model for the kids coming up, show them that a person can deal with the pressures of staying home and being known everywhere you go and handle it well and still be successful.”

Marshall, Justin Hawkins and Quintrell Thomas will be honored in a Senior Day ceremony before the Rebels (23-7, 10-5 Mountain West) face Fresno State (10-18, 4-11) at 3 p.m. today at the Thomas & Mack Center. Fans are encouraged to wear white for the traditional “White Out” promotion.

An emotional player his entire career, Marshall said his regular-season finale might mark the first time he cries before a game.

“I might break down. I can’t even lie. I’ve been telling everybody I’m going to hang tough, but I might let it go,” said Marshall, who will be joined by his parents and several other family members.

“Another reason I wanted to stay home is I wanted to share that experience with them.”

Marshall was 7 when his family moved from Louisiana, where he was born, to Las Vegas. As a rising star at Mojave High School, he received numerous scholarship offers but seriously considered only one, committing to former UNLV coach Lon Kruger and “never second-guessing” the decision.

Hawkins and Marshall have helped the Rebels win 98 games and will soon play in their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament. They spent their first two years under Kruger and their final two playing for coach Dave Rice.

“There’s a great support system if you stay home, but there’s also a lot of pressure because you’re a local guy and a guy who’s done extremely well and just inherently become the face of the program,” Rice said. “When you play point guard, I believe there’s even more pressure. Anthony has done a great job of handling all of that.”

The 6-foot-3-inch Marshall was an off-guard his first three seasons and not much of a shooter, hitting 4 percent of his 3-pointers as a freshman and 20 percent as a sophomore. This season, with Rice moving him to the point, Marshall has made 37 percent of his 3s, a reflection of his tireless work ethic.

He ranks 21st on the program’s all-time scoring list with 1,231 points and is eighth in career assists (488) and sixth in steals (177).

“I just wanted to come here and work my butt off and hopefully be in the position where I could be mentioned among the greats after my career,” Marshall said. “It’s nice to have those stats and stuff like that, but you’re remembered by championships.”

There’s a line or two he wants to add to his resume. The Rebels, who can earn the No. 2 seed in next week’s conference tournament with a win today, have not won a Mountain West title or an NCAA Tournament game during Marshall’s career.

If he is recognized as the face of the program, Marshall has been a positive reflection, playing with maximum effort and avoiding missteps off the court while staying on course to graduate in May.

He wanted to be a role model and learned to roll with everything that came with it.

“There’s a lot of pressure, just living up to the hype around you and representing the city,” Marshall said. “It’s a gift and a curse. I’m hated for the same reason I’m loved, I guess you could say.

“When you have a good game, people salute you and call you a hero. When you have a bad game, they rip you apart. That’s how the world works. I just try to stay levelheaded through it all.”

■ NOTES — At least five UNLV players could be making their final appearance in a home game, with junior forward Mike Moser and freshman forward Anthony Bennett expected to enter the NBA Draft this summer. “Certainly, we have three seniors, and then Bennett and Moser will have important decisions to make at the end of the year,” Rice said. … Fresno State, a 14-point underdog today, won the first meeting 64-55 on Feb. 6. The Rebels and Bulldogs are likely to meet for a third time in a MW tournament game Wednesday.

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