I think we can finally say that UNLV is finished adding players to the program for the 2012-2013.
After Savon Goodman committed to the Rebels over the weekend, Dave Rice’s recruiting haul now totals eight: freshmen Anthony Bennett, Daquan Cook, Demetris Morant and Katin Reinhardt, and transfers Khem Birch (Pitt), Bryce Jones (USC) and Roscoe Smith (UConn).
Throw in returners Anthony Marshall, Mike Moser, Quintrell Thomas, Justin Hawkins and Carlos Lopez, and, well, UNLV will have easily the toughest practices in the nation. How deep is this team? A former top 30 recruit and UConn transfer (Smith) seemed like an unnecessary addition while a guy that started his career at Kansas (Thomas) is going to struggle to see the floor.
And while this is going to feel just as weird to write as it is going to be for you to read, but is it possible that UNLV has too much talent on their roster?
There are simply not going to be enough minutes to go around to keep everyone on this roster satisfied. Moser is going to play 30 minutes a game, and if Bennett is as good as advertised, he will as well. Birch, Jones, Lopez, Thomas, Morant and Smith or Goodman (whoever isn’t redshirted) will need time as well. Will Jones, who caused his share of trouble at USC, be happy if he only ends up playing 10 minutes per game? How long will veterans like Lopez and Thomas idly sit by as the players that Rice recruited over them see more and more time? It is a good problem to have, that’s for sure, but it still is an issue that needs to be addressed.
The other problem is at the point guard spot. I’m as big of a fan of Anthony Marshall as there is, but I’m not sure that he’s a good fit at the point guard spot for a team that is looking to get up and down the floor. He’s a tough defender, an aggressive and athletic penetrator and a guy that I would take on my team any take of the week, but Kendall Marshall he is not.
The pieces are there for UNLV to be a top ten team and a Final Four contender. But I think the influx of talent has blinded some to legitimate concerns about whether or not those pieces fit together well.
Rob Dauster is the editor of the college basketball website Ballin’ is a Habit. You can find him on twitter @robdauster.