Latest signing keeps UNLV basketball moving forward in busy offseason

By Taylor Bern

Wednesday, May 7, 2014 | 2:15 p.m.

UNLV’s offseason continues its relentless charge forward with another commit signing on the dotted line. Patrick McCaw, a 6-foot-6 guard from St. Louis, signed with the Rebels on Tuesday night, a little more than two weeks after making a verbal commitment to UNLV.

“One of the many reasons I hired coach (Todd) Simon was because of his great knowledge of prep schools," Rice said. "Coach Simon was aware of Patrick McCaw at Montrose, and we wanted to upgrade our shooting.”

McCaw played his senior year at Montrose Christian Academy in Rockville, Md. On Dec. 21 at the Tarkanian Classic at Bishop Gorman High, he made a game-winning assist to defeat Simon’s former colleagues at Findlay Prep.

McCaw averaged 10.9 points per game last season. He should help the Rebels climb out of the shooting cellar that found them ranked 10th in the 11-team Mountain West beyond the arc (32.9 percent).

“Patrick’s a guy who can play and guard multiple positions,” Rice said. “And he shoots the ball extremely well.”

McCaw’s signing came a day after Oregon transfer Ben Carter announced on Twitter that he’d return to Las Vegas to play for UNLV. The move was expected for the last month and Carter is expected to sign his scholarship agreement in the near future.

The former Bishop Gorman forward must sit out a season, per NCAA transfer rules. He’ll have two years of eligibility remaining.

And while Carter puts the Rebels at the scholarship limit, they’re not done recruiting. UNLV learned last year that a player may wait a long time before transferring — Katin Reinhardt left at the end of May — so the Rebels are still pursuing players.

One of them, Jordan Cornish, will be on campus May 16-18. Cornish, another 6-foot-6 shooting guard, had committed to Tennessee and then changed his mind when coach Cuonzo Martin left for California. Cornish already visited Wake Forest and will head to Nebraska on May 12-13.

There’s also some interest in another former Oregon player. Dominic Artis, a sophomore who played at Findlay Prep, has received his release and UNLV is following his situation.

Artis was named in a police report investigating an alleged rape incident that involved two other Oregon players. After initially declining to prosecute because of a lack of evidence, the Lane County District Attorney’s Office told the Oregonian on Tuesday that the investigation could be reopened if additional interviews lead to new evidence.

Taylor Bern can be reached at 948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Taylor on Twitter at twitter.com/taylorbern.