Findlay Prep’s Bennett, Wood and Willms take in Sunday scrimmage

By Ryan Greene

Monday, Oct. 17, 2011 | 2 a.m.

Findlay Prep's Anthony Bennett stood at center court in the Thomas & Mack Center following UNLV's season-opening scrimmage Sunday night, posing for pictures, signing autographs and answering endless questions from fans.

One by one, the UNLV faithful walked by the 6-foot-8 Canadian, giving him their quick take on why he should stay in Las Vegas next season.

"All these fans are just showing me so much love and support," he said. "All I know is I won't be making my decision until late spring. That, I'm going to stick to."

The 6-foot-8 senior is ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 7 overall recruit in the 2012 class, and UNLV is one of nine schools he is considering as he prepares for his second season as a Pilot. Also on the list are Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky, Ohio State, Oregon, Pitt, Washington and West Virginia.

Bennett came to the Mack on Sunday with teammates Chris Wood — a 2013 UNLV commit — and Matt Willms to take in the action. He wasn't just there to bask in the attention from the fans after the 20-minute scrimmage ended, though. He was there to actually watch the Rebels play, as he said he'll be keeping a close eye on the team this season, wanting to see just how effective first-year coach Dave Rice's uptempo style is.

"From what I saw tonight, they ran the floor quickly, and I'm going to wait and see how it goes," he added. "I'm just gonna come to as many games as possible to see the style of play. I know some of the guys on the team now, they seem really cool and they really like the school, so I'm looking forward to it."

Wood will also likely be a regular spectator at the Mack this season. The first prep player to commit to Rice and his staff this summer, the Palmdale, Calif., native was also swamped afterward by fans.

As for Willms, another fan favorite on Sunday night, his recruitment could be coming to a head early this week.

Sources close to his recruitment told the Sun on Sunday night that the 7-foot Canadian who transferred to Findlay this season could soon become UNLV's fourth commitment in the 2012 class.

With California combo guard Katin Reinhardt, Baltimore point guard Daquan Cook and Bishop Gorman forward Demetris Morant already in the fold, UNLV has two more scholarships to give in the 2012 class.

For more UNLV recruiting updates as they happen, stay tuned to lasvegassun.com/rebels.