UNLV recruiting hasn't been very reliable as far as getting kids to commit to the Runnin' Rebels right out of high school goes. Until the last couple of seasons, Lon Kruger had gotten almost all of his talent from transfers who he had previously recruited, yet chose to go to another school. In the past couple of seasons, that has turned around a bit for UNLV, but still only a few players that will be on next season's roster started their careers at UNLV. That may change over the next couple of recruiting classes.
With this upcoming season having many seniors and juniors, there will be many open scholarships for the 2012 and 2013 class, and that seems to be fantastic timing. There will be a lot of great hometown talent that will be available in the coming classes that the Runnin' Rebels just may have a shot at landing. In fact, Coach Dave Rice and Co. head out on the 2012 recruiting trail in just a few days. But what's exciting in UNLV recruiting as of late is what's happening in the 2013 recruiting class. A while back, Dantley Walker, who broke the Nevada High School scoring record last season, committed to UNLV and will join the team in the 2013-2014 season. And just recently, the Runnin' Rebels landed a 6'8" Power Forward out of Palmdale, California.
Christian Wood will move to Las Vegas and attend Findlay Prep before joining the UNLV team in the 2013-2014 season. The Las Vegas Sun's Ryan Greene draws a comparison between Wood and Kevin Durant, who is currently a star in the NBA.
Wood bears a striking physical resemblance to Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant. Oddly enough, that's whose game he strives to emulate, as Wood has already established him as a strong slasher and smooth outside shooter.
Wood can handle the ball, run on the fast break well, and can also shoot very good. Just check out this video:
A big point in Wood's decision to commit to UNLV this early was Assistant Coach Stacey Augmon's relationship with his AAU head coach Kenny Story. That's just one point among a list of reasons that was included in this article by Rebel Reign.
- Appreciates the reputation and tradition at UNLV
- Believes UNLV is young and on the rise
- Looked at the Rebels due to AAU coach's relationship with Stacey Augmon
- Says looks forward to having Augmon as a mentor, aspires to be similar type of swingman player, appreciates him having helped develop Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith
- Appreciates that Augmon was a NBA player, what he brings to the table
- Wanted to pick a school close to home (Palmdale, CA)
- May attend Findlay Prep this coming season
- Major point (hidden in plain sight): Looks at the UNLV coaching staff and sees the former coaches of both Jimmer Fredette and Kawhi Leonard, both NBA lottery picks
From what has been gathered, it seems that NBA Potential was a big sticking point with Wood.
The only physical problem that arises right now is that Wood is 6'8", but only 185 lbs. The good news is he has two more years of high school to bulk up.
As far as recruit rankings go, Wood is only given three stars by Rivals, but ESPN ranks him as the 37th best prospect in the 2013 class. Only time will tell just how good of a pick up Wood will be for the Runnin' Rebels.
Here is a short Q&A session with wood done by Next Level Connect:
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