Prep star may be ready to commit to UNLV

Victoria Sun

Tuesday, Oct. 26, 1999 | 10:16 a.m.

Prized prep school basketball player Caron Butler may be attending UNLV after all.

Butler, a 6-foot-7 forward from Maine Central Institute, gave the Rebels a verbal commitment after his visit last weekend.

"I'm very close to making a decision and the odds are in favor of UNLV," Butler said over the phone Monday afternoon. "The visit went real well.

"The campus was nice, everything was nice. The team is back on the rise. I feel the Runnin' Rebels are back and I could picture everything and being a part of it."

Still, there is no guarantee he will be wearing scarlet and gray.

During the summer, Butler verbally committed to the defending NCAA champion Connecticut Huskies and he recently reaffirmed his commitment to UConn at Midnight Madness.

Now, it seems he has changed his mind again.

One of the main reasons is that Butler would like to be reunited with Rebel assistant coach Max Good.

Good was MCI's head coach for 10 years and Butler's coach last year before becoming a UNLV assistant over the summer.

"He is a big factor because I played for him before," Butler said. "I see him as a father figure.

"He taught me to never give up and always push myself. When I was ready to give up, he asked me for 110 percent."

He said he will be ready to sign a letter of intent during the early signing period that starts Nov. 10.