Anthony Marshall out for opener for secondary NCAA violation in honest mistake

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011 | 7:22 a.m.

Anthony Marshall will miss the UNLV basketball team’s season opener Friday against Division II Grand Canyon while serving a one-game suspension for a self-reported NCAA rules violation.

All Division I players are required to limit summer participation to one league, but the 6-foot-3 UNLV guard played in one game of a second league to trigger the violation.

UNLV appealed for relief in the matter to the NCAA, but the appeal was denied and they required Marshall to miss the opener.

First-year coach Dave Rice and Marshall are both taking responsibility for the mistake, which clearly wasn’t intentional.

“It’s disappointing to have to sit out a game,” Marshall said in a statement. “It was an honest mistake, but I have to take responsibility for it. I apologize to my teammates, coaches and the fans.”

Without Marshall, who averaged 9.7 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists last year, the Rebels will have just seven scholarship players in uniform for Grand Canyon.

Senior Chace Stanback is suspended for the game after pleading guilty in September to driving under the influence of marijuana, and sophomore post player Carlos Lopez is out after spraining his ankle last week in practice.

Marshall, who led the Rebels with 14 points and 11 rebounds last week in an exhibition game against Washburn, would have made his debut at point guard in Rice’s up-tempo offense. The coach will reveal his starting lineup later in the week for Grand Canyon, with Oscar Bellfield and Kendall Wallace likely to get a majority of the minutes in the backcourt.

Bellfield was the point guard last year, but has transitioned to the shooting guard position with the athletic Marshall taking over the point. Wallace, mostly a spot-up shooter and expected to be the team’s 3-point specialist, is coming off a red-shirt year after blowing out his knee. Junior Justin Hawkins is also part of the guard mix, but should receive a bulk of Stanback’s minutes on the wing at small forward.

“We have great respect for the rules and take responsibility for this mistake,” Rice said. “But I want to make it clear that Anthony is a great kid and this violation was not any sort of criminal or ethical transgression.”

Ray Brewer can be reached at 990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21.