UNLV recruiting targets Rosco Allen, Ben Carter, Shabazz Muhammad on display

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011 | 2:05 a.m.

Coaches from some of college basketball’s elite programs were stationed Saturday in Las Vegas at Bishop Gorman High for the first day of the fall recruiting contact period.

The perennial power Gaels, who have six players with major scholarship offers, held an open-gym workout that was attended by coaches from the likes of UNLV, North Carolina, Oregon, Washington and Cal.

Three seniors who are seriously considering hometown UNLV were the main attraction, highlighted by the consensus top-prospect for the class of 2012, senior wing Shabazz Muhammad. Joined by classmates 6-foot-9 forward Rosco Allen and 6-foot-9 forward Ben Carter, they have attracted coaches on the recruiting trail to the area by the masses.

And on Saturday, they also attracted roughly 50 UNLV fans to the Gorman gym. The Rebel faithful have become fixtures at events featuring the trio, going the extra mile in their courtship of the highly coveted players. Carter and Allen are both ranked in the top 100.

Gorman coach Grant Rice coordinates the open gym and other events each year to showcase his players to college coaches. Rice, a former UNLV guard whose brother, Dave, is the Rebels’ first-year head coach, couldn’t help smiling when seeing the fans pack the bleachers dressed in Rebel red.

“There is a certain buzz in this city right now for UNLV basketball,” Grant Rice said. “It is exciting. There are some good times ahead. With Dave here, he is just trying to continue the legacy. He knows how special it is.”

Senior forward Demetris Morant, who became the first Gorman player to select a school when he two weeks ago verbally committed to UNLV, sported a UNLV shirt during the workout. Most of the others wore Gorman apparel.

The 6-foot-8, 190-pound Morant is still developing as a post player but is believed to have the potential to transform into an inside force. He showed some of that ability Saturday, leaping high several times for impressive dunks on the fast break.

“It’s pretty fun getting to work out in front of them,” Morant said. “Everyone is having a good time.”

While Morant is solid in his decision, Gorman’s other three seniors are still going through the process.

Muhammad had an in-home visit this weekend from UCLA and will take his first official recruiting trip later this fall to Kentucky. However, of all his major suitors, UNLV was the lone school with a coach in the stands — unlike Kentucky, Duke, UCLA and Kansas.

Allen, who earlier in the week finished his trip to UNLV, will host in-home visits with UNLV, Stanford and North Carolina before choosing in time for November signing period. He is a four-star prospect on the Rivals.com evaluating system of five stars.

Carter is being pursued heavily by Oregon, which had three coaches at the practice. Additionally, former Gorman great Johnathan Loyd, a sophomore point guard at Oregon, was at the school.

Carter, who was a reserve as a sophomore, had blossomed into one of the top post players on the West Coast. He is ranked as the nation’s 129th prospect by Rivals.

“It’s crazy. Two years ago, no one knew who I was,” Carter said. “All the work I have put in — I’ve been in the gym all the time — has paid off,”

Don’t expect the recruiting madness to end at Gorman after this year. Stephen Zimmerman, a 6-foot-10 freshman center who has been in high school just two weeks, already has scholarship offers from UNLV, Kansas, Duke, Connecticut and UCLA.