Findlay Prep’s Anthony Bennett before a ceremony March 21, 2012, to honor his selection to the McDonald’s All-American team.
Thursday, July 12, 2012 | 4:21 p.m.
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UNLV basketball incoming freshman Anthony Bennett likely won’t play in the team’s August trip to Canada while awaiting NCAA certification.
Bennett was born in Canada and attended high school there before transferring to Henderson-based Findlay Prep two years ago. The power forward signed with UNLV in May and planned to start taking summer classes during the third session, which started Monday.
However, the NCAA is taking a closer look and until it clears him, he can’t take classes on scholarship at UNLV. In order to participate in the trip — the Rebels from Aug. 16-22 are traveling to Ottawa and Montreal — a student-athlete must complete at least three course credits. The issue isn’t expected to affect his eligibility for the upcoming season.
“All potential student-athletes who have gone to multiple high schools require additional review,” UNLV coach Dave Rice said. “… Anthony has been admitted to UNLV. We are submitting all the documents that the NCAA Eligibility Center needs to certify him.”
Student-athletes who have attended multiple high schools are often under a closer microscope, let alone ones who went to multiple schools in different countries.
Other incoming student-athletes, including Savon Goodman, Katin Reinhardt and DaQuan Cook have been admitted, cleared and even participated in the NCAA-sanctioned Desert Reign Pro-Am tournament on Tuesday night. Bennett was expected to join them, but getting a player certified by the NCAA is a process of paperwork and tests, and when the NCAA Eligibility Center decides to examine a particular case, it puts that process on hold.
There is no timetable for the certification process, but it’s not expected to keep Bennett from taking classes in the fall and participating in the 2012-13 regular season.
Bennett, who was a McDonald’s All-American, was a consensus top-10 recruiting prospect and one of UNLV’s most significant recruits since its glory years in the early 1990s.
Taylor Bern can be reached at 948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Taylor on Twitter at twitter.com/taylorbern.
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