Bennett will miss all NBA pre-draft workouts, the NBA draft combine and summer league, Schwartz said. The surgery could keep Bennett out of commission up to four months.

Bennett is projected to be a high lottery pick. The ESPN.com story quoted two NBA general managers who said they didn’t believe the injury would hurt Bennett’s NBA draft stock.

“I wouldn’t blink taking him in the Top 5 as long as the surgery is successful,” one GM told ESPN.com.

Bennett tweeted this morning that the injury was a “minor setback.”

Minor Setback , Major Comeback #BestBelieveThat

— Anthony Bennett (@AnthonyBennett) May 7, 2013

Bennett was bothered by left shoulder problems the final month of the season. He left UNLV’s 65-42 victory at Wyoming on Feb. 24 after four minutes complaining of left shoulder soreness. The injury at that time was called “brachial neuritis” by trainer Dave Tomchek.

Here’s the link to the ESPN.com story:

http://espn.go.com/nba/draft2013/story/_/id/9251146/2013-nba-draft-anthony-bennett-surgery-agent-says

Somewhere high, perhaps right below listing coaching the school to the 1998 NCAA national championship and right above his two National Coach of the Year awards, he can add this impressive line: one Masters champion.

Adam Scott, who once garnered WAC Freshman of the Week honors while playing at UNLV in 1998-99, became the first Rebel to claim a major title on Sunday when won the Masters in dramatic fashion in Augusta, Ga., sinking a 12-foot birdie putt on the second hole of a playoff with 2009 champion Angel Cabrera.

Scott, who also holed a 20-foot birdie on the 18th hole of regulation that helped set the stage for the playoff, also became the first Australian to claim the green jacket.

“What an incredible day,” Scott said. “Everything fell my way at the end I guess. … It’s incredible.”

Scott’s victory, which earned him a cool $1,440,000 payday, was the 19th PGA Tour win by a former UNLV golfer. Scott has accounted for nine of those.

“I’m really proud of Adam – just awesome stuff,” Knight, who has produced 41 All-Americans, including Scott, in his 26 seasons at UNLV, said.

“We’ve have had so many guys from our program get so close to a major championship over the years with several second-place finishes and some third-place showings. So we have had some guys really close in the hunt, but to finally have one from our program is a real statement. It is great for our program.”

Scott appeared to have won the tournament in regulation when he sank his 20-footer in rainy conditions. But Cabrera forced the playoff a few minutes later with a birdie of his own following a remarkable 7-iron from 163 yards out that landed three feet from the cup. The duo finished at 9-under 279.

“Part of the promise to get this program to where it has been from the start was to win a collegiate national championship and to produce major winners on the Tour,” Knight said. “Adam has made that part of the dream come true.”

There wasn’t.

In fact, parking spaces in the area were at a premium as a large turnout that UNLV officials estimated at 2,100 – including 21 recruits checking things out on Junior Day — lined the practice field for the 15th and final practice of spring football.

Head coach Bobby Hauck, who has not hid the fact he probably needs to get his team to a bowl game next fall to save his job, took the mic during the 60-play scrimmage and was very upbeat about what he saw from his now veteran team in the spring.

“I like this group of guys,” Hauck told the crowd. “They’ve been through it. We’re doing a lot of good things. When you look at these guys in their uniforms they look like a good football team. … It’s been a great spring.”
(STORY CONTINUES BELOW)

Later Hauck told reporters: “We had a good spring. A lot of smiles on both coaches’ and players’ faces. I think everybody felt we had a great session and we have great optimism for next season.”

Hauck singled out junior offensive lineman Brian Roth, junior defensive back Tajh Hasson, redshirt freshman linebacker Tau Lotulelei, senior defensive lineman Mark Garrick, junior wide receiver Marcus Sullivan as well as all three quarterbacks for having good springs.

To hear more about what Hauck thought about spring practice, check out the VIDEO above.

As for the scrimmage, former Northwestern transfer Adonis Smith rushed for a game-high 71 yards on just 10 carries and a touchdown to help Team Scarlet post a 13-0 victory over Team Gray.

The 5-foot-11, 200-pound Smith was a focal point as the only scholarship running back on the field because rising senior Tim Cornett sat out as he did all spring while getting healthy. Smith, who sat out the 2012 campaign, will have two years of eligibility with the Rebels and dart and dashed his way through the Gray defense repeatedly with many of the carries coming out of the Pistol offense.

Smith’s two-yard scoring rush gave the Scarlet its first touchdown while redshirt freshman quarterback Troy Hawthorne also ran one in from six yards out.

Sophomore quarterback Nick Sherry completed 7-of-10 attempts for 59 yards and threw an interception to converted receiver Jonavaughn Williams. Tight end Jack Phillips caught three passes for 34 yards for the Scarlet while Taylor Spencer’s three grabs for 35 yards paced the Gray. Defensive lineman Jordan Sparkman led the Scarlet with five total tackles while freshman Trent Langham had the same amount for the Gray. Lotulelei had the game’s other interception, picking off Hawthorne and returning it 13 yards for the Scarlet.

TEAM SCARLET 13, TEAM GRAY 0

NOTE: (Some players played for both teams, including QBs Caleb Herring and Troy Hawthorne and RB Rondale Scruggs)

SCORING
SCARLET – Adonis Smith 2-yard rush (Kohorst kick), 7-0
SCARLET – Troy Hawthorne 6-yard rush (PAT blocked), 13-0

TEAM SCARLET
PASSING
Name C-A Yards INT TD
Nick Sherry 7-10 59 1 0
Troy Hawthorne 4-5 40 0 0
Caleb Herring 1-1 6 0 0
Total 12-16 105 1 0

RUSHING
Name Att Yards TD
Adonis Smith 10 71 1 (2)
Nick Sherry 2 6 0
Rondale Scruggs 3 17 0
Troy Hawthorne 2 6 1 (6)
Total 17 100 2

RECEIVING
Name Rec Yards TD
Jake Phillips 3 34 0
Anthony Williams 3 21 0
Jack Killian 2 13 0
Marcus Sulliva 1 21 0
William Vea 1 13 0
Jonathon James 1 6 0
Adonis Smith 1 -3 0
Total 12 105 0

SCARLET DEFENSE TT Other defensive
Jordan Sparkman 5
Siuea Vaesau 3, 2 sacks (10-yard loss)
Tajh Hasson 2 , 2 pass break-ups
Tau Lotulelei 2, 1 INT (13-yard Ret)
Tani Maka 1
David Greene 2
John Therrell 1
Tyler Gaston 1
Kenny Keys 0, 1 pass break-up

TEAM GRAY
PASSING
Name C-A Yards INT TD
Troy Hawthorne 1-6 8 1 0
Caleb Herring 5-11 47 0 0
Total 6-17 55 1 0

RUSHING
Name Att Yards TD
Anthony Lombardi 2 1 0
Troy Hawthrone 2 5 0
Rondale Scruggs 2 5 0
Caleb Herring 2 (-10) 0
Total 8 1 0

RECEIVING
Name Rec Yards TD
Taylor Spencer 3 35 0
Maika Mataele 1 8 0
Taylor Barnhill 1 6 0
Robert Jameson 1 6 0
Total 6 55 0

SCARLET DEFENSE TT Other defensive
Trent Langham 5, 3 TFL (8-yd loss), PAT blk
Fred Wilson 3, 2 sacks (10-yd loss)
Justice Sarcedo 3
Iggy Prochia 2, 1 TFL (3-yd loss)
Eric Tuiloma-Va’a 2
Matt Lea 2
Jonavaughn Williams 1, 1 INT (4-yd ret)
Kenneth Penny 1, 1 pass break-up
Marc Philippi 1
Dominic Baldwin 1
Bryson Mook 1
Jeremiah Valoaga 1

Especially at Bishop Gorman High School.

Gorman, which has won four straight state titles and has also been ranked nationally in the Top 25 all four seasons under head coach Tony Sanchez, is going to be a popular spot for college coaches on the recruiting trail.

The Gaels have no fewer than a dozen Division I prospects – and that might be a tad on the conservative side – in their junior and senior classes. That list is topped by Nathan Starks, arguably the top running back prospect on the west coast for the Class of 2014, and quarterback Randall Cunningham Jr., a 7-foot-2 high jumper who is one of the nation’s premier all-around athletes.

Starks, who is taking an unofficial recruiting trip to Notre Dame this weekend, is rated the nation’s No. 26 overall prospect by Rivals.com, No. 27 by 247sports.com and No. 46 by Scout.com.

In other words, the 5-foot-11, 200-pounder is pretty darn good.
(STORY CONTINUES BELOW)

How good? Well, one longtime local football coach I trust, who also has experience at the professional level, thinks Starks has the potential to be better than another Bishop Gorman running back – DeMarco Murray, now with the Dallas Cowboys.

Like Murray, Starks has breakaway speed. But Starks at this stage is a better between the tackles runner the coach reasoned. (Check out the highlight video below).

Maybe that’s why everybody from defending national champion Alabama to USC to Oklahoma to the Fighting Irish have already offered Starks.

In the video interview above, Starks said he doesn’t have a favorite yet and wants to check out the campuses before he makes a choice.

“I’d like to see where I’d be living the next couple of years before I make any decision,” he said.

Starks also said he isn’t concerned about what other running backs are already on campus at those schools.

“Wherever I go I’m going to have to earn my spot,” he said. “I’m not afraid to compete no matter where I go.”

And fort good reason.

UPDATE: Starks was kicked out of school on April 24 for several violations of school rules.

The 6-foot-8, 230-pounder from Findlay Prep in Henderson is considered a top-five lottery pick after averaging a team-best 16.1 points and 8.1 rebounds while shooting 37.5 percent from 3-point range for the Runnin’ Rebels. He earned first team all-Mountain West honors and also is a finalist for the prestigious John R. Wooden Award.

What caught many off guard was how emotional Bennett was. His voice cracked several times during the press conference during which he also blotted away tears at times. Even 30 minutes after the press conference he was still seen wiping tears away as he hugged his now ex-teammates and coaches.

“I feel it’s a great opportunity for me,” Bennett said. “I know its not going to be easy but I’m ready to learn and work hard, and support the family. As you can see, I have mixed emotions about this. It’s not the easiest decision I’ve made in my life, but I’m pretty happy about it.”

Bennett, who will likely be the first Rebel since Marcus Banks in 2003 to be drafted in the first round, also made it a point to praise UNLV’s fans as well as his teammates and coaches. Check out what Bennett and UNLV coach Dave Rice had to say in the video below.

Dwayne Morgan, a smooth-shooting, long-armed 6-foot-8 small forward from St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, picked the Runnin’ Rebels today over Maryland and Georgetown.

Morgan is ranked the nation’s No. 18 junior prospect by MaxPreps.com and comes in at No. 29 ESPN.com’s top 60 juniors prospect list. Rivals.com has awarded him five stars.
(STORY CONTINUES BELOW)

Morgan averaged 17 points, eight rebounds and four blocks while helping lead the Panthers to a 34-5 record and the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference title. Because of his lanky build, soft 3-point shooting touch and good ball-handling skills, he has drawn some comparison to NBA stars Kevin Durant and Rudy Gay.

“His ceiling is so much higher than a lot of players because he’s just coming into his own,” Dwayne Wise, Morgan’s AAU coach, told SNY.tv and Zagsblog.com recently. “He’s still going to get stronger.”

Check out Morgan in action in the highlight videos above and below.

If you’re looking for a reason why the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels lost their opening game in the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight year, that ugly offensive stretch in the second half during a 64-61 loss to Cal here Thursday night at HP Pavilion pretty much sums it up.

The Runnin’ Rebels (25-10), the No. 5 seed in the East Region, struggled mightily with a zone defense employed for the full 40 minutes by the 12th-seeded Bears (21-11), shooting 32.2 percent from the field and 11 percent (1-of-9) from 3-point range in the second half.
(STORY CONTINUES BELOW)

“Never in a million years did I envision it,” junior forward Mike Moser said of the shooting drought. “Shots just weren’t falling. … It was a tough loss.”

“Shots weren’t falling,” added freshman forward Anthony Bennett, who finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds but was just 4-of-11 from the field. “I don’t know what to say about that.”

UNLV had tied the game at 37-37 on a 3-pointer by Katin Reinhardt (11 points, 3-of-8 treys) with 16:30 remaining when the shooting slump began. They still only trailed by six points, 52-46, when Moser put in a rebound of Reinhardt miss to snap the streak with five minutes to go.

Most of the misses came on jumpers, including seven 3-point attempts. But there were also four missed layups – the Bears blocked three of those attempts – and another came on a missed dunk try by freshman Savon Goodman.

“I don’t think (the zone) confounded them,” Cal coach Mike Montgomery, who couldn’t remember the last time he had a team that played an entire game in a zone defensively, said. “They got good shots. They got the ball inside the paint some. I don’t think they liked it that much.”

Montgomery knew he had to try something different after the Rebels carved up his man-to-man defense at times during a 76-75 victory in Berkeley on Dec. 9.

“They isolate really good athletes (against a man-to-man defense). That’s where Bennett (25 points) hurt us so much last time,” Montgomery said. “You’ve always got help in a zone. It changes the mentality some.”

“We didn’t perform the way we needed to perform,” UNLV coach Dave Rice said. “Our problem wasn’t just on the offensive end. We didn’t get enough stops in the second half to get some easy baskets and break us through the drought.”

Rice had a point there about UNLV’s defense. Cal had great success attacking the rim, finishing with a 34-18 edge in points in the paint. Robert Thurman, a backup 6-10 walk-on forward, finished with 12 points on 6-of-6 shooting – all dunks.

Thurman gave credit to the penetration of Cal guards Allen Crabbe (game-high 19 points, four assists) and Justin Cobbs (13 points, six assists) for his big night.

“They’re a big threat when they get in there and I was wide open underneath the rim,” Thurman said. “I did what most big guys are supposed to do.”

Despite the offensive woes in the second half, the Rebels still had a chance to pull it out at the end.

Point guard Anthony Marshall – fouled intentionally in the backcourt to prevent a potential game-tying 3-point attempt — hit two free throws with 6.5 seconds to go to cut the lead to one, 62-61.

But the Rebels failed to immediately foul on the ensuing inbounds pass. Crabbe was finally fouled with 1.5 seconds left and hit both free throws. Bears forward Richard Solomon then intercepted Moser’s long inbounds pass near half-court to clinch the win.

It was the final game of a distinguished four-year career for Marshall, who finished with seven points, seven rebounds and six assists, as well as guard Justin Hawkins (three points in 13 minutes) and forward Quintrell Thomas (one rebound in five minutes).

“I’m very, very disappointed for our seniors,” Rice said. “Those guys meant a lot to our program.”
It was also likely the final game for Bennett, rated a high lottery pick should he declare for the NBA draft, and also possibly for Moser, who still may bypass his senior year despite a disappointing junior season marred by a painful elbow injury.

“I’m still attending UNLV,” Bennett said. “I’m not really discussing anything further about my future. As of right now, I’m still going to UNLV, still going to school. Just got to make a big decision when school is over.”

Moser went through the same process a year earlier when he was a first team all-Mountain West selection. And although he likely wouldn’t be drafted by the NBA this time around, he could leave to play internationally.

“I’ve just got to take some time and let my body heal and my mind rest and make a decision,” Moser said.

The contest, which is scheduled to tip off around 4:27 p.m PT, will be televised on truTV or can also be found streaming on CBSsports.com.

You might say this afternoon’s East Region NCAA rematch (4:27 p.m., truTV) with the Golden Bears opens an old wound for the 6-foot-8 junior forward from Portland, Ore.

Moser suffered a gruesome dislocated right elbow injury while diving for a loose ball early in the first meeting on Dec. 9 in Berkeley. When you watch the play in the video below, it seems amazing that he came back to play at all this season, much less only a few weeks after the injury.
(STORY CONTINUES BELOW)

Moser, who had amassed double-doubles in two of his previous five games before the injury, has had just one in 20 games since. Although the preseason second team All-American isn’t back to 100 percent yet, he has been a key contributor during the last month, scoring 20 points and grabbing eight rebounds in a 80-63 win at Nevada on March 2 while just missing double-doubles against Fresno State (11 points, nine rebounds) and Air Force (nine points, 10 rebounds). In fact, one ESPN.com columnist called Moser UNLV’s “X factor” for making a run in the tourney.

Moser said he has watched the video of the injury.

“I still turn my head kind of,” he said. “It’s kind of gruesome.”

Moser, who watched the second half of the 76-75 win at Cal with his arm in a sling, was asked if he was surprised that he has been able to come back and not only play again this season but also return to the starting lineup.

“No,” he said. “I think I’m a pretty tough guy. I’m glad I was able to bounce back from that.”

Hear more Moser on playing Cal and the injury in the video below.

But barring a minor miracle, UNLV freshman star Anthony Bennett will have played his final game in a Runnin’ Rebel uniform.

The 6-foot-8, 240-pound manchild, generally regarded no worse than a top five lottery pick in June if/when he declares for the NBA Draft, said all the right things Wednesday when the topic of turning pro came up. But don’t hold your breath Rebel fans.
(STORY CONTINUES BELOW)

Bennett, no doubt trying to keep any distractions for the Rebels to a minimum before Thursday night’s NCAA Tourney opener with Cal here, did leave the door slightly open about a return to UNLV. But he also admitted that if he does leave as expected it would be to take care of his family financially.

“It’s a hard decision,” Bennett, who is averaging a team-best 15.9 points and 8.1 rebounds, said. “I like the city of Vegas. I like the fans. This coaching staff is great. My teammates … everybody has been great to me. I’m just going to take that into consideration when I make my decision.”

Still if Bennett is a top five pick as many project, he’d be passing on somewhere in the neighborhood of between three to five million dollars depending on the pick – not counting endorsements – to play another year at UNLV.

Think that’s worth passing up for another trip to Laramie?

Bennett said he will sit down with his mother Edith at the end of the season and make his decision.

Cal coach Mike Montgomery, a two-time National Coach of the Year who coached the Golden State Warriors for three years in the NBA, was asked about Bennett’s NBA future at Wednesday’s NCAA press conferences.

“He’s a classic power forward,” Montgomery said. “I think the first thing you look at when you’re talking NBA is body. It’s silly, but that’s what the league has gotten to. They look at your body. Do you have an NBA body, long arms, high hips, weight, strength, athletic ability? He’s got all that.

“He’s got a prototype four-man body. And he’s skilled. He can shoot the ball. So you’re talking about a big guy that can go in and match up and bang with big people in that league defensively and maybe on the glass, but yet he can step away and shoot the ball. His 3-point percentage is the best on that team as I recall. He’s a guy 6-8 with that physical prowess, that can step away and shoot the ball from deep. He’s got great touch inside. So there’s not much not to like about him.”

The bigger question is Bennett mentally ready for the rigors of the NBA?

“After one year in college you don’t know the maturity level and what their work ethic is going to be,” Montgomery said. “That’s where they get in trouble a lot when they go after these young kids, because they’re not proven, they don’t know the answer to those. But from the standpoint of looking at him on the surface, he’s got it all.”

“It’s still a big decision for me,” Bennett said. “I’m just trying not to think about it right now.”
Best case scenario for Rebel fans is that Bennett doesn’t have time to sit down until AFTER the Final Four to figure things out. That would be a win-win for everybody.

Stay tuned.