Recruiting successes were not reflected in the win column during Dave Rice's four-plus seasons as UNLV basketball coach. He had no problems luring talent. But a lot of the talent he acquired was squandered.
Anthony Bennett and Rashad Vaughn, Rice recruits out of Findlay Prep, turned into first-round NBA Draft picks. Each player spent one season with the Rebels.
Bennett was the No. 1 overall pick in 2013. UNLV went 25-10 with Bennett, but it lost in the Mountain West tournament title game and was knocked out in its first NCAA Tournament game. Vaughn missed most of the second half of his freshman season with a knee injury, and the Rebels finished 18-15 and seventh in the conference.