Rebel Notes: 6-10 center prospect visits UNLV

UNLV hosted 6-foot-10 “sleeper” center prospect Henry Buckley of Wheatley High in Houston this past weekend.

Buckley, a slender (200 pounds) long-armed shot blocker who is expected to attend prep school at The Patterson School in Lenoir, N.C., next fall, was a first team all-District 22-4A selection as a senior when he averaged 6.9 blocks and 7.3 rebounds per game. One Texas scouting service ranked him as the No. 17 senior in the greater Houston area this year just ahead of 6-8 New Mexico-bound Matt Staff of Houston Memorial.

Buckley’s stock shot up during the recent spring “Ice Breaker” Tourney in Houston. Eteamz.com called Buckley “the state’s best kept defensive weapon.”

ESPN.com’s Insider gave the following evaluation of Buckley last October:

“October, 2008: Buckley is an extra long and thin athlete. He has good bounce, runs the floor with ease and changes shots with his length on the defense end of the floor. He finishes over defenders by extending over them with good touch and body control around the basket. He is active and a good rebounder on both ends. In the post he showed a right hand jump hook over his left shoulder. Buckley has good upside but must add strength to raise his level of recruiting. Overall a very intriguing prospect.”

If Buckley does enroll in prep school as expected, he would have to sign a letter of intent with the Rebels either during the early signing period in November or next April. …

Although all indications are that 6-foot-8 power forward Quintrell Thomas will eventually transfer from Kansas to UNLV, the former Top 100 recruit from St. Patrick High School in Elizabeth, New Jersey added a recruiting trip to Iona today.

Thomas has also visited UNLV, St. Joseph’s and Siena and is reportedly interested in St. Bonaventure as well. The New York Daily News reported that Iona currently does not have a scholarship available to give if Thomas did decide to transfer there.

Stay tuned. …