Top guard Rashad Vaughn commits to UNLV

Rashad Vaughn, a top shooting guard at Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nev., chose to stay close to home. (Kelly Kline/Getty Images) As the top remaining
Top guard Rashad Vaughn commits to UNLV
Top guard Rashad Vaughn commits to UNLV /

Rashad Vaughn, a top shooting guard at Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nev., chose to stay close to home. (Kelly Kline/Getty Images)

Kelly Kline/Getty Images

As the top remaining uncommitted guard at the start of this week, much of the recruiting focus was on Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) senior Rashad Vaughn.

He put an end to the suspense Tuesday, spurning Kentucky, North Carolina, Kansas and Iowa State to remain close to home at UNLV.

Vaughn, a 6-foot-5 guard who is as an elite shooter and can also get to the basket, first hit UNLV's radar after his family moved to Nevada from Minnesota. Fred Hoiberg and Iowa State put the most work into wooing Vaughn, as the Cyclones' staff started recruiting him before the heavy hitters got involved. Ultimately, though, his familiarity with the Runnin' Rebels' program led him to choose to stay home.

"I just thought I fit in well and I like Coach [Dave] Rice and the blueprint they have for me and the team next year," Vaughn said as he announced his decision on the CBS Sports Network. "I think we have a chance to do something special."

Ranked as the No. 1 shooting guard and No. 7 overall prospect in the class of 2014 by Rivals.com, Vaughn has arguably the deepest range of any high school senior in the country. He's seen as one of the most talented offensive players in the class, and also projects as an above-average on-ball defender in college.

He also represents another huge win for Rice and the UNLV staff this season. They had already secured commitments from five-star forward Dwayne Morgan and four-star forward Goodluck Okonoboh, the No. 15 and 32 prospects, respectively. Before Vaughn's signing, the Runnin' Rebels boasted the No. 14 recruiting class for 2014. With Vaughn in the fold, chances are they will be in the top five when the rankings are finalized.

"[Morgan and Okonoboh] were a big factor. Coming in with these guys, we could be a top-5 class," Vaughn said. "I'm real cool with those guys. We have a bond and I'm very excited to see what we can do."


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Michael Beller
MICHAEL BELLER

Michael Beller is SI.com's fantasy sports editor and a staff writer covering fantasy, college basketball and MLB. He resides in Chicago and has been with SI.com since 2010.