Nov. 8, 2006
LAS VEGAS - The UNLV men's basketball program received signed national letters of intent from Mareceo Rutledge and Kendall Wallace on Wednesday - the first day of the early signing period - to enroll at UNLV next fall and play for the Runnin' Rebels staring with the 2007-08 season, head coach Lon Kruger announced.
Rutledge, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound guard from Yuba College in Marysville, Calif., averaged 22.7 points per game on a team that went 23-10 last season. Rutledge broke the school's record for made three-point field goals in a season, sinking 119. Originally from Sacramento, Rutledge prepped at Natomas High School.
"Mareceo is a big strong wing, shoots the ball well and is a good slasher to the basket," said Kruger. "He is excellent from 3-point range and he puts a lot of pressure on defenses by being able to score in a lot of different ways. We are very excited about adding his size and athleticism to the program."
Rutledge will be a junior when he enrolls at UNLV and will have two years of eligibility for the Runnin' Rebels.
"He is the best scorer I have ever had," said Yuba College head coach Doug Cornelius. "He has several different ways he can score and is very savy on the offensive end. He is also very strong and a great kid off the floor as well."
Wallace, a 6-foot-4 senior guard from Mountain View High School in Mesa, Ariz., averaged 17 points, five rebounds and four assists last year as a junior in helping his team to a 29-3 record and a second consecutive 5A state championship.
"He is a combo guard who can play the point and comes from a program that has won back-to-back state championships and is favored to win a third," Kruger said. "He is really an intense competitor who loves to play and we are excited about having him join our program."
Wallace led Mountain View in scoring last year, was first team All-Arizona as a junior and is a three-year varsity player.
"He is a very good shooter and one of his strengths is that he knows how to play basketball," said Mountain View head coach Gary Ernst. "He comes from a basketball family."
