Anthony Bennett: Why Elite Prospect Should Choose Oregon over UNLV

One of high school basketball’s final 5-star recruits has narrowed his decision to either Oregon or UNLV, but only one decision would make sense—Bennett has to pick Oregon to have a successful college basketball career.

Bennett hails from Findlay Prep in Nevada, so his consideration of UNLV makes some sense. They also happen to be one of the teams on the rise in the ranks of college basketball.

However, Oregon is the best bet for Bennett. There are multiple reasons, but here are the main points.

Home Away From Home

Bennett could choose to stay at home, but if he chooses to go to Eugene he’ll still feel right at home. His former high school teammate Dominic Artis has already signed with Oregon, and two of the players on the Ducks’ roster are from Canada, as is Bennett.

Oregon will allow Bennett to get away from his home that he has lived in his entire life, but still be around some people he has close connections with.

The Nike Factor

UNLV is on the rise, but Oregon is in the limelight and won’t be leaving anytime soon. Outside of ridiculously colorful jerseys the Ducks are a prominent national program that plays most of its games on national television.

In this day and age being a great player isn’t enough. College players also have to have great exposure to marketing and media. Playing in Oregon will allow him to have both.

Oregon is a Win-Now Situation

If Bennett is like any other kid, he will want to win consistently. He’ll immediately be the star player at either Oregon or UNLV, but with Oregon he’ll simply be surrounded by better talent. They benefit from playing in the PAC-12 and, as a result, see better recruits come their way.

Facing better competition on a regular basis is also something that will better prepare Bennett for his pro career.

Oregon doesn’t look like a championship contender right now, but that can change mighty quick with the addition of Bennett. 

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