All Aboard the Bennett Bandwagon

How good is UNLV’s Anthony Bennett?  Very, very good.

A McDonald All-American out of high school and current freshman forward for the UNLV Rebels, Bennett has already taken Las Vegas by storm and is starting to take over the nation.  One NBA Draft Expert said Bennett is a “man playing against boys.”  Mentions of NBA Lottery Pick and POY award are now commonplace.

Bennett’s talent and overall game have caught the eyes of many NBA scouts.  Fans, analysts, and experts are all hopping aboard the Bennett Bandwagon.  And rightfully so.  Taking a deeper look at Bennett’s numbers shows just how impressive the 6-8 Canadian has been.

Through December 20th, Bennett is averaging 19.4 points per game.  Bennett leads all freshmen in scoring and has the fourth-highest average overall by a forward/center.  Bennett is second in the Mountain West for scoring, and leads all big men in the conference.

However, more impressively, Bennett has done this while averaging only 27.5 minutes per game.  This is tied for the LOWEST TOTAL for anyone in the TOP 70.  Bennett is averaging 0.704 points per minute.  If he were to play a whole game, Bennett would average 28.2 points per game.  With Mike Moser out, and Bennett starting to play more minutes, look for his average to converge closer to this average than his current average.

Of the top 30 scorers, Bennett has the second-highest field goal percentage (54.7%).   He has scored double-figures in all 11 of UNLV’s games and has seven or more rebounds in 8 of them, with 4 double-doubles.   Bennett is second in the MWC with 1.7 blocks per game and is shooting 75% from the line.

Since Moser went down with an injury, Bennett is averaging a double-double (20.5 /10.5), helping elevate a team—and city—that lost a leader and top player.

Bennett’s numbers are great, making a difference in all aspects of the game.  However, perhaps even more importantly, Bennett has excelled as the face of the UNLV program, leading them to a 10-1 record and a #21/18 ranking.  With Moser down, look for Bennett to get more touches and have an even greater impact.

There’s no telling where the Bennett Bandwagon is headed (Atlanta for the Final Four and/or New York for the NBA Draft), but seats are filling up quickly.

All aboard.

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