Hutson in spotlight as Rebels enter key recruiting period

"He can go into any home in America and recruit effectively," Dave Rice said. "That’s critical … It’s critical."

Recruiting never ends for a coach, but some weeks rank above others in terms of importance. This is one of those weeks.

Rice accepted the job as UNLV’s coach on the morning of April 10 and I am guessing he didn’t wait until lunch to telephone Hutson.

In him, Rice hired an associate head coach and recruiting coordinator whose reputation is as stellar for teaching the game as it is for landing those who play it.

But this is late July, and that means the summer evaluation period, and that means Las Vegas over the next several days will be home to some of the nation’s best prep players, to kids who are defined more than anything by how many stars are attached to their resume.

And that means Hutson won’t sleep much.

I’m not big on micro-managers, on head coaches who must have their hand in every facet of every decision. I’m not big on insecurity oozing from the lead chair.

It’s one of the reasons I believe Rice will succeed at UNLV. He will delegate. He has hired good people and will more often than not allow them to perform, to sink or swim, to succeed or fail. The best head coaches have the final say on matters in which opinions of their staff weigh heavily.

Hutson will own such leverage in recruiting, where the Rebels have five available scholarships for the 2012-13 season and will be in the same ring as some of college basketball’s heavyweights when fighting for talent.

It is a pool that includes the nation’s No. 1-rated prep player in Shabazz Muhammad of Bishop Gorman, a pool in which the UCLAs and Dukes and Kentuckys and Arizonas annually swim.

Hutson beat some good programs for players as an assistant at San Diego State. Those chasing Muhammad are at a different level.

"The pressure of recruiting against (Top 25 teams) doesn’t bother me," Hutson said. "Our entire staff will be involved in recruiting any player we’re interested in. Some guys might take leads on certain players, but it’s never just one coach throughout the process. It was the same at (San Diego State). I was able to land some very good players as the primary (recruiter), but it was a staff effort.

"We have great tradition at UNLV, a great fan base, a passionate community about our program, great facilities, a new head coach who brings an exciting style of play. Each (recruit) is different, and you’re not always selling the same things to each one. Maybe you emphasize some things over the others depending on the kid. But at the end of the day, we’re always going to talk about all the great things we have to offer."

He does not talk recruiting without first talking to Rice and assistants Heath Schroyer and Stacey Augmon. He doesn’t appear comfortable standing alone under a spotlight.

But as much as Hutson added on the floor to San Diego State’s run to the Sweet 16 in March — he coordinated a defense that was among the nation’s best — his importance to UNLV’s recruiting efforts can’t be overstated.

The Rebels lose some good players after next season. They need better ones to make deeper NCAA Tournament runs.

UNLV today has March talent. Second-week-in-March talent. Maybe.

It is true on many levels that Lon Kruger advanced the Rebels as far as they were going to go under him as coach. Kruger stabilized an unsteady program. He returned respect to where much had been lost.

Rice needs to continue that theme while also signing better (and bigger) skill, a fact not lost on him when he pursued Hutson as his first hire. He watched Hutson coach high school ball, AAU ball, college ball. He saw a person with a good feel for others, who is as committed to winning as anyone he knows.

"Justin is a terrific recruiter," Rice said. "I know we’re recruiting the right guys when other really good programs are also after them. We’re trying to become a championship team, not put an All-Star team out there. The fit has to be right for us and the player. We need to recruit guys who understand the ultimate goal is to win games. With (Hutson) leading our recruiting efforts, that’s going to happen because he has been part of some really successful teams at every level he has been. His feel on things is going to matter a lot on who we recruit.

"It is why I feel so fortunate to have him on staff."

It’s late July in Las Vegas.

It’s one of those important weeks.

Justin Hutson won’t sleep much.

Las Vegas Review-Journal sports columnist Ed Graney can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4618. He can be heard from 3 to 5 p.m. Monday and Thursday on "Monsters of the Midday," Fox Sports Radio 920 AM. Follow him on Twitter: @edgraney.