Nick Blake will stay home

UNLV and new head coach T.J. Oetzelberger picked up a nice piece on Friday when three-star shooting guard Nick Blake announced that he will return home for college.

A native of Las Vegas who spent the last season at Los Angeles (Calif.) Middlebrooks Academy, Blake picked the Rebels over his other finalist Kansas State on Friday. He had taken an official visit to UNLV earlier in the week.

“Nick Choose UNLV because of the opportunity to play the game he loves ... for his city,” Blake’s travel team coach Lamar Bigby of the Las Vegas Knicks told Rivals.com. “With Support from his family, loved ones and Friends. Coach TJ Otezlburger and DeMarlo Slocum both believe Nick can be a special player for the Rebels.”

A rangy 6-foot-6 shooting guard with plus athleticism, Blake has all the tools necessary to be a key addition in his hometown.

He is a downhill scorer with a quick first step who can get to the rim in a hurry and finish with athleticism. He is a dangerous transition scorer and over the last year he has continued to develop as both a shot creator off of the dribble and a guy who can knock home deep jumpers curling off of cuts.

After some question as to whether or not Blake will enroll as a 2019 prospect or continue his original plan of spending the next year in prep school, the decision has been made to stay in 2020.

Blake is an important win for Otzelberger and his staff. They battled and beat power conference programs to keep a promising player home and he looks to be an excellent fit for the fast and open style that the Rebels will be looking to play.