Anthony Bennett declares for NBA Draft

UNLV forward Anthony Bennett made official what many have expected for weeks when he declared for the 2013 NBA Draft in a press conference on Monday.

Bennett is a freshman for the Rebels and projects to be a high lottery pick in the June 27 draft.

The forward out of Brampton, Ontario, led UNLV in scoring (16.1 points) and rebounding (8.1 rebounds) this season as the Rebels finished third in the loaded Mountain West Conference and advanced to the NCAA Tournament before being upset by California in the second round. Bennett scored 15 in the loss on 7-10 shooting from the foul line and grabbed 11 rebounds.

He scored a career-high 28 points on Jan. 5 in a UNLV win over CS-Bakersfield to go along with 10 rebounds.

Right now, NBADraft.net and DraftExpress both project Bennett to go fifth overall to Detroit as one of four freshmen taken in the top five. DraftExpress also lists Bennett as the fourth-best prospect in the upcoming draft class.

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