Busting Brackets
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Nevada Basketball: Wolf Pack add Marquez Letcher-Ellis and Tre’Shawn Thurman

By Connor Hope

Jan 7, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Rice Owls forward Marquez Letcher-Ellis (12) pulls down a rebound against the UAB Blazers during the first half at Tudor Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 7, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Rice Owls forward Marquez Letcher-Ellis (12) pulls down a rebound against the UAB Blazers during the first half at Tudor Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nevada, coming off their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2007, has landed two mid-value forwards on the transfer market.

Although it was obvious Nevada would need to replace senior guards Marcus Marshall and D.J. Fenner, their front court lost a huge piece in Cameron Oliver. Oliver, who declared for the NBA Draft, was second in both points and rebounds for the Wolf Pack.

Eric Musselman, Nevada’s head coach, quickly made moves to replace Oliver by signing two athletic forwards from the transfer market.

The first player to sign with Nevada is former Rice forward Marquez Letcher-Ellis. Letcher-Ellis is an athletic, 6’7” forward, who can stretch the floor and defend the wing. Last season with Rice, he averaged .470 from the floor and .345 from deep with 4.9 rebounds and 1.0 blocks.

Letcher-Ellis’ weaknesses are his free-throw ability and the number of fouls he commits. Last season, Letcher-Ellis improved his free-throw percentage to .661. He also committed 3.1 fouls per game in just 19.1 minutes. These should be the two areas of focus for Letcher-Ellis, who must take a year off per NCAA transfer rules.

Letcher-Ellis is not the perfect replacement for Oliver, but he can provide a spark off the bench. After sitting for 2017-2018, he will have two years of eligibility, providing Nevada with a decent, athletic scoring-wing.

The second player to sign with the Wolf Pack is former Omaha forward Tre’Shawn Thurman. Thurman is a better replacement of Oliver, averaging 13.8 points and 7.8 rebounds for the Mavericks this past season. Thurman’s 230-pound frame allows him to fight through contact for layups and rebounds.

Thurman, like Letcher-Ellis, must sit out one season and will have one year left on his eligibility after that.

Next: UNLV's Recruiting Success

Coach Musselman will not have these two forwards at his disposal for the 2017-2018 season. After that, however, Nevada will have one of the stronger frontcourts in the Mountain West.