It’s only April but the offseason recruiting for college basketball is in full swing, if the gym at the Henderson (Nevada) International School was any indication Thursday night.

Findlay Prep, which plays its home games at the gymnasium, staged a 3-on-3 scrimmage with its Class of 2012 and 2013 standouts and plenty of coaches were on hand to see and be seen.

The schools included: Arizona, Cal, Washington, Stanford, ASU, USC, Oregon, Gonzaga, New Mexico, Virginia, Northern Illinois, Oakland and Memphis. The Wildcats were represented by assistant coach Book Richardson.

Among some of the standouts were Class of 2013 shooting guard Nigel Williams-Goss, Class of 2012 power forward Anthony Bennett, Class of 2012 wing player Winston Shepard and Class of 2012 shooting guard Nazareth Long.

Williams-Goss, 6-4, 180, has verbally committed to UNLV but that could change depending on who Rebels athletic director Jim Livengood hires to replace Lon Kruger, who took the Oklahoma job. Williams-Goss listed Arizona and Washington in his top three before committing to UNLV last November.

Bennett, 6-8, 230, said recently that he has scholarship offers from UConn, Arizona, UNLV, Georgetown and Pittsburgh (among others). Bennett and Long are native Canadians following in the footsteps of former Findlay standouts Tristan Thompson and Cory Joseph (both now at Texas).

NOTE: Findlay coach Mike Peck remains a strong candidate for the Arizona assistant coach vacancy created when Archie Miller became the head coach at Dayton. Peck, who recently completed his fourth year with Findlay, has let those close to him know he is hopeful to join Sean Miller‘s staff. … Sean Miller told the media Thursday that he seeks an assistant with West coast recruiting ties and that the hire likely will happen in May.

Henderson, Nev., Findlay Prep head coach Mike Peck has surfaced as a viable candidate to replace Archie Miller as an assistant coach at Arizona (Findlay Prep photo)

A source who is familiar with Henderson (Nev.) Findlay Prep and Archie Miller‘s decision to be the head coach at Dayton indicated to me tonight that Findlay head coach coach Michael Peck would “go to Arizona” if that situation arises.

The same reliable source told me that phone conversations have taken place between Arizona and the Findlay Prep coaching staff within “the last 48 hours.”

The source described them as “interesting calls”.

Peck, 41, recently completed his fourth year at Findlay, which is affiliated with the Henderson (Nev.) International School. His record is 122-7, including two National High School Invitational championships in 2008-09 and 2009-10.

In his first three years at Findlay, he had 17 out of 17 student-athletes graduate and qualify for NCAA Division I athletic eligibility. Those athletes are currently attending NCAA Division I programs; University of Texas, University of Illinois, Miami (OH), University of New Hampshire, Fresno State University, University of California-Berkeley, University of Kentucky, Florida State University, UNLV, University of New Mexico and Cal State Fullerton.

Arizona Class of 2011 signee Nick Johnson, a prolific scoring guard from Findlay, will play for the Wildcats next season.

Some of the most prominent players Peck has coached at Findlay include Texas point guard Cory Joseph and forward Tristan Thompson, Kentucky wing player DeAndre Liggins, Cal guard Jorge Gutierrez and Florida State guard Deividas Dulkys.

UA coach Sean Miller is also involved with the recruitment of Findlay’s Class of 2012 center Landen Lucas and 2013 guard Nigel Williams-Goss.

Peck came to Findlay Prep from UNLV, where he served for three years under Charlie Spoonhour and Lon Kruger. He served as the video coordinator for the men’s basketball program during his time at UNLV.

He was involved in all aspects of the men’s program; video editing and game breakdown, on-campus recruiting, player development, summer camp coordination and numerous administrative tasks. Prior to UNLV, Peck was an assistant coach at Saginaw Valley State (Mich.) University from 1998-2003 where he served under his former college coach and current University of Tennessee women’s assistant, Dean Lockwood.

He also served as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Northwood University in Midland, Mich., from 1997-98. During these stints Peck’s primary areas of responsibility were on-floor coaching and player development.

He started his coaching career in 1995-96 where he served as the head junior varsity boy’s basketball coach at Gaylord St. Mary Cathedral High School in Gaylord, Mich. In that season, Peck was also a 4–year letter winner and two-time academic All-American at Northwood University where he earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1993. He received his master’s degree in education from Saginaw Valley State University in 1998.

The hiring Friday of former UNLV coach Lon Kruger by Oklahoma could impact the Arizona Wildcats to varying degrees.

Lon Kruger's move to Oklahoma from UNLV could have an impact on Arizona in various ways (US Presswire photo/Christopher Hanewinckel)

The possibilities:

• Kruger and Arizona coach Sean Miller wanted the series between the two schools to resume, according to the Las Vegas Sun last year. With former Arizona athletic director Jim Livengood in the same capacity with the Rebels, a series between the rivals remains a possibility. A game in Las Vegas benefits Arizona from a recruiting standpoint because nationally-recognized programs Findlay Prep and Bishop Gorman High School are in the area.
• Gorman includes Arizona Class of 2012 targets Rosco Allen, Ben Carter and Shabazz Muhammad. Gorman’s head coach is Grant Rice, brother of former UNLV player David Rice, a BYU assistant who has emerged as a top candidate.
• Findlay Class of 2013 shooting guard Nigel Williams-Goss verbally committed to UNLV earlier this season because of Kruger. Williams-Goss told me in November before that commitment that Arizona, Washington and UNLV were his leaders. He said that he maintained constant contact with Arizona’s coaches, especially assistant Archie Miller. He went so far as to say that he hoped to take an unofficial visit of the UA campus. Findlay assistant Todd Simon told me Saturday morning that Williams-Goss “is not sure what he will do yet.”

Kruger’s move also could impact former UA assistant coach Mike Dunlap, currently an aide at St. John’s who is mentioned as a candidate by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Don’t count on Livengood raiding Sean Miller’s staff, namely Archie Miller, who should have his own program within two years. When Livengood underwent a coaching search for UNLV’s football program before last season he purposely stayed away from Mike Stoops‘ staff, which included former offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes at the time.

Former UCLA players Chace Stanback and Mike Moser, a former Arizona commit, transferred to UNLV because Kruger coached there. Stanback, who will be a senior, and Moser, a sophomore next year after having to sit out this season, did not attend a meeting with Kruger Friday night.

Moser, a 6-8 forward with a 7-foot wingspan from Portland, committed to Arizona in 2008 but changed his mind when former coach Lute Olson abruptly retired before the 2008-09 season. He played sparingly as a freshman at UCLA in 2009-10 before transferring to UNLV.

How snakebit do you think Moser feels right now?