Issuu

SPECIAL SECTION

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

2015-’16 College Basketball Preview

CHANGING GUARDS of the

COLIN MULVANY colinm@spokesman.com

AT GONZAGA, the backcourt quartet (from left) of Silas Melson, Kyle Dranginis, Eric McCellan and Josh Perkins will try to help the Bulldogs overcome the loss of four-year starters Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell Jr. to graduation. PAGES 4-5

Graduation and NBA took star backcourt players from area D1 basketball programs. We examine how teams are dealing with the losses.

TYLER TJOMSLAND tylert@spokesman.com

DAN PELLE danp@spokesman.com

AT WASHINGTON STATE, guard Ike Ireogbu is among a group of players the Cougars are hoping can replace DaVonté Lacy.

AT IDAHO, Pat Ingram, a physical point guard, comes from the junior college ranks to step in for two-year starter Mike Scott.

AT EASTERN WASHINGTON, transfer guard Austin McBroom steps into a backcourt that lost Tyler Harvey to the NBA.

PAGES 2-3

PAGE 7

PAGE 6

ALSO: John Blanchette looks at the challenge Gonzaga’s guards are

facing to maintain the high standard set by Pangos and Bell

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THURSDAY

THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

COLLEGE BASKETBALL 2015/2016 ERNIE KENT’S WASHINGTON STATE BASKETBALL PROGRAM isn’t a democracy, but the coach will occasionally consider player input. One such occasion is an annual survey of his team the coach conducts at WSU’s retreat, held this year in the Tri-Cities. The question: How many minutes should you play this season? There are only 200 minutes available in a regulation college basketball game. The sum total of the Cougars’ responses was 296 minutes. “Obviously, somebody’s going to have to scale back,” Kent quipped. But the coach still likes where his players’ heads are at in that so many of them believe they will be major contributors this season. That’s because Kent wants a cohesive group adding up to a whole greater than its individual parts.

WSU Cougars Stories by Jacob Thorpe jacobt@ spokesman.com, (509) 710-8070

TYLER TJOMSLAND tylert@spokesman.com

Washington State junior guard Que Johnson.

MEET QUE JOHNSON: HE IS DAVONTÉ LACY’S REPLACEMENT Que Johnson, one of the most highly ranked college basketball recruits to ever sign with Washington State, has always been enormously talented. He just hasn’t always been very good. Unlike most four-star prospects in the highly scrutinized world of prep basketball, Johnson was something of a late bloomer. While some of his peers had been scouted since elementary school, Johnson wasn’t even one of the best players on his eighth-grade team. “I was kind of bad,” Johnson said. “I just shot 3s. I couldn’t shoot and I was kind of chubby.” The wing grew out of his baby fat, developed a sweet shooting stroke and easy athleticism, turning into a versatile scorer who turned down scholarship offers from Gonzaga and Washington to be

the man at WSU. But because of his late start, Johnson never learned how to be the offensive focal point in high school and his inconsistent past has yielded an inconsistent present. Oh, he’s shown glimpses of that talent. When DaVonté Lacy missed time with a burst appendix during the 2013-14 season, Johnson, just a redshirt freshman, became the team’s scoring threat and hit double figures in 13 games. But he regressed last season, only reaching double-digit scoring in six games, though he opened the season with a double-double (11 points, 10 rebounds) at UTEP. Johnson spent the offseason training long hours in Michigan and Los Angeles so that he can be a consistent, versatile scorer for the Cougars. Just like Lacy.

MEET CHARLES CALLISON: HE IS DAVONTÉ LACY’S REPLACEMENT

TYLER TJOMSLAND tylert@spokesman.com

WSU junior guard Charles Callison

When Charles Callison arrived at Washington State for his first summer workouts with his new team, he was a real pain. He didn’t treat the games like regular offseason runs where dunking was more important than defense –he got into guys. He barked, he hand-checked and let his teammates know that he would be a fun person to play with, but never against. “That was my first thing: never show that I’m intimidated,” Callison said. “They’re just like me; they’re human. I had to earn my respect and they had to earn my respect for them, so we just got after it.” You have to hand it to Callison, he has a way of introducing himself. His first basket in a WSU uniform was a violent dunk that belied his 6-foot stature. Just a few minutes later, he got above the rim again, this time to hammer down a two-handed alley-oop dunk off a pass from Renard Suggs that didn’t fly all that close to the rim. His aggressive nature on both ends of the floor reveals an intense desire to prove his worth on a

basketball court. The sparkplug guard, who appears likely to be the Cougars starting point guard, was not heavily recruited out of Canyon Springs High or San Bernardino Valley College, where he played his first two college seasons. Cal had an interest in Callison, but he says that a workout for Golden Bears coach Cuonzo Martin fell through because of a shortage of basketballs and not much effort was made to reschedule. “It didn’t seem like he was very interested in me, so I just rolled with coach Kent, who was very interested in me,” Callison said. “Calling me every day. Came to my house, which was a great blessing because I’d never had a college coach come to my house like that and speak to my family like that.” DaVonté Lacy also felt that he should have been more highly recruited, and it burned the Tacoma native that hometown school Washington didn’t show any interest. In Callison, WSU has another player with a chip on his shoulder, and that’s just fine with the Cougars.

MEET IKE IROEGBU: HE IS DAVONTÉ LACY’S REPLACEMENT The Sacramento 24 Hour Fitness was a tornado of Iroegbus. Eldest brother Chukwuemeka “Chuks,” middle brother Ikenna “Ike,” and Uchenna, the youngest, zipped around a non-regulation court that was too small for their speed, forcing them to get used to arriving at the rim at a dead sprint. The experience racing up and down those tiny courts produced Ike Iroegbu’s game, which is perfectly suited to the fast-break approach favored by Washington State coach Ernie Kent. “Both my brothers are really athletic,” Ireogbu said. “When we would go to the gym it would just be us three on the same team. We’d want to go out and just speed down the court and get layups and dunks and stuff.” Iroegbu’s prodigious speed with the ball in his hands gets him to the rim in a hurry – 42.2 percent of his field-goal attempts came at the rim last season, leading all the team’s guards by a sizable margin. He’s still learning how to play with his speed, though. Iroegbu struggled to finish those shots at the rim at times last season, shooting just 48.8 percent on such attempts. To that end, he put on significant muscle mass this offseason to better absorb contact in the lane and become the go-to transition scorer the Cougars had in DaVonté Lacy.

TYLER TJOMSLAND tylert@spokesman.com

Washington State junior guard Ike Iroegbu.

THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

THURSDAY

PAGE T3

COLLEGE BASKETBALL 2015/2016 THE SCHEDULE

TYLER TJOMSLAND tylert@spokesman.com

Washington State junior guard Renard Suggs

MEET RENARD SUGGS: DAVONTÉ LACY’S REPLACEMENT Ding! Renard Suggs checks his cellphone. He has a text waiting from one of the NFL’s most-feared linebackers. Suggs has just played in his first game at Washington State since transferring from Gillette College in Wyoming, an exhibition game against Lewis-Clark State, and Suggs, a shooter, didn’t shoot very well, making just 1 of 6 field-goal attempts. But afterward, he got a pick-me-up text from his cousin, 2011 NFL Defensive MVP Terrell Suggs. “Keep your head up and keep playing hard,” it read. “Everything’s going to go your way.”

It sure did. Suggs was WSU’s first sub off the bench in its second exhibition game, against Pacific (Oregon), and 14 seconds after touching the court he swished a 3-pointer. A minute later he made a layup and the next trip down the court he buried another 3. WSU’s junior guard gorged on 3-pointers, hitting his first four attempts, scoring 14 points in just four minutes. He showed the same capacity for busting open zone defenses that the Cougars relied on Lacy – the school’s all-time leader in made 3-pointers – for in previous years.

Date

Opponent

Time

Nov. 13

Northern Arizona

5:30 pm

Nov. 20

Idaho State

8 pm

Nov. 24

Cal State L.A.

8 pm

Nov. 28

Texas Southern

TBA 8 pm

Dec. 02

Gonzaga

Dec. 06

Portland State

1 pm

Dec. 10

at Idaho

6 pm

Dec. 13

UTEP

3 pm

Dec. 18

Texas State

6 pm

Dec. 22

Oklahoma*

8 pm

Dec. 23

TBD*

TBA

Dec. 25

TBD*

TBA

Jan. 1

USC

6 pm

Jan. 3

UCLA

6:30 pm Noon

Jan. 9

Washington

Jan. 14

at Arizona State

5 pm

Jan. 16

at Arizona

6:30 pm

Jan. 21

Utah

8 pm

Jan. 23

Colorado

6 pm

Jan. 28

at USC

7:30 pm

Jan. 30

at UCLA

4 pm

Feb. 3

Arizona

7 pm

Feb. 6

Arizona State

3:30 pm

Feb. 11

at Colorado

7 pm 2 pm

Feb. 14

at Utah

Feb. 18

Stanford

7 pm

Feb. 21

California

5:30 pm

Feb. 24

at Oregon

7 pm

Feb. 28

at Oregon State

3:30 pm

Mar. 2

at Washington

8 pm

Mar. 9-12

Pac-12 tourmament Las Vegas

All day

* at Diamond Head Classic, Honolulu

ON SECOND THOUGHT . . . LACY REPLACEMENT NOT NEEDED Washington State basketball coach Ernie Kent doesn’t want an alpha dog. He doesn’t want a DaVonté Lacy. As a player and as a program spokesperson, Lacy was ideal. A cavalcade of injuries and setbacks never seriously derailed his record-setting college career, and his decision to not transfer to a winning program at the start of his senior season undoubtedly made Kent’s life a lot easier, smoothing the coaching transition and helping make Kent’s inaugural year a success. But Lacy was also the major remnant of a system under former coach Ken Bone in which the team’s offense started and ended with one dominant player. Like Klay Thompson and Brock Motum before him, Lacy put the team’s scoring load on his shoulders every night and it was difficult for other players to escape his gravity. Even in Kent’s more egalitarian offense, Lacy still took 23 percent of the team’s shots last year. The Cougars probably don’t have a single guard on this year’s team who is as good as Lacy was. But they may have the pieces to replace everything he brought to the table, and by spreading his responsibility around make it tougher on other teams. “Vonté was a great player but now I feel like we’re more well-balanced,” said junior guard Ike Iroegbu. “Everyone can score, everyone can shoot the ball well, and it’s going to be harder for teams to guard us.” Iroegbu will be counted on to

TYLER TJOMSLAND tylert@spokesman.com

WSU head coach Ernie Kent wants his guards, like junior Ike Iroegbu, to share the on-court responsibilities.

score on fast breaks like Lacy, and Que Johnson has the natural ability to be the volume scorer when the Cougars need a hot hand. Lacy had a raw desire to prove his worth to highly regarded opponents that appears evident in junior college transfer Charles Callison, and Renard Suggs has shown a Lacy-like ability to stretch defenses with his shooting.

One departed, under-recruited South Sound player is replaced by another in true freshman Viont’e Daniels, the State 4A player of the year at Federal Way High, and sophomore guard Ny Redding can be the steady ball-handler the Cougars can rely on when other teams turn up the pressure. The Cougars can’t have one dominant player this year – it would

take too long to get him the ball. Through two exhibition games, WSU has shown a desire to get in passing lanes, turn turnovers into points and have the leading scorer be whoever happens to fill the lane for the most fast-break layups on a given night. There is no Lacy on this year’s team, and there is no player who can replace him. The Cougars don’t even want to try.

THE ROSTER No.

Name

Ht.

Hometown/Previous school

Brett Boese

Sr.

6-7

Spokane/Shadle Park

Charles Callison

Jr.

6-0

Moreno Valley/San Bernardino Valley

Conor Clifford

Jr.

7-0

Huntington Beach, Calif. /Saddleback

Viont'e Daniels

Fr.

6-2

Federal Way, Wash./Federal Way

Robert Franks

Fr.

6-7

Vancouver, Wash./Evergreen

Josh Hawkinson

Jr.

6-10

Shoreline, Wash./Shorewood Sacramento/Oak Hill Academy-Va.

Ike Iroegbu

Jr.

6-2

Valentine Izundu

Jr.

6-10

Houston/Houston

Que Johnson

Jr.

6-5

Pontiac, Mich. /Westwind Prep-Ariz.

Derrien King

So.

6-6

Wichita, Kan./Santa Monica CC

Junior Longrus

Sr.

6-7

Oakland/Bishop O'Dowd

Ny Redding

So.

6-2

Cleveland, Ohio/Westwind Prep-Ariz.

Renard Suggs

Jr.

6-2

St. Paul, Minn./Gillette College

Associated Press

Que Johnson will be counted on to be more consistent with the ball.

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PAGE T4

THURSDAY

THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

COLLEGE BASKETBALL 2015/2016 IT ISN’T JUST ABOUT REPLACING Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell Jr.’s combined 8,512 minutes, 3,115 points, 541 3-pointers, 40 percent-plus 3-point accuracy and stellar assist-to-turnover ratio. Or their All-WCC recognition, player of the year and defensive player of the year honors. It’s also about replacing their leadership, selflessness, communication, consistency and consummate attention to detail.

GU Bulldogs ZAGS’ GUARD PLAY STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS Byron Wesley was an ideal The backcourt duo of Stories by fit in his only season and Kevin Pangos and Gary Jim Meehan replacing him could prove Bell supplied stats, jimm@spokesman.com, as tough as replacing intangibles and peace of (208) 659-3791 Pangos and Bell. mind for Gonzaga for four The list of candidates years but they are playing for the three spots is five deep with no professionally overseas, leaving shortage of talent. Unlike when behind two job openings and Pangos and Bell took over as true Shaq-sized shoes to fill. freshmen in 2011, four of the five have “You prepared yourself for it, but collegiate experience, spanning Josh I’m not being truthful if it hasn’t been Perkins’ five-game stint before a source of frustration pretty much suffering a season-ending broken jaw every day,” coach Mark Few said. “If to Eric McClellan’s 60 games (18 at we could get (the current guards) to GU) to Kyle Dranginis’ 107 value that type of detail, they have some innate abilities that are different appearances in 109 possible GU games. than what we’ve had. Getting them to Perkins’ injury removed the be consistently good at everything is a redshirt from Silas Melson, who real challenge.” averaged nearly 10 minutes in 31 Make that three vacancies. Wing

games. Wing Bryan Alberts redshirted last season. So who is in position to earn starting jobs and important minutes? Depends on the minute, the hour, the practice. “Last year at this time we all kind of knew he’s going to play a lot, he’s going to play a lot, whereas (this year) I think they’re too evenly matched in their abilities,” Few said. “The big hope is these guys can continue to grow as we move along, which gives us a good upside. Maybe that’s a little different from what we’ve had in the past because what you’ve seen in November – which wasn’t bad, we were always pretty darn good – has been what we’ve been all the way.” Perkins is the frontrunner at point guard. McClellan and Dranginis are versatile enough to help at multiple positions. Melson and Alberts have perimeter shooting ability, a valued commodity minus Pangos and Bell. “Those two guards were

tremendous for this program for four years,” McClellan said. “I think the guards we have now are a bit more athletic, a bit riskier in the chances we take. To be honest you might see a bit more turnovers, but I think you’ll see us getting up and down the floor quicker and probably more in the passing lanes and more steals.” Melson experienced Bell’s tenacity firsthand. “He used to lock up in practice the whole 2½ hours,” Melson said. “I used to hate getting guarded by him. I’m trying to be that way.” The Zags are loaded inside with Kyle Wiltjer, Domantas Sabonis and Przemek Karnowski. Coaches have said the trio will play together at times, depending on matchups. To some degree, the frontcourt prowess should make it easier on the guards. “They need to be good offensive players, too,” Few said. “They can’t just rely on these bigs. They have to find their way.”

JOSH PERKINS: CREATING FROM POINT Josh Perkins was off to a nice start as Kevin Pangos’ backup last year but was sidelined after five games by a broken jaw. He scored 13 points against St. Joseph’s. He averaged 20 minutes, 5 points and 3.4 assists as the Zags routed four of their first five opponents. At 6-foot-3, Perkins is taller and more athletic than Pangos and the Colorado native has the ability to create for himself and teammates. The challenge for Perkins, and the rest of the guard line for that matter, is to take care of the ball and hit perimeter shots. GU ranked 21st nationally at just 10.4 turnovers per game. The Zags were eighth in 3-point percentage (40.0). “They’re a work in progress as far as how to handle adversity, how to communicate on the floor, but the willingness is there,” coach Mark Few said of Perkins and Silas Melson. “There’s an upside they can give you that maybe the other two (Pangos and Gary Bell Jr.) didn’t have. At this point, they’re not even in same ballpark with being detail-oriented. They’re not alone, being young players.” Perkins received a medical redshirt so he has four seasons of eligibility.

COLIN MULVANY colinm@spokesman.com

Gonzaga senior guard Kyle Dranginis.

KYLE DRANGINIS: STEADY CONTRIBUTOR

COLIN MULVANY colinm@spokesman.com

Gonzaga freshman guard Josh Perkins.

The 6-5 senior from Nampa, Idaho, has been a steady contributor the last three seasons. He stepped in as a starter for eight games for an injured Gary Bell two years ago and delivered 12 points and four assists in a rout over Saint Mary’s. He scored in double figures twice in last year’s WCC tournament. Dranginis had a 30-point outburst in his freshman season against Lewis-Clark State College. “You lose those three big assets we had last year,” Dranginis said, “but I think everybody is ready to step up.” Dranginis is comfortable at the “2” or “3” and could see time at point in a pinch. His career average is 4.4 points per game, but he ranks higher in assists and steals. He’s a 48 percent career shooter, including 35 percent from 3. Coaches Mark Few want Dranginis to be more of a scoring threat, a necessity if he’s going to assume a larger role. “He was comfortable in his role last year,” Few said. “He has to give us more this year.”

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THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

THURSDAY

PAGE T5

COLLEGE BASKETBALL 2015/2016 THE SCHEDULE

COLIN MULVANY colinm@spokesman.com

Gonzaga senior guard Eric McClellan.

Date

Opponent

Time

Nov 13

Pittsburgh*

4 pm

Nov 18

Northern Arizona

6 pm

Nov 21

Mount St. Mary's

6 pm

Nov 25

Washington

9 a.m.

Nov 26

Texas/Texas A&M

TBA

Nov 27

Final Round

TBA 8 pm

Dec 2

at Washington State

Dec 5

Arizona

12:15 pm

Dec 8

Montana

6 pm

Dec 12

UCLA

7 pm

Dec 14

Saint Martin's

6 pm

Dec 19

Tennessee%

8 pm

Dec 21

Pepperdine

6 pm

Dec 23

Loyola Marymount

6 pm

Dec 31

at Santa Clara

2 pm

Jan 2

at San Francisco

8 pm 5 pm

Jan 9

Portland

Jan 14

BYU

6 pm

Jan 16

San Diego

5 pm

Jan 21

at Saint Mary's

8 pm

Jan23

at Pacific

1 pm

Jan28

Santa Clara

6 pm

Jan 30

San Francisco

5 pm

Feb 4

at Loyola Marymount

7 pm

Feb 6

at Pepperdine

9 pm

Feb 11

at Portland

8 pm

Feb 13

at SMU

7 pm

Feb 18

Pacific

6 pm

Feb 20

Saint Mary's

7 pm

Feb 25

at San Diego

7 pm

Feb 27

at BYU

TBA

SILAS MELSON: STRIVING FOR ATTENTION TO DETAIL The Portland native was pressed into duty last year as a true freshman when Josh Perkins was sidelined. Roughly two minutes into his first game against St. John’s in the NIT Season Tip-Off championship at famed Madison Square Garden, Melson drained a 3-pointer. He made 34 percent beyond the 3-point line and averaged 3.2 points in limited playing time. Melson, an explosive jumper who is more athletic than Gary Bell Jr., has the potential to be a defensive standout. “Their attention to detail,” said the 6-foot-4 Melson, when asked what he learned from Kevin Pangos and Bell. “A lot of guys in college don’t really pay that much attention to detail the way they did and it was one of the reasons they were so good and we were so good. “I like to take defense kind of personally. I don’t want my guy to score on me and I want to help my teammates’ back.”

*Okinawa, Japan # Battle for Atlantic, Paradise Island, Bahamas %Battle in Seattle

ERIC MCCLELLAN: ENERGY AT BOTH ENDS OF COURT Eric McClellan became eligible last season at the semester break but a foot injury delayed his debut until Jan. 22. He averaged just eight minutes and 1.9 points per game, but he had 14 assists versus four turnovers. The 6-foot-3 senior from Austin, Texas, possesses quickness and speed. He can be a pest defensively and is capable of providing an energetic presence at both ends of the floor. He averaged 14.3 points for Vanderbilt before being dismissed 12 games into the 2014 season. He scored 29 points against Butler and 22 versus Texas. “I know how I approach my work and I can say the same about every guard on the team,” McClellan said. “Every guard is really competitive and we expect a lot from each other.”

THE ROSTER No.

Name

Ht.

Hometown/Previous school

Bryan Alberts

Fr..

6-5

Northridge, Calif./Village Christian

Rem Bakamus

Jr.

6-0

Longview, Wash./Mark Morris

Jack Beach

Fr..

6-2

San Diego/Torrey Pines

Kyle Dranginis

Sr.

6-5

Nampa, Idaho/Skyview

Ryan Edwards

So.

7-1

Kalispell/Glacier

Jeremy Jones

So.

6-6

San Antonio/Rice

Przemek Karnowski

Sr.

7-1

Torun, Poland/Nicolaus Copernicus

Eric McClellan

Sr.

6-4

Austin, Texas/Vanderbilt Portland/Jefferson

Silas Melson

So.

6-4

Josh Perkins

Fr..

6-3

Park Hill, Colo./Huntington Prep

Domantas Sabonis

So.

6-11

Kaunas, Lithuania/Unicaja Malaga

Dustin Triano

So.

6-3

Vancouver, B.C./New Hampton

Johnathan Williams

Jr.

6-9

Memphis, Tenn./Southwind/Missouri

Nigel Williams-Goss

Jr.

6-3

Happy Valley, Ore./Washington

Kyle Wiltjer

Sr.

6-10

Portland/University of Kentucky

COLIN MULVANY colinm@spokesman.com

Gonzaga sophomore guard Silas Melson.

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PAGE T6

THURSDAY

THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

COLLEGE BASKETBALL 2015/2016 PART OF TYLER HARVEY is still at Eastern Washington. “I got an e-mail from him last week,” Eagles coach Jim Hayford said after a recent practice. “He said he wants the team to get back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, so a lot of his heart is still here.” What’s missing is the sweet step-away jumper that helped Harvey score 23 points a game and make a name for himself, as in “National scoring leader Tyler Harvey.” The new moniker followed Harvey all the way to the second round of the NBA draft but left Hayford with the task of replacing those 23 points and the floor-spreading benefits that accrued to the rest of his offense.

EWU Eagles EAGLES LOOK BEYOND HIGH-SCORING HARVEY

DAN PELLE danp@spokesman.com

Senior guard Austin McBroom.

AUSTIN MCBROOM: THE POINT For EWU coach Jim Hayford, the top priority in off-season recruiting was replacing Drew Brandon, a versatile 6-foot-4 point guard who was comfortable in the paint as well as the perimeter. He got Austin McBroom, a graduate transfer from Saint Louis who, at 5-11, will be more of a playmaker than a rebounding threat. “I’m definitely a pass-first point guard,” said McBroom, who played 66 games for the Billikens and started 47 of them. “I want to help my players make plays.” Eastern’s offense will help him do that. “It’s one of the big reasons I came to this school … Coach gives me a lot of freedom to make plays, penetrate and make assists.” McBroom is being modest, said Hayford, who calls him a good shooter and expects him “to call his own number frequently.” Last season, McBroom played in all 32 games for Saint Louis of the Atlantic 10. He averaged 20.2 minutes, 6.7 points and 1.6 assists while starting 15 games, and made 42 of 98 3-point attempts (42.9 percent).

So who will replace Tyler Harvey? The question isn’t fair, coach Jim Hayford says. “I wouldn’t say I’m too philosophical of a man, but one of the things I’ve thought through is that comparison isn’t a good thing. It leaves a winner and a loser, and no two things are the same,” said Hayford, who at the same time noted that the Eagles went Stories by 3-0 last year Jim Allen jima@spokesman.com, while Harvey (509) 459-5437 was out with a leg injury. More to the point, Hayford is focused on replacing his entire backcourt, which also included hard-nosed sharpshooter Parker Kelly and versatile point guard Drew Brandon, who averaged almost 10 points a game and was one of the top rebounding guards in the nation last year. That combination helped forge the best season in Eastern history, a 26-9 campaign and the Eagles’ first NCAA Tournament appearance in 11 years. Hayford’s offense isn’t just about spreading the court and letting ’er rip. “Everything we do is based on progressions,” Hayford said. If you play out the progressions, he explained, the result will be high-percentage shots. And while Tyler Harvey routinely let fly from 25 feet, “he was a high-percentage maker,” Hayford said. Much depends on someone keeping those percentages high. The obvious answers are on the perimeter, in sharpshooting forward Felix Von Hofe, guard Sir Washington and Austin McBroom, a graduate transfer from Saint Louis. If only it were that simple. This year, success at Eastern will start in the frontcourt, which Hayford said he wouldn’t trade for any in the conference. And defense, which is getting a boost with the offseason hire of assistant Chris Victor. In 6-foot-7 senior Venky Jois, the Eagles have the top power forward in the Big Sky Conference, a player who can post up as well as drive the lane with authority. Last year, Jois averaged 17.6 points and 7.7 rebounds while complementing the Eagles’ perimeter game. “When opponents look at this Eastern team, the first challenge to address is what are they are going to do about

THE SCHEDULE Date

Opponent

Time

Nov. 13

at Miss St

9 pm

Nov. 15

George Fox

6:30 pm 9 pm

Nov. 17

Seattle

Nov. 23

at Seattle

10 pm

Nov. 28

Pacific

9:30 pm

Nov. 29

South Dakota

5:30 pm

Dec. 1

at San Francisco

10 pm

Dec. 6

U of Great Falls

5 pm

Dec. 9

at Davidson

8 pm

Dec. 11

at Pitt

7 pm

Dec. 14

at W Carolina

7 pm

Dec. 17

Morehead State

9 pm 3 pm

Dec. 20

at Denver

Dec. 31

at N Colorado

7 pm

Jan. 2

at North Dakota

3 pm

Jan. 9

Idaho

3 pm

Jan. 14

Southern Utah

9 pm

Jan. 16

N Arizona

3 pm

Jan. 21

at Montana State

9 pm

Jan. 23

at Montana

9 pm

Jan. 28

Portland State

9 pm

Jan. 30

Sacramento St

3 pm 8:35 pm

Feb. 4

at N Arizona

Feb. 6

at Southern Utah

9 pm

Feb. 11

North Dakota

9 pm

Feb. 13

N Colorado

5 pm

Feb. 18

at Sacramento St

10 pm

Feb. 20

at Portland State

10 pm

Feb. 27

at Idaho

4 pm

Mar. 3

Idaho State

9 pm

Mar. 5

Weber State

5 pm

Venky Jois,” Hayford said. That in turn should open up the perimeter for kick-outs from Jois. While Jois was a known commodity going into last year, the biggest surprise was the emergence of true freshman Bogdan Bliznyuk. “I wasn’t surprised, because I thought I had it in me,” said the 6-6 Bliznyuk, who averaged almost nine points and four boards despite playing just 19 minutes a game. Expect those numbers to go up for the sophomore after starter Ogjnen Miljkovic left after last season.

SIR WASHINGTON: THE DEFENDER Sir Washington says he’s ready to step up and make a bigger contribution, and coach Jim Hayford is ready to oblige. Eastern’s success will depend on getting defensive and rebounding help from the backcourt, and the 6-4 redshirt sophomore is the leading candidate to fill that role after the departure of point guard Drew Brandon. “Sir is an athletic wing player who can score off the shot and drive. We look to him as a lock-down defender,” Hayford said. Washington showed flashes last year until a knee injury cost his 11 games in the middle of the season. He came off the bench in the NCAA loss to Georgetown, scoring 5 points and sparking a late rally that he hopes carries over into this year. “I just keep playing hard hard on defense, picking up my team and making sure thay play hard,” said Washington, who last year averaged 2.6 points a game on 41 percent shooting. Washington said he’s working on improving his shooting percentage and getting to the rim. And the knee? It’s almost 100 percent. The rehab is “making me play better, and I’m getting quicker,” Washington said.

THE ROSTER No.

Name

Ht.

Hometown/Previous school

Cody Benzel

Fr.

6-4

Spokane/Ferris

Bogdan Bliznyuk

So.

6-6

Lutsk, Ukraine/Todd Beamer

Will Ferris

So.

6-1

Bellevue/Newport

Grant Gibb

Fr.

6-5

Longview, Wash./Mark Morris

Ty Gibson

Fr.

6-0

Issaquah, Wash./Issaquah

Bear Henderson

Fr.

6-6

Mission Hills, Calif./Village Christian Geraldton, Australia/Sir Francis Drake

Jesse Hunt

Fr.

6-7

Venky Jois

Sr.

6-8

Boronia, Australia/Box Hill

Julian Harrell

Jr.

6-5

Los Angeles/CC of San Francisco

Austin McBroom

Sr.

6-0

Los Angeles/St. Louis

Geremy McKay

Fr.

6-7

Melbourne/U. of Albany

Rico Nuno

So.

6-8

Half Moon Bay, Calif./Diablo Valley

Kyle Reid

Sr.

6-8

Los Angeles/L.A. Trade Tech

Mario Soto

6-6

Irvine, Calif./Concordia

Felix Von Hofe

Jr.

6-5

Melbourne/Australian Institute of Sport

Sir Washington

So.

6-3

Las Vegas/Clark

Michael Wearne

Fr.

6-2

Croydon, Australia/Box Hill

DAN PELLE danp@spokesman.com

Sophomore guard Sir Washington.

FELIX VON HOFE: THE SHOOTER More than almost anyone on the Eagles roster, Felix Von Hofe said he’s grateful for the addition of playmaking point guard Austin McBroom. “It’s fantastic to have a guy like that,” joked Von Hofe. “Because I’m not a playmaker, I’m a play-taker.” Von Hofe may be selling himself short, because at 6-foot-5, he’s a solid defender and rebounder on the wing. Says coach Jim Hayford, “Felix brings length to his positon, and some tenacity … he needs to take the next step and finishing a possession with a rebound. “His maturity should help us,” said Hayford, noting that Von Hofe is a team captain along with forward Venky Jois. Last year, Von Hofe, an Australian, was DAN PELLE danp@spokesman.com best known for his 3-point touch. He averaged 13.3 points a game on 41.1 percent Junior guard Felix Von Hofe. shooting and enjoyed a breakthrough game in last year’s Big Sky semifinal 3-pointers in 21 minutes, Hayford called playoff game against Sacramento State. him one of the nation’s best pure shooters. After Von Hofe came on to hit 7 of 8 Now he’ll be counted on for more.

THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

THURSDAY

PAGE T7

COLLEGE BASKETBALL 2015/2016 TWO THINGS HAVE REMAINED CONSTANT for Idaho men’s basketball since Don Verlin took the helm of the program in 2008. Verlin blessing Moscow with his should-be trademarked thin mustache is one of them. The other? A revolving door at point guard that has never produced a starter lasting more two seasons. And so it is in 2015 that Idaho will, once again, need to find a new player to dub himself the floor general worthy of leading the Vandals into their second season of Big Sky Conference play.

UI Vandals FOUR VIE TO REPLACE PLAYMAKER SCOTT Stories by Sean Kramer Correspondent

Gone from Idaho is Mike Scott, a second-team All-Big Sky selection last season, who scored 14 points per game and dished out 5.3 assists per game. Scott solidified the job heading into last season, leading the Vandals to a 13-17 record (8-10 in conference) and a berth into the conference tournament. Scott took over for Glen Dean, who followed Mike McChristian, who followed Landon Tatum, who followed Deremy Geiger and Mac Hopson. Now, four players will have the honor of competing for the right to be Scott’s successor. Chris Sarbaugh, a University of San Diego transfer via Gonzaga, and a Spokane native, is a graduate transfer on the Idaho squad who dished out eight assists in Idaho’s exhibition opener against Saint Martin’s. Pat Ingram, a Trinity Valley Junior College transfer via Iowa, is Idaho’s newest JC addition at the position. Myles Franklin, a true freshman, will likely avoid redshirting and be in the mix. The fourth player in the mix is a familiar face to Vandals fans: third-year junior Perrion Callandret. Coach Don Verlin confidently told the gathered media at his preseason news conference what he had told Callandret: “I’ve challenged Perrion to be the best guard in the league, I think he has that ability and he’s got to be a marquee player in this league for us to be successful at the level we want to be,” Verlin said. “I like what’s Perrion has done so far in fall workouts and really happy he’s back.” Callandret joined Idaho two seasons ago out of Bothell (Washington) High School after transferring to the suburban Seattle school from O’Dea in Seattle. He quickly cracked Idaho’s starting lineup in exhibition play as a freshman before quietly falling off to a 12.5-minute-per-game output that saw him score barely over 2 points per game. He’s a freakish athlete known for his high-flying dunks in high school, and even has a couple of them under his belt at Idaho. He

dished out 49 assists last season and shot 43 percent from beyond the arc last season, perhaps a preview what he can bring to the point guard battle this season. His combo guard experience means he can also help offset Idaho losing its three leading scorers. Along with Scott, the Vandals bid farewell to all-time leading 3-point shooter Connor Hill to graduation as well as second-leading scorer Sekou Wiggs, a sophomore who transferred to Division II Alaska-Anchorage. The three combined for 41.9 points per game. Russian sophomore Arkadiy Mkrtychyan should take the torch as Idaho’s leading scorer. The power forward scored 8.8 points per game in only about 21 minutes of work per game while he battled foul issues. Sophomore Victor Sanders and redshirt freshman Jake Straughan will take over as Idaho’s 3-point shooters. Forwards Nahshon George and Jordan Scott will help supplement the scoring from the wing. Verlin hopes his scoring formula will involve a number of players on any given night. “I think it’s a good thing, I think it makes us harder to guard when we have four or five weapons instead of teams keying on one or two,” Verlin said. “It makes you a lot more difficult to guard.” The Vandals open their season Nov. 14 at San Jose State and open at home Nov. 21 against Linfield. Idaho will be doing so with a staff that will include two interim assistants. Joe Ford jumped to Idaho from Pacific but resigned in October pending an investigation into his conduct while at Pacific. Zac Claus was hired on as Director of Basketball Operations and was promoted to Director of Player Development when Ford stepped down. Tim Marrion was brought on as Director of Basketball Operations. Verlin said Idaho will address the coaching staff at the end of the season. “We’re going to cross that bridge at the end of the season when the season gets over and then we’re going to have a chance to look into which direction we want to go as far as our full-time coaching positions,” Verlin said.

TYLER TJOMSLAND tylert@spokesman.com

Idaho junior Pat Ingram.

PAT INGRAM: BIG SHOES TO FILL If Pat Ingram can follow in the footsteps of other point guards to join Idaho out of a junior college then he should be thrilled. In fact, the guy he hopes to replace, Mike Scott, was a JC product himself. Ingram signed with Idaho out of Trinity Valley JC, having transferred to the two-year school after a short stint with the Big Ten’s Iowa Hawkeyes. The 6-foot-2-inch guard sat out last season in order to get his grades right, and now hopes to add a matured presence to Idaho’s point guard competition. “He sat out last year to keep his grades in order. Big strong, physical guy who can come in and play, we think right away,” Idaho coach Don Verlin said. “He has a very good feel on how to play ... good shooter, good handle on the ball. He’ll be a good player the minute he steps on campus.” Ingram scored 12.2 points per game his sophomore season at Trinity Valley after making 19 appearances at Iowa his freshman year. Ingram played 10 minutes in Idaho’s exhibition against Saint Martin’s but sat out the 88-55 win over Lewis-Clark State.

THE ROSTER No.

Name

Ht.

Hometown/Previous school

Nick Blair

Fr.

6-5

Las Vegas/Bishop Gorman

Perrion Callandret

Jr.

6-2

Bothel, Wash./Bothel

Myles Franklin

Fr.

6-0

Castaic, Calif./Hart

Tyler Brimhall

Fr.

6-4

Logan, Utah/Logan Colton, Wash./Colton

Jake Straughan

Fr.

6-1

Chris Sarbaugh

Sr.

6-4

Spokane/San Diego

Victor Sanders

So.

6-5

Portland/Jefferson

Pat Ingram

Jr.

6-2

Indianapolis/Trinity Valley JC

Chad Sherwood

So.

6-2

Albany, Ore./West Albany

Paulin Mpawe

Sr.

6-10

San Bernardino/S.B. Valley

Arkadiy Mkrtychyan

So.

6-7

Portland/Columbia Christian

Nate Sherwood

Fr.

6-8

Albany, Ore. /West Albany

Nahshon George

Sr.

6-9

Kapolei, Hawaı i/Shoreline ` CC

Skyler White

So.

6-7

Bellevue/George Washington

Ty Egbert

Jr.

6-9

Coulee Dam/Lake Roosevelt

Jordan Scott

So.

6-6

Colorado Springs/Lewis-Palmer

THE SCHEDULE Date

Opponent

Time

Nov 14

at San Jose State

7 p.m.

Nov 17

at CSU-Bakersfield

7 p.m.

Nov 21

Linfield

7 p.m.

Nov 23

at North Texas

5:30 p.m.

Nov 24

Troy (Denton)

3 p.m.

Nov 25

Samford (Denton)

Noon 7 p.m.

Nov 28

Northern Illinois

Dec 2

CSU-Bakersfield

8 p.m.

Dec 5

Little Rock

5 p.m.

Dec 7

at USC

7 p.m.

Dec 10

Washington State

6 p.m.

Dec 18

New Hope

7 p.m.

Dec 22

at UC Davis

7 p.m.

Dec 31

at North Dakota

4 p.m.

Jan 2

at Northern Colorado

1 p.m.

Jan 9

Eastern Washington

12:05 p.m. 7 p.m.

Jan 14

Northern Arizona

Jan 16

Southern Utah

7 p.m.

Jan 21

at Montana

6:05 p.m.

Jan 23

at Montana State

1:05 p.m.

Jan 28

Sacramento State

7 p.m.

Jan 30

Portland State

7 p.m.

Feb 4

at Southern Utah

6 p.m.

Feb 6

at Northern Arizona

1 p.m.

Feb 11

Northern Colorado

7 p.m.

Feb 13

North Dakota

7 p.m. 7:05 p.m.

Feb 18

at Portland State

Feb 20

at Sacramento State

7:05 p.m.

Feb 27

Eastern Washington

1 p.m.

Mar 3

Weber State

7 p.m.

Mar 5

Idaho State

7 p.m.

TYLER TJOMSLAND tylert@spokesman.com

Idaho freshman Myles Franklin .

MYLES FRANKLIN: YOUNG CONTRIBUTOR Myles Franklin only played in 13 combined minutes in Idaho’s two exhibition games, but the true freshman point guard out of Newhall, California, made the most out of them. In those 13 minutes, Franklin scored seven points, grabbed three boards and dished out three assists. A good haul for a player Idaho expects to skip the redshirt and contribute right away. “Myles is a quick, athletic guard, can really play off the ball screen. He’s a guy who can score in the lane, outside the lane, had an excellent high school

career,” Idaho coach Don Verlin said. “We’re extremely happy to add Myles, Myles is a guy we think can come in and play right away.” Franklin wouldn’t be the first true freshman to handle a bit of point guard duty. Perrion Callandret dabbled in it his freshman year, but didn’t see many minutes that season. But freshman have gotten plenty of opportunities under Verlin, including Victor Sanders and Arkadiy Mkrtychyan last season and players like Connor Hill, Kyle Barone and Stephen Madison in the past.

PAGE T8

THURSDAY

THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

COLLEGE BASKETBALL 2015/2016

WHITWORTH Pirates

LOADED PIRATES RANKED THIRD IN THE NATION Story by Thomas Clouse

MEN’S SCHEDULE

tomc@spokesman.com, (509) 459-5495

Asked about Whitworth’s historic run of success, men’s basketball coach Matt Logie made a scary prediction: The 2015 team may be his best yet. The Pirates enter the season ranked No. 3 in the nation and have won the Northwest Conference regular-season title for six consecutive seasons. Heading into his fifth season at Whitworth, Logie has compiled a staggering 100-18 record and has become the first coach in Division III history to hit the century mark after only four years. He’s averaged 25 wins and 4.5 losses over that span while never missing the NCAA Division III tournament and twice reaching the Sweet 16. “I think we are as talented a group as we’ve had in the last few years,” Logie said, “which is saying quite a bit.” The Pirates return four starters, including junior guard Kenny Love, who was named to the second-team Preseason All-America Team by D3hoops.com and is the reigning Northwest Conference Player of the Year. The Pirates also have the guy who finished second in the POY voting: wing Christian Jurlina, also a junior, who led the team in scoring (14.8 points) and rebounding (5.4) per game. Whitworth also gained the services of guard AJ Grant, who transferred in from George Fox. Grant was named the preseason conference player of the year before an injury kept him out last season. He won’t be eligible to play until Dec. 19. “It’s still early,” Logie said, “but we have a talented, experienced group especially in the backcourt. Eighty percent of our scoring and assists are back.” However, the Pirates lost the post presence of centers Taylor Farnsworth and Adam Wilks to graduation. “They were very valuable senior leaders for us,” Logie said of the 6-foot-8 Farnsworth and 6-7 Wilks. “But, we have the versatility to be productive in those areas.” The team returns 6-10 post Drew Sears, a junior, who battled injuries most of last year, and 6-5 sophomore Ekow Nottinson-Nyaaku (Gonzaga Prep), who also has battled back injuries at the beginning of his career. Sears “has gotten off to a great start,” Logie said. “Ekow’s got really long arms and he’s very active. He does a great job finishing.” Added to the mix is Ben Bishop, a 6-8, 240-pound freshman from Olympia. Bishop “is a talented young player who will have opportunities to get on the floor,” Logie said. But Logie hinted that he may get away from playing a traditional post, depending on the situation. Starting point guard Matt Staudacher, a senior, returns as

Date

Opponent

Time

Nov. 13

La Verne

12:01 am

Nov. 20

Caltech

7 pm

Nov. 21

Northwest

7 pm

Nov. 27

vs. Hamline*

4 pm

Nov. 28

vs Colorado Col.*

6 pm

Dec. 4

Lewis & Clark *

8 pm

Dec. 5

Linfield *

6 pm

Dec. 12

vs. Colorado Col.@

2 pm 3 pm

Dec. 19

Millsaps

Dec. 29

vs. Calvin#

8 pm

Dec. 30

vs. Mary Hardin#

4 pm

Jan. 5

Whitman

8 pm

Jan. 8

at Pacific

8 pm

Jan. 15

at Willamette

8 pm

Jan. 16

at George Fox

6 pm

Jan. 22

Pacific Lutheran

8 pm

Jan. 23

Puget Sound

6 pm

Jan. 29

at Linfield

8 pm 6 pm

Jan. 30

at Lewis & Clark

Feb. 2

at Whitman

8 pm

Feb. 6

Pacific (Ore.)

6 pm

Feb. 12

George Fox

8 pm

Feb. 13

Willamette

6 pm

Feb. 19

at Puget Sound

8 pm

Feb. 20

at Pacific Lutheran

6 pm

* Thanksgiving Invitational @Colorado Springs, Colo. @ George Fox # D3hoops.com Classic @Las Vegas, Nev.

WOMEN’S SCHEDULE Date COLIN MULVANY colinm@spokesman.com

Whits return four starters, including preseason All-American Kenny Love.

“It’s still early, but we have a talented, experienced group especially in the backcourt. Eighty percent of our scoring and assists are back.” Matt Logie, Whitworth men’s coach

does senior forward George Valle, who has played everything from point guard to center. “George is a position unto himself,” Logie said. “His versatility is probably his biggest strength.” The team also returns key backups in guard Derek Isaak and 6-7 forward Forrest Baker, who does most of his damage from behind the 3-point line. Logie also had good things to say about 6-4 freshman guard Kyle Roach, who can play anywhere from the point to the wing. “I think we always are looking for ways to maximize the abilities of our players,” Logie said. “This year, we will be able to do that in a number of ways. We have the possibility of playing a smaller group of highly versatile and skilled players.”

Opponent

Time

Nov 15

Eastern Ore.

2 pm

Nov 20

Col. of Idaho

5 pm 5 pm

Nov 25

at Central

Women reload

Dec. 4

Lewis & Clark

6 pm

After three consecutive 21-win seasons, the Whitworth women’s team enters the new season with only one returning starter. Coach Helen Higgs, who is the longest-tenured and winningest coach in program history (326-212), must build a new team around first-team all-conference guard KC McConnell, who led the Pirates in points (16.5) and assists (2.1) and was tied for second with 5.8 rebounds a game. “She is a great athlete who understands the game,” Higgs said. “She will have to carry a big load early on to get us all on the same page.” The team also returns 5-8 senior Alexis McLeod, 6-foot senior forward Faith Emerson and 5-9 sophomore Callie Harwood. Although she had a year of eligibility left, starting point guard Lexie Zappone did not return. But, the team returns 5-4 junior point guard Jessica Thoens. “We have a nice group of returning players who have experience,” Higgs said. But with roster full of mostly new players, Higgs will have her hands full finding continuity. “We are playing a lot of scrimmages,” she said. “Each time we do something were are more cohesive and more under control.”

Dec 5

Linfield

4 pm

Dec 12

vs. Cal Lutheran *

4 pm

Dec 13

vs. Southwestern*

2 pm

Dec 19

at UC Santa Cruz

7 pm

Dec 20

vs. Chapman#

3 pm

Dec. 29

vs. Babson

9 pm

Dec 30

vs. Eureka%

5 pm

Jan 5

Whitman

6 pm 6 pm

THE WOMEN’S ROSTER

Jan 8

at Pacific

Jan 15

at Willamette

6 pm

Jan 16

at George Fox

4 pm

Jan 22

Pacific Lutheran

6 pm

Jan 23

Puget Sound

4 pm

Jan 29

at Linfield

6 pm

Jan 30

at Lewis & Clark

4 pm

Feb 2

at Whitman

6 pm

Feb 6

Pacific

4 pm

Feb 12

George Fox

8 pm 6 pm

Feb 13

Willamette

Feb 19

at Puget Sound

8 pm

Feb 20

at Pacific Lutheran

6 pm

* Thanksgiving Invitational @Colorado Springs, Colo. @ George Fox # D3hoops.com Classic at Las Vegas, Nev.

THE MEN’S ROSTER

No.

Name

Yr.

Ht.

Hometown/Previous school

No.

Name

Yr.

Ht.

Hometown/Previous school

Erika Kuehn

F/G

So.

5-7

Billings/Billings Central Catholic

Kyle Roach

Fr.

6-4

Marinwood, Calif./Marin Academy

Grace Douglas

So.

5-5

Lynnwood, Wash./Lynnwood

Matt Staudacher

Sr.

6-0

Kirkland, Wash./Simon Fraser

Briann Maley

Sr.

5-9

Rosalia./Rosalia

AJ Grant

Sr.

6-0

Newberg, Ore./George Fox

KC McConnell

Sr.

5-7

Clarkston./Clarkston

Kenny Love

Jr.

6-1

Santa Rosa, Calif./Cardinal Newman

Mikayla Kraemer

F/P

Jr.

6-0

West Linn, Ore./West Linn

Forrest Baker

Jr.

6-7

Spokane/Lewis-Clark St.

Callie Harwood

So.

5-9

Snohomish, Wash/Snohomish

Christian Jurlina

Jr.

6-5

Sydney, Australia/Sydney Boys Clarkston/Clarkston

McKenzie Harsin

Jr.

5-10

Mead/Mt. Spokane

CJ Johnson

Fr.

6-4

Alexis McLeod

Sr.

5-8

Kirkland, Wash./Woodinville

Derek Isaak

Jr.

6-0

Coulee City, Wash./NW Nazarene

Chloe Quinnett

So.

5-10

Moscow, Idaho/Moscow

Brodie Ford

Fr.

6-5

Wellpinit, Wash./Wellpinit

Jessica Thoens

Jr.

5-4

Oregon City, Ore./Warner Pacific

Ekow Nottinson-Nyaaku

So.

6-5

London, England/Gonzaga Prep

Faith Emerson

Sr.

6-0

Santa Barbara, Calif./Providence Hall

George Valle

Sr.

6-4

Bellevue/Sammamish

Faith Cebula

Fr.

6-0

Olympia/Olympia

Joel Gabriele

So.

5-11

Camden, Maine/Eastern Nazarene.

Faith Lopez-Flores

Fr.

5-5

Bothell, Wash./Jackson

Ben Bishop

Fr.

6-8

Olympia/Olympia

Taylor Flemming

Sr.

5-8

Nine Mile Falls/PLU

Drew Sears

Jr.

6-10

Stanwood, Wash./Stanwood

Sidney Riggs

Fr.

5-5

Sitka, Alaska/Sitka

Alberto de Miguel

So.

6-7

Madrid, Spain/MacDuffie

Alli Kieckbusch

Fr.

5-7

Billings/Billings

Luke Atherton

Fr.

6-0

Portland/Grant

Madison Moffat

Fr.

5-7

Ellensburg./Ellensburg

THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

THURSDAY

PAGE T9

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Squeezing out motivation us have already learned the system, and we have kids who are super versatile and work together.” “We’re far from peaking,” Tinkle said. However, with all the new talent, Fortier expects that the Bulldogs will struggle to score early in the seaseon. Greinacher and Albanez were high-volume, high-percentage shooters, “and we don’t have the next Sunny,” she said. In the meantime, the Zags will get by with defense, contesting every shot the way they did during their NCAA run. The wins and the belated recognition will follow. Fortier, too, saw the preseason poll for what it was: a motivational tool. “If we had gotten all the votes, I probably would have downplayed it,” she said.

Area women’s teams each have their own incentives to succeed By Jim Allen jima@spokesman.com, (509) 459-5437

The Gonzaga women’s basketball team is taking self-motivation to a higher level. Call it the confidence borne of success, but some of the Bulldogs felt disrespected by the West Coast Conference preseason coaches’ poll: GU was picked for first place, but by only two points ahead of BYU. “We’d have loved to get all the votes across the board … if anything, that’s going to be a motivator,” said senior guard Elle Tinkle. “I’m sure it’ll be in the back of our minds a little bit, but for now we’re just focusing on ourselves.” Most of all, the Bulldogs are motivated to match last year’s team, which went 26-8, won the WCC regular season and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament – all under a new coach, Lisa Fortier. “I was pretty nervous going into it, but I tried not to let that show,” said Fortier, a longtime assistant who took over when Kelly Graves left for Oregon. “I still get nervous, but I think we can continue to do a great job here.” In fact, the Bulldogs appear to be reloading despite the loss of their two top scorers, Sunny Greinacher and Keani Albanez. Led by all-WCC post Shelby Cheslek, the frontcourt is so deep that Fortier wonders aloud “how we might try to play three posts at a time.” Cheslek, a 6-foot-5 senior from

Washington State COLIN MULVANY colinm@spokesman.com

Gonzaga senior center Shelby Cheslek anchors an experienced frontcourt.

games while averaging 5.7 points and 3.1 assists. Another all-WCC preseason pick who had a breakout year last season, the 6-2 Tinkle combines scoring (11.7 ppg last year on 44 percent shooting) on the wing. More talent is on the way. Gonzaga Prep all-state pick Laura Stockton is adjusting to the speed and size of the college game. “There are more arms in the way … but she has the vision and she’s going to be OK,” Fortier said. Fortier who also expects a contribution from Utah State transfer Makenlee Williams. “We’re a veteran team compared to last year,” Tinkle said. “The majority of

Pullman, had a breakout season last year, shooting 46 percent from the field and averaging 8.2 rebounds a game. She’ll share the paint with Emma Wolfram, a 6-5 sophomore whose season-long improvement culminated in a team-high 17-point effort in a second-round NCAA win at Oregon State. “She’s the next-best thing we have as a replacement for Sunny,” Fortier said of Wolfram. The depth will come from returning redshirts Jill Barta and Kiara Kudron, both of whom can score, Fortier said. Things are more settled in the backcourt. Point guard Georgia Stirton grew into her role after transferring from North Idaho College, starting all 34

EWU SCHEDULE

Coach June Daugherty’s glass is half full despite losing three starters from last year’s team. That’s because that’s all the Cougars lost from a squad that finished a solid seventh (7-11) in the Pac-12 and narrowly missed an NCAA tournament berth. “Our kids took that to heart – we know that we were that close,” said Daugherty, who returns nine letter-winners from a team that finished 17-15 overall. She says the Cougars are “two and three deep at every position” for her ninth season in Pullman. “That’s a great luxury for a coach to have,” said Daugherty, who has an even bigger one in senior point guard Dawnyella Awa. A fixture in the backcourt since her freshman year, the 5-foot-9 Awa returns more than just her 45 percent shooting average and 2.5 See WOMEN, T10

EWU ROSTER

GU SCHEDULE

Date

Opponent

Time

No.

Name

Ht.

Hometown/Previous school

Date

Opponent

Time

Nov 13

Eastern Oregon

11 am

Ashli Payne

Jr.

6-0

Bremerton/Olympic

Nov. 13

Air Force

6 pm

Nov 15

Air Force

1 pm

Aqeelah Williams

Fr.

5-8

Seattle/Cleveland

Nov. 15

Stanford

1 pm

Nov 19

at Gonzaga

6 pm

Delaney Hodgins

So.

6-0

Pasco/Chiawana

Nov. 19

Eastern Washington

6 pm

Nov 22

Northridge

1 pm

Baylee Rexing

Fr.

5-3

Suwanee, Ga./North Gwinnett

Nov. 22

West Virginia*

2 pm

Nov 26

Northwestern*

3 pm

Violet Kapri Morrow

Fr.

5-8

Tacoma/Wilson

Nov. 23

Grand Canyon*

6 pm

Nov 27

East Carolina*

3 pm

Desiree Harding

Fr.

5-7

Fresno, Calif./Fresno

Nov. 24

USC*

6 pm 11 am

Nov 28

Creighton*

3 pm

Tisha Phillips

Jr.

5-9

Lapwai, Idaho/Lewiston

Nov. 29

at. North Carolina

Dec 3

Utah Valley

6 pm

Mariah Cunningham

So.

6-0

Spokane/Central Valley

Dec. 3

Wyoming

6 pm

Dec 13

at Cal State Fullerton

1 pm

Amira Chandler

Fr.

6-2

Wenatchee/Wenatchee

Dec. 6

Montana State

2 pm

Dec 15

at Wichita State

5 pm

Hayley Hodgins

Sr.

5-10

Pasco/Chiawana

Dec. 8

at Washington State

6 pm

Dec 18

Abilene Christian

6 pm

Alissa Sealby

Fr.

6-0

Wenatchee/Wenatchee

Dec. 11

at Dayton

4 pm

Dec 21

Boise State

6 pm

Bethany Montgomery

so.

5-9

Tacoma/Wilson

Dec. 13

at Colgate

11 am

Dec 31

Northern Colorado

3 pm

Dec. 21

at Pepperdine

7 pm

Jan 2

North Dakota

2 pm

Dec. 23

at Loyola Marymount

1 pm

GU ROSTER

Jan 9

at Idaho

2 pm

No.

Name

Ht.

Hometown/Previous school

Dec. 31

San Francisco

5 pm

Jan 14

at Southern Utah

6 pm

Jill Barta

Fr.

6-3

Fairfield, Mont./Fairfield

Jan. 2

Santa Clara

2 pm 2 pm

Jan 16

at Northern Arizona

5:30 pm

Kacie Bosch

So.

5-9

Lethbridge, Alberta/Chinook

Jan. 9

at Portland

Jan 21

Montana State

6 pm

Shelby Cheslek

Sr.

6-5

Pullman/Pullman

Jan. 14

at BYU

6 pm

Jan 23

Montana

2 pm

Melissa Holland

Jr.

5-7

Atherton, Calif./Sacred Heart Prep

Jan. 16

at San Diego

2 pm

Jan 28

at Portland State

7 pm

Kiara Kudron

Jr.

6-2

New Boston, Mich./Huron

Jan. 21

Saint Mary’s

6 pm

Jan 30

at Sacramento State

2 pm

Shaniqua Nilles

Sr.

G/F

6-0

Spokane/West Valley

Jan. 23

Pacific

2 pm

Feb 4

Northern Arizona

6 pm

Zykera Rice

Fr.

6-1

Lakewood, Wash./Clover Park

Jan. 28

at Santa Clara

6 pm

Feb 6

Southern Utah

2 pm

Chandler Smith

Fr.

6-0

Brewster, Wash./Nebraska

Jan. 30

at San Francisco

2 pm

Feb 11

at North Dakota

5 pm

Emma Stach

So.

5-9

Buchholz, Germany

Feb. 4

Loyola Marymount

6 pm

Feb 13

at Northern Colorado

Noon

Georgia Stirton

Sr.

5-8

Melbourne, Australia/NIC

Feb. 6

Pepperdine

2 pm

Feb 18

Sacramento State

6 pm

Laura Stockton

Fr.

5-8

Spokane/Gonzaga Prep

Feb. 13

Portland

2 pm 6:30 pm

Feb 20

Portland State

2 pm

Zhané Templeton

Fr.

5-11

Grand Prairie, Texas/S. Grand Prairie

Feb. 18

at Saint Mary’s

Feb 27

Idaho

2 pm

Elle Tinkle

Sr.

6-2

Missoula/Big Sky

Feb. 20

at Pacific

2 pm

Mar 2

at Idaho State

6 pm

Chelsea Waters

Sr.

G/F

6-1

Lewiston/Lewiston

Feb. 25

San Diego

6 pm

Mar 4

at Weber State

6 pm

Makenlee Williams

Sr.

5-11

Syracuse, Utah/Utah State

Feb. 27

BYU

2 pm

Emma Wolfram

So.

6-5

Kamloops, B.C./South Kamloops

* Lone Star Showcase at Austin, Texas

*Hall of Fame Challenge at Gonzaga

IDAHO ROSTER IDAHO SCHEDULE Date

Opponent

Time

Nov 15

UC Santa Barbara

2 pm

Nov 20

CSUN

6 pm

Nov 23

Seattle U

6 pm

Nov 26

Duke*

10:30 am

Nov 27

Texas State*

8 am

Nov 28

Iowa State*

8 am

Dec 2

Northwest Christian

5:30 pm

Dec 5

Wyoming

2 pm

Dec 9

at Texas Tech

TBA

Dec 12

at Oregon State

TBA

Dec 20

Abilene Christian

12 pm

Dec 28

Carroll College

2 pm

Dec 31

North Dakota

2 pm

Jan 2

Northern Colorado

2 pm

Jan 9

Eastern Washington

2 pm

Jan 14

at Northern Arizona

6 pm

Jan 16

at Southern Utah

6 pm

Jan 21

Montana

6 pm

Jan 23

Montana State

2 pm

Jan 28

at Sacramento State

7 pm

Jan 30

at Portland State

2 pm

Feb 4

Southern Utah

6 pm

Feb 6

Northern Arizona

2 pm

Feb 11

at Northern Colorado

6 pm

Feb 13

at North Dakota

12 pm

Feb 18

Portland State

6 pm

Feb 20

Sacramento State

2 pm

Feb 27

at Eastern Washington

2 pm

Mar 2

at Weber State

6 pm

Mar 4

at Idaho State

6 pm

* Cancun Challenge at Cancun, Mexico

No.

Name

Ht.

Hometown/Previous school

Christina Salvatore

Sr.

5-11

Anaheim, Calif./Canyon

Karlee Wilson

Jr.

5-4

Lewiston/Lewiston

Brooke Reilly

Jr.

6-1

Spokane/Mt. Spokane

Brigitte O'Neill

Fr.

6-2

Melbourne/Carey Grammar

Tayla Corrigan

Sr.

6-3

Adelaide, Australia/Mineral Area

Nejra Solo

So.

6-5

Zenica, Bosnia/PRVA Gimnazija

Ali Forde

Sr.

6-2

Woodinville, Wash./Woodinville

Taylor Pierce

Fr.

5-7

Carlsbad, Calif./La Costa Canyon

Mikayla Ferenz

Fr.

5-10

Walla Walla/Walla Walla

Bethany Krause

So.

5-8

Centerville, Ohio/Centerville

Renae Mokrzycki

Sr.

6-0

Melbourne, Australia/NIC

Geraldine McCorkell

So.

6-0

Melbourne/Penleigh & Essendon

Agueda Trujillo

Jr.

5-11

Manacor, Spain/IES CTEIB

35 44

Connie Ballestero Sue Winger

Sr.

Fr.

5-9 6-1

Orange, Calif./Villa Park Spokane/Mead

WSU ROSTER No.

Name

Ht.

Hometown/Previous school

Dawnyelle Awa

Sr.

5-9

Kealakekua, Hawaii/Konawaena

Bianca Blanaru

So.

6-5

Timisoara, Romania

Louise Brown

So.

6-2

Melbourne, Australia

Mariah Cooks

Sr.

6-1

Santa Maria, Calif./Ernest Righetti

Taylor Edmondson

Sr.

5-11

Carlsbad, N.M./Carlsbad HS

Caila Hailey

So.

5-10

Inglewood, Calif./Serra HS

Borislava Hristova

Fr.

6-0

Varna, Bulgaria/Georgi Benkovski

Ivana Kmetovska

Jr.

6-3

Skopje, Macedonia /Orce Nikolov

Maria Kostourkova

Fr.

6-4

Lisbon, Portugal/E.S.P.J.A.L.

Nike McClure

Fr.

6-3

Tenino, Wash./W.F. West

Krystle McKenzie

Fr.

5-8

Gold Coast, Australia

Pinelopi Pavlopoulou

So.

5-8

Athens, Greece/ACS Athens

Alexys Swedlund

Fr.

5-11

Rapid City, S.D./St. Thomas More

Alexas Williamson

Sr.

5-9

Chino Hills, Calif./Mater Dei

WSU SCHEDULE Date

Opponent

Time 8:30 pm

Nov 13

UC Santa Barbara

Nov 16

Hampton

7 pm

Nov 20

Nevada*

2:30 pm

Nov 22

Hawaii *

3 pm

Nov 27

San Jose State

7 pm

Nov 30

at Oklahoma State

5 pm

Dec 3

at Boise State

6 pm

Dec 6

at San Diego

1 pm

Dec 8

Gonzaga

6 pm

Dec 12

at St. Mary’s

1 pm 5 pm

Dec 20

at Kansas

Dec 29

Washington

8 pm

Jan 2

at Utah

4 pm

Jan 4

at Colorado

7 pm

Jan 8

Arizona

7 pm

Jan 10

Arizona State

Noon

Jan 15

USC

8 pm

Jan 17

UCLA

12 pm

Jan 23

at Washington

2 pm

Jan 29

at California

6 pm Noon

Jan 31

at Stanford

Feb 5

Oregon

8 pm

Feb 7

Oregon State

11 am

Feb 12

at UCLA

7 pm

Feb 14

at USC

4 pm

Feb 19

at Arizona State

5 pm

Feb 21

at Arizona

Noon

Feb 25

Colorado

7 pm

Feb 27

Utah

11 a.m.

* Rainbow Wahine Classic at Honolulu

PAGE T10

THURSDAY

THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

COLLEGE BASKETBALL 2015/2016 College basketball quick guide By John Marshall Associated Press

The blue bloods have reloaded. New contenders are rising. More talented freshmen are ready to shine. The college basketball season is upon us and this one, as always seems to be the case, is loaded with intrigue.

Top teams

Associated Press

Mark Few congratulates his two young freshmen, Kevin Pangos, left, and Gary Bell, Jr. in their first NCAA Tournament back in 2012.

Setting a standard Guards have challenge to maintain excellence continued by Bell, Pangos

n the spring of 2000 – still at the beginning of things, in the modest scope of Millenial Zag – Matt Santangelo, Richie Frahm, Mike Nilson and Ryan Floyd departed the Gonzaga basketball program in the greatest exodus of backcourt achievement in Inland Northwest college basketball history. It included what at the time were the Nos. 3 and 5 scorers in school history and top 3-point shooter, plus Gonzaga’s career assists leader. There was the defensive stopper who established a program standard for that skill, and a former B legend who took apart UCLA like it was another night in the Bi-County League. Plus: 93 wins, two West Coast Conference titles and appearances in the NCAA’s Sweet 16 and Elite Eight. Whatever would the Zags do? Well, they’d plug in three brand new guys – one of them another walk-on – and go back to the Sweet 16 the next year. And now there’s all this hand-wringing about losing a couple of guys named Kevin and Gary? Yes, there is. And not without cause. The Bulldogs have had too many exceptional guard combinations to suggest that Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell Jr. established a benchmark for the how the position should be played. But maybe they codified it. Or how is it that Santangelo put it when discussing Pangos’ legacy last March? “Is he on the Mount Rushmore of Gonzaga basketball?” he wondered. “I don’t know what it is – but he’s been awesome to watch from Day 1 on this campus.” We know the numbers. Pangos started a school-record 141 games at GU, Bell 124. Together they played a part in 122 victories, took the Zags to No. 1 and, not insignificantly, shushed some of the clueless blather about the program’s purported “flops” in March. And, yes, at one point they had to fetch up the same expectations that Josh Perkins and Silas Melson do now as the gatekeepers of Gonzaga’s basketball future.

It’s the rites of JOHN autumn. Santangelo BLANCHETTE and Frahm had to build on what Kyle Dixon, Jon Kinloch and John Rillie had left them as Gonzaga’s first NCAA Tournament team. Dan Dickau and Blake Stepp took the baton from Santangelo and Frahm. Subsequent successions – Derek Raivio and Jeremy Pargo, Matt Bouldin and Steven Gray – were more staggered. But they’re all fraught with hiccups and obstacles. Asked to distinguish between the Pangos-Bell takeover and the transition to the new kids on the block, senior Kyle Dranginis – who actually came in with the former pair, but redshirted – insisted that he saw “more similiarities than differences. “When you’re young and you’re starting out, you’re not very vocal. You don’t want to step on anybody’s toes. But you need to get out there and be aggressive – you can’t tiptoe into this or else you’re going to get beat.” And Pangos and Bell couldn’t afford to sit back. They were needed too much. Gray had graduated. Demitri Goodson, the incumbent point guard, had decided he’d gone as far as he could with basketball and transferred to Baylor to play football – a spectacularly prescient notion. Marquise Carter, who had rescued GU’s 2011 season, for some reason regressed into the unsure JC transfer he’d been. So all Pangos did was score 33 points in his first collegiate start – a spash so big no one seemed to notice that Bell had 14 off the bench in the same game. “And from the jump, Gary was ready to defend on this level,” said coach Mark Few. “We was tough and detail-oriented and we felt pretty good about just throwing him out there on the other team’s best player.” Perkins and Melson at least have had a year in the program to acclimate – though

Game Day Live Join The Spokesman-Review beat writer Jim Meehan and columnist John Blanchette on “Game Day Live” two hours before each Gonzaga Bulldogs game broadcast on 1510 KGA. You’ll hear news, interviews, analysis and opinion from writers with more than 50 years combined experience covering the Zags, with occasional special guests. The hour-long show tips off five hours of coverage of every Bulldogs contest during the 2015-16 season.

Perkins’ freshman year was wiped out by a broken jaw, and Melson often got misplaced in the Zags’ remarkable depth. But for all their wins, Pangos and Bell left another legacy. As the Zags took another step in their evolution, they kept the program grounded, as ever more talented – and regarded – players signed on, including highly sought players like Perkins himself, and Zach Collins and Zach Norvell of the class to come. They grew up fast when they had to, and later subjugated themselves to big dogs who needed fed (there’s a chance they will have played with as many as six NBA big men). They took care of details. “We didn’t do things to the 70th percentile,” Few said of Bell and Pangos’ final team, “we did them to the 99th percentile or 95th percentile. Whether blocking out or taking care of the basketball or executing or communicating what we were doing on defense. That’s as big a lesson as we need to learn right now. These things don’t magically happen. There’s a process to them. You’ve got to execute the process before winning happens. “You’ve got to hit the Zag standard.” And if it happens, those rites of autumn become the rites of spring.

WOMEN

Continued from T9 assist average. “She’s the glue that never gets any credit,” Daugherty said. “She knows the system, knows when to make the big play – and when not to.” With the departure of leading scorers Lia Galderia and Tia Presley, that chore will fall to senior Mariah Cooks, a 6-1 forward who averaged 7.5 points and 5.3 rebounds. The Cougars will be young this year, with nine of 14 players being underclassmen.

Top players Ben Simmons, F, LSU. Top recruit coming out of high school could be the top player in college basketball by season’s end. Paige, G, North Carolina. At his best in the clutch, will be looking to make up for lost time. Kris Dunn, PG, Providence. Decision to hold off on the NBA makes the Friars a whole lot better. Kyle Wiltjer, F, Gonzaga. Back to the basket, out on the wing, driving to the basket – he can do it all. Ron Baker, Wichita State. Don’t be surprised if he and Free VanVleet get the Shockers back to the Final Four. Skal Labissiere, F, Kentucky. Could be the No. 1 pick in next year’s NBA draft, will be a matchup nightmare until then.

Non-conference tilts

No. 3 Maryland at No. 1 North Carolina, Dec. 1. If Paige is back in time, this matchup of former ACC rivals could be epic. Should be good anyway. No. 2 Kentucky vs. No. 5 Duke, Nov. 17. A meeting that could be the preview for the 2016 national championship game. No. 4 Kansas vs. No. 13 Michigan State, Nov. 17. Going to be some double feature at the United Center in Chicago. No. 11 Villanova at No. 6 Virginia, Dec. 19. The battle between Villanova’s shooters against Virginia’s defenders should be fun to watch. No. 12 Arizona at No. 9 Gonzaga, Dec. 5. Could be the best game out West all season. Louisville at No. 2 Kentucky, Dec. 26. Almost not worth mentioning – a given to be a top game every year.

New coaches Shaka Smart, Texas. Havoc in the Hill Country. Should be fun. Bobby Hurley, Arizona State. Former Duke point guard has added some buzz to the Sun Devils after successful run at Buffalo. Rick Barnes, Tennessee. Took about 10 seconds for the Vols to snap him up after firing from Texas. Ben Howland, Mississippi State. He’ll have his work cut out for him with the Bulldogs, but already has successful turnarounds at Pittsburgh and UCLA on his resume. Chris Mullin, St. John’s. Best player in school history tries to get the program back on track. Avery Johnson, Alabama. Former NBA point guard and coach stirring up plenty of excitement in Tuscaloosa.

Numbers

Eastern Washington After posting one of the best seasons in school history, the Eagles will count on sisters Hayley and Delaney Hodgins to keep them there. “We’ve got two of the best players in the conference,” said coach Wendy Schuller, who, in her 14th season, led Eastern to a 21-12 record that included wins over Florida, Wichita State and Washington State. Hayley, a 5-10 senior from Pasco, led the Eagles in scoring last year with a 16.3 average. She also pulled down 4.3 rebounds and is a first-team all-Big Sky preseason pick. Delaney, a 6-foot forward, grew into her role last year as a freshman, playing nearly 29 minutes a game while averaging 10.5 points and 4.7 boards. The Eagles will be young this year; Hayley Hodgins is the lone senior, and nine of the 12 players on the roster are

Maryland: Melo Trimble and the loaded Terps are eying Maryland’s first NCAA title since 2002. Kentucky: Another year, another loaded freshman class. North Carolina: The Tar Heels were the preseason No. 1 in the AP poll for a record ninth time. They might have a hard time staying there with senior guard Marcus Paige out three to four weeks with a broken hand, but watch out once he’s healthy. Kansas: Mix of experienced players, talented freshmen has the Jayhawks thinking big. Duke: The defending national champions have reloaded and are ready for another deep run.

JESSE TINSLEY jesset@spokesman.com

Hayley Hodgins, left, with Mariah Cunningham, will join her sister, Delaney, to provide a 1-2 scoring punch for the Eastern Washington women.

underclassmen. However, Eastern should be helped by the new Big Sky postseason format, in which all 12 teams will advance to the conference tournament in Reno. Junior college transfer Ashli Payne is expected to bring immediate help at forward.

Idaho After earning back-to-back NCAA appearances in the Sun Belt Conference, the Vandals found it tough going last year in their first season in the Big Sky; Idaho went 14-15 overall and 8-8 in the conference, just missing a spot in the postseason tournament.

This year, the Vandals are picked to finish sixth by the coaches and eighth by the media. “Whether we are picked first, sixth, eight or whatever, you still have to go out and win games,” coach Jon Newlee said. “That is the bottom line. This will give us a bit of motivation, getting picked down in the pack.” With 11 returning players – four of them starters – Idaho figures to improve. Seniors Christina Salvatore (9.4 points a gane) and Ali Forde (9.4) are the top returning scorers. The team opens the regular season at home against UC Santa Barbara on Nov. 15.

8-1 Odds for Kentucky to win the national championship, according to Vegasinsider.com. Duke is second at 17-2. 2 Times North Carolina has been ranked No. 1 in the preseason and won the national title, in 1982 and 2009. 11 Straight Big 12 titles by Kansas. 22.2 Points per game by Northwestern State’s Zeek Woodley, Division I’s top returning scorer. 30 Seconds of the new shot clock, a rule change expected to spur scoring and speed up the game. 1,018 Career victories by Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, most all-time.

THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

THURSDAY

PAGE T11

JUNIOR COLLEGE BASKETBALL PREVIEW

JC teams look loaded

CCS MEN’S ROSTER

Some blessed with depth plus new talent By Thomas Clouse tomc@spokesman.com, (509) 459-5495

The Sasquatch are elusive no longer. While turnover is the norm in all two-year programs, the Community Colleges of Spokane men’s basketball team has a rare luxury heading into the season: depth. “This year is unique. We have eight new guys on the roster, but six of our top seven scorers are back,” coach Jeremy Groth said. “That matters a lot when you have guys who know what it takes to win games and how much work they have to put in.” Even with the highest-scoring team in the league, the Sasquatch finished 19-11 last year and lost a playoff game to make it into the Northwest Athletic Conference tournament. “So, we are hungry,” said Groth, entering his fourth season as head coach. “Our group is motivated and I hope our work ethic will help carry us into the season.” CCS returns Jake Love (West Valley), a 6-foot-3 wing, who averaged 15.9 points and 6.3 rebounds a game. He was named the region’s freshman of the year. The Sasquatch also get back Race Martin, a 6-5 wing from Pullman, who averaged 17 points and led the team with 7.3 rebounds a game. The team also returns 6-8 post Dalton Patchen (Colton), 6-2 guard Kage Sobotta (Clarkston) and 6-1 guard Jacob DeVries from Richland. “We’ll be expecting good things from DeVries, who started about half the year” and averaged 11.2 points a game, Groth said. Groth has also been impressed thus far with freshman Ty Axtell, a 6-1 guard from Riverside, Garrett Hull, a 6-1 guard from Ellensburg, and 6-2 wing Levi Taylor (Lewis and Clark), who is trying to get back into the game. “We had a great spring and summer,” Groth said. “I’m excited about the potential we have with this group. I’m looking forward to seeing all the work our guys put in really pay off.”

also waited for 5-7 guard Cali Moscrip to join from the CCS soccer team. Moscrip is “a pretty tough kid. She will step in and be either in the starting group or in the top six or seven players,” he said. “We can go nine or 10 players deep, which is nice.”

CCS women The CCS women’s basketball team is facing a decidedly different turnover problem, longtime coach Bruce Johnson said. “We’ve got some new faces, as we always do,” Johnson said. “We have four sophomores back and two were starters.” The Sasquatch, which finished 15-15 last year, return 5-8 guard Khadija Neumeyer, an all-region selection last year, and 6-foot Gese Gruber. The team also returns 5-5 guard Rayla Lohman (Lewiston), who played in every game and started a few. Despite the few returning starters, the team returns players familiar to the system. Jessica Boyer, a 5-8 guard from Wilbur, played the first semester but had to sit out after she was declared academically ineligible. She’s returned after getting her schoolwork back in order, Johnson said. The team also has 5-4 guard Brianna King (North Central) who is returning from major knee surgery. “She’ll be a good one as long as we keep her healthy,” Johnson said. “She’s as good a point guard as we’ve had in a while.” The team also added Kierstyn Russell, a 5-9 guard from Mead and 5-3 guard Talia Felice from Rogers. “One thing this year is we have more (Greater Spokane League) kids than we’ve had in a long time,” Johnson said. “It’s hard to get them because Spokane is so highly recruited by everybody.” Johnson also spoke highly of Jenessa Heine, a 5-11 forward from Kalispell and 5-9 wing Jennifer Gonzales from Pasco. The team has

NIC men For a first-year head coach, Corey Symons had a pretty good year guiding the North Idaho College men’s basketball team. The Cardinals finished 24-8 and third in the Scenic West Athletic Conference. Symons is hoping the returning core of players will mesh with some key additions to match last year’s success. The team returns starters Braian Angola Rodas, who averaged 13.4 points and led the team with 6.2 rebounds a game. The team also returns 6-7 Kyle Guice, of Coeur d’Alene, who averaged 6.6 points and 5.7 points as as part-time starter; and starting 6-3 point guard Lucas Antunez, of Madrid, Spain. “We have those three coming back and we got a couple nice transfers,” Symons said. “We are sort of that 6-6 or 6-7 team without any really bigs, so we are going to have to work on rebounding. But, we have a chance to be all right.” Symons expects to again start Antunez at the point, Guice in the post, Angola Rodas at shooting guard, 6-7 Kaleb Warner at a wing and 6-7 transfer Brayon Blake at power forward. “We have a couple freshmen who will have to learn through their mistakes, but we can go nine or 10 deep,” Symons said. “That’s the nice thing. We are pretty deep.” But the team’s success will depend on the new players meshing with the returning starters. “It’s huge,” Symons said. “We had a good year last year. All three (returners) were huge contributros. They know what it takes to lead.” Without having much length in the post, Symons expects to run more transition. “We will try to get up and down the court a little,” he said. “We are going to press. I really like our group. It’s going to be fun and exciting.”

Time

Ht.

Previous school

Dean Richey

So.

6-5

Lewis and Clark

Kyle Johnson

Fr.

5-11

Colfax

Kage Sobotta

Fr.

6-2

Clarkston

Jake Love

Fr.

6-3

West Valley

Kellen Miller

Fr.

6-1

Freeman

Jacob DeVries

Fr.

6-1

Richland Durango (Nev.)

Paris Estrada

Fr.

6-2

Chase McDuffie

So.

511

North Central

Race Martin

Fr.

W/P

6-5

Pullman

JJ Winger

Fr.

6-3

Lake City

Orin Porter

Fr.

6-2

Incline Village (Nev.)

AJ Knudsen

Fr.

6-1

Central Valley

Dalton Patchen

Fr.

W/P

6-7

Colton

Brady Bergman

Fr.

6-6

West Valley

Justin Holbrook

Fr.

6-5

Coronado (Ariz.)

Jon Thompson

Fr.

6-5

Timberlake

CCS WOMEN’S ROSTER No.

Name

Ht.

Hometown/Previous school

Karlee Martin

So.

5-5

Almira/Coulee-Hartline

Khadija Neumeyer

Fr.

5-8

Capital (Idaho)

Rayla Lohman

Fr.

5-5

Lewiston

Briana King

Fr.

5-4

North Central Chiawana

Bianca Gonzales

So.

5-3

Aurorah Davis

So.

6-0

Quincy (Wash.)

Mackenzie Reddish

Fr.

5-7

Rosalia

Dezaree Dargan

So.

6-0

Valley Christian (Mont.)

Emily Schramm

So.

5-6

Chelan

Amanda Bearmedicine

So.

5-9

Sentinel (Mont.)

Jennifer Gonzales

Fr.

5-7

Chiawana

Gese Gruber

Fr.

5-11

Ellesnburg

Jenessa Heine

Fr.

5-10

Flathead (Mont.)

NIC WOMEN’S ROSTER No.

Name

Ht.

Hometown/Previous school

Sidney Davis

So.

6-0

Missoula/Big Sky

Gracie Roberts

Fr.

5-9

New Zealand/Waimea College Lebanon, Ore./Lebanon

Maci Benedict

So.

5-7

Alyssa Case

Fr.

5-7

Boise/Mountain View

Shelby Cloninger

So.

6-0

Kamiah, Idahu/Kamiah

Katia Brown

So.

5-4

Edmonds/Tulalip Heritage

NIC women

Kaylee Olson

Fr.

5-7

Challis, Idaho/Challis

The North Idaho College women’s team took a step back last year after an impressive five-year run of either winning the SWAC conference regular-season or tournament titles. That success also included the 2011 national championship for coach Chris Carlson, who is entering his 12th season guiding the Cardinals. “I think we’ll improve,” Carlson said. “We went out and brought some kids in to compete for the league championship.” The team only has four returning players along with eight freshmen. The returning starters include 5-8 guard Monica Landdeck, who was a second-team all-league player. She averaged 12 points and 4.1 rebounds a game. Also returning are 5-7 guard Maci Benedict, who was the backup point guard last year, and 6-1 post Grace Varcoe, who started several games late in the season. The team also returns Shelby Cloninger, of Kamiah, Idaho, who only played three games last year. “She played one season at Utah State. She’s pretty dynamic,” Carlson said. The Cardinals also added 6-foot forward Stormee Van Belle, who transferred from Merrimack College in Massachusetts. “A couple of the kids we brought in will probably leave after one year and get recruited elsewhere,” Carlson said. He was referring to 5-10 forward Ebony Norman from Meridian, Idaho, and 5-9 forward Gracie Roberts, of New Zealand. “They are very talented,” Carlson said. “We recruited to compete so I think we will be better.”

Monica Landdeck

So.

5-8

Maple Valley, Wash./Brewster

Jocelyn Cook-Cox

Fr.

5-9

Nine Mile Falls/Lakeside

Ebony Norman

Fr.

5-10

Meridian, Idaho/Meridian

Clarissa Smith

Fr.

5-8

Coeur d' Alene/Lake City

Stormee Van Belle

So.

6-0

Sunnyside/Sunnyside Christian

Grace Varcoe

So.

6-1

Australia/All Saints Anglican

Charity Marlatt

Fr.

6-1

Cranbrook, B.C./Western Canada

CCS WOMEN

Opponent

Name

CCS MEN Date

No.

NIC MEN’S ROSTER No.

Name

Ht.

Hometown/Previous school

Sam Dowd

Fr.

5-8

Spokane/Gonzaga Prep

Lucas Antunez

So.

6-3

Madrid, Spain/Findley Prep

Haywood Irwin

Fr.

6-2

Tacoma/Foss

Trey Burch-Manning

Fr.

6-6

Federal Way/Todd Beamer

Brayon (BJ) Blake

So.

G/F

6-7

Seattle/Garfield

Dylan Okoro

So.

6-8

Newark, N.J./Boomfield

Braian Angola Rodas

So.

6-6

Villanueva, Colombia/Findlay

Markus Golder

Fr.

6-5

Clackamas, Ore./Clackamas Seattle/Mercer Island

Kaleb Warner

So.

6-7

Kyle Guice

So.

6-7

Coeur d’Alene/Lake City

Ziggy Satterthwaite

Fr.

6-7

Washington, N.C./Rogers

Dalen Erickson

So.

6-3

Grantsville, Utah/Grantsville

Scott Turner

Fr.

6-6

Coeur d’Alene/Coeur d’Alene

Keegan Hansen

Fr.

6-2

Idaho Falls, Idaho/Bonneville

Tony Naccarato

Fr.

6-6

Coeur d’Alene/Coeur d’Alene

NIC WOMEN

NIC MEN

Date

Opponent

Time

Date

Opponent

Time

Date

Opponent

Time

Nov 20

Alumni game *

7 pm

Nov 21

Alumni game %

6 pm

Nov 6

Sheridan College

7:30 pm

Nov 16

Whitworth JV

5:30 pm

Nov 24

Gonzaga Club %

8 pm

Nov 23

Bellevue %

2 pm

Nov 12

at South Mountain CC

2 pm

Nov 24

at Columbia Basin

6 pm

27-29

Red Devil Classic!

TBD

28-30

Thanksgiving Tourn. !

TBD

Nov 13

Eastern Arizona*

2 pm

Nov 28

North Idaho All-Stars

3 pm

Dec 4

Centralia CC#

8 pm

Dec 7

Centralia CC#

10 am

Nov 14

at Arizona Western

8 pm

Dec 1

CCs of Spokane

6 pm

Dec 5

TBD#

TBD

Dec 12

Edmonds CC ^

2 pm

Nov 20

7 pm

Dec 4

Everett CC*

3 pm

at Pierce CC

Dec 6

TBD#

TBD

Dec 13

Bellevue ^

4 pm

Nov 21

at Green River CC

6 pm

Dec 8

Columbia Basin

5:30 pm

11-13

Bates Invite, Eugene

TBD

Dec 14

NW Indian College

4 pm

Nov 24

Columbia Basin CC

8 pm

Dec 12

Southern Idaho

5:30 pm

17-19

Crossover, S. Puget Sound

TBD

Dec 18

CCS Alumni %

8 pm

Dec 3

Green River CC

7:30 pm

Dec 17

at Utah State-Eastern

4:30 pm

Jan. 2

at Everett CC

7 pm

Dec 19

South Puget Sound %

7 pm

Dec 4

Whatcom CC#

7:30 pm

Dec 19

at Colorado NW CC

2 pm

Jan 3

at Whatcom CC

2 pm

Dec 20

Clackamas CC %

3 pm

Dec 5

TBD#

5:30 pm

28-30

TBD*

Jan 9

Wenatchee Valley %

4 pm

Dec 28

Kwantien +

1 pm

Dec 5

TBD#

7:30 pm

Jan 7

Snow College

5:30 pm

Jan 15

at Treasure Valley CC

8 pm

Dec 29

Bellevue +

4 pm

Dec 6

TBD#

3 pm

Jan 9

Salt Lake CC

3 pm

Jan 16

at Blue Mountain CC

4 pm

Dec 30

Big Bend CC +

3 pm

Dec 8

Columbia Basin CC

7:30 pm

Jan 16

at Southern Idaho

2 pm

Jan 20

Walla Walla CC %

8 pm

Jan 5

North Idaho College %

6 pm

Dec 12

Southern Idaho

7:30 pm

Jan 21

Colorado NW CC

5:30 pm

Jan 23

at Columbia Basin

4 pm

Jan 10

at Wenatchee Valley

2 pm

Dec 17

at Utah State-Eastern

7:30 pm

Jan 23

Utah State-Eastern

3 pm

Jan 27

Yakima Valley CC *

8 pm

Jan 16

Treasure Valley CC %

6 pm

Dec 20

at Colorado NW CC

5 pm

Jan 28

at Salt Lake CC

4:30 pm

Jan 30

Big Bend CC %

4 pm

Jan 17

Blue Mountain CC %

2 pm

Dec 28

TBD%

TBD

Jan 30

at Snow College

2 pm

Feb 6

at Wenatchee Valley

4 pm

Jan 21

at Walla Walla CC

6 pm

Dec 29

TBD%

TBD

Feb 6

Southern Idaho

3 pm

Feb 12

Blue Mountain CC *

8 pm

Jan 24

Columbia Basin *

8 pm

Dec 30

TBD%

TBD

Feb 11

at Colorado NW CC

4:30 pm

Feb 13

Treasure Valley CC *

4 pm

Jan 28

at Yakima Valley CC

6 pm

Snow College

7:30 pm

Feb 13

at Utah State-Eastern

2 pm

Feb 17

at Walla Walla CC

8 pm

Jan 31

at Big Bend CC

2 pm

Jan 9

Salt Lake CC

5 pm

Feb 18

Salt Lake CC

5:30 pm

Feb 20

Columbia Basin %

4 pm

Feb 7

Wenatchee Valley *

2 pm

Jan 16

at Southern Idaho

4 pm

Feb 20

Snow College

3 pm

Jan 7

Feb 24

at Yakima Valley CC

8 pm

Feb 13

at Blue Mountain CC

6 pm

Jan 21

Colorado NW CC

7:30 pm

Feb 27

at Big Bend CC

4 pm

Feb 14

at Treasure Valley CC

2 pm

Jan 23

Utah State-Eastern

5 pm

Feb 18

Walla Walla CC %

6 pm

Jan 28

at Salt Lake CC

6:30 pm

Feb 21

at Columbia Basin

2 pm

Jan 30

at Snow College

4 pm

Feb 25

Yakima Valley CC *

6 pm

Feb 6

Southern Idaho

5 pm

Feb 28

Big Bend CC %

2 pm

Feb 11

at Colorado NW CC

6:30 pm

Feb 13

At Utah State-Eastern

4 pm

Feb 18

Salt Lake CC

7:30 pm

Feb 20

Snow College

5 pm

* at Spokane Community College % at Spokane Falls Community College # Bigfoot-Cardinal Classic at SCC ! at Longview

* at Spokane Community College % at Spokane Falls Community College # Bigfoot-Cardinal Classic at SCC ! at Glendale, Arizona ^ Everett Holiday Classic at Everett CC + Skagit Valley Tournament at Mt. Vernon

*at Arizona Western %CDA Inn-vitational at NIC # Bigfoot-Cardinal Classic at NIC and SCC

* Bellevue College Tournament # Lower Columbia College Holiday Tournament

PAGE T12

THURSDAY

THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

Thursday, November 19 | 7 pm Golden Ringside $60

Worley, Idaho | 1 800 523-2464 | CDACASINO.COM