College Basketball Preview, November 1, 2018

ALSO TODAY INCH-BY-INCH: GU’S ALL-TIME GREATS From Courtney Vandersloot to Ronny Turiaf, there has been no shortage of talent to come through Gonzaga – many of whom have taken the Bulldogs to new heights. PAGE 9 INSIDE: Don’t miss S-R artist Molly Quinn’s souvenir pullout poster of GU’s all-size team.

PHOTO BY COLIN MULVANY/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

2018-19 ZAGS POISED FOR LONG RUN Forwards Rui Hachimura, Killian Tillie anchor talented Gonzaga squad that looks to back up its lofty preseason rankings. PAGE 3

COUGARS, EAGLES, VANDALS AND MORE Previews of WSU, EWU, Idaho men’s and women’s teams, as well as Whitworth, CCS and NIC. INSIDE

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THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

A special thanks

Senior point guards Laura Stockton and Josh Perkins appear ready to go in this shot in the Hutton Settlement gymnasium. Look inside today for stories on both players and their respective teams.

The Spokesman-Review would like to extend its gratitude to Hutton Settlement for offering the use of its gymnasium for our photo shoot. For nearly a century, the Hutton Settlement has provided children with a safe, stable environment to help strengthen their growth and development.

COLIN MULVANY THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

STARTING LINEUP 15 16 17 18 19 20

Washington State has eyes on moving up the crowded women’s Pac-12 ladder, while Idaho and EWU battle in the Big Sky.

Robert Franks is back, but Washington State still has plenty of holes to fill after an offseason of departures.

With a mix of young talent and veteran leadership, Washington plans to snap its NCAA Tournament drought.

After winning the NWC title last season, the Whitworth men return with the talent, depth to make another deep run.

With their leading scorers gone, both Eastern Washington and Idaho men must reload to compete in the Big Sky.

RayQuan Evans is back for the North Idaho men, while the Whitworth women have high hopes for their new coach.

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A TALENTED ROSTER, SKY-HIGH EXPECTATIONS

By Jim Meehan THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Gonzaga pretty much went unbeaten in the offseason.

Forwards Rui Hachimura and Killian Tillie chose to return for their junior seasons without dipping a toe in the NBA Draft waters. Senior point guard Josh Perkins seems healthy after an April shoulder surgery. The long-awaited arrival of graduate transfer Geno Crandall finally became official in mid-October.

Gonzaga’s outlook entering a season has never been brighter. Now it’s time to see if expectations and reality are on the same page.

“The sky’s the limit,” sophomore wing Zach Norvell Jr. said. “We’re still working things out, figuring out concepts, spacing, stuff like that, but I feel like we have the chemistry together.”

The starting lineup appears to be one of the few remaining questions. Perkins, Norvell, Tillie and Hachimura are virtual locks.

The Zags could go with three bigs, inserting Brandon Clarke and moving Hachimura to the ‘3’. Johnathan Williams, Hachimura and Tillie played together at times as last season progressed.

They could go with a traditional threeguard lineup, inserting Crandall, who provides another ball-handler and playmaker. They could go semi-big with the 6foot-6 Corey Kispert, a capable shooter with the muscle to battle inside.

Gonzaga’s staff doesn’t get overly concerned with the starting five, pointing out that they’re more focused on who plays in

crunch time. For example, Hachimura started only two games last season, but became a mainstay in close games and was often the first option on offense.

The Zags have some time to settle on a rotation. At the moment it appears to be eight, with Hachimura, Tillie, Clarke and freshman Filip Petrusev in the frontcourt and Perkins, Norvell, Crandall and Kispert in the backcourt.

Backcourt Gonzaga has four experienced guards/ wings.

Perkins is a fifth-year senior and career 39-percent 3-point shooter. Norvell is a dynamic scorer and passer who embraces taking the big shot.

Crandall posted big numbers offensively (16.6 points last season) and defensively (190 career steals) at North Dakota. Kispert was a starter prior to suffering an ankle injury last season and is making a strong bid to return to the first unit. He led GU with five 3-pointers and 24 points in a closed scrimmage against Michigan State.

“Geno has fit right in with us off the court, so we knew he would fit in with us on the court,” Perkins said. “There are 14 of us that are the same way. It’s not about you, it’s about us.”

TYLER TJOMSLAND/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Corey Kispert reacts after draining a clutch three-pointer in the NCAA Sweet 16.

Frontcourt

team’s strength is Hachimura, Tillie and Clarke, who sat out last season after transferring from San Jose State.

The trio’s versatility means there will be plenty of wiggle room to an inside-out approach. They’re agile, athletic and capable of functioning on the perimeter. Tillie, slowed by injury in the preseason, was the team’s top 3-point shooter (47.9) last year.

Hachimura and Clarke have done the majority of their damage in the paint, but they dedicated offseason work to extending their shooting range. The 6-11 Petrusev is another inside-outside threat.

The Zags figure to operate through their bigs, like so many of their recent teams that have produced an average of 32.2 wins over the past six seasons. The

Petrusev appears to be the fourth big and should see steady minutes. Others in

Bench

the mix for playing time include senior forward Jeremy Jones, redshirt freshman wing Joel Ayayi and true freshman point guard Greg Foster Jr. Jones has played in 60 games over the past two seasons. Ayayi is coming off a redshirt season and a strong performance for France in the FIBA U18 European Championships. Foster is a promising point guard who could be a redshirt candidate in a crowded backcourt.

Coaching The Zags have dominated the WCC under coach Mark Few, with 17 outright or shared titles in 19 seasons. Few is 260-30 in conference games. He enters the season as the winningest active coach nationally by percentage (.819).

KEY GAMES Gonzaga should have a strong in the voting, two spots ahead of indication of where it stands na- GU’s Rui Hachimura. tionally by mid-December.

No. 8 North Carolina, which In a nine-game, one-month entertains GU on Dec. 15, features span, third-ranked Gonzaga fac- senior Luke Maye, who made the es Texas A&M, three high-level preseason AP All-America team, matchups at the Maui Invitation- and top five recruit Nassir Little, a al, Creighton, Washington, Ten- 6-6 forward. nessee and North Carolina.

Maye averaged 16.9 points and The biggest games on GU’s 10.1 rebounds last season. Little is schedule will take place out of an explosive athlete who many town. The Zags tangle with Ten- expect will be a one-and-done nessee in Phoenix on Dec. 9. The NBA lottery pick. sixth-ranked Vols return virtually Gonzaga could face another every key player from last year’s top 10 showdown in Maui against 26-win team.

Duke or Auburn.

Grant Williams, the 2018 SEC Washington’s visit on Dec. 5 player of the year, narrowly mis- highlights Gonzaga’s home slate. sed making the preseason AP The 25th-ranked Huskies return All-America team. The 6-foot-7, all five starters entering coach 236-pound forward was seventh Mike Hopkins’ second season.

PLAYER TO WATCH Graduate transfers have played prominent roles on Gonzaga’s best teams in recent years. Byron Wesley helped the Zags reach the 2015 Elite Eight and Jordan Mathews was a steady contributor as the Bulldogs reached the 2017 national championship.

North Dakota grad transfer Geno Crandall has the ability to make a similar impact on this year’s Zags. The 6-foot-3, 175-pound guard put up 16.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists last season while leading the Big Sky Conference with 67 steals.

Crandall gives GU backcourt options, providing scoring punch and adding an experienced ball-handler to go with senior point guard Josh Perkins. Crandall, who hit 41.7 percent of his 3-point shots last season, scored 28 points as UND nearly upset Gonzaga here last December.

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THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

THIS BATTLE IS MERELY FOR SECOND PLACE

By John Blanchette FOR THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

The prize recruit in the West Coast Conference last spring wasn't a 7-foot center with forward skills, a jumping-jack slasher with a touch from 3 or a consummate playmaker at the point.

The league kept Gonzaga. That was the catch of the year.

No single player can stave off irrelevance in college basketball at the mid-major level, but irrelevance was staring the WCC in the face when word got out that Gonzaga was playing footsie with the Mountain West Conference about jumping ship for the 2019 season.

Without the Zags, the WCC's national cachet is kaput.

Yes, Randy Bennett has built a fine program at Saint Mary's that spent the better part of the past two seasons in the Top 25.

Brigham Young used to be a March Madness regular and has that massive fan base.

San Francisco can still point to national championship banners in its gym.

But that ESPN deal and the league's comfy financial portfolio is due to Gonzaga's two decades of success in the NCAA tournament.

So when the Zags wanted some concessions, the league ... conceded. The Mountain West passed, having endured much member angst when special considerations were made to keep Boise State as part of the football family some years ago.

WCC schools may not like getting their heads handed to them by the Zags – but they'd miss trying to return the favor.

Not as many will get the chance this year.

Part of the new deal is a reduction in conference games from 18 to 16, to reduce the hit tournament résumés always take from the low-end teams. The Zags, for instance, will miss one date each with Pepperdine and Portland – and it figures to have zero impact on the conference standings, Gonzaga entering the season ranked No. 3 in the nation and overwhelming favorites to win the WCC. But this is the year BYU thinks it can make a return to the bracket, and mid-tier challengers like San Diego, USF and even Pacific believe they can unseat either the Cougars or Saint Mary's in the top three.

Brigham Young Cougars Coach: Dave Rose (329-122), 14th year 2017-18 record: 24-11. WCC: 11-7, 3rd Key newcomers: Gavin Baxter (6-9, F), Kolby Lee (6-9, F), Connor Harding (6-6, G) Key losses: Elijah Bryant, Payton Dastrup Outlook: Two years running now, Dave Rose has seen his leading scorer depart early without a hope of playing in the NBA. Elijah Bryant's exit takes a likely NCAA team down to a maybe, dependent largely on old high school teammates Nick Emery and TJ Haws finally living up to their considerable billing. Emery's return from a year away from school has cued Rose to return to a more up-tempo attack – that is, when the Cougars don't throw the ball into forward Yoeli Childs, who will be the only non-Gonzaga entry in the league Player of the Year sweepstakes.

WCC PREDICTIONS 1. ...........................................Gonzaga 2. ........................................Saint Mary’s 3. .....................................................BYU 4. .....................................San Francisco 5. ...........................................San Diego 6. ............................Loyola Marymount 7. ..................................................Pacific 8. ..............................................Portland 9. .........................................Pepperdine 10. ........................................Santa Clara – Jim Meehan/The Spokesman-Review

graduation loss of note, and the Lions return one of the WCC's tougher nuts in point guard James Batemon. Up front, rugged Eli Scott and 7-3 giant Mattias Markusson made some big strides, and the Lions have some numbers to send at the league's better teams. But someone among the newcomers – maybe Dameane Douglas, a 35points-per-game scorer as a high school junior – has to kick in something.

Pacific Tigers Coach: Damon Stoudamire (25-40), 3rd year 2017-18 record: 14-18. WCC: 9-9, 4th (tie) Key newcomers: Amari McCray (6-9, C), Khy Kabellis (6-5, G), Jeremiah Bailey (6-6, F), Jahbril Price-Noel (6-7, G) Key losses: Miles Reynolds, Namdi Okonkwo, Jack Williams Outlook: The Tigers were down to six scholarship players at the end of 2018 and obviously ran out of gas, which tempered their surprising season a bit. But they still have versatile Jahlil Tripp and Roberto Gallinat to mash the pedal. Gallinat averaged nearly 23 points a game in the last three weeks of the regular season, finding his 3-point stroke. North Dakota State transfer Khy Kabellis will also give the Tigers a much-needed lift in that area. Junior college newcomer Amari McCray will try to give the Tigers something resembling a post presence.

Loyola Marymount Lions

Pepperdine Waves

Coach: Mike Dunlap (376-180), 5th year 2017-18 record: 11-20. WCC: 5-13, 8th Key newcomers: Dameane Douglas (6-7, F), Jordan Bell (6-8, F), Ivan Alipiev (6-7, F) Key losses: Steven Haney, Mikail Simmons Outlook: LMU has averaged 19 losses in four years under Mike Dunlap and it seems as if a corner should have been turned by now. Maybe this is the year – only one

Coach: Lorenzo Romar (391-284), 4th year (1996-99, 2018) 2017-18 record: 6-26. WCC: 2-16, 10th Key newcomers: Darryl Polk Jr. (5-10, G), Andre Ball (6-7, F), Kessler Edwards (6-6, F) Key losses: Trae Berhow, Matthew Atewe, Knox Hellums, Nolan Taylor Outlook: So long to one of the league's good guys in Marty Wilson, whose luck ran out before his contract. That opened the

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door for Lorenzo Romar's second act in Malibu, and the young roster suggests lumps will be absorbed in his get-reacquainted year. But there's some terrific talent, led by forward Kameron Edwards – who Romar believes can rock from the 3point line as well as underneath. Point guard Colbey Ross led WCC freshmen in scoring and assists, and Eric Cooper Jr. is a capable scorer. Edwards' brother, Kessler, adds some muscle underneath along with Andre Ball – a cousin in the infamous basketball family.

Portland Pilots Coach: Terry Porter (21-44), 3rd year 2017-18 record: 10-22. WCC: 4-14, 9th Key newcomers: Crisshawn Clark (6-4, G), Ty Glover (6-7, F), Theo Awkuba (6-10, C), Hugh Hogland (6-10, F) Key losses: D'Marques Tyson, Philipp Hartwich, Rashad Jackson Outlook: One of the worst rebounding teams in Division I, the Pilots have big work to do inside just to aspire to the first division. That means production growth from Tahirou Diabate, the only big man with any real experience. The Pilots do have Hugh Hogland coming off a redshirt year, and a couple young shot blockers in Theo Awkuba – 10 a game as a high schooler! – and Josh Phillips. But again the Pilots will be guard-driven, with Marcus Shaver leading the way. Pitt transfer Crisshawn Clark will add a welcome physical touch on the wing.

Saint Mary's Gaels Coach: Randy Bennett (395-164), 18th year 2017-18 record: 30-6. WCC: 16-2, 2nd Key newcomers: Malik Fitts (6-8, F), Matthias Tass (6-10, C), Aaron Menzies (7-3, C) Key losses: Jock Landale, Emmett Naar, Calvin Hermanson, Evan Fitzner Outlook: That big Jock Landale didn't get to show his stuff in the NCAAs because of soft scheduling was criminal. Now Randy Bennett has beefed up that area, but the core of the Gaels' first 30-win team is gone.

Guard Jordan Ford is poised for a big year, but they'll have a new point man in Latvian redshirt Kristers Zoriks. Inside help comes from two transfers, 6-8 Malik Fitts (South Florida) and 7-3 Aaron Menzies (Seattle) – neither of them a Landale, but both able to score. Forward Kyle Clark – maybe the Gaels' best defender – returns off a knee injury, too.

San Diego Toreros Coach: Sam Scholl (2-2), 1st year 2017-18 record: 20-14. WCC: 9-9, 4th (tie) Key newcomers: Emanuel Hylton

(6-3, G), Finn Sullivan (6-4, G), Andrew Ferguson (7-0, C) Key losses: Cameron Neubauer, Juwan Gray Outlook: Sam Scholl takes over for good after the bizarre ending of the Lamont Smith era, and he's been gifted with a lineup ready for a run at the top three. The two Isaiahs – all-conference forward Pineiro and point guard Wright – elevated the Toreros even more than expected in their first seasons after transferring, and two other seniors, Olin Carter III and Tyler Williams, give USD possibly the conference’s second-best backcourt. The Toreros will continue to operate piecemeal at the spot opposite Pineiro – unless Yauhen Massalski or Alex Floresca take control of the situation.

San Francisco Dons Coach: Kyle Smith (143-112), 3rd year 2017-18 record: 22-17. WCC: 9-9, 4th (tie) Key newcomers: Trevante Anderson (6-1, G), Dzmitry Ryuny (6-9, F), Dylan Belquist (6-6, F) Key losses: Chase Foster, Souley Boum, Erik Poulsen Outlook: The Dons have been thrilled with back-to-back 20-win seasons under third-year coach Kyle Smith, including a CIT runner-up finish last year, but they're hungry for a bigger breakthrough. Getting wing Charles Minlend back after losing a season to injury is a big step – he'll make all his teammates better. In his absence, this became Frankie Ferrari's team, and the charismatic guard played himself onto the all-league team. To make a jump, the Dons need 7-footer Jimbo Lull to give them a different look – or a surprise from 6-9 freshman Dzmitry Ryuny.

Santa Clara Broncos Coach: Herb Sendek (441-331), 3rd year 2017-18 record: 11-20. WCC: 8-10, 7th Key newcomers: Trey Wertz (6-5, G), Tahj Eaddy (6-1, G), Josh Martin (6-7, F) Key losses: Henry Caruso, Emmanuel Ndumanya, Kai Healy, Jarvis Pugh Outlook: The Broncos had some slippage in year two of the Herb Sendek era, so the call went out to a couple of grad transfers, Josh Martin (Cal Poly) and Fallou Ndoye (Bakersfield), to ease graduation losses. Another transfer, Tahj Eaddy, will join the strong backcourt combo of KJ Feagin – one of the WCC's best – and Matt Hauser, who must bounce back from a foot injury. But other than Josip Vrankic, who quickly played his way into the lineup last year, the front line is all new, and seems inadequate to deal with WCC rigors.

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Senior point guard Josh Perkins, here in the Hutton Settlement auditorium, leads the Zags’ high-powered attack.

PHOTOS BY COLIN MULVANY/THE S-R

CHANGING THE NARRATIVE

Underappreciated Gonzaga point guard Josh Perkins primed for big senior year

By Jim Meehan THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Josh Perkins doesn’t know how many tattoos he has, but they’re all there for a reason. They provide a pictorial of his 23 years, from recognizing influential people to life lessons, such as the “Live and Learn” on his arm.

The No. 13 jersey Gonzaga’s senior point guard wears? Perkins knows GU’s history of fellow 13s Matt Santangelo, J.P. Batista and Kelly Olynyk, but that’s not the reason.

Perkins’ younger brother Cameron was his backup at Denver’s Regis High.

Cameron wore No. 1, Perkins No. 3. Perkins decided to play his senior season at Huntington Prep in West Virginia, but back home Cameron was sidetracked by a second torn ACL, prompting Perkins to pick a new number.

“Together 13 was us,” Perkins said.

“And (former girlfriend) Sarah was No. 13 in high school, too.”

Perkins doesn’t always tell you how he’s feeling – though he’s routinely a post-game go-to for media – so much as show you. It’s one of the reasons he’ll begin his senior season the same way he’s entered every game since eighth grade: By writing “Prove Them Wrong” on his wrist tape.

It’s a reminder that his work is not done, his naysayers not fully quelled. In reality, they probably never will be in the age of social media. Perkins has seen it all from the “keyboard warriors,” as former Zag great Adam Morrison once called anonymous internet critics.

No player on the current roster – or on perhaps any recent GU roster – has been scrutinized as much as Perkins, who could wake up on Oct. 24 and find a season preview from NBCSports.com describing the core Zags largely in glowing terms before offering: “All that said, the biggest concern, at least for me, is Josh Perkins.”

And: “Key to the season, is he trustworthy against elite comp?”

Perkins has had his share of missteps.

He’s struggled in several big games – Saint Mary’s in Spokane last year, the illadvised inbounds pass against Texas at the PK80, BYU ending Gonzaga’s unbeaten run in 2017 – but typically bounces back in a hurry.

Perkins was outstanding in the Saint Mary’s rematch. He dropped a crucial jumper to stem a Tennessee rally two years ago in Nashville, and the go-ahead jumper with 40 seconds left as a redshirt freshman to edge Montana. His rare blocked shot preceded Jordan Mathews’ dagger 3-pointer against West Virginia in the 2017 Sweet 16. He scored 13 points in the first half of the NCAA championship game against North Carolina.

His final stats in the overtime win against Texas: 16 points, 5 of 7 3-pointers, seven assists.

“To have those experiences of playing in a Final Four, a bunch of Sweet 16s, it

Perkins led Gonzaga in assists (5.3) and steals (1.2) per game last season, averaged 12.3 points and shot 39.3 percent from 3-point range.

‘‘

To have those experiences of playing in a Final Four, a bunch of Sweet 16s, it doesn’t get any better than that. Now the challenge for him is to take that next step, really own this team, and own those winning plays we’re after him about.”

Mark Few Gonzaga coach, on senior point guard Josh Perkins

doesn’t get any better than that,” coach Mark Few said. “Now the challenge for him is to take that next step, really own this team, and own those winning plays we’re after him about.”

Perkins listens to his coach, in part because it muzzles the outside noise.

“It (criticism) gave me ammo and it kind of hurt at the same time,” Perkins said. “I was a guy giving it my all, all the time. It didn’t seem like anything was ever good enough. Now I’m old enough to focus on my guys, and the only scrutiny I listen to is Mark Few.” Much of the outside chatter goes with playing point guard at Gonzaga. Perkins rattles off the names faster than a threesecond count: Hall of Famer John Stockton and the point guard succession during Gonzaga’s 20-year NCAA Tournament streak: Santangelo, Dan Dickau, Blake Stepp, Derek Raivio, Jeremy Pargo, Matt Bouldin, Kevin Pangos, Nigel Williams-Goss.

And now Perkins, who has been underappreciated to some degree. He’s been a major contributor to the most successful run in program history. He’s a two-time WCC All-Academic selection. And he played with a balky right shoulder he estimates has popped out of place “14-15 times” in college.

“He’s probably taken some unfair criticism over time,” assistant coach Tommy Lloyd said. “How we’ve talked about it to Josh is, it’s part and parcel of being point guard at Gonzaga. It’s an extremely important position, and we’ve had a lot of really good ones, and Josh is another one of those good ones. If you go back over stretches of those guys’ careers, people have been critical, but that’s changed by the end of their careers.”

The majority of NBA Zags lately have been bigs – Kelly Olynyk, Domantas Sabonis, Kyle Wiltjer, Zach Collins, Johnathan Williams – but that doesn’t deflect from the attention devoted to the point guard.

“It does captivate the fans,” said Santangelo, explaining that guards usually have the ball and make many of the decisions that influence the game.

It’s been a somewhat bumpy journey for Perkins, but as he points out, that journey has hardened him.

Rewind to high school, and Perkins was generally considered the top player in Colorado. He wanted to be challenged more, and opted to play his senior season for powerhouse Huntington Prep.

But he was slowed by a nagging shoulder injury and his first bout with adversity. He wasn’t able to do much for months, much like his recovery from shoulder surgery last April. When he returned, he was rusty, missing shots and out of shape.

“Being hurt and being away from home, and not being that guy, I really didn’t know who I was,” Perkins said. “I

See PERKINS, 8

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THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

By Rob Curley SPOKESMAN-REVIEW EDITOR

In the last year, The Spokesman-Review’s website for Gonzaga basketball has quietly become one of the most noteworthy sports sites on the Internet. In a national contest this summer, it finished only behind The Washington Post and this fall, it eventually lost to ESPN.com after being named a finalist for best sports site in the country.

The reason is simple. In development for more than two years, spokesman.com/zags is now one of the largest single-team sports sites on the Web. When visitors to the S-R newsroom get a behind-the-scenes guided tour to the site, the reaction is nearly always the same: “I had no idea this site could do that.”

Well, here’s how to get to the good stuff …

GONZAGA UNIVERSITY VOLKAR CENTER

4114 E BROADWAY AVE SPOKANE, WA 99202 509.535.4688 WWW.GARCO.COM

THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

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FILE/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Gonzaga’s Casey Calvary drops a furious dunk on Minnesota in the closing minutes before a wild, pro-Zags crowd at Seattle’s KeyArena on March 11, 1999.

MYTHBUSTER Game that started this 20-year run was part fact, part fiction

Paul Pioneer Press story laid Twenty years is a long bare allegations of time to get something right. long-established academic Think about it. They only fraud within the basketball give United States presidents program. Four Gophers, eight – at the most – and including two starters, ended sometimes they make hash up watching from the bench of it in the first 100 days.

– the immediate result of a But for 20 consecutive long investigation that would years now, a Gonzaga cost coach Clem Haskins his basketball team has been in JOHN the NCAA tournament, and BLANCHETTE job and land the program on NCAA probation. Gonzaga nearly as often as not, played raced to a 45-26 halftime into the second weekend.

SPOKESMAN lead, then spent the second Considering the only schools COLUMNIST half up against the ropes as with longer active streaks the Gophers cut the lead to are the sport’s Bezoses and two before the Zags Buffets – Kansas, Duke, prevailed 75-63.

Michigan – it’s an amazing Two days later, Stanford streak. fell to the Zags. The next week, Maybe more amazing: before Florida. It was a phenomenon – and on launching this run, the Zags had been to the tournament exactly once in their and on and on.

Ever since, the start of it has been a previous 37 years of Division I greenhouse for both gospel and myth. membership.

Let’s try to separate those.

They certainly got the hang of it quickly.

Putting the Zags in Seattle was But getting there is barely half of it. aiding and abetting – if not a There is always winning to do. There downright NCAA conspiracy. was never going to be a streak of 20 Beyond the 1,000 or so tickets the straight NCAA appearances, each school sold, Zags fans gobbled up ending in a first-round loss. The Zags whatever was left on the open market. weren’t going to establish the kind of With the regional attachment, the aura that gets them back to the Big underdog role and the fact that it Dance every year without success early would be a few years before anyone on. was suffering Gonzaga fatigue, only Which is why the most pivotal game the small Minnesota sliver in the in school history probably remains that crowd of 14,971 wasn’t in full roar for very first win over Minnesota 20 years the Bulldogs. They fueled the first-half ago – the Final Four 18 years later surge and helped the Zags weather the notwithstanding. comeback by the Gophers, who found A refresher for those of you who’ve themselves playing a road game as the only been on the bandwagon for a higher seed. Asked how he thought decade: seeded 10th in the West Region GU’s win was playing back home, after blistering though the West Coast guard Richie Frahm marveled, “I think Conference tournament, the Zags they’re all here.” Gospel. faced No. 7 Minnesota in KeyArena in Seattle, less than 48 hours after a St. See BLANCHETTE, 8

COLIN MULVANY/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Shortly after Calvary’s dunk, pictured at top, he received a giant hug from teammate Quentin Hall, who proved a big hero that day after helping hold Minnesota star Quincy Lewis to just 3-of-19 shooting.

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PERKINS Continued from 5 was in such a dark place at the beginning of that year. I didn’t really know if basketball was something I wanted to pursue.”

It was about that time that he met Sarah. They were together for roughly five years before breaking up recently.

Perkins said Sarah and his host family, the Hinchman family, steered him through the tough times. Perkins and the Hinchmans vacation every summer on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

Perkins has encountered numerous ups and downs at GU. He suffered a broken jaw five games into his freshman season, but re-

BLANCHETTE Continued from 7 The Zags won only because Minnesota was in disarray.

The Gophers were at an obvious disadvantage, having to replace two starters with barely one practice – including their No. 2 scorer and leading rebounder. And they looked pretty lost for the first 20 minutes. But as then-Gonzaga coach Dan Monson told his team, “They’re still going to put five Big Ten players on the floor.” They still had forward Quincy Lewis and his 23-points-per-game scoring. They had 7-foot center Joel Przybilla, who would pull 13 years in the NBA. Freshman walk-on Dusty Rychart, who torched GU for 23 points and 17 rebounds, wasn’t a one-hit wonder – he would average 13 points a game over the next three seasons. The Gophers were certainly more comfortable in the spotlight than the Zags in the second half. But if the Bulldogs were good enough to take down Stanford and Florida – and push eventual champions UConn to the limit – they were good enough to deal with the Gophers at full strength. Myth.

Richie Frahm’s final 3 is the most overlooked big shot in GU history.

Casey Calvary had the highlight tip-in that will never die. Jordan Mathews sent the Zags to the Final Four. Zach Norvell Jr. saved them from first-round ignominy last year. But if Frahm doesn’t drain his nervy 3 with 1:22 to play, the Gophers have a chance to tie or take the lead. Gospel.

Frahm’s appearance at the foul line two minutes earlier was totally legit.

GU’s lead was five with 3:19 left before Frahm nailed a pair of free throws. Except it was teammate Mike Nilson who’d been fouled on

turned to start every game the following year. He’s helped the Zags reach the Sweet 16 four consecutive years, including his career highlight of playing in the 2017 national championship.

He’s been part of 101 victories – it’s doubtful there’s been another returning Gonzaga player with more Ws – and has a shot at the NCAA record of 137 held by former teammate Przemek Karnowski.

Perkins’ 478 assists rank sixth in program history and his 198 3pointers are eighth. He’s just outside the top 10 with 124 steals. He’s No. 32 with 1,154 points.

But there’s more to playing point at Gonzaga than stats.

“The eyeball test,” said Santangelo, when asked what Perkins could do to win over skeptics.

THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

“Leadership and body language are where he could really make some strides to quiet some of the noise and public perceptions.

“We only get to see him in small glimpses, and it’s not that he doesn’t have it. But those are areas he could really take a step, more so than his shooting percentage or assists-to-turnovers, paper stats.

It’s going to come down to that eyeball test, to see if we’re able to capture his essence as a point guard and a leader.”

Perkins’ low point didn’t come on the basketball court. His redshirt sophomore season was nearly derailed when he was arrested for physical control of a vehicle while under the influence.

“I thought it was over for me,” Perkins said. “It was the first time

a rebound at the other end of the floor. Frahm wasn’t even in the frame of the TV picture when Rychart was scaling Nilson’s back.

But he’d missed two foul shots earlier and Frahm, who went 7-of-7 on the day, later claimed that “I might have been fouled, too.” Myth, and some larceny, too.

Quentin Hall got in Quincy Lewis’ head.

That is to say, he broke the lock, plopped in the recliner, snatched the TV remote and ordered the Minnesota star to fetch him some snacks. Mark Few likened Hall to Henery Hawk in the Foghorn Leghorn cartoons, and he and Nilson hounded Lewis into 3-of-19 shooting in the Zags’ box-and-one defense. Lewis would later play in the NBA for Utah, and it’s far-fetched to think that he ever heard about his miserable day against Gonzaga from his Jazz teammate, John Stockton. Gospel.

There’s no Zagmania if Gonzaga hadn’t won.

Well, not an instant Elite Eight, obviously. And maybe Minnesota doesn’t come calling for Monson after Haskins’ firing, delaying – if not detouring – Few’s ascent to head coach. That could easily have changed the arc of Gonzaga’s rise, if not it’s destination. But except for Hall and Jeremy Eaton, the Zags’ entire player rotation returned for the 2000 season. And the Bulldogs went to the Sweet 16 each of the next two years. Dan Dickau still transfers in from Washington. Blake Stepp still arrives. Tommy Lloyd still signs on to procure talent overseas – he made his first contact with GU through Monson back in 1998. So maybe it just gets pushed back a year, and this is the season the Zags make their 20th straight NCAA tournament instead.

No less amazing. And that’s Gospel.

I was remotely close to anything like that. I remember being in the back of the car thinking, ‘Whoa, my career is done.’”

It wasn’t. Perkins was suspended for two games, including the regular-season opener.

“Obviously I had to face some consequences, but for them not to take the one consistent thing in my life away was huge,” Perkins said.

“For them to stick with me as a person, from (athletic director) Mike Roth to Coach Few, they knew who I was, other than that mistake.”

In return, Perkins has proven to be popular with teammates, adaptable to different roles (often playing shooting guard in 2017) and loyal.

“What’s cool is it wasn’t always

smooth or easy, but he hung with it and hung with us,” Lloyd said.

“I’m just thankful that Josh has stayed in the program five years.

That’s not a normal thing in this day and age. He did graduate, and he could have pursued things (as a grad transfer) at a very high level.”

Perkins arrives at his senior season with some scar tissue, literally and figuratively, but his shoulder is “way tighter than it’s been.”

Same goes for his mindset.

“I believe in myself now more than ever,” he said. “Sitting out 4, 5 months, stepping away from the game, I’ve got my feel and fire back. My head is in the right spot, basketball is my priority.

“These guys came back for a reason, and I came back for a reason.”

Seattle’s KeyArena offered a decided homecourt advantage during Gonzaga’s 1999 first-round victory over Minnesota, and proved especially helpful during a stressful second half.

Minnesota coach Clem Haskins, right, was fired shortly after the Gophers’ loss to Gonzaga in 1999.

The four players declared ineligible for that game for Minnesota, from left, Kevin Clark, Jason Stanford, Miles Tarver, and Antoine Broxsie, all had front-row seats for GU’s victory.

In the NCAA tournament victory over Minnesota in 1999, Richie Frahm, whose late foul shots and huge 3 down the stretch were key for Gonzaga, also helped out on shutting down Gophers star Quincy Lewis.

FILE PHOTOS/ THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW ARCHIVE, ASSOCIATED PRESS

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Jean Claude Lefebvre

7'3"

Will Foster

7'5"

THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

George Trontzos Ryan Edwards Robert Sacre Zach Collins Paul Rogers

Kelly Olynyk

Przemek Karnowski

7'1" 7'0"

Josh Heytvelt Austin Daye Jeremy Eaton Kyle Wiltjer Killian Tillie Willie Moss J.P. Batista Johnathan Williams Sam Dower Jr. Bill Suter Quentin Hall

Rollie Schauble Marion Pericin

Chuck Redmon Clark Irwin

David Stockton Paz Rocha

Rich Evans Geoff Goss Jack Curran

Matt Santangelo Kyle Dixon

Jeremy Pargo Bill Wilson Gary Bell Jr. Ken Tyler

Gary Lechman Derek Raivio Doug Spradley Josh Perkins

Jerry Vermillion Lorenzo Rollins Silas Melson

Richie Frahm Steven Gray Jim McPhee John Rillie

David Pendergraft Matt Stanford Jon Kinloch

Paul Cathey Greg Sten Carl Pierce

Casey Calvary Cory Violette Bakari Hendrix Rui Hachimura

Domantas Sabonis Ronny Turiaf Jeff Brown

6'9" 6'10" 6'11"

Adam Morrison

6'8"

Elias Harris

6'7"

Jarrod Davis

6'6"

Matt Bouldin

6'5"

Blake Stepp

6'4"

Nigel Williams-Goss

6'3"

Kevin Pangos

6'2" 6'1"

John Stockton, Frank Burgess Jamie Dudley

Willie Daigle

Chuck Goligoski

Dan Dickau

5'9" 5'10" 5'11" 6'0"

Courtney Vandersloot

5'8"

Selections by S-R columnist John Blanchette; Illustration by Molly Quinn.

Find your souvenir poster inside today’s basketball section

THE ALL-TIME, ALL-SIZE ZAGS

Don’t miss your free poster Look inside today’s basketball section for the Northern Quest Resort & Casino advertisement pictured above. On the reverse side, you’ll find a keepsake foldout poster just like the one to your left.

GAME OF

INCHES From Vandersloot on up to Foster, we rank the all-time Zags by height

Judge Smails: “Ty, what did you shoot today?”

Ty Webb: “Oh, I don’t keep score, judge.”

Smails: “Oh, well, how do you measure yourself with other golfers.”

Ty: “By height.”

– Caddyshack

the other way. Announced Yeah, it’s a golf movie. at 6-2 1⁄2 in his playing But this is a height story. days – coach Hank It spans, really, a mere Anderson could sandbag 21 inches – and yet it rises with the best of them – as high as 7-feet and 5, the school’s career because basketball, as rebounding leader we’ve come to know, is revealed in his own book nothing if not a vertical that he was 6-4, though a endeavor. case of scoliosis had left That’s right. We JOHN decided to have the BLANCHETTE him with a pronounced hunch in his posture.

Gonzaga Bulldogs line up Look, even the DMV by height.

SPOKESMAN puts away its ruler and Or rather, we lined COLUMNIST relies on you to confess to them up. your true height on your Why? For argument’s driver’s license – though sake. For something to do. we all know it’s the Because basketball is a weights that get fudged. game of inches.

So for the sake of this list, we’re Wait, that’s baseball. Or football. relying on Gonzaga’s best-faith Or horseshoes. OK, it’s every game. measurements. And we’re using the Then we did it because life is too heights listed in the school’s media short not to indulge in some tall stories. What did the poet say? That guides of each player’s senior year, allowing time for all parties to get happiness makes up in height for their stories straight. what it lacks in length.

We started the polling at 5-foot-8 Because sports culture revolves for the simple reason that we around lists of bests – and worsts – couldn’t find a man in GU’s records and the assembling of teams with – which go back only to 1950 or so – arbitrary parameters, and then any shorter. debated vigorously from adjacent Then we went ahead and chose a barstools or far-flung Wi-Fi woman anyway. connections. The Zags are no Why? Because it’s our list. exception. What true devotee has Besides, with the utmost respect to never contemplated an all-time Billy Suter from the Zags’ old Big Gonzaga basketball starting five – and then branched out from there.

Sky champions and Quentin Hall The All-Transfer Zags. The from the first Elite Eight team, is All-International Zags. The anyone going to dispute that All-NCAA Tournament Zags.

Courtney Vandersloot isn’t the best So why not by height?

5-8 player in school history?

After all, it seems more exact – Some other notes on the except it’s very much not. methodology and conclusions.

Because if we know anything at • As a rule, we valued college all, we know that height is in the eye achievements more heavily than pro of the tape-holder. This is proven to and gave things like Player of the us each summer at Hoopfest, when a Year and all-conference honors due stroll through the ultra-competitive (or maybe undue) weight. Longevity 6-foot-and-under bracket uncovers counted, too. And then occasionally a number of ballers who were listed we broke those rules. As noted, it’s on their college or high school our list. rosters at 6-foot-2 – or taller. And • You may find a couple yet like a boxer trying to cut weight unfamiliar names at the lower end of to make the championship limit, this high-altitude scale, dating back they have somehow boiled as they do to Gonzaga basketball’s themselves down to 6 feet for our Pleistocene Epoch. Obviously, the downtown shootout. Maybe they Zags don’t seek out a lot of took a spin in the dryer. sub-6-footers anymore. Which Now, colleges have never been doesn’t mean the old guys weren’t above adding a few inches to a good players. Willie Daigle started player’s listed height – whether to for two years after transferring from satisfy an ego or to enhance a City College of San Francisco – and player’s professional horizons. The hung around Spokane for a good NBA is complicit in this charade; while longer, playing semipro even though it takes unsparing, football for the old Goldenhawks. no-wiggle-room measurements at Chuck Goligoski led the 1952 Zags in its rookie combine, the teams then points scored, and later won a apparently destroy that data before Montana state championship as a it reaches the program printer and coach in Kalispell. revert to whatever outlandish • There’s never been a Zag who fiction suits their players. Charles stands 7-2 or 7-4. We expect Mark Barkley, for example, was famously Few and Tommy Lloyd to get right listed at 6-foot-6. But in his book “I on that.

May Be Wrong but I Doubt It,” • All ties were ruthlessly broken.

Barkley revealed he was just 6-4.

Except one. It didn’t seem right that Of course, when his previous either the school’s all-time scoring autobiography “Outrageous” was leader or its only Naismith published, Barkley claimed he’d Basketball Hall of Fame player not been misquoted. So who’s to know make the cut. It was too close to call for sure?

– or too easy to chicken out.

Zags great Jerry Vermillion went Hey, it really is a game of inches.

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GENO CRANDALL REDSHIRT SENIOR – 6’3” – GUARD

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JACK BEACH REDSHIRT JUNIOR – 6’3” – GUARD

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FILIP PETRUSEV FRESHMAN – 6’11” – FORWARD

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GREG FOSTER JR. FRESHMAN – 6’5” – GUARD

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ALEX MARTIN REDSHIRT JUNIOR – 6’5” – GUARD

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MATTHEW LANG FRESHMAN – 6’3” – GUARD

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JOEL AYAYI REDSHIRT FRESHMAN – 6’5” – GUARD

COACHES HEAD COACH MARK FEW (20TH SEASON)

ASSISTANT COACHES TOMMY LLOYD, DONNY DANIELS AND BRIAN MICHAELSON

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JOSH PERKINS REDSHIRT SENIOR – 6’3” – GUARD

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BRANDON CLARKE REDSHIRT JUNIOR – 6’8” – FORWARD

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PAUL PENNINGTON FRESHMAN – 5’10” – GUARD

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RUI HACHIMURA JUNIOR – 6’8” – FORWARD

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JEREMY JONES REDSHIRT SENIOR – 6’7” – FORWARD

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ZACH NORVELL JR. REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE – 6’5” – GUARD

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COREY KISPERT SOPHOMORE – 6’6” – FORWARD

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KILLIAN TILLIE JUNIOR – 6’10” – FORWARD

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THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

TRIO OF SENIOR CAPTAINS LEAD GONZAGA’S CHARGE

By Jim Allen THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

If good things come in threes, the Gonzaga women already have a head start.

The Zags are going for their third straight West Coast Conference regularseason and tournament titles, and they have just the personnel to do it.

The leaders are three senior captains – Laura Stockton, Zykera Rice and Chandler Smith – who couldn’t be more different, but are focused on the same goal: a third straight trip to the NCAA Tournament.

GU has all the ingredients for another big season. Fifth-year coach Lisa Fortier has what she calls a “heady, experienced” group that also will show more speed than usual, thanks to a three-guard lineup.

And if those players can step up and consistently hit from three-point range, it will be a season to remember.

Backcourt Look for the pace to pick up this season at the Kennel and everywhere else the Zags play.

With the aim of starting the best players on the court, Fortier and her coaches will put point guards Stockton and Jessie Loera on the court at the same time.

Both can run the court, and at 5-8, Stockton (6.6 points and 3.8 assists per game last year) is big enough “that she’s not going to get posted up,” Fortier said.

The 5-6 Loera, a fan favorite and the quickest player on the team, averaged 6.2 points and a team-best 2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

“I think we can be fast,” said Fortier, who also will count on versatile wing Chandler Smith (9.4 points, 5.7 rebounds per game last season) for ball-handling duties.

Frontcourt Rice, a 6-foot-1 senior forward, has been an inside presence for two years. Now she’s poised to be even more.

“She’s spent a lot of time in the weight room,” Fortier said. “Senior year, you have a different mentality. Sometimes that mentality makes a huge difference, but so far in practice she’s definitely making things look

easy.”

Playing every game last season, Rice averaged 11.7 points and 5.2 rebounds. Expect those numbers to go up with the early departure of Jill Barta, last year’s leading scorer and rebounder.

That’s important, said Fortier, who noted that for three years in a row, the Zags have entered a new season without their top rebounder from the year before.

Fans also can expect more production out of 6-3 sophomore forwards Jenn and LeeAnne Wirth. Both received double-digit minutes last year as true freshmen.

“Both are very skilled,” Fortier said.

“Jenn is a little bit ahead in physicality and LeeAnne is more of a finesse player.”

Bench Quality depth is as good as it’s been under Fortier, especially in the backcourt, which begs the question: Who’ll be first off the bench?

In the frontcourt, that figures to be LeeAnne Wirth subbing for her sister or Rice. Also in the mix are sophomore Gillian Barfield and true freshman Melody Kempton out of Post Falls.

“She looks like a three-years-ago version of Zykera, a bit undersized, but she doesn’t shy away from anyone,” Fortier said of the 6-1 Kempton.

Anamaria Virjoghe, a 6-5 transfer from Northwest Christian, must sit out this season.

In the backcourt, the key reserve might be Katie Campbell. Recruited a year ago from a California junior college for her long-range shooting, Campbell saw limited action last season, but she and sophomore guard Louise Forsythe “are shooting it really well right now,” Fortier said.

Overall three-point shooting was an issue last season. At one point, the Zags were among the worst long-range shooting teams in Division I, but they found the range late in the season and finished at 29.4 percent.

On the other hand, Barta and Emma Stach were GU’s top three-point shooters

DAN PELLE/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Gonzaga guard Jessie Loera scores against BYU guard Brenna Chase. last season, and they will be hard to replace.

Accuracy probably will translate into more minutes, but Fortier wants to keep things positive through the inevitable slumps: “I’m not quick to tell a player, ‘You’re not shooting it great.’

“As long as we can keep their confidence up,” Fortier said.

Coaching Has it really been almost five years since Fortier took over from Kelly Graves?

“I don’t know if that’s a long time or a little time,” Fortier said.

PLAYER TO WATCH As a senior, Chandler Smith knows it all too well.

“Every year, players’ roles change,” Smith said during a recent practice. “By midseason, I plan to fit into my new role.”

For the 6-foot Smith, that figures to be a lot of everything.

Gonzaga’s most versatile player, the Brewster native averaged 9.4 points and 5.7 rebounds last year, even as she boasted a guard-like 1.7 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Smith also led the Zags in minutes played, with an average of 29.1.

But she won’t need to do it all.

“We say it a million times,” coach Lisa Fortier said, when people ask about replacing the production of departed starters Jill Barta and Emma Stach.

“Players don’t have to do everything – everybody just has to pick it up a little bit.”

It certainly has been successful. In four seasons, Fortier and her staff are 98-35 overall and 57-15 in the WCC, with three regular-season titles and three NCAA Tournament appearances.

“I’m a firm believer that if you put in the work, you’ll get the results,” Fortier said.

Also back for their fifth seasons are assistants Craig Fortier, Jordan Green and Stacy Clinesmith.

CONTACT THE WRITER:

(509) 459-5437 jima@spokesman.com

KEY GAMES

COLIN MULVANY/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Gonzaga’s Chandler Smith shoots against Portland last season.

While the West Coast Conference often gets two teams into the NCAA Tournament, the WCC has become a onebid conference.

That’s not Gonzaga’s fault – the Zags (27-6) finished 37th in RPI last year – but it forces some ambitious scheduling in case they need an at-large bid.

That happened in Lisa Fortier’s first season as head coach, and GU made the most of it by reaching the Sweet 16.

“We have to schedule tough games, and we have to win some of those,” Fortier said.

This season’s nonconference schedule is more ambitious than usual, with a Nov. 22 date in the Vancouver Showcase against defending national champion Notre Dame.

Also on tap are home games against Colorado State and Stanford and a game at UNLV – all of whom beat GU last year.

“There’s not an easy game,”

WCC Predictions 1. ......................Gonzaga 2. ...................Saint Mary’s 3. ................................BYU 4. ......................San Diego 5. .......Loyola Marymount 6. ............................Pacific 7. ....................Santa Clara 8. ................San Francisco 9. ............................Pacific 10. ...................Pepperdine 11. .........................Portland – Jim Allen

Fortier said. “I’m most excited to see how we respond to poor performances against some of those teams last year.”

The biggest game in WCC play comes Jan. 3, when Saint Mary’s visits the Kennel. Last year in Spokane, the Gaels accounted for Gonzaga’s only conference loss in 18 games.

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Laura Stockton, point guard and senior co-captain, here in the Hutton Settlement auditorium, returns for her final season.

PHOTOS BY COLIN MULVANY/THE S-R

SENIOR LEADERSHIP Stockton is ready to make some noise, as are the Zags

By Jim Allen THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

The way Laura Stockton sees it, if she makes some noise this season, so will Gonzaga.

It’s called leadership, and Stockton isn’t afraid to speak her mind to her teammates – especially in this, her senior season at GU. “That’s because I want them to be the best they can be,” Stockton said. “Their success is my success.”

Stockton has learned a lot about success from her father John, who also played point guard at GU and went on to a Hall of Fame career in the NBA. “What I’ve taken from him is that I would do just about anything to get that win,” Stockton said. “I’m grateful that he was that type of player, because that’s the way that I play.”

Laura Stockton made it look easy at Gonzaga Prep, where she led the Bullpups to state titles in 2014 and 2015 and was the Seattle Times Player of the Year after averaging 17.4 points and shooting 50 percent from the field her senior year.

She had many college choices, and Stockton considered leaving Spokane, partly because the family name was so famous that she might want to carve her own identity, to escape the expectations that were sure to burden her at the Jesuit school located only five minutes from the Stockton home.

With plenty of options, she toyed with the idea of playing out of town.

But midway through the recruiting cycle, Lisa Fortier took over the program and didn’t miss a beat. She appreciates the Stockton legacy, but let Laura know that life at GU would be about creating a legacy of her own, and her own expectations would be more than enough.

Stockton committed to GU. “I’m excited to be a part of something bigger than myself,” she said at the time The 5-foot-8 Stockton rose to those expectations soon after she set foot on campus. Tenacity, tough defense, a feel for the game – where did she learn all of that? – gave her quality minutes at point as a true freshman behind senior Georgia Stirton.

There were some quality moments too, highlighted by a nonconference game against Montana State and sister Lindsay.

That season, Laura averaged 6.7 points and almost three assists while playing 18 minutes a game. However, that first year ended disappointingly, as GU failed for the first time in seven years to reach the NCAA Tournament.

The ball was definitely in Stockton’s hands as a sophomore. She started all 33 games, averaging eight points and 4.4 assists while shooting 43 percent from the field.

“That’s what I love about being a point guard,” Stockton said. “It’s natural to help people do their best, and I’m always trying to make a great pass.”

She made enough of them to help GU sweep the West Coast Conference regular-season and tournament titles, then helped the Zags do it again last season.

That Stockton grit was on display in midseason, as she overcame a shoulder

Stockton slaps her teammates’ hands before last season’s West Coast Conference Tournament championship game.

Stockton shoots over San Francisco’s Anna Pierce in the WCC tourney semis. injury and a broken nose.

That season also ended in the first round of the NCAAs, leaving GU 53-13 overall and 31-5 in the WCC during Stockton’s two years as a starter.

It also left her with one big ambition for her senior year.

“I really want to win a tournament game,” she said recently. “That’s something I haven’t done, and it’s something that’s on all of our minds.”

Confidence is high, thanks in no small part to Stockton’s game.

Adding to her stellar defense, Stock-

ton has worked hard on her outside shooting.

“She’s really worked hard on her perimeter game,” Fortier said. “She’s capable and confident right now.”

Beyond that, Fortier said, “I’m expecting her to be a great leader. Sometimes we need someone who’s going to be stern.”

And also to make some noise.

CONTACT THE WRITER:

(509) 459-5437 jima@spokesman.com

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THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Gonzaga University’s women’s basketball team gathers at center court during Fan Fest on Oct. 13 in The Kennel.

DAN PELLE/THE S-R

MEET THE BULLDOGS 00

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ZYKERA RICE

GILLIAN BARFIELD

CHANDLER SMITH

SENIOR – 6’1” – FORWARD

SOPHOMORE – 6’1” – FORWARD

REDSHIRT SENIOR – 6’0” – GUARD

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ANAMARIA VIRJOGHE

LAURA STOCKTON

JILL TOWNSEND

SOPHOMORE – 6’5” – FORWARD

SENIOR – 5’8” – GUARD

SOPHOMORE – 5’11” – GUARD

3

15

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JENN WIRTH

JESSIE LOERA

MELODY KEMPTON

SOPHOMORE – 6’3” – FORWARD

JUNIOR – 5’6” – GUARD

FRESHMAN – 6’1” – FORWARD

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LEEANNE WIRTH

CORRYN DOUGLAS

KYLEE GRIFFEN

SOPHOMORE – 6’3” – FORWARD

JUNIOR – 6’0” – GUARD

FRESHMAN – 6’2” – GUARD

COACHES LISA FORTIER HEAD COACH (FIFTH SEASON)

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JORDAN GREEN ASSISTANT COACH

STACY CLINESMITH ASSISTANT COACH

LOUISE FORSYTH

KATIE CAMPBELL

CRAIG FORTIER

SOPHOMORE – 6’0” – GUARD

JUNIOR – 5’10” – GUARD

ASSISTANT COACH

THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

NOVEMBER 1, 2018

By Jim Allen Kamie Ethridge isn’t sure what to expect in her first season as women’s basketball coach at Washington State.

“Probably some black eyes and bruises,” Ethridge said with a laugh after a recent practice.

That may happen – the Cougars face tough schedules in nonconference play and the Pac-12 – but so far there are nothing but smiles.

“I’m excited about the new staff – they’re amazing,” point guard Chanelle Molina said. “And the system is more free-flowing and allows us to just be basketball players.”

Ethridge, a Hall of Fame player who won a national title at Texas in 1986 and a gold medal in the Seoul Olympics two years later, said she’s excited at the prospect “to build your own culture and get it going the way you want.”

After several stints as an assistant, Ethridge did just that at Northern Colorado.

Last season’s Bears team was among the best in Big Sky Conference history, winning the regular season and tournament titles and landing a 10 seed in the NCAA Tournament after knocking off several top programs.

She’s optimistic about doing the same at WSU, though she said that “I get it when everybody says it takes four years to really see the fruits.”

Certainly, the expectations will be modest for a program that finished 3-14 in the Pac-12 and 10-20 overall in the final season of the June Daugherty era.

The Cougars haven’t posted a winning record in conference play since the 1991-92 season.

However, WSU returns three starters, several key reserves and just two seniors, giving Ethridge a chance of success in her four-year plan.

The key may be Molina, the first five-star recruit in WSU history when she signed in 2016. Sidelined by a season-ending knee injury as a freshman, she bounced back last season, appearing in all 30 games, starting 18 of them while averaging 7.7 points and 2.9 assists per game.

“Right now I’m just learning to be a better leader, encouraging my teammates,” Molina said. “And when I criticize them, they know they can trust me.”

The big question is how much Molina can spread the wealth and ease the scoring load for junior forward Borislava Hristova, whose 17.8 scoring average last season was nearly eight points more than any other Cougar.

Last season, the versatile Hristova shot 44.6 percent from the field, 32.4 percent from three-point range and averaged four rebounds.

Guard Alexys Swedlund, one of two seniors, knows what it’s like to win after leading the injury-plagued Cougs to the WNIT semifinals in 2017.

Also back for her senior year is 6-foot-4 post Maria Kostourkova, who averaged 5.5 points and four rebounds last season.

Idaho Vandals Mikayla Ferenz and Taylor Pierce are set to make one more big splash.

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nament in 2016.

Ferenz, from Walla Walla, averaged 22.5 points and 6.4 rebounds last season and is the Big Sky preseason MVP, while Pierce (15.6) is on the preseason first team.

Last year they helped Idaho lead the conference in three-point shooting at 36.6 percent while going 19-14 overall, 13-5 in the Big Sky regular season.

“Mikayla and Taylor have had great careers so far here at Idaho, and I am happy to see the respect they have earned from the coaches in the league,” said head coach Jon Newlee.

Idaho loses top rebounder Geraldine McCorkell, but returns 6-foot-4 post Isabelle Hadden.

ETHRIDGE ERA UNDERWAY AT WASHINGTON STATE THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

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Eastern Washington Eagles

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LUKE HOLLISTER/FOR THE S-R

I’m excited about the new staff – they’re amazing. And the system is more free-flowing and allows us to just be basketball players.”

Chanelle Molina, WSU point guard

The hot-shooting “Splash Sisters,” both seniors, are the reason Idaho is favored to win the Big Sky this year after reaching the title game last season and the NCAA Tour-

Yes, the Eagles are rebuilding, but the task isn’t as daunting as you’d think despite the graduation of career scoring leader Delaney Hodgins.

Eastern (17-14 overall and 12-6 in the Big Sky last year) returns three starters, including guards Violet Kapri Morrow. a senior, and Brittany Klaman, a sophomore, and junior forward Uriah Howard.

Morrow, who averaged 17.1 points and 1.4 steals per game in conference play, was a third-team All-Big Sky selection last season. She needs just 200 more points to become the 18th member of Eastern's 1,000point club.

Eastern was picked to finish fifth in the Big Sky by the media, seventh by the coaches.

Also returning for Eastern are two seniors – forward Alissa Sealby and center Amira Chandler – redshirt junior guard Baylee Rexing and sophomore center Cailyn Francis.

Longtime coach Wendy Schuller has eight newcomers on the roster.

CONTACT THE WRITER:

(509) 459-5437 jima@spokesman.com

At left: Idaho standout Mikayla Ferenz, who averaged 22.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per game last season, returns along with fellow senior Taylor Pierce, giving the Vandals plenty of firepower for the 2018-19 season.

DAN PELLE/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Above: Eastern Washington guard Violet Kapri Morrow, a third-team All-Big Sky selection last season after averaging 17.1 points per game, is among three Eagles starters back.

TOM R. SMEDES/FOR THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

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COUGARS ARE BIGGER, BUT WILL THEY BE BETTER?

By Theo Lawson THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

In the past, Washington State hasn’t always had the size, the length and the athleticism to combat the Pac-12’s elite big men, but this season the Cougars should at least be 2-for-3 there. The frontcourt averages almost 6-foot-9 across the board, and while WSU won’t have the girth or physicality to match up with certain opponents, the Cougars have long wingspans, and increasing their activity on the defensive end could lead to more deflections in the passing lanes, blocked shots at the rim and improved rebounding numbers.

Frontcourt When opposing teams size up WSU this year, Robert Franks will be the first, second and third name on their scouting report.

The senior from Vancouver, Washington, essentially doubled his scoring and rebounding totals between his sophomore and junior season, and was named the Pac-12 Most Improved Player in 2017-18.

Franks, who scored 17.4 points per game and grabbed 6.6 rebounds as a junior, appeared on some mock NBA Draft boards toward the end of last season, and the 6-foot-9 forward should reappear on most of those as his senior year begins.

Another asset of this frontcourt is its number of capable ball-handlers. Ernie Kent likes big men who are capable of snatching rebounds at one end and leading the fast break on the other. Franks, of course, is well-schooled in that regard, as is every forward/center on this team with the exception of Jeff Pollard and Davante Cooper. Isaiah Wade and Marvin Cannon are skilled forwards who have experience at the junior college level. True freshmen Aljaz Kunc and CJ Elleby each bring something different to the table. Kunc is a springy 6-8 forward who has a delicate touch

from three-point range and Elleby, son of former Cal player Bill Elleby, has impressed Kent’s staff with his basketball savvy and on-court maturity.

Backcourt Malachi Flynn transferred from WSU in March and left the Cougars without a player who likely would’ve contended for All-Pac-12 honors in his third year as the program’s starting point guard. Replacing Flynn isn’t easy – and the Cougars won’t do it with one player – but Kent was able to inject some experience into his backcourt by snagging two junior college point guards during the offseason. Ahmed Ali, a Toronto native whose claim to fame is scoring 103 points in a high school game, will competefor the position with Jervae Robinson, who averaged 13.3 points and 4.1 assists in two seasons at Colorado’s Otero Junior College.

Senior Viont’e Daniels and junior Carter Skaggs are the returners in the backcourt, and both are 3-point snipers who shot better than 40 percent from behind the arc last season. With Flynn out of the picture, and Franks in need of some help on the score sheet, Daniels and Skaggs, who combined for 17.2 points per game last season – less than Franks averaged alone – will see an uptick in floor time and will be expected to hoist more shots.

Bench The reserves combined for a scoring output of 20.7 ppg last season and the Cougars didn’t have enough firepower in their starting five, let alone someone who could come off the bench and make hefty contributions.

Milan Acquaah and Kwinton Hinson did it occasionally, but both players transferred out with Flynn, along with Jamar Ergas and KJ Langston. Eleven different players start-

TYLER TJOMSLAND/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Guard Viont'e Daniels led the Cougars in 3-point shooting (45.5 percent) last season. ed games for Kent last year, and it’s unclear who will be the primary starters this season, but the influx of JC transfers should give the Cougars more depth and experience on the bench.

Coaching Kent’s skeptics have plenty of ammunition in the coach’s fifth season. His best record came during his first season at WSU, when the Cougars won seven conference games and finished in a tie for eighth in the

Pac-12. But they’ve gone just 18-54 in conference play since he arrived, 47-77 overall.

WSU hasn’t exceeded 13 wins under Kent and the Cougars are going on six straight years without a postseason appearance. His two top assistants, Bennie Seltzer and Ed Haskins, are no longer Pac-12 newcomers and each enter their second season with the WSU program. Kent promoted another coach this offseason, elevating former coordinator of operations Tim Marrion to fulltime assistant.

PLAYER TO WATCH Robert Franks elected to stay in Pullman for a final season and instantly gave Washington State’s starting five a first-ballot All-Pac-12 player. The conference’s reigning Most Improved Player declared for the NBA Draft without an agent and got valuable feedback from pro scouts, who challenged him to be more aggressive, dynamic and even more selfish when he has the ball in the hands. As the primary scorer on this WSU team and the only returning player to average double figures last season, the Cougars will want Franks to do that anyway. If he can become a better defender and use his length to stymie opponents at the rim, his NBA stock should be soaring by the season’s end.

KEY GAMES

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington State is 18-54 in Pac-12 play, 47-77 overall, in four seasons under head coach Ernie Kent.

There aren’t too many enticing matchups on the nonconference schedule, but the Cougars always draw a crowd for the Battle of the Palouse, which will take place for the 119th time on Dec. 5 in Pullman. WSU has conceded three of the past four games against Idaho in the rivalry series, but the Vandals lost 80 percent of their scoring from last season and their leading returner is out for the year. Spokanites will have a close-to-home opportunity to see WSU at 11 a.m. on Dec. 29 – a Saturday – when the Cougars take on Santa Clara at Spokane Arena in their nonconference finale. The Cougars open Pac-12 play with the other rivalry game that’s important to them – at Washington on Jan. 5. Ranked No. 25 in the preseason, the Huskies received two first-place votes in the Pac-12 media poll and WSU could be the first team to set back their conference title ambitions. Leg two of UW-WSU is slated for Feb. 16 in Pullman. The Oregon team Ernie Kent coached from 1997-2010 is picked to win the Pac-12, and Kent returns to Eugene on Jan. 27. The Ducks, led by junior point guard Payton Pritchard and highly touted freshman center Bol Bol, visit Beasley Coliseum March 6.

THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

NOVEMBER 1, 2018

ELITE PLAYERS, TEAMS LACKING

By John Blanchette FOR THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Whenever Pac-12 football needs to feel good about itself, all it has to do is look across the hall at Pac-12 basketball.

As the FBI probe into college hoops’ seedy underbelly continued this year and the subsequent fraud trial unfolded involving shoe companies, agents and their seedy gobetweens, no fewer than half of the conference’s programs were name-checked in allegations about this furtive commerce.

Whatever their actual involvement and culpability, that’s a lot of mud spattered on the Pac-12.

Maybe even worse, if there’s any cheating going on, the conference doesn’t seem to be getting any bang for the buck.

Only three Pac-12 teams cracked the NCAA Tournament field of 68 last year, and none made it past the first Thursday night.

Arizona State and UCLA were bounced in the First Four games; proud Arizona absorbed a first-round bludgeoning by Buffalo.

So sad was the conference’s reputation that the regular season runner-up, USC, wasn’t deemed fit for even play-in humiliation – yet the No. 8 finisher, ASU, was. The Pac-12’s conference round-robin registered pretty much 0.0 on the NCAA selectors’ Brickster Scale.

Summer didn’t treat the Pac-12 any better. Perhaps the leading candidate for 2019 Player of the Year honors, Stanford’s Reid Travis, bolted – not for the NBA, as all the best players do these days, but for its top subsidiary, Kentucky.

But, hey, the league did have the NBA’s No. 1 draft pick in Arizona’s DeAndre Ayton.

That’s not likely to be repeated this year, unless Bol Bol, the enigmatic giant landed

by Oregon, blossoms into a world-beater.

The league’s elite returnees – Kris Wilkes, McKinley Wright – are fine players, but barely on the lottery’s margins, as are the other top newcomers like Oregon’s Louis King and USC’s Kevin Porter.

Likewise, the Pac-12 is looking for a truly elite team. Three found footing in the preseason Top 25, but the highest was Oregon at 14 – and the Ducks, for all their talent, have a lot of new characters for Dana Altman to organize into a storybook season.

Then again, maybe all the Pac-12 can aspire to is a hopeful chapter or two.

Arizona Wildcats Coach: Sean Miller (367-121), 10th year 2017-18 record: 27-8. Pac-12: 14-4, 1st Key newcomers: Brandon Williams (6-2, G), Omar Thielemans (6-7, F), Justin Coleman (5-10, G) Ryan Luther (6-9, F) Key losses: DeAndre Ayton, Allonzo Trier, Rawle Alkins, Dusan Ristic Outlook: It was body blow after body blow for the Wildcats – the FBI probe, Sean Miller’s brief suspension, the NCAA exit and then the departure of all five starters.

Miller was able to salvage one committed recruit, guard Brandon Williams, who toyed with Gonzaga, among others. But by Arizona standards, it’s a patchwork lineup.

Grad transfers Justin Coleman (Samford) and Ryan Luther (Pitt) need to be significant contributors and sophomores Brandon Rudolph and Emmanuel Akot need to grow up quickly – as does 6-10 Chase Jeter, who was a bit of a bust at Duke.

Cleveland State transfer Rob Edwards may have been ASU’s top guard last season while sitting out to satisfy NCAA transfer rules.

Another transfer, 6-8 Zylan Cheatham, and Romello White head a deep and versatile front line that suggests the Devils won’t be nearly as 3-point oriented. If they do need a long one, Finnish recruit Elias Valtonen can deliver.

California Golden Bears Coach: Wyking Jones (8-24), 2nd year 2017-18 record: 8-24. Pac-12: 2-16, 12th Key newcomers: Matt Bradley (6-4, F), Jacobi Gordon (6-6, F), Andre Kelly (6-7, F), Paris Austin (6-0, G) Key losses: Marcus Lee, Kingsley Okoroh, Don Coleman Outlook: Surely the Bears can’t be as hapless on the offensive end as they were last season – but even if they aren’t, there are other issues. Rebounding for one – there isn’t likely to be a rotation player taller than 6-8, unless either of the two new 7-foot giants, Connor Vanover or Matz Stockman, shocks the world. But second-year coach Wyking Jones should be able to do more with his defense if sophomores Justice Sueing and Darius McNeill step up, and Boise State transfer Paris Austin gives the Bears a legitimate point guard to run the show.

Colorado Buffaloes Coach: Tad Boyle (222-176), 9th year 2017-18 record: 17-15. Pac-12: 8-10, 8th (tie) Key newcomers: Shane Gatling (6-2, G), Daylen Kountz (6-4, G), Jakub Dombek (6-9, F) Key losses: George King, Dominique Collier Outlook: The young Buffs had trouble checking teams even in the ordinary Pac-12 but got enough done with a lineup salted with freshmen that there’s real hope of growth. McKinley Wright is one of the league’s elite talents – and leaders – at point guard and 6-7 Tyler Bey seems poised for a where’d-he-come-from year. The arrival of junior college standout Shane Gatling gives Wright a sharpshooting partner in the backcourt. Up front, 6-10 Lucas Siewert is another sleeper; 6-8 frosh Evan Battey needs to have an impact.

Oregon Ducks Coach: Dana Altman (620-326), 9th year 2017-18 record: 23-13. Pac-12: 10-8, 6th (tie) Key newcomers: Bol Bol (7-2, C), Louis King (6-8, F), Will Richardson (6-4, G), Miles Norris (6-10, F), Ehab Amin (6-4, G) Key losses: MiKyle McIntosh, Elijah Brown, Troy Brown Jr. Outlook: Four top 100 recruits should return the Ducks to the national conversation, providing Dana Altman can again turn strangers into a team quickly. He has help, though: veteran Payton Pritchard is the perfect point man to keep the kids under control. Not that you want to harness it too much. In small forward Louis King and mega-hyped Bol Bol, the Ducks have a couple of game-changers – Bol’s perimeter game being the real eye-opener for a guy 7-2.

Egyptian grad transfer Ehab Amin was a typical late Altman find, and the glue guy for it all is senior Paul White – particularly when the Ducks decide to go small up front.

Arizona State Sun Devils

Oregon State Beavers

Coach: Bobby Hurley (92-67), 4th year 2017-18 record: 20-12. Pac-12: 8-10, 8th (tie) Key newcomers: Luguentz Dort (6-4, G), Taeshon Cherry (6-8, F), Elias Valtonen (6-7, G) Key losses: Tra Holder, Shannon Evans, Kodi Justice Outlook: Despite swooning in conference play, Bobby Hurley has made the Sun Devils relevant again and they should remain so, despite the loss of their three top scorers. Luguentz Dort and Taeshon Cherry highlight a Top 25 recruiting class, and

Coach: Wayne Tinkle (215-161), 5th year 2017-18 record: 16-16. Pac-12: 7-11, 10th Key newcomers: Jack Wilson (7-0, C), Antoine Vernon (5-10, G) Kylor Kelley (7-1, C) Key losses: Drew Eubanks, Seth Berger, Kendal Manuel Outlook: A big guy with skills when he played, Wayne Tinkle’s savvy as a developer of big men will have a lot to say about whether the Beavers can crack the first division. With his son Tres Tinkle and brothers Stephen and Ethan Thompson, the Beavers are fairly loaded at the guards and wing, but

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UW HUSKIES

All eyes on ending NCAA drought No. 25 Huskies picked to finish third in Pac-12

By Tim Booth ASSOCIATED PRESS

SEATTLE – David Crisp, Noah Dickerson and Matisse Thybulle all arrived at Washington with the task of being the group to get the Huskies back to the NCAA Tournament.

It’s a challenge that remains after three years, a coaching change, a chance to leave for other opportunities and now, the hope that the task accepted when they arrived might finally be accomplished.

Washington begins the season with the kind of optimism that has been missing from the program since the early part of this decade and the last time it was in the NCAAs. The Huskies were No. 25 in the preseason AP Top 25 and picked to finish third in the preseason Pac-12 poll. The vastly higher expectations are part of a remarkable turnaround coach Mike Hopkins has engineered in 18 months on the job.

But proving the Huskies are worthy of their standing in the conference and nationally is the next step in Hopkins’ development of the program.

“We’ve got a lot of potential to be really good. Really good. The only thing that can stop us is us,” Crisp said.

Backcourt: Crisp and Thybulle

when Drew Eubanks opted to skip his final year, it left the Beavers without a productive big man. They’ll try to find the parts in a group that includes 7-foot newcomers Jack Wilson and Kylor Kelley, plus holdover Gligorije Rakocevic. Speedy Antoine Vernon adds a waterbug element at the point.

Stanford Cardinal Coach: Jerod Haase (123-86), 3rd year 2017-18 record: 19-16. Pac-12: 11-7, 3rd (tie) Key newcomers: Cormac Ryan (6-5, G), Bryce Wills (6-5, G), Jaiden Delaire (6-8, F) Key losses: Reid Travis, Dorian Pickens, Michael Humphrey Outlook: Just wait till next year. Reid Travis’ decision to bolt to Kentucky as a grad transfer took any real promise out of this one for the Cardinal, who may still be a tough out, but are too young to contend.

That’s especially true up front where only KZ Okpala is at all proven, though 7-footer Josh Sharma finished strong last season.

With Daejon Davis running the show, the Cardinal play considerably faster than in the past, and if he can cut down on turnovers, there will be more opportunities for a new scorer like Cormac Ryan.

UCLA Bruins Coach: Steve Alford (502-263), 6th year 2017-18 record: 21-12. Pac-12: 11-7, 3rd (tie) Key newcomers: Moses Brown (7-0, C), Jules Bernard (6-6, G) Key losses: Aaron Holiday, Thomas Welsh, Gyorgy Goloman Outlook: Just having the Ball family out of their hair makes it tempting to declare the Bruins Pac-12 favorites, and they’ll be in the hunt in any case. That’s because the special talents pulled back from the NBA Draft – Player of the Year candidate Kris Wilkes, plus Cody Riley and Jalen Hill, who were LiAngelo Ball’s misbegotten conspirators in the Great China Sunglasses Shoplift. Add 7footer Moses Brown as a legit threat in the middle and the Bruins should be a handful again, at least if projected starting guards Jaylen Hands and Prince Ali make reason-

will be at the heart of Washington’s success and each plays a critical role.

Crisp is the point guard in charge of making sure the offensive runs efficiently. Thybulle may be the best defensive player in the Pac-12 and arguably is the biggest key to Washington’s zone defense. Throw in sophomore scorer Jaylen Nowell and 3-point threat Dominic Green, and the Huskies have the makings of a team that has the right mix to be among the Pac-12 elite.

Frontcourt: Dickerson is the inside presence who improved dramatically as a junior and needs to be just as good again.

Bench: Freshman big Bryan PennJohnson supplies size, wing Jamal Bey athleticism on the perimeter.

Coaching: Mike Hopkins enters his second season, and the expectations are already through the roof, in part because the Huskies beat preseason No. 7 Nevada by 18 on the road in an exhibition game.

“It hasn’t been done in a while, unfortunately,” Thybulle said of making the NCAAs. “We have all the pieces necessary to do it. We’ve all gotten better, myself included, and I think that would be the perfect way for me to end it.”

able steps forward. Heralded freshman guard Tyger Campbell will miss the season after tearing his ACL.

USC Trojans Coach: Andy Enfield (135-104), 6th year 2017-18 record: 24-12. Pac-12: 12-6, 2nd Key newcomers: Kevin Porter Jr. (6-5, G), J’Raan Brooks (6-8, F), Elijah Weaver (6-4, G) Key losses: Jordan McLaughlin, Elijah Stewart, Chimezie Metu Outlook: Maybe the Trojans can use the Great Snub of 2018 to motivate them against the better teams in the Pac-12, which was probably their undoing with the NCAA selectors. Keeping standout stretch four Bennie Boatwright in one piece after two injury-plagued seasons would help, too. As it is, the Trojans lost four of their five top scorers, but have a whiz in freshman Kevin Porter Jr., highlighting a Top 25 recruiting class. Still, they’ll need jumps from some holdovers who haven’t really blossomed – though 6-11 Nick Rakocevic is on the verge.

Utah Utes Coach: Larry Krystkowiak (180-117), 8th year 2017-18 record: 23-12. Pac-12: 11-7, 3rd (tie) Key newcomers: Both Gach (6-7, F), Timmy Allen (6-6, F), Riley Battin (6-9, C), Charles Jones (6-2, G) Key losses: Justin Bibbins, David Collette, Tyler Rawson Outlook: After being relegated to the NIT (and a title game appearance), Larry Krystkowiak has fully embraced the NCAA’s scheduling challenge. Road games at Kentucky and Minnesota and a home game against Nevada will test the Utes, especially with four starters departing. That leaves a lot on the shoulders of senior guard Sedrick Barefield, who drove the NIT bus.

JC player of the year Charles Jones arrives for more backcourt help. Up front, Krystkowiak is predicting big things for sophomore Donnie Tillman, and 7-foot grad transfer Novak Topalovic should help some, too.

Washington and Washington State: see separate previews

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THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

‘NEXT MAN UP’ APPROACH FOR GUARD-HEAVY EAGLES

By Ryan Collingwood THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Eastern Washington had the services of back-to-back Big Sky Conference MVPs the past two seasons.

But neither Jacob Wiley nor Bogdan Bliznyuk led the Eagles to Big Sky Conference regular season or tournament titles, goals second-year head coach Shantay Legans believes the Eagles can still earn in their absence.

Bliznyuk, the program and conference’s all-time leading scorer, spearheaded EWU’s run to the title game last March before falling to Montana, this year’s preseason favorite. Like Wiley, he has since graduated and is playing professionally overseas.

When EWU begins its 2018-19 campaign Nov. 6 at national power Syracuse, the Eagles will have four returning starters who averaged less than double figures.

Backcourt Legans likes the experience and versatility of his guard-heavy group, and believes it can more than make up for the 21 points,

six rebounds and four assists Bliznyuk averaged.

Legans is excited to see who emerges as EWU’s next high-volume scorer and leader.

“I think we could have a different (leading scorer) every night,” Legans said. “We have a bunch of scorers, a talented bunch of guards.

“It’s going to be exciting to step up and see who emerges as that guy.”

EWU, which finished 20-15 last season after falling to Utah Valley in the first round of the CBI, returns guards Jack Perry (6.8 ppg), Ty Gibson (6.3 ppg) and Cody Benzel (6.6 ppg) , as well last year’s trusty sixth man Jacob Davidson (7.2 ppg).

Benzel, a Ferris product, shot an impressive 42 percent from 3-point range last season.

Versatile sophomore Luka Vulikic, a 6foot-7 guard who started eight games before a early season-ending injury, also returns after averaging 7.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists.

Legans believes this EWU squad has the means to be more sound defensively and will be more up-tempo.

“I feel like we’re going to be a different fore an injury. Tanner Groves, a 6-9 redshirt team,” he said. “We have guys that can step freshman from Shadle Park, is expected to up, and we’re going to be even better defens- add depth inside. ively. We’re going to share the ball more and get our baskets in different ways.

Bench “Our offensive efficiency is going to stay EWU may be looking for its next big scorthe same, if not better. We’re pretty young, er, but it has plenty of experience and depth but we still have a lot of experience.” that Legans can mix and match in its upAdding to the Eatempo system. Of gles’ wealth of exits newcomers, true perience is guard freshman guard Steven Beo, a transAustin Fadal has fer from BYU who been impressive Jacob Davidson showed flashes of appeared in 31 early, according to big-time scoring ability last season in the games as a true coaches and shadow of Bogdan Bliznyuk, and now the freshman in Provo players, and adds to athletic guard will get more opportunities. two seasons ago. the Eagles’ depth.

The ex-Richland The Eagles are batHigh star redshirted tling some early inat EWU last season juries, Legans said, due to NCAA transfer rules. but he expects his team to be healthy by Big Beo led the state of Washington in scoring Sky play.

(27.7 ppg) at Richland as a junior.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Coaching Frontcourt EWU, picked fourth in both media and coaches’ preseason Big Sky polls, also returns proven commodities in the frontcourt.

After earning All-Big Sky conference honorable mention last year, 6-foot-8 big man Mason Peatling (7.7 ppg, 6.5 rpg) will be joined by 6-7 Jesse Hunt (7.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg).

Legans said Peatling is one of the top posts in the conference, and that Hunt was on his way to Big Sky honors last season be-

In his first year as head coach, Legans, who was an assistant for former EWU coach Jim Hayford before he left for Seattle University, was just one game short of reaching the NCAA Tournament, and had a big nonconference win at Pac-12 Stanford. The 37year-old likes to get his athletic guards out in space, much like the player he was as a guard at California and Fresno State in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Year two of his system could be even smoother if a consistent high scorer emerges.

LOSSES FORCE VANDALS TO REBUILD

By Peter Harriman FOR THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

An Idaho Vandals team that was going to be light on experience in the best of circumstances has the additional challenge of managing the loss of its best returning player to a career-ending illness.

Nate Sherwood, a 6-foot-8 forward who averaged 9.5 points and 4.7 rebounds per game last season and who earned a permanent place in Vandals lore by tapping in an overtime buzzer-beating game winner against top-ranked Montana in the Kibbie Dome, will miss his senior season after being diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis.

“It’s going to take a miracle for him to be able to participate his senior year,” coach Don Verlin said.

Sherwood will probably fill the role of student assistant coach that Perrion Callendret did last year after suffering a season-ending knee injury.

Junior guard Trevon Allen is the only other returner with any significant experience. He was a regular off the bench for the Vandals who averaged 4.2 points and 1.5 assists per game.

Idaho goes from being one of the top five most experienced teams in the country a year ago to one of the five least experienced at the start of this season, according to Verlin.

“Leadership is a work in progress,” he said.

Idaho will also be simpler on both offense and defense.

“We had everything in you could possibly have in the last couple of years. We’re going to be scaled down a little bit,” Verlin said He sees Montana as the overwhelming conference favorite,

PLAYER TO WATCH As a high school senior, Geno West averaged 25 points a game, and was Portland Interscholastic League player of the year and USA Today Oregon player of the year. After seeing action in 10 games for Idaho as a freshman, he may be ready to resume that dominant role. “He made good progress from his freshman to his sophomore year,” Verlin said.

West can play either guard position.

closely followed by Weber State.

“From that point on, anybody has a chance,” he said.

Backcourt Allen is being counted on heavily.

“I really challenged Trevon this season. I told him this is the reason I recruited him,” Verlin said.

Sophomore Geno West, 6-2, appeared in 10 games as a freshman and recorded a season-high

five points against Washington State. Freshman Rayquawndis Mitchell has stood out in preseason practices, and Oregon State sophomore transfer Xavier Smith “gives us a little depth and an ability to drive the ball,” Verlin said.

Frontcourt With Sherwood out, 6-9 sophomore Scott Blakney is the most experienced Vandals big man after playing in 16 games as a freshman. He has made good progression from his first to second year, Verlin said. At 6-9, Cassius Smits-Francisco redshirted as a freshman last year to rehabilitate

a knee injury.

“He’s fit, and he’s done a nice job in our scrimmages to this point,” Verlin said.

Freshman Khadim Samb, 6-8, is another option at forward, and junior college transfer Marquell Fraser, 6-4, is a swing player who can help at both guard and forward.

Coaching Verlin is joined on the Idaho bench again this season by assistants Tim Murphy, Kirk Earlywine and Zac Claus. Brooks Malm returns for a third season as director of operations.

THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

NOVEMBER 1, 2018

TALENT-RICH PIRATES READY FOR NATION’S BEST

By Ryan Collingwood THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Whitworth head coach Matt Logie has often produced one of the most offensively sound teams in the country.

The 2018-19 edition of the Pirates, who return all five starters from last year’s Northwest Conference tournament championship team, could be the best yet.

“Offensively, we’re deeper than we’ve ever been,” said Logie, whose team checked in at No. 6 in the D3Hoops.com national preseason poll.

Reigning conference MVP Kyle Roach spearheads an ex-

perienced Whitworth squad that put up 85 points a game last season, and is looking to atone for a upset loss to Claremont-MuddScripps in the first round of the NCAA Division III Tournament.

But first it will have to get through fourth-ranked conference rival Whitman, the defending NWC regular season champion and national quarterfinalist.

A nonconference slate that includes three top-25 programs – St. Olaf, Johns Hopkins and Emory & Henry – will also help prepare Whitworth for a deep tournament run.

“Everybody knows what the other does, and how that benefits

PLAYER TO WATCH Jordan Lester, a transfer from NCAA Division I Robert Morris, averaged 15.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists last season before going down with a early season-ending injury. He’s back.

the team,” Logie said of his team’s chemistry. “There’s definitely a sense of urgency.”

Backcourt Roach, who averaged 18.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and four assists, cemented his spot among the Whitworth greats when he drilled a buzzer-beating 3-pointer last season that took down Whitman in the conference tournament title game.

The Marinwood, California, product has talented company in the backcourt in Ben College (16.5 ppg), who shot a scorching 44 percent from 3-point range, and Garrett Hull (10 ppg), who

led the Pirates in steals with 63.

College and Hull both earned All-NWC distinction last season.

“Arguably, we now have five all-conference-level players,” said Logie. “But we have a lot of room for growth, defensively.”

One of them is Jordan Lester, who started the first nine games last season before going down with a season-ending knee injury. The transfer from Division I Robert Morris averaged 15.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists.

Frontcourt Former Ferris High star Jared Christy (12.8 ppg, 9 rpg) is a pro-

G

THURSDAY

G

SPECIAL 19

ven big man, twice earning second-team All-NWC honors.

He’s joined inside by fellow returning starter Ben Bishop, a 6foot-8 Olympia native whose length has boosted the Pirates on the defensive end.

Bench Former Lewis and Clark guard Isaiah Hernandez, guard Sam Lees and forward Kevin Crosno, all of whom averaged more than 12 minutes a game last season, will continue to provide depth.

Logie also likes what he sees so far in freshman guards Garrett Paxton and Rowan Anderson.

Coaching Logie, 37, has posted an impressive 173-29 record in seven seasons at Whitworth, a winning percentage (.856) which ranks No. 1 among active NCAA Division III head coaches who’ve coached at least five years.

2018-19 COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCHEDULES GONZAGA MEN

Nov. 1 ............... Central Washington (exhibition), 6 p.m.

Nov. 6 ................................................... Idaho State, 6 p.m.

Nov. 10 ........................................... Texas Southern, 7 p.m.

Nov. 15 ............................................. Texas A&M, 8:30 p.m.

Nov. 19 ........................................ Illinois at Maui, 8:30 p.m.

Nov. 20 ................... Arizona St. or Iowa St. at Maui, TBA Nov. 21 .............................................................. TBD at Maui Nov. 26 ................................... North Dakota State, 6 p.m.

Dec. 1 ................................................... at Creighton, 11 a.m.

Dec. 5 ................................................... Washington, 8 p.m.

Dec. 9 ................................... Tennessee at Phoenix, noon Dec. 15 ........................................ at North Carolina, 4 p.m.

Dec. 18 ................................................ UT Arlington, 6 p.m.

Dec. 21 .......................................................... Denver, 6 p.m.

Dec. 28 ........................................... North Alabama, 6 p.m.

Dec. 31 .......................................... CSU Bakersfield, 6 p.m.

Jan. 5 .................................................... Santa Clara, 6 p.m.

Jan. 10 ............................................................ Pacific, 8 p.m.

Jan. 12 .......................................... at San Francisco, 7 p.m.

Jan. 17 ...................................... Loyola Marymount, 6 p.m.

Jan. 19 .................................................... at Portland, 7 p.m.

Jan. 24 .............................................. at Santa Clara, 8 p.m.

Jan. 31 ....................................... at Brigham Young, 8 p.m.

Feb. 2 ...................................................... San Diego, 5 p.m.

Feb. 7 ................................................ San Francisco, 6 p.m.

Feb. 9 ................................................... Saint Mary’s, 7 p.m.

Feb. 14 ................................. at Loyola Marymount, 8 p.m.

Feb. 16 ................................................ at San Diego, 7 p.m.

Feb. 21 .................................................. Pepperdine, 6 p.m.

Feb. 23 .......................................... Brigham Young, 7 p.m.

Feb. 28 ...................................................... at Pacific, 8 p.m.

March 2 .............................................. at Saint Mary’s, TBA

WSU MEN

Nov. 4 .................................................. Walla Walla, 2 p.m.

Nov. 11 ........................................................... Nicholl, 4 p.m.

Nov. 14 ......................................................... at Seattle, TBA Nov. 19 .................................................. Cal Poly, 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 27 ........................................................... CSUN, 8 p.m.

Dec. 1 ................................... At New Mexico State, 6 p.m.

Dec. 5 .............................................................. Idaho, 6 p.m.

Dec. 9 .......................... Montana St. at Kennewick, 7 p.m.

Dec. 17 ........................................................ Rider, 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 19 ................................ S. Illinois Edwardsville, 7 p.m.

Dec. 22 .................................. at Las Vegas Classic, 7 p.m.

Dec. 23 ..................................... at Las Vegas Classic, TBD Dec. 29 .................................................. Santa Clara, 11 a.m.

Jan. 5 ......................................... at Washington, 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 10 .................................................. at Colorado, 6 p.m.

Jan. 12 ........................................................... at Utah, 5 p.m.

Jan. 17 ....................................................... California, 7 p.m.

Jan. 19 .......................................................... Stanford, noon Jan. 24 .......................................... at Oregon State, 8 p.m.

Jan. 27 ..................................................... at Oregon, 5 p.m.

Jan. 30 ............................................................ UCLA, 7 p.m.

Feb. 2 ................................................................. USC, 4 p.m.

Feb. 7 ............................................ at Arizona State, 5 p.m.

Feb. 9 ................................................ at Arizona, 4:30 p.m.

Feb. 16 ................................................. Washington, 5 p.m.

Feb. 20 ...................................................... Colorado, 7 p.m.

Feb. 23 .............................................................. Utah, 5 p.m.

Feb. 28 .................................................. at Stanford, 6 p.m.

March 2 ................................................ at California, 4 p.m.

March 6 ....................................................... Oregon, 8 p.m.

March 9 ............................................... Oregon State, noon

EWU MEN

Nov. 6 ................................................... at Syracuse, 4 p.m.

Nov. 9 ...................................................... at Oregon, 6 p.m.

Nov. 16 .......................... Wisconsin-Green Bay, 4:45 p.m.

Nov. 17 ..................... UMKC or Morehead State, 3:15 p.m.

Nov. 27 ........................................... at Washington, 6 p.m.

Dec. 1 ........................................................ at Seattle, 5 p.m.

Dec. 8 ...................................... at North Dakota St., 5 p.m.

Dec. 13 .......................................... at San Francisco, 7 p.m.

Dec. 15 .................................................. At Stanford, 4 p.m.

Dec. 18 ................................... South Dakota St., 6:05 p.m.

Dec. 21 ............................................. Walla Walla, canceled Dec. 29 .......................................... Weber State, 2:05 p.m.

Dec. 31 .............................................. Idaho State, 1:05 p.m.

Jan. 3 ................................. at Idaho, 7:30 p.m. (tentative) Jan. 7 ............................. at Northern Colorado, 6:05 p.m.

Jan. 10 .................................................. Montana, 6:05 p.m.

Jan 19 ......................................... Montana State, 2:05 p.m.

Jan. 24 ................................... at Portland State, 7:05 p.m.

Jan. 26 ............................ at Sacramento State, 7:05 p.m.

Feb. 2 ......................................... Southern Utah, 2:05 p.m.

Feb. 4 ................................... Northern Arizona, 6:05 p.m.

Feb. 7 .................................... at Montana State, 6:05 p.m.

Feb. 9 .............................................. at Montana, 6:05 p.m.

Feb. 16 ................................. Northern Colorado 2:05 p.m.

Feb. 18 ....................................... Idaho 4:15 p.m. (approx.)

Feb. 21 ................................... at Southern Utah, 5:35 p.m.

Feb. 23 .................................... at Northern Arizona, 1 p.m.

Feb. 28 ................................ Sacramento State, 6:05 p.m.

March 2 ...................................... Portland State, 2:05 p.m.

March 7 ...................................... at Idaho State, 6:05 p.m.

March 9 .................................... at Weber State, 6:05 p.m.

Nov. 24 ......................................... TBD at Vancouver, B.C. Nov. 28 ........................................... Colorado State, 6 p.m.

Dec. 2 ......................................................... Stanford, 2 p.m.

Dec. 9 ........................................ Washington State, 2 p.m.

Dc. 16 ............................................. at Missouri State, noon Dec. 20 ............................................................ Idaho, 6 p.m.

Dec. 29 ................................ at Loyola Marymount, 2 p.m.

Dec. 31 ................................................ at Pepperdine, noon Jan. 3 ................................................... Saint Mary’s, 6 p.m.

Jan. 5 ............................................................... Pacific, noon Jan. 12 ......................................................... Portland, 2 p.m.

Jan. 17 ....................................... at Brigham Young, 6 p.m.

Jan. 19 ................................................. at San Diego, 2 p.m.

Jan. 24 .............................................. San Francisco, 6 p.m.

Jan. 26 .................................................. Santa Clara, 2 p.m.

Jan. 31 ........................................................ at Pacific, 7 p.m.

Feb. 2 .............................................. at Saint Mary’s, 6 p.m.

Feb. 9 ............................................... at Portland, 4:30 p.m.

Feb. 14 .................................................... San Diego, 6 p.m.

Feb. 16 ........................................... Brigham Young, 2 p.m.

Feb. 21 .............................................. at Santa Clara, 7 p.m.

Feb. 23 ......................................... at San Francisco, 2 p.m.

Feb. 28 ................................................. Pepperdine, 6 p.m.

March 2 .................................... Loyola Marymount, 2 p.m.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Whitworth players celebrate winning the Northwest Conference title last season against Whitman in Walla Walla.

IDAHO MEN Nov. 2 ................................... LCSC (exhibition), 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 6 ................................................... at UC Irvine, 7 p.m.

Nov. 13 ............................................... Nichols State, 7 p.m.

Nov. 18 ....................................... Bethesda College, 2 p.m.

Nov. 23 ................. Northwest Nazarene at Boise, 6 p.m.

Nov. 24 ...................... UC Santa Barbara at Boise, 6 p.m.

Nov. 27 ..................... West Coast Baptist College, 7 p.m.

Dec. 1 ............................................. at North Dakota, 1 p.m.

Dec. 5 ................................... at Washington State, 6 p.m.

Dec. 8 ............................................ CSU Bakersfield, 7 p.m.

Dec. 15 ........................................ Nebraska-Omaha, 3 p.m.

Dec. 21 .............................................. at Santa Clara, 7 p.m.

Dec. 29 .................................................. Idaho State, 7 p.m.

Dec. 31 ................................................ Weber State, 2 p.m.

Jan. 3 ............................... Eastern Washington, 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 5 ................................... at Northern Colorado, 6 p.m.

Jan. 10 ............................................. Montana State, 7 p.m.

Jan. 19 ........................................................ Montana, 7 p.m.

Jan. 24: ........................... at Sacramento State, 7:05 p.m.

Jan. 26 ........................................ at Portland State, 7 p.m.

Feb. 2 .......................................... Northern Arizona, 7 p.m.

Feb. 4 .............................................. Southern Utah, 7 p.m.

Feb. 7 .................................................... at Montana, 6 p.m.

Feb. 9 ........................................... at Montana State, 1 p.m.

Feb. 14 ..................................... Northern Colorado, 7 p.m.

Feb. 18 .............................. at Eastern Washington, 4 p.m.

Feb. 21 .............................. at Northern Arizona, 5:30 p.m.

Feb. 23 ......................................... at Southern Utah, 1 p.m.

Feb. 28 ............................................. Portland State, 7 p.m.

March 2 ..................................... Sacramento State, 7 p.m.

March 7 .......................................... at Weber State, 6 p.m.

March 9 ...................................... at Idaho State, 6:05 p.m.

WHITWORTH MEN

Nov. 2 .............................. at Montana (exhibition), 6 p.m.

Nov. 16 ........................... St. Olaf at Newberg, Ore., 1 p.m.

Nov. 17 ......................... Whittier at Newberg, Ore., 1 p.m.

Nov. 23 ............... at Trinity (Tex.) at San Antonio, 1 p.m.

Nov. 24 .................... Texas-Dallas at San Antonio, 1 p.m.

Nov. 30 .................................................. Willamette, 8 p.m.

Dec. 1 .................................................. Pacific (Ore.), 6 p.m.

Dec. 8 ......................................................... La Verne, 1 p.m.

Dec. 10 ..................................................... D’Youville, 7 p.m.

Dec. 16 ................. Whitworth Alumni (exhibition), 1 p.m.

Dec. 19 ..................................... Concordia Chicago, 7 p.m.

Dec. 29 .................... Johns Hopkins at Las Vegas, 4 p.m.

Dec. 30 .................. Emory & Henry at Las Vegas, 4 p.m.

Jan. 4 ............................................ at Lewis & Clark, 8 p.m.

Jan. 8 ........................................................ Whitman, 8 p.m.

Jan. 11 ............................................... at George Fox, 8 p.m.

Jan. 12 ...................................................... at Linfield, 6 p.m.

Jan. 18 ................................................ Puget Sound, 8 p.m.

Jan. 19 ........................................... Pacific Lutheran, 6 p.m.

Jan. 25 ........................................... at Pacific (Ore.), 8 p.m.

Jan. 26 .............................................. at Willamette, 6 p.m.

Jan. 29 .................................................. at Whitman, 8 p.m.

Feb. 2 ................................................ Lewis & Clark, 6 p.m.

Feb. 8 ........................................................... Linfield, 8 p.m.

Feb. 9 ................................................... George Fox, 6 p.m.

Feb. 15 ...................................... at Pacific Lutheran, 8 p.m.

Feb. 16 ........................................... at Puget Sound, 6 p.m.

CCS MEN

Nov. 3 ................ Eastern Region Jamboree, Pasco, TBA Nov. 11 ........................... at Whitworth (scrimmage), TBA

Nov. 16 ............................................ CCS alumni, 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 23 .................... Red Devil Classic at Longview, TBA Nov. 24 ................... Red Devil Classic at Longview, TBA Nov. 25 .................... Red Devil Classic at Longview, TBA Nov. 30 .............................................. Bigfoot Classic, TBA Dec. 1 .................................................. Bigfoot Classic, TBA Dec. 2 ................................................. Bigfoot Classic, TBA Dec. 7 ............. Dale J. Bates Invitational at Eugene, TBA Dec. 8 ............ Dale J. Bates Invitational at Eugene, TBA Dec. 9 ............ Dale J. Bates Invitational at Eugene, TBA Dec. 14 .......... NWAC Crossover at Roseburg, Ore., TBA Dec. 15 .......... NWAC Crossover at Roseburg, Ore., TBA Dec. 16 .......... NWAC Crossover at Roseburg, Ore., TBA Dec. 29 .................................................... at Everett, 6 p.m.

Jan. 2 .................................................... Walla Walla, 8 p.m.

Jan. 5 ........................................................ Big Bend, 4 p.m.

Jan. 9 ........................................... at Yakima Valley, 8 p.m.

Jan. 12 ....................................... at Treasure Valley, 4 p.m.

Jan. 16 ....................................... at Columbia Basin, 8 p.m.

Jan. 19 ....................................... Wenatchee Valley, 4 p.m.

Jan. 21 ......................................... at Blue Mountain, 8 p.m.

Jan. 23 ................................................. North Idaho, 8 p.m.

Jan. 30 ............................................. Yakima Valley, 8 p.m.

Feb. 2 ................................................... at Big Bend, 4 p.m.

Feb. 6 .............................................. at Walla Walla, 8 p.m.

Feb. 10 ........................................... Treasure Valley, 4 p.m.

Feb. 13 ........................................... Columbia Basin, 8 p.m.

Feb. 16 .................................. at Wenatchee Valley, 4 p.m.

Feb. 20 ............................................ at North Idaho, 8 p.m.

Feb. 27 ............................................. Blue Mountain, 8 p.m.

NIC MEN

Nov. 17 ................................................ Peninsula, 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 23 . Central Wyoming at Rock Springs, Wyo., TBA Nov. 23 Western Wyoming at Rock Springs, Wyo., TBA Nov. 29 ............................................... Shoreline, 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 30 ........................................ Grays Harbor, 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 1 .................................................. Medicine Hat, 4 p.m.

Dec. 6 ............................. at San Jose City College, 6 p.m.

Dec. 7 ............... Monterey Peninsula at San Jose, 4 p.m.

Dec. 8 ... San Francisco City College at San Jose, 6 p.m.

Dec. 11 .................... Spokane Club/GU Alumni, 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 27-29 Fiesta Bowl JC Shootout at Mesa, Ariz., TBA Jan. 2 .............................................. at Big Bend, 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 5 ............................................. Treasure Valley, 4 p.m.

Jan. 12 .................................................. Walla Walla, 4 p.m.

Jan.. 16 ............................ at Wenatchee Valley, 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 19 ......................................... at Blue Mountain, 4 p.m.

Jan. 21 ...................................... Columbia Basin, 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 23 ..................................................... at CCS, 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 26 ............................................. Yakima Valley, 4 p.m.

Feb. 2 ........................................ at Treasure Valley, 4 p.m.

Feb. 6 .................................................. Big Bend, 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 9 .............................................. at Walla Walla, 4 p.m.

Feb. 13 ...................................... Wenatchee Valley, 4 p.m.

Feb. 16 ............................................. Blue Mountain, 4 p.m.

Feb. 20 ......................................................... CCS, 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 23 ........................................ at Yakima Valley, 4 p.m.

Feb. 27 ................................ at Columbia Basin, 7:30 p.m.

GONZAGA WOMEN

Nov. 2 ...................................... Carroll (exhibition), 6 p.m.

Nov. 7 ......................................................... Montana, 7 p.m.

Nov. 11 ............................... at Eastern Washington, 2 p.m.

Nov. 13 .................................................. Idaho State, 6 p.m.

Nov. 17 ........................................................ at UNLV, 3 p.m.

Nov. 22 ................ Notre Dame at Vancouver, B.C., noon Nov. 23 ......................................... TBD at Vancouver, B.C.

WSU WOMEN

Nov. 6 ..................................................... Utah State, 7 p.m.

Nov. 11 ................................................... Saint Mary’s, 1 p.m.

Nov. 16 ...................................................... Nebraska, 7 p.m.

Nov. 18 ....................................................... UC Davis, 1 p.m.

Nov. 23 ................................................. at CSUN, 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 24 .................................................. TBD at Northridge Nov. 29 ............................................. San Francisco, 7 p.m.

Dec. 1 ...................................................... Boise State, 1 p.m.

Dec. 9 .................................................... at Gonzaga, 2 p.m.

Dec. 19 ............................. Kansas at Las Vegas, 2:30 p.m.

Dec. 20 ................................................... TBD at Las Vegas Dec. 30 ........................................... at Washington, 2 p.m.

Jan. 4 ............................................ at Oregon State, 7 p.m.

Jan. 6 ....................................................... at Oregon, 3 p.m.

Jan. 11 ................................................................ Utah, 7 p.m.

Jan. 13 ......................................................... Colorado, noon Jan. 18 ............................................ at California, 11:30 a.m.

Jan. 20 .................................................... at Stanford, noon Jan. 25 .......................................................... Oregon 7 p.m.

Jan. 27 ................................................. Oregon State, noon Feb. 1 .......................................................... at UCLA, 7 p.m.

Feb. 3 ............................................................ at USC, 2 p.m.

Feb. 7 ................................................ Arizona State, 7 p.m.

Feb. 9 ............................................................ Arizona, noon Feb. 15 ................................................. Washington, 7 p.m.

Feb. 22 ................................................. at Colorado, 6 p.m.

Feb. 24 ......................................................... at Utah, 11 a.m.

March 1 ....................................................... Stanford, 7 p.m.

March 3 ...................................................... California, noon

EWU WOMEN

Nov. 4 ...................... Simon Fraser (exhibition), 1:05 p.m.

Nov. 11 .................................................. Gonzaga, 2:05 p.m.

Nov. 14 .................................... Eastern Oregon, 6:05 p.m.

Nov. 17 ....................................... at Brigham Young, 1 p.m.

Nov. 21 ........................................................ Utah, 4:05 p.m.

Nov. 28 ................................................... at Cal Poly, 11 a.m.

Dec. 2 ............................................. Fresno State, 1:05 p.m.

Dec. 7 ............................................... at Boise State, 6 p.m.

Dec. 14 ........................... Oregon State at Maui, 4:30 p.m.

Dec. 15 ............................ UC Riverside at Maui, 2:30 p.m.

Dec. 29 ............................................ at Weber State, 1 p.m.

Dec. 31 .............................................. at Idaho State, 5 p.m.

Jan. 3 ...................................................... at Idaho, 5:15 p.m.

Jan. 7 .................................. Northern Colorado, 6:05 p.m.

Jan. 10 ................................................... at Montana, 6 p.m.

Jan. 19 .......................................... at Montana State, 1 p.m.

Jan. 24 ....................................... Portland State, 11:05 a.m.

Jan. 26 ................................. Sacramento State, 2:05 p.m.

Jan. 31 ................................... at Southern Utah, 4:30 p.m.

Feb. 2 ...................................... at Northern Arizona, 1 p.m.

Feb. 7 ......................................... Montana State, 6:05 p.m.

Feb. 9 ................................................... Montana, 2:05 p.m.

Feb. 14 ................................. at Northern Colorado, 6 p.m.

Feb. 18 ....................................................... Idaho, 2:05 p.m.

Feb. 21 ....................................... Southern Utah, 6:05 p.m.

Feb. 23 .................................. Northern Arizona, 2:05 p.m.

Feb. 28 .................................. at Sacramento State, 7 p.m.

March 2 ....................................... at Portland State, 2 p.m.

March 7 ........................................... Idaho State, 6:05 p.m.

March 9 ......................................... Weber State, 2:05 p.m.

IDAHO WOMEN

Nov. 2 ............. Lewis-Clark State (exhibition), 5:30 p.m.

Nov. 6 ................................... Cal State Northridge, 6 p.m.

Nov. 11 .................................................... at Stanford, 2 p.m.

Nov. 17 ............................................... at Texas Tech, 1 p.m.

Nov. 23 ............ Boise State at Long Beach, Calif., 7 p.m.

Nov. 24 ........................................... at Long Beach, 4 p.m.

Dec. 1 ................................................. San Francisco, 2 p.m.

Dec. 5 ........................................................... at Hawaii, TBA Dec. 8 .................................................... at Wyoming, noon Dec. 20 ................................................. at Gonzaga, 2 p.m.

Dec. 29 ................................................ at Idaho State, TBA Dec. 31 ............................................... at Weber State, TBA Jan. 3 ................................ Eastern Washington, 5:15 p.m.

Jan. 5 ....................................... Northern Colorado, 2 p.m.

Jan. 10 ............................................ at Montana State, TBA Jan. 19 ....................................................... at Montana, TBA Jan. 24 ...................................... Sacramento State, 6 p.m.

Jan. 26 ............................................. Portland State, 2 p.m.

Jan. 31 ....................................... at Northern Arizona, TBA Feb. 2 ............................................. at Southern Utah, TBA Feb. 7 ......................................................... Montana, 6 p.m.

Feb. 9 .............................................. Montana State, 2 p.m.

Feb. 16 .................................... at Northern Colorado, TBA Feb. 18 .............................. at Eastern Washington, 2 p.m.

Feb. 21 ........................................ Northern Arizona, 6 p.m.

Feb. 23 ............................................ Southern Utah, 2 p.m.

Feb. 28 ........................................... at Portland State, TBA March 2 .................................... at Sacramento State, TBA March 7 ............................................... Weber State, 6 p.m.

March 9 ................................................. Idaho State, 2 p.m.

WHITWORTH WOMEN

Nov. 16 ............................................. Montana Tech, 7 p.m.

Nov. 17 .................................................. Texas-Tyler, 4 p.m.

Nov. 20 ................................................ Walla Walla, 7 p.m.

Nov. 25 ....................................................... McMurry, 1 p.m.

Nov. 30 .................................................. Willamette, 6 p.m.

Dec. 1 .................................................. Pacific (Ore.), 4 p.m.

Dec. 7 ..................... Thomas More at Walla Walla, 4 p.m.

Dec. 8 .................... Colorado Coll. at Walla Walla, 2 p.m.

Dec. 18 .............................. at Northwest Nazarene, 1 p.m.

Dec. 29 . William Smith at Thousand Oaks, Calif., 4 p.m.

Dec. 30 ... Cal Lutheran at Thousand Oaks, Calif., 4 p.m.

Jan. 4 ............................................ at Lewis & Clark, 6 p.m.

Jan. 6 ........................................................ Whitman, 6 p.m.

Jan. 11 ............................................... at George Fox, 6 p.m.

Jan. 12 ...................................................... at Linfield, 4 p.m.

Jan. 18 ................................................ Puget Sound, 6 p.m.

Jan. 19 ........................................... Pacific Lutheran, 4 p.m.

Jan. 25 ........................................... at Pacific (Ore.), 6 p.m.

Jan. 26 .............................................. at Willamette, 4 p.m.

Jan. 29 ................................................. at Whitman, 6 p.m.

Feb. 2 ................................................ Lewis & Clark, 4 p.m.

Feb. 8 ........................................................... Linfield, 6 p.m.

Feb. 9 ................................................... George Fox, 4 p.m.

Feb. 15 ...................................... at Pacific Lutheran, 6 p.m.

Feb. 16 ........................................... at Puget Sound, 4 p.m.

CCS WOMEN

Nov. 16 ....................... CCS alumni (exhibition), 5:30 p.m.

Nov. 29: ...................... Gonzaga Club (exhibition), 6 p.m.

Dec. 2 ....................................................... Clackamas, noon Dec. 7 ................................. SW Oregon at Everett, 2 p.m.

Dec. 14 ........................................... at Skagit Valley, 6 p.m.

Dec. 15 ................................. Green River (neutral), 4 p.m.

Dec. 16 .......................... Mt. Hood at Skagit Valley, 11 a.m.

Dec. 28 ............................ Everett at Skagit Valley, 7 p.m.

Jan. 2 .............................................. Walla Walla, 5:30 p.m.

Jan. 5 ......................................................... Big Bend, 2 p.m.

Jan. 9 ..................................... at Yakima Valley, 5:30 p.m.

Jan. 12 ......................................... at Treasure Valley, 1 p.m.

Jan. 16 .................................. at Columbia Basin, 5:30 p.m.

Jan. 19 ....................................... Wenatchee Valley, 2 p.m.

Jan. 21 .......................................... at Blue Mountain, 2 p.m.

Jan. 23 ............................................ North Idaho, 5:30 p.m.

Jan. 30 ........................................ Yakima Valley, 5:30 p.m.

Feb. 2 .................................................... at Big Bend, 2 p.m.

Feb. 6 ......................................... at Walla Walla, 5:30 p.m.

Feb. 9 ............................................. Treasure Valley, 2 p.m.

Feb. 13 ...................................... Columbia Basin, 5:30 p.m.

Feb. 16 .................................. at Wenatchee Valley, 2 p.m.

Feb. 20 ...................................... at North Idaho, 5:30 p.m.

Feb. 27 ....................................... Blue Mountain, 5:30 p.m.

NIC WOMEN

Nov. 16 ................................................... at Mesa, 3:30 p.m.

Nov. 17 ......................................... at Scottsdale, 4:30 p.m.

Nov. 18 .................................... at Chandler-Gilbert, 11 a.m.

Dec. 1 .................................................. Gonzaga Club, noon Dec. 11 ................................. Fairchild Air Force, 5:30 p.m.

Dec. 16-18 ...................................... NWAC Crossover, TBA Dec. 27-29 .......... Lower Columbia College Classic, TBA Jan. 2 .............................................. at Big Bend, 5:30 p.m.

Jan. 5 .............................................. Treasure Valley, 2 p.m.

Jan. 12 ................................................... Walla Walla, 2 p.m.

Jan. 16 ............................. at Wenatchee Valley, 5:30 p.m.

Jan. 19 ......................................... at Blue Mountain, 2 p.m.

Jan. 21 ............................................ Columbia Basin, 2 p.m.

Jan. 23 ..................................................... at CCS, 5:30 p.m.

Jan. 26 ............................................. Yakima Valley, 2 p.m.

Feb. 2 ......................................... at Treasure Valley, 1 p.m.

Feb. 6 .................................................. Big Bend, 5:30 p.m.

Feb. 9 .............................................. at Walla Walla, 2 p.m.

Feb. 13 ................................. Wenatchee Valley, 5:30 p.m.

Feb. 16 ............................................. Blue Mountain, 2 p.m.

Feb. 20 ......................................................... CCS, 5:30 p.m.

Feb. 23 ........................................ at Yakima Valley, 2 p.m.

Feb. 27 ................................ at Columbia Basin, 5:30 p.m.

SPECIAL 20

G

THURSDAY

G

NOVEMBER 1, 2018

THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

LOADED CARDINALS HAVE TITLE DEFENSE IN MIND

By Ryan Collingwood THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

When the North Idaho College men’s basketball team dropped down from the scholarship-heavy NJCAA to the NWAC two years ago, many wondered if it could still bring in the Division I-level talent it had long attracted.

Fifth-year head coach Corey Symons is still making it happen.

Winning helps.

The Cardinals, the defending NWAC tournament champions, are 50-13 the past two seasons, and with a NJCAA-loaded nonconference schedule.

So when NIC begins its third season as a East Region NWAC member this month, it’ll have the services of ex-Garfield star Alphonso Anderson, a 6-foot-7 forward who transferred from the University of Montana.

At point guard, it has former West Seattle High star Nate Pryor, a Washington commit.

But perhaps the most touted player in

the league last season, RayQuan Evans, is back for his after earning NWAC tournament MVP. Evans, a 6-foot-4 guard from Billings, averaged 22 points, eight rebounds and four assists last season, and his brand of athleticism has piqued the interest of many Division I programs.

Oregon, Georgia and Utah are among the bigger programs that have contacted Evans, according to Symons.

The Cardinals also welcome back 6foot-8 post Jarod Green, who averaged 10 points and five rebounds as a freshman.

Keegan Crosby, who played for Brandon Roy at then-national power Nathan Hale High School in 2017, returns at forward.

“We have about five or six Division-I-level players,” Symons said. “We’re able to recruit because of our history of sending guys (to bigger colleges) and the strength of our program.”

That won’t make winning the East Region substantially easier, he said.

The past three seasons, a team from the East Region – Walla Walla, Spokane and

WHITWORTH/NIC/CCS WOMEN

NEW PIRATES COACH INHERITS PLENTY OF VETERAN TALENT

By Ryan Collingwood THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

First-year Whitworth head coach Joial Griffith inherited a wealth of experience.

Now Griffith, a former assistant at Williams College who took over for the retired Helen Higgs, is tasked with getting the Pirates to the top of the Northwest Conference.

Whitworth returns three starters and its entire bench from last year’s 10-15 squad, including sophomore guard Camy Aguinaldo, the NWC’s Freshman of the Year.

Aguinaldo, also a second-team All-NWC selection, looks to build off of her stat-stuffing averages of 15.3 points, 5.3 assists and 4.5 rebounds.

Double-double machine Madison Moffat (12.4 ppg, 10.3 rpg) also returns after earning All-NWC recognition last season, along with fellow returning starter Alli

Kieckbusch (8.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg).

Lexi Tinney, Annie Estes, Shannon Tran and Madison Abbott combined to average 14 points off the bench last season.

Whitworth had little depth inside last season, but returns the 5foot-11 Abbott, an ex-Davenport star, and former Northwest Christian standout forward Courtney Gray, a big contributor inside two years ago who sat out with a knee injury last season and is expected to boost the Pirates.

Abbott’s younger sister, freshman guard Sydney Abbott, is also on the team. Former Mt. Spokane standout Jordan Smith is back home after transferring from NAIA Corban University in Salem, Oregon.

Tenth-ranked George Fox is expected to win the conference.

NIC – has gone on to win the NWAC tournament. NIC was swept by Walla Walla last season and split with Spokane.

“Winning the East is tough, and is always our goal,” said Symons, who won the East Region in 2017.

Yusuf Mohamed (6-10) and 6-9 James Carlson, a former Lake City standout and son of NIC women’s coach Chris Carlson, add depth inside for NIC. The Cardinals open their season at home Nov. 17 vs. Peninsula College, in a rematch of last year’s NWAC title game.

CCS men As a player, Jeremy Groth, Community Colleges of Spokane’s seventh-year head coach, set Washington scoring records at Curlew and was also the leading scorer on a Concordia University team that won a NAIA national title in 2003.

The small-school sharpshooter was a pest on defense, too.

Consider the Sasquatch a reflection of their coach.

For the past five seasons, CCS has been the NWAC’s premier scoring outfit, averaging 92 points a game last season while shooting a hair under 40 percent from 3point range.

Groth doesn’t plan on letting his foot off the pedal this season, which begins Nov. 23 at the Red Devil Classic at Lower Columbia Community College.

“We can score the ball at a high level,”

in the NWAC poll last season.

Now longtime NIC head coach Chris Carlson is working with a fresh deck of Cards.

The Cardinals return just one player from their 19-win, NWAC tournament-qualifying team in guard Zosha Krupa (5 ppg), a Sitka, Alaska, product who started 16 games.

However, Krupa won’t be the only experienced player on the floor for NIC when it opens its season Nov. 16 at Mesa Community College. Sophomore Heidi Sellman, a transfer from Ridgewater College, is expected to help the Cardinals inside.

Sellman, a 5-foot-11 forward from Minnesota, averaged 15 points and 12 rebounds a game at her former junior college.

NIC also expects big production from former Lake City standouts Keara Simpson, a 6-foot post, and Halle Eborall, a 5-foot-6 guard.

CCS returns key pieces

By the time the Community Colleges of Spokane women's basketball team was in the home stretch of its East Region schedule last season, it was one of the youngest teams, with the thinnest A new-look North Idaho benches, in the NWAC. The Sasquatch still finished 14A sophomore-heavy roster helped the North Idaho College 13, but missed the NWAC tournawomen get ranked as high as No. 3 ment.

said Groth, whose team finished tied for second in the East Region with rival NIC last season. “We’re excited to get things going.”

The Sasquatch lost two-time All-East Region forward Cesar Sandoval (now at NAIA Northwest University in Kirkland) and most of its scorers to graduation, but Groth believes his new personnel will keep them humming along.

Former Lewis and Clark standout guard Dedrick Pakootas is a returning starter who averaged 13.7 points last season, and shot 41 percent from 3-point range. Isaiah Gotell (7.9 ppg) and JR Delgado (5.5 ppg) round out the experienced returners.

Former Northwest Christian standout Asher Cox, a 6-foot-8 forward, redshirted last season and is expected to help the Sasquatch inside.

Most of Groth's players are from Spokane and Kootenai counties.

Along with Pakootas and Cox are former area prep standouts Anthony Smith (Lewis and Clark), Tanner McCliment-Call (Post Falls), Hunter Schaffer (Lake City), Jaelon Stith (Medical Lake), Damion Carter (Ferris) and Garrett White (North Idaho Christian).

They’ll grow up quick in the East Region, Groth said, which has produced the NWAC tournament champion the past three years: Spokane in 2016, Walla Walla in 2017 and North Idaho last season.

“It’s such a good league, and there’s really no room for slip-ups,” Groth said.

TYLER TJOMSLAND/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

New Whitworth head women's basketball coach Joial Griffith was previously an assistant coach at Williams College in Massachusetts.

With the return of four starters, most of its reserves and some key additions, CCS now has the appearance of a deep and dangerous squad.

All-East Region wing Jessica Olson (17.6 ppg, 7.1 rpg) returns for the Sasquatch, a team 31st-year head coach Bruce Johnson said can do a little bit of everything.

“We can play small and big,” Johnson said. “And our depth is way better, so we'll have the en-

ergy to press more.”

Former Republic star Shania Graham (12 ppg) returns at guard and 6-foot-1 Rose Mongoyak (13 ppg, 5.5 rpg) is back inside. Marissa Blair, a 5-foot-10 wing, also returns after averaging 8.8 points.

Johnson said he likes what he sees in former Lapwai star Koyama Young, a guard who signed with North Idaho last season, and Ephrata product Katelyn Ostrowski.