GNAC Recruiting Thread 2019-20

[CWU Wildcat Nation]

Never too early to start looking ahead to next season and the future! Here is the GNAC list of current letter of intent signees: http://www.gnacsports.com/mbasketball/mbbsignees/

SPU already has a good head start with 3 good signees. Shaw Anderson and Zack Paulsen both play AAU ball on Washington Supreme and were also offered by CWU. And I know Paulsen had other DII offers including Point Loma and I think even a D1 offer. Small world, but I actually recognized and met Zack Paulsen on my plane home from vacation in San Diego last fall! I assume he was visiting Point Loma. I tried putting in a good word for Central, but I couldn't get through to him apparently.

CWU just got a commitment from Foss High's Micah Pollard, widely considered the best basketball player in Tacoma this season. He averages 30.9 ppg. Good start, but CWU now needs to focus on getting some size!

Speak of the devil, but there are two forwards who are being sought by GNAC/West region programs. Ellensburg star 6'6" Steele Venters has offers from CWU, SMU, UAF, and Hilo. Green River CC 6'8" Kevin Baker holds offers from CWU, CUP, UAF, WOU, and East Bay. We will see who wins those recruiting derbies.

[tsull]

Re: GNAC Recruiting Thread 2019-20

Never too early to start looking ahead to next season and the future! Here is the GNAC list of current letter of intent signees: http://www.gnacsports.com/mbasketball/mbbsignees/

SPU already has a good head start with 3 good signees. Shaw Anderson and Zack Paulsen both play AAU ball on Washington Supreme and were also offered by CWU. And I know Paulsen had other DII offers including Point Loma and I think even a D1 offer. Small world, but I actually recognized and met Zack Paulsen on my plane home from vacation in San Diego last fall! I assume he was visiting Point Loma. I tried putting in a good word for Central, but I couldn't get through to him apparently.

CWU just got a commitment from Foss High's Micah Pollard, widely considered the best basketball player in Tacoma this season. He averages 30.9 ppg. Good start, but CWU now needs to focus on getting some size!

Speak of the devil, but there are two forwards who are being sought by GNAC/West region programs. Ellensburg star 6'6" Steele Venters has offers from CWU, SMU, UAF, and Hilo. Green River CC 6'8" Kevin Baker holds offers from CWU, CUP, UAF, WOU, and East Bay. We will see who wins those recruiting derbies.

Great list, thanks. CWU recruit averaging 30 ppg -- wow, that's in 8-minute quarters. Know very few people who have done that. Impressive.

WOU's Gant signed last year, didn't make it, is back. Interestingly, he's the all-time passing yards leader in Arizona prep history, with more than 12,000. He also played JC QB as well as hoop, but I don't think he's playing football at WOU. The other kid is a good small school kid from down the road, I think. I need to re-check that.

Good list, D2 recruiting is interesting. I was all jacked about WOU's class last year, and the 3 main guys didn't show up, including a 6-10 D-1 transfer, which would've made a big difference this year, IMO.

[MrGNAC]

Re: GNAC Recruiting Thread 2019-20

Good to see Rinta continuing the Pierce county pipeline to CWU! It was a key feeder for Sparling.

[hoosierdaddy34]

[CWU Wildcat Nation]

Re: GNAC Recruiting Thread 2019-20

Steele Venters just visited EWU this weekend and he got an offer: https://twitter.com/SteeleV24/status...82587152707585

[hoosierdaddy34]

[CWU Wildcat Nation]

Re: GNAC Recruiting Thread 2019-20

The sweepstakes for Ellensburg HS star Steele Venters has closed for CWU, UAF, SMU, and Hilo. Venters has committed to play D1 ball at EWU
https://twitter.com/SteeleV24/status...14662098370560

Kevin Baker is still undecided with offers from 6 different west region programs. http://www.verbalcommits.com/players/kevin-baker-wa

CWU has recruited 6'5" Centralia College forward Marqus Gilson. This season he averages over 19 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.

[CWU Wildcat Nation]

Re: GNAC Recruiting Thread 2019-20

2 of SPU's recruits for next season were both named state players of the year. Shaw Anderson was named the 3A POY, Clayton Whitman 2A POY. https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/...layer-of-year/

[CWU Wildcat Nation]

Re: GNAC Recruiting Thread 2019-20

Rainier Beach PG Kenny Curtis committed to Saint Martin's: https://www.prephoops.com/2019/03/co...nier-beach-hs/

Another Naim Ladd? (maybe 2 inches taller)

[tsull]

Re: GNAC Recruiting Thread 2019-20

Rainier Beach PG Kenny Curtis committed to Saint Martin's: https://www.prephoops.com/2019/03/co...nier-beach-hs/

Another Naim Ladd? (maybe 2 inches taller)

Rainier Beach has a great program. I don't think Saint Martin's is going away.

[tsull]

Re: GNAC Recruiting Thread 2019-20

Is redshirting good or bad in college hoops? Many D-1 fans think it's only good for football, not hoops. Just wondering as WOU lost a pretty good recruit from last year, a big prep scorer from Beaverton, who is transferring. Two guys from the Seattle area (both freshman redshirts) transferred out a couple years ago. Kaleb Warner was a very good redshirt senior this year, starter who made a big impact. The other 5th year senior redshirt, Berg, struggled to get playing time. A current redshirt, Gonzales, is a D-1 transfer and former Oregon player of the year, high hopes for him.

Just wondering if you think redshirting is working in today's hoop world or not. Seems like kids aren't patient enough to sit out.

[CWU Wildcat Nation]

Re: GNAC Recruiting Thread 2019-20

CWU wins the Kevin Baker sweepstakes! He picked CWU over 6 other D2 offers (5 from West Coast), including WOU, Concordia-Portland, Fairbanks, and even the mighty Point Loma! This is huge for CWU, as they really need some size and athleticism to the front court. He could be the next Joseph Stroud or Kevin Davis.
https://twitter.com/coachdrakeg/stat...49867242479616
https://twitter.com/GatorsMensBball/...54639106338823

CWU also picked up Rayvaughn Bolton from Eastern Arizona. He prepped at Kentwood where we won a state title.

[tsull]

Re: GNAC Recruiting Thread 2019-20

CWU wins the Kevin Baker sweepstakes! He picked CWU over 6 other D2 offers (5 from West Coast), including WOU, Concordia-Portland, Fairbanks, and even the mighty Point Loma! This is huge for CWU, as they really need some size and athleticism to the front court. He could be the next Joseph Stroud or Kevin Davis.
https://twitter.com/coachdrakeg/stat...49867242479616
https://twitter.com/GatorsMensBball/...54639106338823

CWU also picked up Rayvaughn Bolton from Eastern Arizona. He prepped at Kentwood where we won a state title.

That's a great get for them. Finding a quality big man at any level is tough. Oregon State (3rd in the Pac-12) had a walk-on as their starting center, great defensive player (led nation in blocks), but still a walk-on. WSU didn't have a big man, UW's "big man" Dickerson is 6-7 and so on. WOU didn't really have a big man this year. They are tough to find and in today's guard-oriented AAU world, it's even tougher to find one with skills. Good job CWU in getting Baker.

[CWU Wildcat Nation]

Re: GNAC Recruiting Thread 2019-20

Is redshirting good or bad in college hoops? Many D-1 fans think it's only good for football, not hoops. Just wondering as WOU lost a pretty good recruit from last year, a big prep scorer from Beaverton, who is transferring. Two guys from the Seattle area (both freshman redshirts) transferred out a couple years ago. Kaleb Warner was a very good redshirt senior this year, starter who made a big impact. The other 5th year senior redshirt, Berg, struggled to get playing time. A current redshirt, Gonzales, is a D-1 transfer and former Oregon player of the year, high hopes for him.

Just wondering if you think redshirting is working in today's hoop world or not. Seems like kids aren't patient enough to sit out.

CWU probably could've and should've redshirted two of their guards last year, Lewis Pope and Marcus Austin. They saw pretty limited playing time and their youth, lack of confidence and experience really showed. A redshirt year would've helped them both a lot. They barely played and didn't really need to play, so they pretty much wasted a year.

[hoosierdaddy34]