Verbal commits

[CWU Wildcat Nation]

Looks like the Verbal Commits D2 team pages are not being updated for this season. VC must not have the staffing to update the pages.

[CWU Wildcat Nation]

CWU roster update: 6'9" Eastern Arizona (JUCO) transfer Dallon Morgan is no longer on the roster or is in the team photo. CWU still has 6'9" senior Mitch Brizee, 6'10" freshman Luke Westerfield, and 7'2" junior Calvin Sisk

[Goods]

Huge get for CWU. Hometown kid guarantees they'll sell a few more tix each game. That family is incredible. 7-0 Gavin plays at Oregon State and Garrett's 6-4 twin sis is going to Oregon State for volleyball. Parents will continue to put miles on the ol' family car and spend on airline tix for another handful of years.

[CWU Wildcat Nation]

Well, moving onto the 2025 recruiting class, CWU got a hometown commit from 6'9" Ellensburg big man Garrett Mars. His brother Gavin plays at Oregon State.

[northernGNAChoopfan]

UAF adds 3 more guys, 2 with ties to Alaska. 5’10 pg Jeremiah “shish” Herserud is a great ball handler and passer originally from Palmer Alaska. Active defender although his small size causes issues at times. Not much of a shooter. 2 years of eligibility.

The Nooks also added a 6’7 forward from Kodiak Alaska who has two years left although I’m not super familiar with his game. I saw he shot 32% from 3 at the JC level last year.

Finally they added a 6’4 guard from San Jose CC. Reading the bio sounds like an athlete and tough defender. Another 30% from 3 shooter.

They definitely have targeted activity, defense and athleticism when finding guys that still available due to questionable shooting, in an era shooting is at a premium. These guys should fit Ostanik’s slow it down, run the offense, defend every possession like your life depends on it style, overall looks like they did pretty good considering the late start to recruiting. Expect a lot of tough fought 56-48 games up in Fairbanks this year,

There was a newspaper article on the roster and recruiting earlier this week too. Sounds like Ostanik says they are almost done, so maybe one or two more recruits. Paul Johnson will return along with a few who didn't see playing time last year and it's unclear whether Tyriq Luke will return. He is a Fairbanksan who transferred out at the end of last year with 2 years of eligibility left and was the team's 6th man. Would love to see him come back - he would likely fit in with Ostanik's style (he's tough).

I think you are about right on Ostanik's style, although it's been a long time since I saw one of his teams play, but I will be curious to see if there is some nuance to that or adjustments...

Roster as of now...

[Anchorage]

UAF adds 3 more guys, 2 with ties to Alaska. 5’10 pg Jeremiah “shish” Herserud is a great ball handler and passer originally from Palmer Alaska. Active defender although his small size causes issues at times. Not much of a shooter. 2 years of eligibility.

The Nooks also added a 6’7 forward from Kodiak Alaska who has two years left although I’m not super familiar with his game. I saw he shot 32% from 3 at the JC level last year.

Finally they added a 6’4 guard from San Jose CC. Reading the bio sounds like an athlete and tough defender. Another 30% from 3 shooter.

They definitely have targeted activity, defense and athleticism when finding guys that still available due to questionable shooting, in an era shooting is at a premium. These guys should fit Ostanik’s slow it down, run the offense, defend every possession like your life depends on it style, overall looks like they did pretty good considering the late start to recruiting. Expect a lot of tough fought 56-48 games up in Fairbanks this year,

[tsull]

Two guys from the Portland metro seems like a step in the right direction based on what you've said this about last year's squad.

Yes, ignoring the state of Oregon to get a bunch of Californians to finish last in the league isn't a good look. They're still not active on the Oregon prep scene, I hope that changes.

[D2Rover]

Some Western Oregon Recruiting news, they signed a 6 ft 8 guy from a San Diego junior college, he used to play for Alabama A & M, which I guess is a division one school, I don't know. There's so many D1 programs I lose track.

They got a point guard from an Oregon community college, a high school kid from the Vancouver area, I think Longview, but I'm not sure.

They are getting their best player from a couple years ago back after an injury in Javelle Collins, I thought he was a pretty decent guy.

To me the best recruit is a Walla Walla Community College guy from Beaverton, Oregon who had some excellent numbers, averaging a double-double last year.

On paper it appears they have improved, but I'll wait for the results. As harsh as I have been on the current coaching staff, I want them to succeed and build up the program.

Two guys from the Portland metro seems like a step in the right direction based on what you've said this about last year's squad.

[CWU Wildcat Nation]

Some Western Oregon Recruiting news, they signed a 6 ft 8 guy from a San Diego junior college, he used to play for Alabama A & M, which I guess is a division one school, I don't know. There's so many D1 programs I lose track.

Simple math: Alabama + Texas A&M = Alabama A&M

[tsull]

Some Western Oregon Recruiting news, they signed a 6 ft 8 guy from a San Diego junior college, he used to play for Alabama A & M, which I guess is a division one school, I don't know. There's so many D1 programs I lose track.

They got a point guard from an Oregon community college, a high school kid from the Vancouver area, I think Longview, but I'm not sure.

They are getting their best player from a couple years ago back after an injury in Javelle Collins, I thought he was a pretty decent guy.

To me the best recruit is a Walla Walla Community College guy from Beaverton, Oregon who had some excellent numbers, averaging a double-double last year.

On paper it appears they have improved, but I'll wait for the results. As harsh as I have been on the current coaching staff, I want them to succeed and build up the program.

[CWU Wildcat Nation]

CWU already dishing out offers for the 2025 recruiting class. CWU just offered hometown Ellensburg rising senior 6'9" Garrett Marrs, "little" brother of Oregon State 7-footer Gavin. https://x.com/GarrettMarrs1/status/1813352023636717776

[Anchorage]

Looks like UAF landed former 2019 Alaska all-state player Chris Lee. Talented but it hasn’t worked out for the kid to this point. Started off at Pima CC in Arizona but quickly left after the short Covid season. Sat out for a year before joining Edmonds of the NWAC where he posted pretty good numbers in the NWAC even if his 3 ball percentage dipped his sophomore season to just 32%. 6’3 SG, very athletic and a lightening first step. Was originally recruited out of HS very hard by UAA but went JC to chase the elusive D1 scholarship. After his roller coaster JC career finally ends he ends up signing extremely late with a UAF team starting basically from scratch. Maybe they can get something out of him but I think what held him back is he can be a bit of a ball stopper. That becomes Frank’s first objective with him, get Chris to play the game the right way and not always try to be a superstar.

UAF also landed a 6’4 athlete/defensive specialist from the California JC system. Mike Miller played at San Bernardino CC where he averaged 14 a game but struggled scoring the ball. Shooting just 40% from the field and 28% from 3.

Frank and Tobin doing what we expected, grabbing available talented and athletic guys who haven’t panned out to this point.

[Anchorage]

Fairbanks is getting a former CWU player in Jalai O'Keith. Didn't play much for the Wildcats but played last season at East LA College where he averaged 7.3 mpg

yeah that’s kind of where you have to go when starting recruiting on July 1st. Guys that have ability but haven’t put it together yet for one reason or another. You basically are compiling lottery tickets hoping that a couple of them are able to put it together with opportunity/playing time they may not have previously been afforded.

UAA just landed their seventh and final recruit, a freshman guard from Anchorage. He’s going to be way back on the depth chart but could have gone to Fairbanks for a lot more opportunity and sooner. Still chose UAA.

70 to 80% of the state talent comes from Anchorage and Mat Valley area. Most go out of state for JC but many have been coming back for their jr and sr years. They are going to UAA and only one (Demarcus Hall Scrivens) has chosen UAF in the last 4 or 5 years. Those are recruiting battles that UAF probably needs to win a lot more of. It’s doubtful that 60 year old former Monroe Catholic coach is going to appeal to an east side Anchorage kid but that’s probably why he quickly went after Tobin as his lead assistant. Tobin is going to have to convince those kids to come up there while Rusty is telling them that they don’t want to go to 40 below Fairbanks that rarely beats UAA, doesn’t have the facilities UAA has and there is nothing for them to do up there.

It’s a tough gig in Fairbanks which is why Sparling got up here and realized that going after lower 48 kids that don’t know what they are getting themselves into was the easier route. Bring them up in April and May for recruiting trips when the weather isn’t so bad.

It will be interesting which way the staff up there look when building their roster over the next few years. Can Tobin bring in enough Alaskan kids to give them quality depth and local appeal? Or will they recruit exclusively out of Alaska as many coaches before them have?

[CWU Wildcat Nation]

CWU signs Richland HS 6'10" Luke Westerfield. He is the fourth player on Central's roster at least 6'9" or up what could be the tallest roster they've ever had

[CWU Wildcat Nation]

Fairbanks is getting a former CWU player in Jalai O'Keith. Didn't play much for the Wildcats but played last season at East LA College where he averaged 7.3 mpg