Monday morning's WAC digest

So Idaho and Boise State will match up December 31 on a neutral court. Thank you for the sanity of Don Verlin and Leon Rice.

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Dayton Morinaga triple teams readers/viewers with more multiple media of Hawaii's open gyms.

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Here's Frank Burlison on Marqueze Coleman's play in a tourney this weekend:

"In its only game the Mission Hills Alemany team demonstrated why it could be part of Southern California’s preseason Top 10 clubs with a wire-to-wire victory over Walker and his Culver City teammates. Six-three Marqueze Coleman, who committed to the University of Nevada (Reno) last week, was (along with Taft’s Jones and Culver City’s Walker) one of the three most impressive seniors in the event"

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Not WAC-related but liked this separating-the-poseurs-from-the-sincere article on John Lucas' training for NBA-ers.

An update on Marcus Colbert

Marcus Colbert is a 5-foot-11 high school backcourter out of Post Falls High in Post Falls, Idaho (near Spokane) and he and his team are coming off a successful 23-5 fourth-place state finish season. The year before, the Trojans went 22-4 and won the state 5A championship.

Twice named to an All-Idaho first-teamer and a four year starter, Colbert averaged around 20 points per game in 2010-11.

Recently, PTW talked with Post Falls Coach Mike McLean who was very positive about his senior guard.

"Marcus is extremely strong, a 190 pound bowling ball like former Connecticut player Khalid El-Amin. He can get into the lane and break down defenses whether it be man or zone. He's a four year starter and a winner and leader who wills his team to play better and win. He is our    most consistent competitor."

McLean also said that Colbert is an academic qualifier.

As for recruiting, Mclean offered that "Idaho is pursuing him [Colbert] but has not offered" and added "I would be surprised if he signs early."

McLean also said that San Jose State University is not involved with Colbert.

Worth noting is that Colbert's former Post Hills teammate and fellow guard, Connor Hill, is a freshman member of the Vandal basketball team.

A brief Sunday roundup of WAC basketball items

Gary Wilkinson keeps doing it for his New Zealand squad.

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The WAC so far is breaking a trend -- the latter being junior college transfers signing late rather than in November so that they can know who else will be on the roster and thus their competition for immediate PT:

IDAHO

* Tim Johnson, guard, LA Trade Tech

LOUISIANA TECH

* Demetrius Moore, forward, Northwest Florida State College

UTAH STATE

* Sean Harris, forward, Yuba College

NEVADA

* Rafael Carter, forward, Diablo Valley College

* Marqueze Coleman, guard, CA HS

Thus far, only Coleman is out of the high school ranks.

Hawaii interested in an Antelope Valley College backcourter

Mel Grussing (do bookmark his fan site, the best JC one in the nation) includes a note on Hawaii corresponding with a sharpshooting guard at Antelope Valley College.

Paul Millsap honored

Paul Millsap is entering the Louisiana Tech Athletics Hall of Fame and rightly so. A so-called nose for the ball isn't a trait anyone is born with -- it's developed through hard work and desire and that epitomizes Millsap.

Saturday's world of WAC hoops

Steve Forbes (the Northwest Florida State College coach not the magazine guy) has tweeted:

"Congrats 2 Raider Demetrius Moore! He committed 2 Louisiana Tech this am. HC Mike White & former NWF/OW Asst Issac Brown did a great job!"

Moore is 6-foot-8, 220 and will be a junior when he arrives in Ruston. Out of the Florida prep ranks, Moore played in 21 games last season, shooting 41% from the floor while averaging 4.8 points per game. He grabbed 3.4 rebounds a contest.

Here's a 2010 article about Moore moving from high school to the JC ranks.

Here's a photo of him dunking last season.

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Adam Zagoria has a nice feature on Seton Hall's Herb Pope, the former New Mexico State frontcourter.

Heading into the weekend with a full-on Friday WAC hoops digest

Rate the Louisiana Tech season ticket basketball video. It wins PTW's approval although some may say that's the kiss of death.

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ESPN's Diamond Leung quotes Brady Jardine about Utah State basketball, version 2011-12. What's interesting is that Leung mentions Nevada and New Mexico State as WAC contenders but Hawaii is not mentioned. Chalk it up to an oversight and not a slight.

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Josh Gershon has tweeted that 6-foot-7 235 pound Arizona prep Stacy Davis has given a verbal to Pepperdine. Fresno State and Utah State had offered. Davis tripped to Fresno but three other Arizonans populate the Wave roster and one in particular swayed Davis.

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Chris Murray has a post up primarily about Rafael Carter, a frontcourter at Diablo Valley College in CA. Take it to the bank, Carter will be with the Wolf Pack next season.

Chris also offers a Feature on recruiting target Aaron Anderson.

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In the comments section of his article, Brian McInnis confirms that backcourter Gerry Blakes is at a CA JC -- for a short while.

Thursday's WAC-aroo

Courtesy of Dayton Morinaga, UH newcomer Garrett Jefferson receives the trifecta of media treatments. PTW is also interested in Jefferson's defensive prowess and how that came to be since that's an element more often than not given lip service and quickly forsaken.

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Tony Jones writes about a Texas prepster visiting Logan this weekend who could longterm address a physical need for the Aggies.

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Hey if Long Beach State can pull this off...

Granted, friendship and being geographically on the way to another destination played major roles but that doesn't lessen the credit due to Coach Monson. Will this be inspiration for ... Probably not.

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Not necessarily WAC-related but possibly...

Humor guarantees an advertising result even if it's just in awareness of a product and Colorado State Coach Tim Miles is working it. Coming off a 19-win season aids the sale-ability.

Imagine what the late Abe Lemons would have done with Twitter. Here are some of his beauties:

"You out rebounded a dead man by one."
After a 7 foot center got only one rebound in the first half of a game.

and

When asked how to stop illegal recruiting Abe said, "Just give every coach the same amount of money and tell them they can keep what’s left over."

and

" We went to Alaska once and they made us honorary Alaskans. Then we went to Hawaii and they made us honorary Hawaiians. We're going to the Virgin Islands this year."

Is there a WAC coach who could pull this off?

Fresno State checking out Westwind Prep

Here's a tweet from Westwind Prep Coach Adam Desautels:

"Coaches from Washington State, Montana, and Fresno State were on campus today to check out a Westwind Prep practice"

Here's the Westwind 2011-12 roster.

Sean Harris to go from 49er to Aggie

photo courtesy of Brian Drake/Appeal Democrat

It was a lot of little things that added up to a big one recently when Yuba College frontcourter Sean Harris offered a commitment to Coach Stew Morrill and Utah State.

Speaking with Yuba Coach Doug Cornelius recently provided the opportunity to learn more about both Harris and the background of his decision.

Harris was the team MVP as a senior at Rocklin High. At 6-foot-6 and 200 pounds, he averaged 16.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.6 steals and blocked two shots a game. 

He then moved over to Yuba College and put up 14.9 points and 11.7 rebounds a contest in the 2007-08 season in which Yuba went 32-4. "He was the MVP for us too," Cornelius said.

Then it was almost UC Santa Barbara for him, but Harris signed a letter-of-intent with Coach Jim Les and Bradley of the Missouri Valley Conference after sorting through multiple D-1 offers. He would have three years of eligibility remaining.

At that point, it was a period of time off to prepare for his LDS mission in San Pedro, Honduras scheduled to begin in August 2009.

While Harris was on his mission, Les (now the head coach at UC Davis) was let go at Bradley in early March 2011 and Harris eventually asked for and received his BU release.

He returned to the United States in early July 2011 as a college basketball free agent so to speak. It was then decided that a second season at Yuba was the best route to take.

Here's Cornelius on his 6-foot-8 sophomore: "Sean had offers from Utah State, UC Santa Barbara and Idaho, with UC Davis and BYU really interested. He went to Utah State and fell in love with it. He thought it was a great social fit. They showed him love and he is a very loyal kid. Sean came back and said, 'Coach, I'm done.'"

It didn't even take witnessing a game in The Spectrum, Wild Bill and all, to win Harris over.

What's fascinating is that BYU was Harris' dream school, plus his mother went there. But even without the Jimmer, the Cougar roster has three freshman -- one at 6-foot-8, two at 6-foot-10, also a 6-foot-9 sophomore, a 6-foot-8 junior plus a 6-foot-9 junior. Such played a factor in Harris' decision to go with Aggieville.

Cornelius continued, "Sean hasn't played in three years but is an extremely hardworking kid with a high motor. I call him a skilled four, someone skilled and strong who really runs the court. He has put on 15-20 pounds of muscle and is going to be a really hard matchup but first he needs to get his legs back.

As always, Yuba will be in the fight for a state championship in the upcoming season with Harris as a key component.

All Nevada so far this WAC basketball Wednesday

It's Marqueze Coleman Wednesday as Chris Murray reports that the SoCal backcourter will be deciding on his college today. Does he goes with the freshest in mind?

UPDATE: Chris reports that Mr. Coleman has decided.

Edging into prolific considering it's the off season, Chris also offers another entry on more visitors coming to Reno.

One, frontcourter Rafael Carter, will sign with Nevada in November.

Tuesday and the wide world of WAC basketball

Didja hear the latest? The University of Vladivostok has submitted a petition to join the Pac-12. Hey, it's on the Pacific Ocean.

Plus, my cousin Kylie Anderson is headed to UCLA next year but everyone on the 'net is spelling her name incorrectly.

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Anyway, Bob (Mr. Mslacat) Robinson has posted that Marcus Colbert has an offer from San Jose State and interest from Idaho, as well as others in various stages of suitorship. Colbert is a 5-foot-11 guard from a town not far from Spokane.

Here's a March 2011 description from his coach as it appeared in the Idaho Statesman:

"Marcus Colbert, Post Falls Trojans
 
A two-time All-Idaho first-teamer, Colbert averaged 16 ppg, 5.2 rpg and 4.9 apg. “Can get into the lane and create for himself and teammates as well as anyone in the state,” Post Falls coach Mike McLean said of the 5-foot-10 guard"

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Andrew Maurins at Silver & Blue Sports offers an interesting numerical look at Nevada's basketball schedule.

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Jeff Goodman has a post up on Braeden Anderson containing two money quotes, no pun intended:

"For the right situation, I'll find a way to pay this year,"

and

"I've had time to look into the situation and I just want to play big-time college basketball,"

He wants to be at a power school a la Kansas.

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That was quick: Chad Rykhoek. a Texas prepster mentioned here yesterday in conjunction with Fresno State and many others, has gone with Baylor.

Fresno State still in the running for Robert Upshaw

Robert Upshaw has dropped USC and Maryland from his list of suitors but Fresno State (and others) remains in the running from the San Joaquin big.

A light Monday morning WAC hoops roundup

Chad Rykhoek, a 6-10 forward/center out of Fort Worth, has a Fresno State offer (and others -- he has visited Missouri with Rice, Nebraska and Colorado coming up). A description of him from the Inside Texas site:

"Another big with good athleticism and explosion. Has good feel around the basket and can finish. Lefty. Not a super athlete and has work to do with defensive awareness."

It doesn't appear that the Bulldogs are in the mix but matters do change.

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Brian McInnis blogs about the assistant coach opening at Hawaii.

That's it so far.

Anyone have a new name?

So if the Pac-12 adds Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech as ESPN is reporting as under negotiations, what's the new conference name?

The Pac-16 seems too counterfeit unless the Lone Star State and/or the Sooner State have made a Bob Irsay-in-the-mid-of-night type shift, but westward.

How about "The Best Conference Television Could Buy"? (at least in football)