TDCB: Return to Eastern Washington, Part 2 [Archive]

klayman

04-29-2003, 06:32 PM

No Eagles are taken in the draft. Hopefully that will change this year. More job offers roll in, including another offer from Arizona State. I might take a serious look at it next year, but I’ll finish Bailey’s last year with Eastern Washington at the very least.

We make one change to the coaching staff again this year, firing trainer Rickey Hill and hiring Jean Babul. Babul is rated excellent over Hill’s good rating, but comes at a higher cost.

Our Freshman class is ranked solid, while our composite talent level is Below Average. Both are the highest rankings in the conference, and both are improvements from last year. Our national prestige has also jumped 2 points to 29 now, 2nd highest in the conference (behind NAU). I'm handed an extremely easy schedule this year to start. I attemt to schedule some more difficult opponents for us, since I consider this year's club the best at EWU I've had, but those attempts mostly fail.

Eastern Washington Eagles Non-Conference Schedule

Wichita State
@ Miami
Texas San Antonio
@ Oklahoma State
UTEP
Pacific
@ Gonzaga
@ Oregon State
@ Pacific
@ California
@ UNLV
Georgia State
New Mexico State
Western Kentucky
@ SW Missouri State


IP Top 25 Initial Poll
Rank School Record Points Previous
1. Florida 0-0 1,350 0
2. Duke 0-0 1,258 0
3. Iowa State 0-0 1,196 0
4. Arizona 0-0 1,111 0
5. Illinois 0-0 1,026 0
6. UCLA 0-0 970 0
7. Connecticut 0-0 919 0
8. Kansas 0-0 847 0
9. Virginia 0-0 811 0
10. Kentucky 0-0 760 0
11. Michigan State 0-0 710 0
12. Tennessee 0-0 672 0
13. Texas 0-0 638 0
14. Indiana 0-0 588 0
15. Wake Forest 0-0 539 0
16. Boston College 0-0 501 0
17. Syracuse 0-0 469 0
18. Maryland 0-0 391 0
19. USC 0-0 343 0
20. Alabama 0-0 280 0
21. Cincinnati 0-0 233 0
22. Providence 0-0 185 0
23. North Carolina 0-0 154 0
24. Texas Tech 0-0 137 0
25. Mississippi 0-0 122 0

Others Receiving Votes: Mississippi St. 114, Iowa 107, Seton Hall 91,
Notre Dame 76, Stanford 61, Wisconsin 45, Temple 30, Georgetown 15,
Missouri 10, Georgia Tech 7, Michigan 4, California 4, Ohio State 3,
Auburn 3, Arkansas 2, Oklahoma 2, Vanderbilt 1, Georgia 1, Purdue 1,
Memphis 1, Texas A&M 1.

klayman

04-29-2003, 06:33 PM

Meet the 2006-2007 Eastern Washington Eagles

SG – Joey Zinn Jr(rs) (6-5, 169lbs) Zinn continued his over-achievements last year, posting solid numbers once again in his Sophomore year. He had another impressive camp, and improved his defense dramatically. Last season stats (29 Gms, 27.1 Mpg, 13.4 Ppg, 2.0 Rpg, 2.9 Apg, 43.8 Fg%, +52). AHC Reggie Fox says "...good passer and can often break down opposing defenses off the dribble...a very good outsider shooter...shows signs of being a good defender...needs more seasoning from an awareness standpoint...looks to be a starter...valuable member on the team...continued to improve each season...joy to coach and is a fan favorite."

PG – Matt Winn So(rs) (5-11, 148) We have yet to have a dominating PG, and this year is no exception. Winn improved a lot more than Mullahon did, and Price has disappointing skills, so Matt finds himself the starter. I never though I'd say this, but I sure could of used another year out of Ezra Hathaway. Last season's stats (21 Gms, 7.2 Mpg, 1.1 Ppg, 1.9 Apg, -14) AHC Reggie Fox says "...developed into a very good quarterback of the offense...makes good decisions with the ball...lack of consistency...shows signs of being a good defender...looks lost on the floor...always seems to have some kind of nagging injury...looks to be a starter...has the potential to be a good player and has really improved since last season...excited to see how he does this year."

SF – Roy Bailey Sr (6-8, 242) If it is at all possible, Bailey improved over camp this year. He has turned from very good, to scary good. With a doubt, THE BEST player in the Big Sky Conference, with no rating less than a B. His only fault is this will be his last year with us :( Last season's stats (34 Gms, 30.9 Mpg, 16.4 Ppg, 9.7 Rpg, 1.3 Apg, 2.4 Bpg, 51.9 Fg%, +141) AHC Reggie Fox says “…one of the tougher guys to defend...very good team player...makes good decisions with the ball...good defender and can contain both post and perimeter offensive threats...can really clear the glass...great positioning...can sense the flow of the game and find the open player...naturally blessed with good court vision...one of the better players on this team...come into his own...should be a banner year and he may go down as one of the better players at EWU when it is all said and done..."

PF – Eddie Anderson Sr (6-6, 241) Anderson has always been a huge contributor off the bench. In his final year at EWU, he'll get the starting spot at PF. Anderson has improved both his defense and rebounding, as well as strength during the off season in preparation for his senior year. Last season's stats (34 Gms, 18.9 Mpg, 9.0 Ppg, 4.4 Rpg, 50.4 Fg%, +28). AHC Reggie Fox says “…has some good inside moves...tough inside defender...most teams will stay away from him...can dominate the glass...one of the top rebounders on the team, maybe even in the conference...needs some more seasoning...looks to be a starter...continued to improve each season...a joy to coach and a fan favorite..."

C – Jeff Bullock Sr (6-10, 254) Bullock has continued to improve and prove my initial impressions of him wrong. He is the conference's best center, without a doubt, and could very well be the best defensive center in the nation. He was one of our steadiest and most important players last year, and will continue to be heading into his final season. Last year's stats (34 Gms, 31.0 Mpg, 6.8 Ppg, 7.3 Rpg, 52.3 Fg%, +54) AHC Reggie Fox says “…good inside moves and can even step back and hit the jumper...real tough inside defender. Most teams will stay away from him...can dominate the glass when he is motivated...one of the top rebounders on the team...can sense the flow of the game and find the open player...Players tend to really listen to Jeff when he talks...will make a good coach some day...one of the better players on this team..."

Bench:

C – Correy Cabrera Jr (6-9, 201) Cabrera is the heir apparent to Bullock. Despite limited mins last season behind workhorse Bullock, Cabrera showed lots of improvement, and with more involvement this year, he should round out his skills nicely. Last season stats(29 Gms, 9.3 Mpg, 1.6 Ppg, 1.3 Rpg, -18) AHC Reggie Fox says "…has some good inside moves and can step back and hit the jumper to keep teams honest...capable on defense, but he has not shown the desire or consistency needed to be a quality post defender...can dominate the glass...needs more seasoning from an awareness standpoint...should vie for a starting spot, but may end up as a key player off the bench...continued to improve...a joy to coach and is a fan favorite..."

G - Kevan Price Fr (6-1, 166) Price is not as talented as we would have liked, but has the potential to improve none the less. He is in a better spot than starting PG Matt Winn was in, and hopefully with continued improvement, will step up and be a future contributor on the team. Of course, if Winn isn't able to hold the floor (and I am unsure if he can right now), Price will see lots of mins filling in. AHC Reggie Fox says "...shows signs of being a good passer...lack of consistency...shows signs of being a good defender...needs more seasoning...his decision making and defensive positioning is not where it should be...a money player...count on him in late-game situations...key player off the bench...has the potential to be a good player on this team...should see some time this year as a freshman..."

G - Earl Holley Fr (6-4, 161) The biggest disappointment of the off season, we can plainly see why no other schools offered Holley a scholarship. Still, the base skills are there, and with a little luck, he might reach my lofty expectations, but I won't count on it. AHC Reggie Fox says "...raw from a playmaking standpoint...will need to improve...a little streaky from the outside...shows signs of being a good defender...needs some more seasoning...decision making not where it should be...crumbles with the spotlight...appears to be a role player...not at the level to where he can play for us right now...does not seem to have a big upside..."

C - Trenton Lofton So (6-11, 195) Lofton seemed to grab the most benefit from his limited mins last year, and should see some spot duty as a forward this year. He's really rough around the edges, but if he continues to improve could become a valuable member of this club. Last season's stats (15 Gms, 3.8 Mpg, 0.6 Ppg, 0.3 Rpg, -4) AHC Reggie Fox says "...has some good inside moves...has nice footwork as a post defender...lacks strength to matchup against top inside scorers...is not a good rebounder at this point...tends to be in the right position on defense...has a presence in the lockerroom...appears to be a role player...at best he will be depth off the bench in seasons to come..."

The rest of the bench won't really contribute this year. Mullahon stayed relatively the same player, despite his increased mins last season, and is outclassed by both Winn and Price. He won't see much of the floor unless we're hit by injuries. Williams was a pleasant surprise for a 3*, but really doesn't have the skill to compete this year. Reed and Brownlee did not improve and really have no realistic chance of getting very many mins for this team.

klayman

04-29-2003, 06:34 PM

Recruiting Targets:
We have 3 graduating seniors (Bailey, Anderson, Bullock) so 3 scholarships to hand out. After years of looking for guards, we're very desperate for forwards this year. Very desperate. Without Bailey or Anderson next year, we might very well have to run a three guard set. Unless we find some gems in recruiting, but that doesn't look like it's going to happen. Last year's recruiting class, while solid, was a major disappointment to me. I'll need another Bailey-type recruit to keep up our success. For 2006-07 our initial targets are:

1. Keith Clemmons SF (6-3. 171) 4* out of Seattle, WA. He is ranked #9 for SF, #71 Overall, and #22 in the West. He won't make you forget the name Roy Bailey, but he could be a starter here next year. No interest in us however. HS stats 15.0 Ppg, 9.9 Rpg, 2.7 Apg.

2. John McCrary SF (6-6, 166) 3* out of Cody, WY. Ranked #35 SF, #48 in the west, #171 overall, John has good skills, but isn't really on the same level as Clemmons. No interest in us, again. HS Stats 14.3 Ppg, 2.8 Rpg, 3.4 Apg.

3. Marcus Williams PF (6-5, 179) 3* out of Honolulu, HI. Ranked #41 PF, #51 in the West, #183 Overall, Marcus has very good HS stats. With his size he might make a better SF for us, but recruiting to Hawaii is expensive, I'd hate to waste all the money if he doesn't commit. He has pretty high initial interest, however. HS Stats ( 28.7 Ppg, 1.4 Rpg, 5.2 Apg)

4. Martin Palmore PF (6-7, 206) 4* out of Adams, ND. Ranked #24 PF, #34 in the West, #106 Overall. A very smart kid with tons of potential, and has already shortlisted EWU. He would fit in very nicely here. HS Stats 13.7 Ppg, 7.0 Rpg, 4.2 Apg.

5. Lee Black PG (6-1, 173) 3* out of Madison, SD. Ranked #98 in the West, Black is a 4.00 Gpa student with some nice HS stats. We're guard heavy, and will be for a couple of years, but he might be able to make an impact at EWU. He has a high initial interest. HS Stats 20.5 Ppg, 1.7 Rpg, 3.4 Apg.

What I would like is to get Palmore and Williams (convert to SF) on board early, and then go after Clemmons. Failing to land Clemmons, I'd pick up Black. It might be difficult to go after all four of them though, which is why I'd need Palmore and Williams to commit early. I'd be very happy with Clemmons, Palmore, and Williams as my commitments this year.

I decide that's the strategy I'll go for, and Clemmons, Palmore, and Williams all get aggressive efforts. I also offer a light effort to a local PF, Dusty Griffin, since I was left with $400 and unable to spend it on any of my initial targets. I also offer Palmore and Williams scholarships, in a hope to get them to commit early. I'll have to lessen the efforts in the comming weeks to offer visits to Palmore and Williams, however.

klayman

04-29-2003, 06:38 PM

Season Outlook: We've dominated the Big Sky for the last four years, and we have increased the gap between us and the other contenders this year so much that another Big Sky Title is the most likely conclusion. Anything less than our 5th straight title and 2nd straight Tournament win would be disappointing for this squad.

With Anderson in the back court, and the continued improvement of Bullock, I'll confidently go with a High Post offense this year, and with an increase in our offensive skill rely on the motion in times of trouble. We will generally run a quicker tempo as well as looking to the outside for more shots then we've done in previous years. The best defensive team in the Big Sky Conference last year, we've greatly improved in that area as well, and will likely use straight man against conference and weaker opponents, showing looks at specific zones to counter any problem areas.

This is the first team that is entirely my own, and the best team we have ever fielded. However, with the loss of Bailey and Bullock, and with no foreseeable replacements, this is probably our last year of Big Sky dominance.

klayman

04-29-2003, 06:39 PM

We offer Palmore a visit in Week 2 along with aggressive effort, and continue our aggressive effort with Willaims. Both players continue to have high interest in EWU, and Palmore looks close to making a decision. That takes up most of our funds for the week however, and Clemmons only gets a light effort, which probably puts us out of the running with him. We offer him a scholarship nevertheless.

Game 1: Wichita State Shockers (0-0) @ EWU Eagles (0-0)
We are the favorites with a 4-1 starter advantage as well. We start off on a 19-4 run, before losing our offensive momentum and leading WSU back in the game. We due keep up enough pressure to gain a 10 point lead at the break however, with a 42-32 advantage. Both Zinn and Bailey pick up early 4th fouls, so we’re forced to go to the bench for most of the 2nd. The bench does surprisingly well, led by Kevan Price’s 16 points, and we cruise to the easy 91-71 win. Anderson led the starters with 20 and 11 boards, while Price, Zinn, and Bullock all hit double digits in scoring.

Game 2: EWU Eagles (1-0) @ Miami Hurricanes (0-1)
Miami is the favorites although we hold a 3-2 starter advantage. The Hurricanes run out to a quick lead, and thanks to a 7-15 from 3pt range in the half, hold it comfortable throughout the 1st half. Bailey and Price combine for a 20 points, most late in the half to close the gap to 7, 46-39 at the break. Zinn and Winn (hehe) both find themselves in foul trouble early, so Holley and Price eat up valuable mins in the 2nd half. We narrow the difference to 3 points early in the 2nd half, but it is as close as we come on the night, as Miami just teases us into a 75-83 defeat. Bailey and Price led the Eagles with 17 each, while Eddie Anderson had another strong game with 16 in the losing effort.

klayman

04-29-2003, 06:39 PM

Kevan Price wins Big Sky Freshman of the Week, and I should say so. His week’s statline reads 16.5 PPG, 4.5 APG, 1.0 SPG, +15, 63.2% FG%, 81.8% FT%.

Week 3 brings the unexplained drop off in player interest, as both Williams and Palmore lose interest in EWU despite 2 weeks of aggressive effort. Clemmons tells me he has a verbal with USC. And if they don’t want him, he has Syracuse offering a scholarship. No way that I can compete against those two schools, so Clemmons is dropped from our list. He’s replaced with a 4* C out of San Jose, CA named Rod Bailey. Bailey seems to be waiting on an offer from Long Bench State that hopefully will never come. Williams gets an aggressive effort and a visit, which despite his drop in interest, he still accepts. Bailey and Palmore both receive moderate effort. After Williams’ visit, we should be able to offer all three players aggressive efforts in the coming weeks.

klayman

04-29-2003, 06:41 PM

And now we're all caught up. A couple of patches have been released during the dynasty's downtime, and at this point I'm on the V1.32 final patch.

klayman

04-29-2003, 07:58 PM

Game 3: Texas San Antonio Roadrunners (0-2) @ EWU Eagles (1-1)
We are the heavy favorites with a 4-1 starter advantage at home. We struggle offensively, but some late foul trouble by the Roadrunner’s puts us at the line enough to close the gap in the 1st half, and we only trail by 4, 41-37. The game remains tight throughout the 2nd half, and Bullock ties it at 73 with 2 frees with 1:34 left. A long three fails to connect, but Anderson double dribbles off the rebound and the Roadrunners get the ball back. They miss on the ensuing possession, and Bailey gets the ball back with 26 seconds left to play. Over to Winn, who turns it over for the 7th time this game, and we head into overtime. Bailey steps up in the OT for us, however, and his 7 OT points give us a nice 84-76 win. Bailey finishes with a 27 point, 22 rebound double-double, while Eddie Anderson grabbed a double-double as well with 18 points and 10 boards.

Game 4: EWU Eagles (2-1) @ Oklahoma State Cowboys (2-1)
OSU is the favorite with a 3-2 starter advantage as well. Price gets a late start in place of Winn, and it sparks us to an 11-4 run to start the game. The Cowboys 6-10 from the arc takes over the half however and we find ourselves down 44-34 at the break. A 3-2 zone stops the long range success, but the Cowboys never relinquish the lead, and we fall to a 73-80 defeat. Bailey finishes with 21 and 16 for another double-double while Kevan Price went 0 for 4, but grabbed 10 assists in the loss.

Roy Bailey grabs the Big Sky Player of the Week with a 24.0 PPG, 19.0 RPG, 2.0 SPG, 6.0 BPG, +22 week performance.

Clemmons commits to Syracuse, which must have pissed off USC. Williams and Bailey get aggressive efforts, while we can only afford a moderate effort to Palmore. Interest remains low.

RealDeal

04-29-2003, 08:13 PM

woot

klayman

04-29-2003, 09:37 PM

Game 5: UTEP Miners (2-2) @ EWU Eagles (2-2)
We are the favorites with a 5-0 starter advantage. We fall back on the 3-2 zone and dare the Miners to beat us inside. That works as we hold the Miners to only 10 for 29 in the half, including 1 for 9 from behind the arc, but turnovers prevent us from fully capitalizing and we only hold a 38-30 lead at the break. The 3-2 zone keeps the Miners off balance through the 2nd half, and despite our own poor offensive play, we score enough to walk away with the 74-57 win. Bailey and Anderson both had 16 points and 13 boards, while Zinn scored 12 in the win. Winn’s 8 1st half turnovers have cost him his starting spot to Kevan Price.

Game 6: Pacific Tigers (0-5) @ EWU Eagles (3-2)
We’re the favorites with a 3-2 starter advantage as well. We start off with a 15-3 run and hold the lead through the entire 1st half. The key stat is only 3 turnovers, the lowest turnovers in a half for us so far this year. Some late 3’s by the Tigers close the gap to only 7 though, 48-41 at the break. The Tigers get foul happy to start the 2nd, and we pull away to a comfortable 20 point lead. They close the difference late in the game, but by then it’s out of reach, giving us a 93-84 win. All starters had double digits, with Anderson leading with 16. Bailey had 15 and 15 for his 4th straight double-double, while Williams (11) and Holley (10) both contributed off the bench. It's my 100th win with the Eagles!!!

Earl Holly grabs the Big Sky Freshman of the Week, with only 8.0 PPG, 1.5 APG, 1.0 RPG statline. Poor week for the freshman in the Big Sky I would say.

No changes in recruitment, as Bailey, Williams, and Palmore remain our targets, and remain not interested.

Nyarlahotep

04-29-2003, 11:28 PM

Sweet, been waiting for this.

klayman

04-30-2003, 12:59 AM

RealDeal, Nyarlahotep: Thanks for reading. Sorry to keep you guys waiting :)

We debut at 178th on the CRI, our lowest ranking in years, and a disappointing 295th schedule rank. It didn’t help that I booked Pacific for a home and home this year (with their 0-6 record and 304th CRI.). Next up is hated Gonzaga, though.

The good news is that for the first time ever, 2 EWU players are leading the Big Sky in scoring, those two players being Roy Bailey and Eddie Anderson.

Game 7: EWU Eagles (4-2) @ Gonzaga Bulldogs (3-2)
Gonzaga grabs the favorite nod with a 3-2 starter advantage as well. We hit our first 5 shots and grab a 15-4 run out of the blocks to stun the Gonzaga crowd. Unfortunately, Bullock and Zinn each pick up 3 early fouls, and much of our explosive start stays on the bench with them, as the Zags fight back to take the 33-32 half time lead. We run into more foul trouble in the 2nd, as Bailey picks up a couple, but the bench responds, especially Earl Holley, and with 5 mins left we hold a 10 point 62-52 lead. We make it close with some poor shooting down the stretch, but pull out the 70-64 win and a huge moral victory. Anderson led all players with 14, but the real star was Kevan Prince with 12 points and 9 assists. Bailey continued his strong play with his 5th straight double-double grabbing 11 and 11, but also getting 5 blocks!

Game 8: EWU Eagles (5-2) @ Oregon State Beavers (4-3)
OSU are the favorites with a 3-2 starter advantage as well. It takes 6 mins for the Beavers to miss a shot, and by then we’ve missed plenty to find ourselves in a whole. Add early foul trouble for Bailey and Zinn and you’ve got the recipe for a blowout. Instead we drop to a one-guard front, and Holly and Price lead us back into the game to only trail 38-35 at the break. Zinn fouls out early in the 2nd, shorting the bench. We do manage to steal the lead from OSU, but with 1:36 left find ourselves down by 5, 66-71. We’re force to foul and shoot the three, and put OSU at the line up 77-75 with 16 seconds to play. They miss the first, hit the second, giving us enough time for a shot. Price gets it to Bailey…the long three…no good. OSU wins 75-78. Anderson and Holley (off the bench) both grabbed 16, while Price put up 11 points and 7 assists. Bailey had 14 but only 7 boards ending his consecutive double-double streak at 5.

klayman

04-30-2003, 01:13 AM

Martin Palmore becomes our first commitment for the year. He obviously got tired of waiting for someone else to give him an offer, since he had no interest in us for the last couple of weeks. That leaves us with room to chase both Williams and Bailey aggressively this week. We also give an aggressive effort to Justin Mydra, a 5* PG out of Bonanza, OR. He hasn’t received any offers, likely due to his low 1.75 GPA. If he passes the entrance exams, I’m inclined to pass on Bailey or Williams and take Mydra instead, even with his low GPA.

Edit: Actually I change my mind about the recruiting, once again. Williams is still unsure, meaning he'll wait till week 11 to commit sucking up my budget until then. I rescind his offer, and instead offer it to 5* PF Kevin Rigby. Rigby hasn't received any offers, but is desperate to commit. If I don't get Rigby or Bailey, then I'll offer the scholarship to Mydra assuming he passes the entrance exam. If Bailey doesn't commit to EWU (and he's nowhere near it right now) and Mydra passes the entrance exams, I could get 2 5* recruits this year!!

Committed: Martin Palmore PF (****, 6-7, 206) Adams HS Adams, ND PF: #24, National: #106, Regional: #34 West. Offense: Average, Defense: Good, Handling: Good, Rebound: Good, Athleticism: Average, Potential: Excellent HS Stats 15.7 Ppg, 1.5 Rpg, 14.0 Apg 3.53 GPA

klayman

04-30-2003, 12:36 PM

Kevan Price earns his 2nd Big Sky Freshman of the Week award with an 11.5 PPG, 8.0 APG, and 1.0 RPG performance. After Bailey getting jobbed last year, we seem to be taking a lot of awards this year.

Game 9: EWU Eagles (5-3) @ Pacific Tigers (0-8)
We are the favorites away from home with a 3-2 starter advantage over the Tigers. The 93 points we had against a couple of games ago was the highest point total for the Eagles in my 5 years here. A 3-2 zone doesn’t really stop the Tigers, as they hit 57.1% from the field, but it keeps us out of foul trouble. We go 14 for 20 as well, with Bailey exploding for 16 and 7 boards in the half to give us a 44-38 lead. The 2nd half is all Eagles, and we finish the night 28 for 48 from the field and coast to the 93-68 win. Bailey has another huge game against Pacific picking up 28 points, 19 boards, and 7 blocks. Joey Zinn, who’s been quiet this year, puts 26 points on the board as well, and Kevan Price, who’s won the starting PG, grabs 12 and 9 assists.

Game 10: EWU Eagles (6-3) @ California Golden Bears (5-4)
The Golden Bears are the favorites, although we have a 3-2 starter advantage. Cal is ranked 54th in the CRI, which is our last top 100 CRI team this year. Bailey picks up some early fouls and spends most of the 1st half on the bench. The rest of the team steps up in his absence however, and holding the Golden Bears to 36% shooting, take a 42-33 lead into the break. Foul trouble continues into the 2nd half, but more troubling is our inability to score in the first 10 mins of the half. By then Cal has closed the difference and jumped to an 8 point lead. We push our way back into the game, but Cal hits two of two frees in the final 16 seconds, to hold a 3 point lead. Anderson can tie it up with a three at the buzzer, but is well within the arc and we lose by one, 69-70. Despite spending half the game on the bench, Bailey still led all scorers with 23 and 14 boards. Price had 10 and 5 assists, but all in the 1st half.

Rod Bailey gets his offer from Long Beach, so he’s probably gone. Mydra receives offers from Utah, New Mexico, and Washington despite his low GPA, so we probably don’t have much of a chance with him either, even if he does pass the entrance exams. Our interest in Rigby has convinced Duke, Virginia, and Connecticut to offer up scholarships as well. At least Rigby has some interest in us when I call him, though. Enough to come to EWU for a week 7 visit. The visit and aggressive effort takes our entire budget for the week.

klayman

04-30-2003, 08:04 PM

Kevan Price is once again Big Sky Freshman of the Week with 11.0 PPG, 7.0 APG, 1.0 SPG, +5, 53.8% (7-13) FG%, and 60.0% (3-5) 3P% for the week.

Game 11: EWU Eagles (6-4) @ UNLV Runnin’ Rebels (5-4)
Once again we hold a 3-2 starter advantage but the home team gets the nod as the favorites. We fly through the 1st half hitting 20 of 29, but our defense is suspect in the opening half. Regardless, we hold a 50-37 half time advantage, thanks to Zinn’s 12 points. Unfortunately, Zinn fouls out of the game early in the 2nd half, after I left him in with 4 fouls (I mistakenly thought he only had 3). Without Zinn, we only shoot 11 for 25 in the 2nd, but that is more than enough for the 90-73 win. All the starters hit double figures, with Anderson leading the way with 22, and Bailey getting 19 and 10 boards. Price with another strong game collecting 14 points and 8 assists.

Game 12: Georgia State Panthers (4-7) @ EWU Eagles (7-4)
The Panthers are the favorites with a 3-2 starter advantage as well. We’re currently on a 23 game winning streak at home, however. We lose Eddie Anderson early with an injury, and Cabrera steps in for him. We’re pretty much lost out there on offense shooting less than 30% for most the half, but have a significant lead in rebounding, 27-8, which gives us the 34-26 half time advantage. The Panthers control the boards much better in the 2nd, but some solid defense keeps them out of the hunt. While we shoot a horrible 35.8% on the night, the game is never in doubt for the 65-56 win. Jeff Bullock had a big game with 16 points and 10 boards, while Kevan Price continued his strong play with 13 points and 11 assists. Bailey was quiet with only 5 points (2 for 16), but pulled down 16 boards, and Cabrera grabbed 12 and 8 filling in for Anderson.

klayman

04-30-2003, 08:39 PM

Anderson is out for a month with a strained achilles. Just in time for conference play.

Mydra does the unthinkable, and passes the college entrance exams. He then promptly commits to Utah. Bailey is still unsure about where he wants to go. He gets an aggressive effort anyway. Rigby is still favorable to coming to EWU, but he has way higher prestige schools looking at him. He gets an aggressive effort anyway. I’ll probably end up with 2 walkons this year.

Kevan Price wins his 3rd straight Big Sky Freshman of the Week award, collecting 13.5 PPG, 9.5 APG for the week.

Game 13: EWU Eagles (8-4, 0-0) @ Montana Grizzlies (7-5, 0-0)
We hold a 4-1 starter advantage, but the Grizzlies are the favorites…go figure. A slow first half, as Cabrera gives us 10 quick points, and I let the bench play most of the half with the Grizzlies shooting 26.9%, and we come out with the 29-20 half time lead. Bailey gives us a quick cushion to start off the 2nd, and the bench take us most of the way through the half for the 66-56 win. Cabrera was the leading scorer with 16, while Bailey connected with 12 and 10 boards. Tim Williams off the bench for 9 points and 8 boards bodes well for the future.

And that closes out 2006 for the Eastern Washington Eagles.

klayman

05-02-2003, 03:44 AM

Rigby and Bailey remain our targets, both with aggressive efforts. Rigby is still receptive, Bailey is still uninterested. I’d imagine this will stay like this until week 11.

Tim Williams gets the Big Sky Freshman of the Week for his game against the Grizzlies. Sweet.

We’re currently 93rd in the CRI and not close to the Bubble Watch. With an increasingly easier schedule coming up, I don’t think there’s a chance we’ll get an at large bid. Of course, winning the tournament shouldn’t be too difficult this year.

Game 14: Idaho State Bengals (6-8, 1-1) @ EWU Eagles (9-4, 1-0)
We’re the favorites with a 4-1 starter advantage. Don’t forget our 24 straight home wins as well, plus 18 straight wins against conference opponents. Yes, I’m rubbing it in. But that’s all out the window as I’ve never seen a team miss so many 5 footers in my entire life. Meanwhile, ISU, the basketball gods that they are hit everything from long range and take a 41-39 lead at the break. I guess it could be worse. Somehow, despite managing to shoot only 31.5% up to this point, we take the lead early in the 2nd half. From there ISU gets into foul trouble, forgets how to bury the long range shot, and we take the 85-73 win. Bailey led the way with 19 and 13 boards, while Matt Winn replaced an ineffective Joey Zinn and put in 15 points off the bench.

Game 15: Weber State Wildcats (6-9, 2-1) @ EWU Eagles (10-4, 2-0)
We’re the favorites, but only hold a 3-2 starter advantage over the Wildcats. Joey Zinn responds favorably to being benched and grabs 8 of 9 points in a 9-2 opening, and finishes the half with 14. But for some reason, everybody else is asleep, and we only hold a 36-34 lead at the break. We are schooled by WSU in the 2nd half, but somehow manage to take the lead 62-59 with 2:32 left. It’s more of a WSU blowing the game, then anything we did. Bailey blocks the next two WSU attempts, but then throws the ball out of bounds. The Wildcats convert 1 of 2 from the line to make it a 62-60 game with 1:41 left. Every starter for EWU has 4 fouls…Price takes the inbound pass, and throws it to some pretty girl in the stands. WSU tie it up, and Zinn takes the travel at 1:00. I guess it’s OUR turn to blow the game. WSU miss the in close shot, Bullock takes the rebound…fast break and Bullock gets the ally-oop to put us up by 2 with 0:08 left. WSU chance for a prayer…no good…but Price fouls on the play…They hit 2 of 3 to send the game into OT. Nice. We miss everything in OT, and end up losing 74-75. Zinn grabs 18 in the loss, and Bailey has 12 and 12 as the home winning streak comes to an end at 25.

klayman

05-02-2003, 04:26 AM

Still no commitments as we head into the final week. That doesn’t bode to well for our chances, but nonetheless, Bailey and Rigby both get aggressive efforts.

We’re hurting offensively with Anderson out of the lineup. We have no flow. I really don’t know what to do. We escaped the ISU game with a win, but looked awful in the WSU game…sigh.

Game 16: EWU Eagles (10-5, 2-1) @ Cal State Sac Hornets (8-8, 2-2)
We’re the favorites with a 4-1 starter advantage. But as we’ve seen before that means nothing. Once again we shoot an earth shattering 33..7% from the field, but thankfully go to the line enough to take a 36-32 lead at the half. Bailey, our star player is 2 for 7 against the defensive powerhouse known as Cal State. We come alive early in the 2nd half, and although the bench lets the Hornets back into the game, they never trail by less than 5 the rest of the half, and we take the 78-66 victory. All starters had double digits, with Zinn leading the way with 17. Bailey finished with 16 and 14 boards, while the bench scored 7 points in 7 mins, and were a combined -12.

Game 17: EWU Eagles (11-5, 3-1) @ N. Arizona Lumberjacks (8-9, 0-5)
0-5 and they’re the favorites! Come on…plus they have a 3-2 starter advantage. My coaches are on crack, that’s the only possible explanation. Another night, and another game shooting less than 35%. It doesn’t help when instead of playing defense, we decide we’re going to foul NAU instead, and watch them hit 80% of their free throws. Somehow, we’re only down by 3, 39-36 at the break, but our starters are in loads of foul trouble. NAU practically throw the game into our lap with turnovers and fouls in the 2nd half, but we absolutely refuse to take advantage, missing half our free throws, and blowing easy scores. Of course, that means a 74-80 loss in another crappy performance by a team that should be dominating this conference. Bailey had 20 and 17 and everybody else was playing somewhere else tonight.

klayman

05-02-2003, 04:43 AM

Rigby commits to EWU. Duke, South Carolina, Virginia, and Connecticut all go “Huh?”. Nobody saw that one coming, but Rigby becomes our 3rd 5 star recruit…Bailey commits to San Diego, but we did manage to spend enough money on Marcus Williams that he decides to commit to us as well, despite the fact we took away his scholarship offer. So we fill our lack of forwards by signing 3 PF's this year. If Rigby is the real goods (and unlike Holley last year, there is every indication he is) he should take over for Bailey without a hitch. I was in a bad mood cause of the way the team was playing, but now I’m in a good mood. :)

Committed: Kevin Rigby PF (*****, 6-6, 197) Aiken HS, Aiken, SC PF: #6, National: #18, Regional: #7 South. Offense: Good, Defense: Excellent, Handling: Excellent, Rebound: Excellent, Athleticism: Average, Potential: Excellent HS Stats 20.3 Ppg, 9.8 Rpg, 3.0 Apg 3.34 GPA

Committed: Marcus Williams PF (***, 6-5, 179) Kaimuki HS, Honolulu, HI PF: #41, National: #183, Regional: #51 West. Offense: Good, Defense: Good, Handling: Excellent, Rebound: Average, Athleticism: Average, Potential: Poor HS Stats 20.7 Ppg, 2.9 Rpg, 5.2 Apg 3.37 GPA

Kevan Price wins the Big Sky Freshman of the Week. I’d say he’s got a good shot at Big Sky Freshman of the year right now. His statline for the week: 11.5 PPG, 6.5 APG, 1.0 Rpg, 1.0 Spg, +7, 71.4% FG%, 80.0% FT%.

klayman

05-02-2003, 04:56 AM

Big Sky Conference Standings
<pre>
Team W L PCT Overall PCT
Montana St 4 1 .800 9-8 .529
Montana 4 2 .667 11-7 .611
Eastern Wash 3 2 .600 11-6 .647
Portland St 3 2 .600 10-7 .588
Weber St 3 2 .500 7-11 .389
Idaho St 2 3 .400 7-10 .412
Cal State Sac 2 4 .333 8-10 .444
N. Arizona 1 5 .167 9-9 .500</pre>

IP Top 25

Rank School Record Points Previous
1. Kentucky 16-1 2,029 1
2. Cincinnati 16-0 1,874 4
3. Florida 18-2 1,797 5
4. Alabama 16-1 1,645 2
5. Virginia 16-2 1,518 3
6. Duke 15-3 1,437 6
7. Maryland 14-2 1,334 9
8. Iowa State 16-4 1,234 7
9. Providence 15-2 1,173 12
10. Indiana 16-3 1,100 14
11. Missouri 16-2 1,027 13
12. Illinois 13-4 969 16
13. Boston College 13-3 921 11
14. Seton Hall 17-3 850 15
15. UCLA 15-5 780 20
16. Arizona 16-5 733 18
17. Wake Forest 13-4 687 22
18. Texas 13-4 571 19
19. Syracuse 14-3 501 21
20. Auburn 14-3 406 8
21. USC 13-4 337 23
22. Georgia Tech 13-4 269 10
23. Michigan 14-3 224 24
24. Mississippi St. 13-4 201 25
25. Tennessee 13-6 177 17

Others Receiving Votes: Oklahoma 164, Kansas 151, Miami 129, Stanford 107,
Connecticut 84, North Carolina 63, Louisville 42, St. Josephs 21,
Mississippi 10, Purdue 6, Georgetown 2, Iowa 2, Arkansas 1, Vanderbilt 1,
Fresno State 1, Michigan State 1, Texas A&M 1, Ohio State 1, Texas Tech 1,
Georgia 1, St. Johns 1.

Dropped out of Top 25: none

klayman

05-02-2003, 05:49 AM

Game 18: Portland State Vikings (10-7, 3-2) @ EWU Eagles (11-6, 3-2)
I’m pretty sure that when the Vikings landed on Newfoundland, they didn’t make it all the way to the West coast and settle in Portland. We hold a 3-2 starter advantage but they are the favorites, which probably isn’t so out of reach considering how we’ve been playing in the conference so far. We quickly grab a 10-3 run followed by another 10-3 run, and then fall asleep to let PSU take the 39-37 half time lead. We play a mixed bag of crappy defense and ok offense, and PSU match us shot for shot in the 2nd half. Cabrera hits 1 of 2 to give us a 67-66 lead, less than 1 min left. PSU miss on the long three, and Cabrera goes back to line. He only gets 1 of 2 again, and PSU still have a shot, but the three grazes the rim, and Bullock grabs the rebound and buries 1 of 2 as time runs out to ice the victory, 69-66. Another horrible game saved only by Bailey’s 18 and 12, and Price’s 15.

Game 19: New Mexico State Aggies (3-15) @ EWU Eagles (12-6)
We take a welcome break from conference play, and are the favorites against NMSU, despite them having a 3-2 starter advantage. Joey Zinn doesn’t feel like playing too much today, as he picks up 3 fouls in the opening 4 mins. Zinn leads by example, and Bailey and Cabrera follow him gleefully into foul trouble, as we watch the Aggies starters eat our bench alive. Zinn comes back late in the half and scores 9 points in a 12-1 run that evens the score at 34-34 going into the break. It stays even throughout the 2nd half. I’m sure we’re a better team, but all are starters our on the bench with 4 friggin fouls. Nonetheless, we somehow manage to gain a lead despite the Aggies going 6 for 8 from 3 point range in the half, and despite hitting 1 of 8 from the line in the dying mins, manage to hold on to the lead for the 73-69 win. Just plain ugly. Zinn scores 18 despite playing less than 20 mins. Bailey with another double-double getting 14 and 10, but it wasn’t really a EWU win, it was the Aggies that lost the game.

klayman

05-02-2003, 05:56 AM

^I guess that last game is the difference between a 12-6 team and a 3-15 team, but I'm still pretty disappointed in our play. The best news after the game is Eddie Anderson returning to lineup. Cabrera played well in place of Anderson, enough for me to confidently turn to him as the starting center next year (like I have a choice), but it's nice to have Anderson back in the game.

klayman

05-03-2003, 02:00 AM

Kevan Price once again takes the Big Sky Freshman of the Week award. His statline for the week was 9.0 PPG, 5.0 APG, and 1.5 RPG.

Game 20: N. Arizona Lumberjacks (9-10, 1-5) @ EWU Eagles (13-6, 4-2)
We’re the favorites and have a 3-2 starter advantage with Anderson back in the lineup. NAU beat us for their only conference win last week. We’re a different club with Anderson in the lineup, and jump to a 22-7 lead from the start of the game. Price finishes the half with 16 and we sail into a 48-36 lead at the break. We quickly grab a 20 point lead off the strength of Bailey’s 2nd half hot streak, and NAU never threaten after that, as we cruise to the 86-67 win. Bailey leads all scorers with 21 and 16 boards while Price finished with only 16. Cabrera came off the bench for 13 points, which is always nice to see.

Game 21: Cal State Sac Hornets (9-11, 3-4) @ EWU Eagles (14-6, 5-2)
We’re the favorites with a 4-1 starter advantage. I know it’s only been one game, but if we stay healthy, I think we can easily remain undefeated the rest of the year. To Cal State’s credit, they match us shot for shot in the 1st half, but we play pretty lousy all things considered. Anderson grabs 11 points in the half showing the team that he is back, and leading us to a 32-30 half time advantage. The game remains close throughout the 2nd half, until the Hornets start burying the long range shot to take an advantage. They send us to the line enough to win the game, but a horrible 17-32 free throw shooting does us in, for the 62-67 defeat. Anderson leads all Eagles with 15 points and 14 boards. Bailey hits his usual double-double with 12 and 11, and Bullock grabbed 11 in the disappointing loss.

Kevan Price once again takes home the Big Sky Freshman of the Week award with 11.5 PPG, 4.0 APG, 60.0 % 3P%.

klayman

05-03-2003, 12:55 PM

Game 22: Montana Grizzlies (13-8, 5-3) @ EWU Eagles (14-7, 5-3)
We are the favorites with a 3-2 starter advantage. The Grizzlies are all over us in the first half, but somehow only come out with a 39-32 lead. We just can’t break their zone defense. A change to a 3-2 zone for us prevents them from scoring in the first 5 mins of the 2nd half. We, however, fail to score as well, gaining no advantage. Somehow, we fight our way through their defense and with 2 mins left, the score is knotted at 62. Zinn can’t connect on the long three…Bailey with the rebound…brick…Anderson with the rebound…blows the layup…friggin unbelievable…Montana possession…long three, good. 65-62, 1:12 left. Price gets the inbound pass…and loses it out of bounds. Montana hit both frees, and it’s 67-62, 1 min left. Zinn gives us a glimmer of hope with a three with 39 seconds left. But Montana hit both frees to put the game out of reach. Another horrible loss, 65-71 to a clearly inferior team. Anderson grabbed 17, and Bailey had 11 and 9 in the loss.

Game 23: Montana State Bobcats (11-11, 6-3) @ EWU Eagles (14-8, 5-4)
We’re the favorites with a 3-2 starter advantage, but we’re in the middle of a very trying season. The Bobcats currently sit in 1st in the conference, a spot we’re usually holding by now. Neither team brings their offense for this game. Zinn and Bailey are on the bench with foul trouble, but luckily the Bobcats are more interested in the 3, and miss enough to give us a slight 29-27 lead at the break. The game livens up a little in the 2nd, and we’re able to build an 11 point cushion. We manage to hang on, even with the subs coming on for heavy foul trouble, and win 68-57. Anderson was the leading scorer with 16 and 11 boards, while Kevan Price had a double-double with 12 points and 10 assists.

We drop to 111th in the CRI with a 257 schedule rank. The win against Montana State shoots us into our familiar first place in the Big Sky Conference however.

klayman

05-03-2003, 01:03 PM

Big Sky Conference Standings
<pre>
Team W L PCT Overall PCT
Eastern Wash 6 4 .600 15-8 .652
Montana 6 4 .600 14-9 .609
Portland St 6 4 .600 13-10 .565
Montana St 6 4 .600 11-12 .478
Weber St 5 5 .500 10-13 .435
Cal State Sac 4 6 .400 10-13 .435
Idaho St 4 6 .400 10-13 .435
N. Arizona 3 7 .300 11-12 .478</pre>

IP Top 25

Rank School Record Points Previous
1. Florida 22-3 1,963 3
2. Virginia 22-2 1,838 2
3. Kentucky 19-3 1,742 1
4. Duke 20-4 1,615 5
5. Cincinnati 20-2 1,479 6
6. Maryland 19-3 1,382 8
7. Boston College 19-3 1,311 9
8. Texas 18-4 1,211 10
9. Syracuse 20-3 1,157 11
10. UCLA 20-6 1,086 13
11. Alabama 18-4 1,010 4
12. Wake Forest 18-5 960 15
13. Indiana 19-5 909 16
14. Seton Hall 22-4 840 17
15. Iowa State 19-7 771 7
16. Illinois 17-6 725 12
17. USC 18-5 675 14
18. Arizona 19-7 562 19
19. Michigan 18-4 488 18
20. Missouri 18-5 394 21
21. Mississippi St. 17-6 327 22
22. Tennessee 17-8 261 24
23. Auburn 17-5 217 20
24. St. Josephs 19-4 194 25
25. Providence 16-6 172 23

Others Receiving Votes: Mississippi 158, Fresno State 147, Oklahoma 125,
Stanford 103, Louisville 82, Georgia Tech 61, Temple 41, Connecticut 20,
Iowa 10, North Carolina 6, Kansas 2, Miami 2, Xavier 1, Texas Tech 1,
Michigan State 1, Georgetown 1, Ohio State 1, Memphis 1, Washington St. 1,
Texas A&M 1, East Carolina 1.

Dropped out of Top 25: none

Barkeep49

05-03-2003, 04:55 PM

Just caught up on this dynasty and must say it was a thoroughly enjoyable read.

klayman

05-06-2003, 05:10 AM

Barkeep49: Glad to have you following along. :)

Game 24: EWU Eagles (15-8, 6-4) @ Portland State Vikings (13-10, 6-4)
A battle for first place in which the Vikings are favored at home, but we have a 3-2 starter advantage. We edged out PSU by 3 points at home, but were without Anderson for that game. 5 mins in, and Zinn is in foul trouble…nothing new. The Vikings tear apart our man defense however, and jump to a 11 point lead, and then inexplicitly fail to do much damage after that allowing us back in the game. Bailey waits until under a min left in the half to get his first 2 points, and that puts us up 29-27 at the break. The Vikings match us shot for shot in the 2nd half, which isn’t that hard to do when you’re shooting 35%. Eventually they pull away, but we come back due to Bailey suddenly finding the basket, and an Eddie Anderson 3 evens the score at 61 with 35 seconds left. The Vikings get called on the walk with 18 seconds left and Price has a chance to win the game, but instead doesn’t take the shot to head to OT. Zinn finally fouls out in OT, I’m surprised he held out that long. His replacement, Earl Holley hits 5 points in OT and leads us to a 79-70 win. Bullock led all scorers with16, while Bailey finished with 15 and 13 boards. Holley finished with 12 including his 5 important OT points in the win.

The win keeps us tied for 1st against Montana State with an identical 7-4 record.

Game 25: EWU Eagles (16-8, 7-4) @ Idaho State Bengals (10-14, 4-7)
We’re the heavy favorites with a 4-1 starter advantage. Turnovers and 20% shooting put us down 22-6 before we even know what hit us. At least Zinn isn’t in foul trouble. It is the bench that thankfully brings us back into this one, with Earl Holley grabbing 12 1st half points, and we only trail 33-26 at the break. We continue to play poorly, coughing up the ball at will into the 2nd half, and with piss poor shooting we fall behind. A late spurt makes things interesting, but not nearly enough as the Bengals steal a victory with a 59-64 final score. Holley finishes with 17, leading all scorers, while Anderson grabbed 14 and 10 boards. Bailey got all of his 10 points in the 2nd half, and was -7 on the night.

Earl Holley grabs the Big Sky Freshman of the Week award with a 14.5 PPG, 1.5 APG, 2.5 RPG, +8, 54.5% FG%, all off the bench. He’ll get the start next game to try to spark some life in this offense.

klayman

05-06-2003, 05:12 AM

Game 26: EWU Eagles (16-9, 7-5) @ Weber State Wildcats (12-13, 7-5)
We’re the favorites although WSU holds a 3-2 starter advantage. We’re one game behind Montana State, so a loss here pretty much ends our title hopes. Holley responds to getting the start, and he and Bailey both grab 11 1st half points leading to a 42-22 1st half advantage. Our lead quickly grows to 30 in the 2nd half, and the bench eats up valuable minutes as we cruise to the 81-56 victory. Bailey (20) and Holley (17) did the most damage, while Zinn grabbed 11 off the bench, and Price got 11 assists in the game, tying his career high.

Cal State beat Montana State, and we find ourselves back in a three way tie for 1st place with one game remaining in the conference schedule…against Montana State, of course.

Game 27: EWU Eagles (17-9, 8-5) @ Montana State Bobcats (13-13, 8-5)
Holley keeps his starting job, and we’re the favorites with a 3-2 starter advantage. Before the game, Montana won their matchup against Weber, so they hold 1st place. If we lose this game, Montana will take the Big Sky Title, as Montana State has no chance of catching them. If we win, we hold a slight 1 game overall advantage over the Grizzlies for the lead. We let the Bobcats jump to an early lead, but a couple of solid runs gives us the advantage. Despite hitting 32%, we find ourselves up 35-25 at the break, thanks in part to a huge rebound difference on our part. Of course the only remedy for a team shooting 32% is to start shooting from long range. Seems logical, if not exactly opposite from what I want the team to do. Somehow we manage to stay on top of the Bobcats, despite that less than 30% shooting, and Bailey hits our only 3 of the half to put us up by 2 with 47 seconds remaining. The Bobcats fail on their three attempt and put Bullock at the line with 30 seconds left. With the conference title on the line, he hits 1 of 2 for a 3 point cushion…would have like to hit two there, but as a coach what can you do. Well, for starters you can watch the other team hit a three from NBA range in the dying seconds to send the game into OT, tied at 70. Our great shooting continues well into the over time, where we hit 1 shot, and 5 of 10 fouls, while the Bobcats get 2 threes and a last second free throw to win the game 76-77. The way the ball bounced tonight, it was a game that the computer had decided I was going to lose. Bailey finished with 25 points and 13 boards, and Anderson joined him with a double-double as well collecting 16 points and 13 boards. Bullock grabbed 15 points and 9 boards, despite playing most of the 2nd half with 4 fouls.

klayman

05-06-2003, 05:14 AM

So just like that our reign on top of the Big Sky Conference is over, and Montana will host the tournament this year. Funny, cause this is the best team I’ve had in my 5 years at EWU, yet I’m getting man-handled by crappy conference opponents.

Holley captures his second straight Big Sky Freshman of the Week award with 13.0 PPG, 3.0 APG, 3.0 RPG, 2.0 SPG, and an impressive 39.1% FG%. That FG% was probably tops on our team for this week.

Game 28: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (13-14) @ EWU Eagles (17-10)
We’re the favorites with a 4-1 starter advantage, but my selective memory says we always lose when we are the favorite with a 4-1 starter advantage. Maybe I’m reading the charts backwards. Zinn is back in as a starter, but doesn’t last long due to early fouls. We actually hit some baskets this game, but send WKU to the line enough to only hold a 32-28 lead at the break. A change in the offensive plan works to our advantage, and a 3-2 zone stops WKU in their tracks. For awhile anyway, as we continue to let WKU close the gaps we create. We go comfortably into the final min and a half with a 12 point lead, but go 0-8 from the charity stripe down the stretch just to make things interesting, for the 69-62 win. Bailey once again topping 20 points with 23 and 13 boards. Bullock grabs a double-double himself with 12 and 12.

Game 29: EWU Eagles (18-10) @ SW Missouri State Bears (7-21)
We’re playing bad enough to have the Bears as the favorites although we have a 3-2 starter advantage. A loss here would eliminate any slim chance for the ACT that we might have. What’s this? An offensive outburst as we hit 13-21 from the field in the first half. Of course, we can’t play defense at the same time and only lead by 9, 42-33 at the break. Bailey explodes in the 2nd half and gets 17 points before fouling out late en route to a 86-78 win. All starters finished with double digits in points, Bailey (17 and 12 boards) leading the way, followed by Price (15), Anderson (13), Zinn (11) and Bullock (11) who also grabbed 11 boards.

klayman

05-06-2003, 05:15 AM

Kevan Price finishes the year with the Big Sky Freshman of the Week. His statline for the week was 11.0 PPG, 6.0 APG, 60% (12-20) FT%. Shoe in for the Freshman of the year award right? Wrong. His regular season final numbers 29 Games, 9.4 PPG, 6.2 APG gets beat by Weber States freshman center Kelley Dillon with 29 games, 3.7 PPG, 2.1 RPG. Figure that one out. :confused:

Bailey wins his 2nd Big Sky Player of the Year award. His final regular season stats are 16.4 PPG, 0.9 APG, 12.5 RPG, 1.2 SPG, 3.8 BPG, +204. He is also named to the Big Sky All-Conference Team. The Big Sky All-Freshman Team sees 3 EWU Eagles on it, with Price, Holley, and Tim Williams all getting the nod.

Next up, Big Sky Tournament…

klayman

05-06-2003, 03:44 PM

Big Sky Conference Standings
<pre>
Team W L PCT Overall PCT
Montana 9 5 .643 18-11 .621
Montana St 9 5 .643 14-15 .483
Eastern Wash 8 6 .571 19-10 .655
Idaho St 7 7 .500 13-16 .448
Weber St 7 7 .500 13-16 .448
Portland St 6 8 .429 13-16 .448
N. Arizona 5 9 .357 15-14 .517
Cal State Sac 5 9 .357 12-17 .414
</pre>

IP Top 25

Rank School Record Points Previous
1. Florida 27-4 1,938 3
2. Cincinnati 25-2 1,798 4
3. Duke 25-5 1,722 2
4. Virginia 25-4 1,597 1
5. Boston College 25-3 1,466 5
6. Kentucky 23-5 1,388 6
7. Maryland 24-4 1,303 7
8. Texas 23-5 1,209 8
9. Syracuse 25-4 1,152 10
10. Arizona 25-7 1,082 11
11. Seton Hall 26-4 1,008 12
12. UCLA 24-8 957 14
13. Iowa State 23-8 907 15
14. Illinois 21-8 832 9
15. Alabama 22-6 763 13
16. USC 22-7 709 16
17. Indiana 22-8 658 19
18. Wake Forest 20-9 541 17
19. Providence 20-7 475 18
20. Michigan 21-7 384 23
21. Auburn 21-7 319 24
22. St. Josephs 23-6 255 26
23. Tennessee 20-11 212 21
24. Missouri 21-8 190 20
25. Mississippi St. 19-9 168 22

Others Receiving Votes: Louisville 156, Fresno State 145, Oklahoma 124,
Stanford 103, Temple 82, Kansas 61, Purdue 41, Ohio State 20, Iowa 10,
Georgia Tech 6, Texas A&M 2, Xavier 2, Miami 1, Connecticut 1, North
Carolina 1, Mississippi 1, Notre Dame 1, Memphis 1, Georgetown 1, Gonzaga
1, Michigan State 1.

Dropped out of Top 25: No. 25 Fresno State

klayman

05-06-2003, 03:47 PM

Game 30: (6) Portland State Vikings (13-16, 6-8) vs. (3) EWU Eagles (19-10, 8-6)
Portland State gets the nod as the favorites although we have a 4-1 starter advantage and beat PSU in both games this year. A weird first half, as our starters only pick up 6 points in the first 10 mins. Thankfully the bench ignites, with Winn, Holley, and Cabrera combining for 16 points, before the starters decide they want to contribute as well. The end result is a 34-26 half time lead for us. Much of the same in the 2nd half, and thankfully Eddie Anderson is electric in the half, as his 14 2nd half points, gives us an insurmountable lead, for the 70-54 win. Anderson led all scorers with 19 and 11 boards, while the bench picked up 25 points in the win. Bailey was 0 for 6 with 0 points on the night, but did get 4 fouls.

Other first round matchups:
(1) Montana squeaks by (8) CS Sac 69-62
(7) N. Arizona upsets (2) Montana State 81-71
(5) Weber State over (4) Idaho State 74-68

The N. Arizona upset is a huge break for us :)

klayman

05-06-2003, 03:48 PM

Game 31: (3) EWU Eagles (20-10, 9-6) vs. (7) N. Arizona Lumberjacks (16-14, 6-9)
My coaches are obviously as disappointed in our play as I am, since they give NAU the favorite nod, while we hold a 3-2 starter advantage. It’s nice to get some offense. Of course, we don’t score a point for the first 5 mins, but turn around nicely and finish the half 13 for 21 including 6 for 8 from 3 point land. That leaves us with a 44-39 half time advantage. Bailey is making the most of his senior tournament, with 4 points in the half and 3 fouls. After a tongue lashing at half time, Bailey hits his first 4 shots to give us a 10 point lead that we never relinquish the rest of the way, for the 82-73 win. Bailey ends the game with 20 points and 9 boards, while Anderson, Zinn and Bullock all had 12 points. Matt Winn replaced an ineffective Kevan Price and grabbed 6 points and 10 assists off the bench as we head to the final.

Other action:
(1) Montana over (5) Weber State 87-75

klayman

05-06-2003, 03:50 PM

Game 32: (3) EWU Eagles (21-10, 10-6) vs (1) Montana Grizzlies (20-11, 11-5)
Montana knocked us out of the Big Sky Tournament twice while we hosted it the last 4 years. It’s time to return that favor. The coaches are their usual optimistic selves, giving the Grizzlies the favorites nod, while we hold a 3-2 starter advantage. Bailey forces Grizzlies’ star player, Brent Page, into early foul trouble, and with Page on the bench, we dominate the boards. That leads to an explosive half by Joey Zinn, who gets 14 points, giving us a 41-27 half time advantage. The Grizzlies self destruct in the 2nd with foul trouble and poor defense, and Bailey lights them up for 11 2nd half points for a 78-54 upset. Zinn finishes with 23, while Bailey gets 15 and 10 boards. Solid game by everybody as we head into our 3rd NCT.

We grab the 14th seed in the west and will face 3rd seed #9 ranked Arizona in the first round of the NCT. Montana does not make the cut for the ACT, and we are the only Big Sky team playing in the post season tournaments.

klayman

05-06-2003, 05:00 PM

Your #1 seeds are: Virginia (East), Cincinnati (Midwest), Florida (South), and Boston College (West).

Game 33: (14) EWU Eagles (22-10) vs. (3) #9 Arizona Wildcats (26-8)
I have never defeated a ranked team in 5 years at EWU. I fear tonight will be no different. Arizona are the clear favorites, but only hold a 3-2 starter advantage, with Bailey and Bullock being those 2 star players for us. Zinn and Bailey eat the Wildcats zone defense alive in the 1st half, combining for 23 points. They shut us down, however, when they switch to man coverage, and we cannot do the same to their offense, trailing at the break, 41-33. We switch to a 3-2 zone to try to stop the bleeding, but it’s ineffective against the superior Wildcats. Regardless, we are never completely out of the game, until the Wildcats bury 4 three pointers late in the half, and we lose 62-80. Bailey finishes his colligate career with a 22 point, 8 rebound game. Zinn was impressive as well, with 16 points. We’re just not at Arizona’s level of play.

Vanderbilt defeats Texas Tech 69-64 to take the 2007 ACT Championship.

NCT Final Four
(2) Maryland 81 over (1) Florida 70
(4) Iowa State 67 over (1) Boston College 63

NCT Final
Maryland Terrapins over Iowa State Cyclones 58-47
Finals MVP Jonathan Griffin

klayman

05-06-2003, 05:07 PM

It's a sad day...Bailey is gone, and I'm seriously considering taking the Arizona State job next year (if it's offered again). I'll put up the final stats for the season (and a little tribute to Roy Bailey) sometime tonight or tomorrow, and by then decide if I'm staying or going.

klayman

05-11-2003, 06:50 PM

Final IP Top 25 Poll

Rank School Record Points Previous
1. Florida 33-6 1,909 1
2. Cincinnati 30-3 1,778 3
3. Virginia 31-5 1,706 4
4. Boston College 32-4 1,574 2
5. Duke 28-7 1,451 5
6. Texas 28-6 1,369 6
7. Maryland 31-5 1,296 7
8. Kentucky 25-7 1,193 8
9. Iowa State 30-10 1,145 9
10. Arizona 29-9 1,071 10
11. Syracuse 29-6 991 11
12. Alabama 27-7 942 12
13. UCLA 25-10 891 13
14. Seton Hall 28-6 824 15
15. USC 27-8 756 14
16. Illinois 23-10 706 16
17. Indiana 24-10 646 17
18. Wake Forest 23-11 535 18
19. Michigan 25-8 470 20
20. Providence 24-9 384 19
21. Tennessee 22-13 314 21
22. St. Josephs 26-8 250 22
23. Missouri 24-10 208 23
24. Fresno State 24-8 186 24
25. Auburn 22-9 166 25

Others Receiving Votes: Mississippi St. 154, Temple 144, Stanford 123,
Louisville 102, Oklahoma 80, Ohio State 60, Kansas 40, Purdue 20, Iowa 10,
Connecticut 6, Texas A&M 2, Gonzaga 2, North Carolina 1, Texas Tech 1,
Xavier 1, Georgia Tech 1, Miami 1, Mississippi 1, Memphis 1, New Mexico 1,
Notre Dame 1.

Dropped out of Top 25: none

Eastern Wash. Stats
Name Pos Gms MPG PPG RPG APG TOPG SPG BPG FG% 3P% FT%
Roy Bailey SF 33 31.3 16.1 12.0 0.8 0.9 1.1 3.7 45.0% 30.8% 71.7%
Jeff Bullock C 33 30.7 9.7 7.2 0.8 1.4 0.6 1.2 53.2% 0.0% 52.2%
Eddie Anderson SF 26 30.0 13.3 8.7 0.5 1.2 0.7 0.1 53.2% 54.5% 83.1%
Matt Winn PG 33 14.2 4.3 0.5 3.2 2.2 0.3 0.1 41.0% 45.5% 54.7%
Correy Cabrera C 33 17.0 5.8 3.2 0.4 0.7 0.2 0.1 48.4% 23.1% 60.9%
Linton Mullahon PG 5 5.8 1.2 0.8 0.4 0.6 0.0 0.0 60.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Jack Reed SG 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Marquis Brownlee C 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Trenton Lofton C 26 6.3 1.1 0.7 0.2 0.2 0.0 0.1 56.5% 0.0% 75.0%
Joey Zinn SG 33 25.0 10.3 2.3 2.4 1.2 0.7 0.1 46.1% 38.1% 71.9%
Kevan Price PG 33 28.8 9.1 0.5 6.1 3.2 0.5 0.0 41.3% 38.2% 68.3%
Earl Holley SG 33 16.3 5.9 1.5 1.3 0.7 0.5 0.0 41.3% 38.2% 61.0%
Tim Williams PF 31 9.0 2.9 1.6 0.1 0.3 0.2 0.0 44.8% 55.6% 75.0%

klayman

05-11-2003, 07:20 PM

Departing Seniors:

Eddie Anderson - F Anderson spent his entire EW career in the shadow of Roy Bailey. Both recruited in the same year, Anderson was an exceptional player, who was always edged out by the spectacular Bailey. He was the 6th man off the bench for much of his 4 years at EW, starting only in his senior year. Nonetheless, he put up impressive numbers for his limited amount of mins. Career Stats: 124 Games, 22.1 Mpg, 10.2 Ppg, 5.2 Rpg, 0.7 Apg, 50.9% FG%, 80.6% FT%, 39.0% 3P%, +60.

Jeff Bullock - C Bullock was initially a disappointment to the coaching staff, but he quickly realized his promise and potential, and finished his career as one of the best centers in the nation. Not many players could match up against his stellar defensive play, and nobody in the nation could play the boards better than Jeff could. He quietly honed his offensive skills as well, becoming one of the most complete players in the nation. He started his last 3 years and was an important leader in the dressing room for 2 Conference Tournament Championships, posting career numbers in his senior season. Interestingly, Jeff hit his only 3 point shot of his collegiate career in his freshman season, retiring with a 100% 3 point shooting percentage. Career Stats: 129 Games, 26.6 Mpg, 6.5 Ppg, 5.8 Rpg, 0.6 Apg, 0.5 Spg, 0.6 Bpg, 53.9% FG%, 58.5% FT%, 100% 3P%, +165.

Roy Bailey - F Bailey was our first 5 star recruit and lived up to all the hype surrounding him. A two time Big Sky Player of the Year, he also captured the Big Sky All Freshman of the Year award. A starter his entire career, he was simply the most dominating player in the Big Sky Conference, leading the conference in scoring for 3 straight years. While Bailey was leading the team, the Eagles captured 3 conference titles, 2 conference tournament wins, and advanced to the 2nd round of the NCT for the first time in the school's history. He retires holding most of the EWU's single game and career records. He was a player that made simply made coaching the Eagles fun...he will be missed. Career Stats: 123 Games, 31.6 Mpg, 15.3 Ppg, 9.1 Rpg, 1.0 Apg, 0.8 Spg, 2.7 Bpg, 52.1% FG%, 71.2 FT%, 30.8% 3P%, +625 :eek:

To follow: Coach report, EWU History Book, and will Coach klayman go or stay? Stay tuned...

klayman

05-12-2003, 01:51 AM

Coach Report Card:
Overall: A

Season Performance: A
Overall Regular Season Performance: A
Overall Post Season Performance: A
Recruiting: B
Fan & Alumni Support: A
Academics: A
Player Development: D

Overall Record: 118-45 .724
Conference Record: 66-18 .786
NCT Appearances (Record): 3 (1-3)
ACT Appearances (Record): 2 (0-2)
Pro Draft Picks (1st Rounders): 1 (0)
Average Recruiting Class Rank: 126
Conference Championships: 3
Conference Titles: 4
Academic Suspensions: 1

klayman

05-12-2003, 02:17 AM

Single Games Records

Points - Roy Bailey (30) 2/15/05 (actually Cockle got 37 before the game started recording the almanac)
Assists - Ezra Hathaway (14) 2/12/06
Rebounds - Roy Bailey (22) 11/23/06
Shots Made - Roy Bailey (13) 2/12/06
Shots Attempted - Roy Bailey (22) 1/29/06
3Pt Made - Ezra Hathaway (4) 2/21/04
3Pt Attempted - Joey Zinn (10) 3/8/07
FT Made - Joey Zinn (13) 12/18/05
FT Attempted - Joey Zinn (19) 12/14/06
Plus/Minus - Roy Bailey (+22) 11/23/06
Steals - Ezra Hathaway (5) 11/26/05
Blocked Shots - Roy Bailey (8) 1/5/07

Single Season Records

Points - Roy Bailey (557) 2005
Assists - Ezra Hathaway (218) 2005
Rebounds - Roy Bailey (395) 2006
Shots Made - Roy Bailey (230) 2005
Shots Attempted - Roy Bailey (443) 2005
3PT Made - Kevin Cockle (59) 2003
3PT Attempted - Kevin Cockle (152) 2003
FT Made - Roy Bailey (160) 2006
FT Attempted - Roy Bailey (223) 2006
Plus/Minus - Roy Bailey (+234) 2006
Steals - Kevin Cockle (42) 2003
Blocked Shots - Roy Bailey (121) 2006
PPG - Kevin Cockle (17.2) 2003
APG - Chevalier King (6.7) 2004
RPG - Roy Bailey (12.0) 2006
SPG - Kevin Cockle (1.3) 2003
BPG - Roy Bailey (3.7) 2006
FG% - Roy Bailey (60.1) 2004
FT% - Eddie Anderson (85.6) 2003
3P% - Jamal Richardson (41.7) 2005

Career Records

Points - Roy Bailey (1879)
Assists - Ezra Hathaway (522)
Rebounds - Roy Bailey (1114)
Shots Made - Roy Bailey (712)
Shots Attempted - Roy Bailey (1367)
3PT Made - Kevin Cockle (117)
3PT Attempted - Kevin Cockle (304)
FT Made - Roy Bailey (398)
FT Attempted - Roy Bailey (559)
Plus/Minus - Roy Bailey (+625)
Steals - Ezra Hathaway (100)
Blocked Shots - Roy Bailey (334)
PPG - Kevin Cockle (15.8)
APG - Ezra Hathaway (4.2)
RPG - Roy Bailey (9.1)
SPG - Kevin Cockle (1.3)
BPG - Roy Bailey (2.7)
FG% - Jeff Bullock (53.9)
FT% - Eddie Anderson (80.6)
3P% - Eddie Anderson (39.0)

Records in RED also hold Big Sky Conference record.
Records in GREEN also hold National record.

klayman

05-12-2003, 02:36 AM

With the 56th pick in the 2007 Pro Basketball Entry Draft, the Toronto Raptors take, from Eastern Washington University, Roy Bailey.

It is to my knowledge the first player ever drafted out of EWU to the NBA.

The Arizona State offer doesn't come this year, but one look at their roster quickly tells me I wouldn't go there anyway. Besides their prestige is only a couple of points higher than ours anyway. I thought it would have been a lot higher, but it could have been dropping all these years. The alumni and fans are happy to have me stay, I think.

We make one change on the coaching front, firing long time Coach, Shaun Hopper, and replacing him with Zack Watkins, an Eastern Washington alumni. Zack is way too good to pass up, despite his almost $800 increase in salary over Hopper.

The best news of the off season (besides me staying at EW of course) is the .400 Sports Network's Top 20 College Basketball Recruiting Classes for 2007. We hit 8th on the list :eek: , which seems a bit of a stretch after looking at the ratings, but the class was surprisingly exceptional. Superior, yes, 8th ranked in the nation, I doubt it. Hopefully that turns into another trip to the NCT.

Our freshman class is ranked Superior, while our Composite Talent level remains at Below Average. Montana, Idaho, and Portland all have higher talent levels. Our National Prestige has also risen to Low (32) which is one point below NAU. With our increase in prestige, our program expectations have changed for the first time in 6 years, as I'm now expected to keep the games close.

klayman

05-12-2003, 02:57 AM

Eastern Washington Eagles Non-Conference Schedule

Oral Roberts
Arkansas State
Canisius
UTEP
@ Gonzaga
@ New Mexico
@ Texas A&M
Florida A&M
San Diego
@ Pepperdine
@ Nebraska
@ Marquette
@ North Texas
LMU
UC Riverside


IP Top 25 Initial Poll
Rank School Record Points Previous
1. Duke 0-0 1,357 0
2. Florida 0-0 1,237 0
3. Illinois 0-0 1,182 0
4. Iowa State 0-0 1,095 0
5. UCLA 0-0 1,011 0
6. Virginia 0-0 953 0
7. Connecticut 0-0 888 0
8. Tennessee 0-0 822 0
9. Kansas 0-0 790 0
10. Arizona 0-0 743 0
11. Kentucky 0-0 693 0
12. USC 0-0 660 0
13. Texas 0-0 623 0
14. Texas Tech 0-0 575 0
15. Wake Forest 0-0 527 0
16. Boston College 0-0 496 0
17. Georgetown 0-0 463 0
18. Alabama 0-0 385 0
19. North Carolina 0-0 338 0
20. Mississippi 0-0 275 0
21. Indiana 0-0 229 0
22. Iowa 0-0 183 0
23. Providence 0-0 152 0
24. Michigan State 0-0 136 0
25. Cincinnati 0-0 121 0

Others Receiving Votes: Oklahoma 113, Notre Dame 105, Syracuse 90,
Stanford 74, Maryland 59, Georgia Tech 45, Temple 30, Seton Hall 15,
California 10, Wisconsin 7, Missouri 4, Purdue 4, Georgia 3, Memphis 3,
Auburn 2, Mississippi St. 2, Vanderbilt 1, Michigan 1, Fresno State 1,
Utah 1, Louisville 1.

klayman

05-12-2003, 04:44 AM

Meet the 2007-2008 Eastern Washington Eagles

SG – Joey Zinn Sr(rs) (6-5, 186lbs) Another over-achieving year for Zinn cemented his role on this year's team. Although he lost mins last year to his inconsistency and Earl Holley, he worked hard in the off season to improve. Although last year was a downturn for his numbers, I fully expect his senior year to be his best year here. Last season stats (33 Gms, 25.0 Mpg, 10.3 Ppg, 2.3 Rpg, 2.4 Apg, 46.1 Fg%, -10). AHC Reggie Fox says "...good passer and can often break down opposing defenses off the dribble...a very good outsider shooter...shows signs of being a good defender...needs more seasoning from an awareness standpoint...very quiet and goes about his business without much fanfare...one of the better players on this team...continued to improve each season...joy to coach and is a fan favorite."

PG – Matt Winn Jr(rs) (5-11, 153) Winn held the starting job at the start of last season, but lost it to Kevan Price's exceptional play. That didn't sit well with Winn, and he had an explosive camp to propel himself back into the starting spot. Hopefully enough competition between the two will boost one of them into a consistent performer. Winn really worked on his skills during the off-season, but his lack of offensive awareness could really hurt him. Last season's stats (33 Gms, 14.2 Mpg, 4.3 Ppg, 3.2 Apg, -22) AHC Reggie Fox says "...developed into a very good quarterback of the offense...makes good decisions with the ball...very good outside shooter...one of our better perimeter defenders...looks lost on the floor...not a team player...more worried about his numbers than the success of the team...one of the better players on this team...progressed nicely for the program...should start to come into his own."

SF – Kevin Rigby Fr (6-6, 197) Rigby is in a better spot than Bailey was in when Roy began his career. That reads very well for the program, if Rigby decides to stick around. Already a good player, a couple of more years of development, and he'll likely be breaking all those records that Bailey set. Recruited as a PF, he is much better suited to a small forward role due to his size and strength. After looking at his ratings, it makes his decision to come to EWU over Duke, South Carolina and Connecticut all that more baffling. Must of been chasing some girl here :) AHC Reggie Fox says “…an elite post scorer and great footwork on offense...nice footwork as a post defender...lacks strength...not a good rebounder at this point...tends to be in the right position most of the time on defence...needs some work on making good decisions on and off the ball...not a team player...more worried about his numbers...should vie for a starting spot...loads of potential and talent...could be a force a few years down the line, if he stays that long."

PF – Marcus Williams Fr (6-5, 179) Looks like Syd got this one wrong, but in our favor this time. Williams was definitely underrated by our scouting service. Nonetheless, he lacks size and strength for a PF, and that might have seriously hurt his ratings. I don't really have too many options more favorable though, so Williams will start the season here. We've lost a lot of height, so I might have to go to Tim Williams or Lofton if it becomes a problem. AHC Reggie Fox says “…can be a threat if we get him the ball deep this season...nice footwork as a post defender...lacks strength...not a top rebounder, yet...needs some more seasoning from an awareness standpoint...decision making is not where it should be...crumbles with the spotlight...looks to be a starter...loads of potential and talent."

C – Correy Cabrera Sr (6-9, 203) After 3 years of playing Bullock's backup, Correy gets his chance to start. He has earned it with solid play and great off-season camps, although it is a toss up between him and Lofton right now, talent wise. Cabrera had an impressive stint at PF while Anderson was injured last year, and if Williams can't handle the starting PF, Cabrera could move there with no worries on my part. He's no Jeff Bullock, but should do nicely in the Big Sky as a starter. Last year's stats (33 Gms, 17.0 Mpg, 5.8 Ppg, 3.2 Rpg, 48.4 Fg%, +3) AHC Reggie Fox says “…good inside moves and can even step back and hit the jumper...capable on defense, but lacks consistency...can dominate the glass when he is motivated...one of the top rebounders on the team...needs more seasoning...crumbles with the spotlight...looks to be a starter...his hard work has allowed him more minutes that his talent would allow...a joy to coach and fan favorite."

Bench:

C – Trenton Lofton Jr (6-11, 212) Lofton could be starting, but I wouldn't have a tall man to fall back on for the bench. He didn't post spectacular numbers last year, and got edged out of minutes by Tim Williams, but Trenton had a super camp improving both his offense and defense, and should now be considered a valuable member of the team. He's really our only option at center for next year. Last season stats(26 Gms, 6.3 Mpg, 1.1 Ppg, 0.7 Rpg, -45) AHC Reggie Fox says "…has some good inside moves and can step back and hit the jumper to keep teams honest...nice footwork as a post defender...lacks strength...improved his effort and consistency on hitting th e boards...a presence in the lockeroom...very good at keeping his teammates focused...appears to be a role player...need to see some improvement from him before he can be a starter."

G - Kevan Price (6-1, 156) Price got jobbed of the Big Sky Freshman player of the year award last year, but made the All Conference freshman team. Despite putting up solid numbers, he was very inconsistent throughout the year, and faded heavily in the conference tournament and NCT. Still, I had him penciled in as the starting PG, but a disastrous camp changed those plans. He can still play an important role one this club, and might see the same mins again if Winn once again fails to hold down the starting spot. He'll have to compete against senior Linton Mullahon this year, who was impressive at camp, however. Last season's stats (33 Gms, 28.8 Mpg, 9.1 Ppg, 6.1 Apg, 41.3% FG%, -32) AHC Reggie Fox says "...developed into a very good quarterback of the offense...makes good decisions...lack of consistency...shows signs of being a good defender...needs some more seasoning...a money player in certain situations...has good skills and should be a valuable member on the team...has the potential to be a good player...excited to see how he does this year."

G - Earl Holley Fr (6-4, 174) Holley improved from his disappointing position last year, but not enough to worry Zinn, Winn, or Price for competition. Still, he played very good in spot duty last year, and outplayed the inconsistent Joey Zinn at times last season, and will continue to get an extended look. Although it is apparent he will never reach the lofty potential he had, he can still become a valuable contributor on the team. Last season stats (33 Gms, 16.3 Mpg, 5.9 Ppg, 1.3 Apg, 39.6% FG%, -67) AHC Reggie Fox says "...still raw from a playmaking standpoint...will need to improve...very good outside shooter...shows signs of being a good defender...needs some more seasoning...decision making not where it should be...crumbles with the spotlight...appears to be a role player...not at the level to where he can play for us right now...did improve in some areas...closer to being a contributor."

G - Linton Mullahon Sr (6-2, 166) Making his return to the players guide, Mullahon has never really achieved his original expectations. He did have a very good camp this year, however, and is at the spot where he can hopefully contribute on a regular basis. He was on the All-Conference Freshman team his freshman year, but has only played in a handful of games for us. He might be able to battle Price for the PG spot, should Winn not be up to the task of starting again this year. Last season's stats (5 Gms, 5.8 Mpg, 1.2 Ppg, 0.8 Rpg, -9) AHC Reggie Fox says "...has developed into a very good quarterback for the offense. makes good decisions with the ball...lack of consistency...shows signs of being a good defender...shaky on moving without the ball...crumbles with the spotlight...a key player off the bench...developed some better skills in the offseason...peaking at the right time from an ability standpoint."

Tim Williams won't see as much time as he did last year with Rigby and Marcus Williams on the team. Palmore had below average skills for a 4* recruit, and won't see anytime unless there are injuries. Reed and Brownlee are just warming the bench as usual as they both hit their junior years. If they see anytime on the court, we're in some serious trouble.

klayman

05-12-2003, 05:25 AM

Recruiting Targets:
We have 3 graduating seniors (Zinn, Cabrera, and Mullahon) so 3 scholarships to hand out. If we come out with a starting center for next year, I'd be pleased. I don't seriously think we can repeat the success of last years class, however. For 2007-08 our initial targets are:

1. Chad Eddins C (6-10, 256) 5* out of Fort Wingate, NM. He is ranked #7 for C, #22 Overall, and #4 in the West. .400 has him ranked at 56, and he's looking at New Mexico, Pacific, UC Riverside, etc. so he is definitely not a 5* recruit, but he's someone we could easily get to commit to EWU. HS stats 10.7 Ppg, 5.6 Rpg, 1.6 Apg. He's not interested and says that he's given New Mexico a verbal.

2. Phil Howard C (6-11, 221) 4* out of Ignacio, CO. Ranked #27 C, #26 in the west, #103 overall, Phil is a Junior College recruit. My thinking is that Howard could start next season, while Eddins develops into a starter. That plans hinges on them both committing to EWU this year, though. Howard has no interest in our initial talks. HS Stats 12.3 Ppg, 10.8 Rpg, 2.4 Apg.

3. Chris Jensen PG (6-0, 161) 4* out of Brookeland, TX. Ranked #14 PG, #15 in the West, #83 Overall, Chris is one of the few players interested in EWU this year. He has fairly good HS Stats, and as long as we get a center with this class, Jensen will be an added bonus. HS Stats 19.0 Ppg, 1.3 Rpg, 11.2 Apg

4. Aaron Smith PF (6-9, 206) 4* out of Baker City, OR. Ranked #11 PF, #20 in the West, #93 Overall. Smith could fill in as a center in a pinch, and would add some height to our team. We're strong at forward however, and the threat of lack of playing time might scare him off. Has a small amount of interest in EWU. HS Stats 27.7 Ppg, 10.9 Rpg, 1.8 Apg.

5. Brett Ball C (6-9, 188) 3* out of Portland, OR. Ranked #80 in the West, Ball is a back up plan in case everything falls apart (as it usually does in my recruiting plans :)). He's got a high GPA and is close to home, in case we need to make emergency phone calls. He has a little interest in EWU as well. HS Stats 10.1 Ppg, 7.2 Rpg, 2.7 Apg.

So, as I have stated the plan is to get both Eddins and Howard on board, with Jensen tagging along for an extra bonus. Sounds like a possible plan, but I don't think I've had a recruiting class go the way I wanted it to yet. Not bad when you stumble into the 8th class in the nation, kinda crappy when you get stuck with Reed and Brownlee as your recruits, however.

And the plan immediately encounters problems, as we just don't have the money to chase all three. Sure could use that $800 extra dollars Watkins has on his contract. Oh well. Eddins gets the aggressive effort, and I decide I'm more interested in Jensen, so he gets a moderate effort, while Howard gets only a light effort in the first week of recruiting.

klayman

05-15-2003, 12:14 AM

Season Outlook: We've missed the Big Sky Title last year for the first time in 5 years. We're looking to get that back, especially with the top 8th rank class in the nation. Everything is dependent on Rigby however. It's going to be up to him to lead us back to the NCT.

With the absence of Bullock, Anderson, and Bailey, our inside game is lacking. The high post is out, and I doubt will consider the one-guard as much as we did last year. We'll stick with the motion and go with a swing against zones, relying on Rigby, Zinn, and Winn as our offensive sparks. We are considerably deeper on the bench than we have been on previous years, so I'm more comfortable to press and play a quicker tempo against weaker opponents than I have been. We'll also generate way more looks to the perimeter than we ever have with the absence of any solid post players.

Our defense struggled last year, especially against weaker opponents, and it's an area that we definitely didn't improve in over the off season. That means we're generally back to playing a help man for the majority, although we will continue to throw up zones to combat problem areas.

I not confident of the amount of time Rigby will be on the team, but if he stays for the full 4 years, this should be the start of something pretty good. Our conference opponents have improved their squads considerably as well, so a conference title and tournament win is not the likely conclusion for us as it has been in previous years.

klayman

05-15-2003, 01:11 AM

Jensen's interest stays the same, so he gets an aggressive effort and a 2nd week visit before his interest evaporates. That leaves us very little money left over, and the only thing we can do is offer a light effort to Bret Ball.

Game 1: Oral Roberts Golden Eagles (0-0) @ EWU Eagles (0-0)
We own a 4-1 starter advantage with the nod as the overall favorites. As small a team as we are, the Golden Eagles are actually smaller. The offense is lead surprisingly by Correy Cabrera who picks up 11 1st half points. The Golden Eagles are able to shut us down with a 2-1-2 zone early in the first half to lead by 16. However, they switch back to man coverage, and our motion offense storms back into the game, trailing only by 2, 40-38 at the break. An 18-3 run to start off the 2nd half by the Golden Eagles pretty much spells the end for our club, and we never threaten for the 72-84 loss. Cabrera led with 15 points and 12 boards, while Rigby grabbed 13 and 9 in the loss. Our perimeter defense got killed, going a combined -25 on the night.

Game 2: Arkansas State Indians (1-0) @ EWU Eagles (0-1)
We're the favorites with a 5-0 starter advantage. We switch back to our half-court offense, to hopefully corral the problems with turnovers we had last game. The offense again comes from the post, as Cabrera and Marcus Williams both pick up 8 points in the 1st half leading us to a 35-32 lead at the half. Marcus Williams picks up an early 4th foul and is lost for most of the 2nd half. Our straight man is holding the Indians in check with a 30% shooting accuracy, but turnovers and costly misses for us allow them back into the game with less than 1 min left. A three pointer by the ASU, makes it a 66-62 game for us, and Winn misses the 1-1, then fouls on the three point attempt to hand them a 66-65 scoreline. Luckily for his playing sake, he goes to the line and hits 2 frees to make it a 68-65 Eagles advantage with 26 seconds left to play. The Indians miss on the long three, and although they grab the board, Holley makes a key steal with 12 seconds left, then hits both frees to put the game out of reach. Eagles win 70-65. Rigby grabs 15 and 7 boards, including 5 blocks in the game. Cabrera again surprises with 13 points. The defense was super, holding AKSU to just 19 for 58 shooting on the night.

klayman

05-15-2003, 02:23 AM

Kevin Rigby wins the Big Sky Freshman of the Week award. His statline: 14.0 Ppg, 8.0 Rpg, 40.7% FG%, 75.0 FT%, +11

As predicted, everyone's interest dies off the board in the 3rd week. Nonetheless, Eddins gets an aggressive effort, Jensen gets a moderate effort, we finish with Howard on a light effort.

Game 3: Canisius Golden Griffins (1-1) @ EWU Eagles (1-1)
We're the favorites with a 4-1 starter advantage as well. In fact that single player is their senior SG Syniker Esherick, who's rated fairly high, so Holley gets the start at SG to match up against Esherick, since Holley is a better defender than Zinn. Holley does a decent job against Esherick, and actually forces him into 3 fouls, so he only manages 6 mins in the first half. We lose Winn early to an injury, shortening our bench, but still manage to pull away to a 43-38 half time lead. The Golden Griffins come out strong in the 2nd, but foul trouble eventually brings us back in the game, and with 2:45 left, it's knotted up at 69. A turn around jumper gives Canisius a 71-69 lead...2:26 left. Pump fake, and Marcus Williams drives it home to tie it up 71-71...Griffins turn the ball over with 1:32 left, and Rigby is fouled in the act of shooting, getting both frees and a 73-71 lead. Lofton is in for Williams as a defensive sub...and he comes up with a big block with 1:03 left...Price gets 1 of 2 from the stripe, and it's a three point game...Holley bothers Esherick enough that he can't connect on the long three...Holley with the rebound...46 seconds left...drains both frees for a 76-71 lead. Griffins draw a foul from Rigby on the next possession, getting 1 of 2, and the offensive rebound and basket for a 3 point play. 76-74 Eagles...23 seconds left...great game! Price goes to line but only gets 1 of 2. Canisius timeout. On the restart they can't penetrate or find the open shot, and throw the ball out of bounds. Price draws another foul with 3 seconds left and puts the game out of reach draining both. Eagles win 79-74. Rigby led the Eagles with a career high 16, but it was the combination of Earl Holley and Joey Zinn that were the real stars, combining for 21 points (Holley with 11) they held Esherick to only 8. Price picked up 13 points and 6 assists filling in for the injured Winn.

Winn is only day to day with a broken nose, and should be back in the lineup for the next game.

Game 4: UTEP Miners (3-0) @ EWU Eagles (2-1)
Winn isn't back for this game, so Price gets the start. We're the favorites with a 4-1 starter advantage. Our offense fails to get in-sync early, but our defense holds the Miners in check, and we come alive late in the half to take a slim 34-33 half time lead. Cabrera once again the offensive spark with 10 1st half points. Holley explodes for 9 quick points in the first 4 mins of the 2nd half, but the Miners fight their way back into the game, and take the lead with less than 5 mins remaining. With 36 seconds left, it's a 71-70 game for the Miners. Holley puts us up by 1 with a midrange jumper...17 seconds left UTEP timeout...on the restart they draw the shooting foul off of Cabrera, and sink both for the 72-71 lead with 3 seconds remaining. Price gets the inbounds from Williams, moves up the court...tries the long range buzzer beater...HITS IT FOR THREE!!! Eagles win 75-73. Earl Holley had an impressive 23 points while splitting time with Joey Zinn. Cabrera finished with 13, but Price of course won the game with his 6 points and 11 assists, and a last second prayer.

klayman

05-15-2003, 03:16 AM

Kevin Rigby again takes home the Big Sky Freshman of the Week award with 11.0 Ppg, 2.5 Apg, 6.0 Rpg, 1.5 Spg, +2.

No changes in the interest levels for our targets. Jensen gets the aggressive effort this week, while Eddins only gets a moderate and Howard continues with his light effort.

Game 5: EWU Eagles (3-1) @ Gonzaga Bulldogs (3-2)
Gonzaga is the favorite with an overwhelming 5-0 starter advantage as well. Last year, we upset the hated Zags, thanks in large to Kevin Price and Earl Holley. Both players will be starting today. We actually hold our own against the Zags, and thanks in part to a 6 for 9 from 3 point land, we hold a 39-38 lead at the break, with Rigby and Holley both collecting 8 points a piece. We can't continue with our 3 point success into the 2nd half, however, going 2 for 7, and the Zags pull away to an early 15 point lead from which we can never recover. Final score 65-79 Gonzaga. Cabrera exploded with 18 points, but both Holley and Rigby were held off the score-sheet in the 2nd half.

Game 6: EWU Eagles (3-2) @ New Mexico Lobos (4-1)
New Mexico is the favorite with a 4-1 starter advantage as well. Price has once again out performed Matt Winn, and will take over the starting PG spot from here on out. We play fairly well, but the difference is the Lobos hitting 7-11 from behind the arc, and they hold a 47-40 half time advantage. We play catch up for the rest of the game, and actually make it close, getting to within 6, but then watch as New Mexico finishes the game on a 21-3 run, and we lose 64-88. Earl Holley is taking advantage of my confidence in him, as he grabs 22 points in the loss. Rigby put in a 13 point 6 rebound performance, but the rest of the players were clearly outclassed.

klayman

05-15-2003, 01:24 PM

Kevin Rigby wins his third straight Big Sky Freshman of the Week award with a 10.5 Ppg, 2.0 Apg, 7.5 Rpg, 1.0 Spg, 3.0 Bpg, -3 performance.

We debut on the CRI at 120 with a 104 schedule rank.

Still no change in the recruiting targets. Eddins and Jensen both get aggressive efforts this week, eating our entire budget.

Game 7: EWU Eagles (3-3) @ Texas A&M Aggies (4-3)
Texas is the favorite with a 3-2 starter advantage. Both Price and Holley continue starting. We start the game shooting 1 for 11, and things don't really get much better. But thanks to several turnovers by the Aggies and Joey Zinn coming off the bench for 17 1st half points, we only trail by 4, 37-33 at the break. We actually hold the lead for most of the 2nd half, but some weak shooting fails us, and the Aggies go up by 5 with just under 4 mins left. We fight our way back into the game, but the Aggies go 17-18 from the charity stripe in the final 2 mins, and we lose 68-82. Zinn finishes with 21 and that is about all worth mentioning.

Idaho State improves to 6-2 after beating undefeated and 7th ranked Mississippi 99-46 :eek:

Game 8: Florida A&M Rattlers (5-2) @ EWU Eagles (3-4)
We're the favorites at home, despite the Rattlers having a 3-2 starter advantage. The Rattles start off on a 18-2 run and hold an comfortable 41-24 lead at the break. We offer no resistance at all in the 2nd half, and they mail in the 60-82 thrashing. Rigby grabbed 15 in the loss, while Zinn followed up his 21 point performance going 0-6 and -5 on the night.

klayman

05-15-2003, 02:12 PM

Kevin Rigby wins his 4th straight Big Sky Freshman of the Week award. His 11.5 Ppg, 0.5 Apg, 6.0 Rpg, 1.0 Spg, +4 stats are earth shattering. :rolleyes: A quick check shows me that besides Marcus Williams, there is only one other freshman starter in the Big Sky this year, so expect Rigby to continue winning the award.

We get screwed when our #1 target, Chad Eddins commits to Washington State. We instead offer a scholarship to Willie Brinkley a 3* Center from Rochester, NH. He's #160th overall on Syd's list, but he's 22nd on the .400 top 200 list. Someone's not right, and I'd think it's probably Syd at this point, since Willie has some nice HS numbers, plus he hasn't had any offers from his top schools yet, so we might catch a break. His aggressive effort eats most of our budget, and we can only offer Jensen a light effort for the week.

Game 9: San Diego Toreros (1-7) @ EWU Eagles (3-5)
We're the favorites with a 5-0 starter advantage. We're looking to stop the bleeding on a 4 game losing streak, the longest in my coaching history. Once again we fail to start strong, and SDU jump to a 12-2 run to start the game. Finally we wake up, and the team responds to an up tempo change to jump to a commanding 52-32 half time lead. We keep up the pace, and outdistance San Diego by 30 points for most of the 2nd half, cumulating in a 104-76 win. It's our first century mark since I've been coach, and a nice way to end a 4 game losing streak. Holley led the way with 22, while both Rigby and Cabrera grabbed 17.

Game 10: EWU Eagles (4-5) @ Pepperdine Waves (7-2)
They are the favorites with a 4-1 starter advantage as well. Looking ahead on the schedule, there is a very good chance we're going 4-8 heading into conference play with Pepperdine, Nebraska, and Marquette yet to play. Another game and another slow start as Pepperdine start with a 18-4 advantage. Don't know what is up with these awful starts we are having. A press disrupts the Waves dominance, but we just don't have the offense to get back in it, and trail 36-23 at the break. We never trail by less than 10, until a 14-2 run ties the game at 61 with 3 and a half mins remaining. They pull away again, but we fight back, and only trail by 2, when Price blows the easy layup with 40 seconds remaining and the Waves go on to win 65-72. Rigby had a double-double with 13 and 11, while Holley (12) and Cabrera (11) both contributed.

As this losing is reminding me of my SDSU VC days :(

klayman

05-16-2003, 06:18 AM

Rigby again with the Big Sky Freshman of the week award. 15.0 PPg, 0.5 Apg, 11.5 Rpg, 1.0 Spg, 1.0 Bpg, +3, 54.5% FG%, 100% FT%

We lose Jensen to North Texas, forcing to once again change our plans. Now we decide to concentrate on Zeljko Yilmaz, a 6-8 PF out of Lithuania. He's got a 3* ranking, and is #29th for PF. No interest in EWU, but nobody has offered him a scholarship yet, and it's getting late in week 7. He gets an aggressive effort, while Brinkley, who warms up to EWU quite a bit, gets a moderate effort this week. That leaves a light effort for Brett Ball, who has also warmed up to EWU. We rescind Howard's scholarship offer, and offer it to Ball instead. It might not be a bad class.

We've changed up the lineup going into the next batch of games. We'll switch to a 3 guard set, with Zinn, Holley and Price in, as well as Rigby and Cabrera, pushing Marcus Williams to the bench.

Game 11: EWU Eagles (4-6) @ Nebraska Cornhuskers (6-4)
We're actually the favorites although Nebraska has a 3-2 starter advantage. We come out strong with a 11-3 start, and continue with pressure throughout the 1st half. But the Cornhuskers 6-12 from 3pt land brings them back in, and it's knotted at 40 at the break. Our solid first half shooting fails us into the 2nd half, and Nebraska takes an early lead they never concede, for the 73-85 loss. Zinn scored 17, and Rigby had 16 in the loss, while Kevan Price scored a double-double with 11 points and 12 assists.

Game 12: EWU Eagles (4-7) @ Marquette Golden Eagles (8-3)
The coaches ridiculously believe that we are the favorites, while Marquette holds an obvious 4-1 starter advantage. Looks like the assistants have dipped into the crack again. Another slow start, but we're able to hold off Marquette so that they don't take advantage. However, that doesn't last, and although we keep things close for most of the 1st half, a 9-0 run puts us behind, and we close out the half trailing 45-38. Both teams exchange the lead several times throughout the 2nd, but it's Marcus Williams off the bench with 4 mins remaining, that hits 2 consecutive threes to give us a 72-67 lead. It's a lead we never relinquish, and take the nice 84-76 win. Joey Zinn led the way again with 19, despite playing most of the 2nd with 4 fouls. Rigby and Cabrera both hit 14, Price had 8 and 11 assists, and Marcus Williams came off the bench for 10 important points. I guess I was the only coach on crack :)

klayman

05-16-2003, 06:43 AM

Big surprise as Rigby takes home Big Sky Freshman of the week awards with 15.0 Ppg, 8.0 Rpg, 1.0 Spg, 2.5 Bpg, -2, 60% (12-20) FG%.

All three targets have increased their interest in attending EWU. However, both Bosie State and Idaho State show interest in Zeljko Yilmaz. He gets an aggressive effort and has enough interest to have a week 8 visit. That's expensive, but we have enough to offer Ball a light effort and a visit as well. Since nobody is still offering a scholarship to Brinkley, we should be able to offer him a visit next week.

We close out the year heading into conference play.

Big Sky Standings entering conference play

Team W L Pct. PF PA

Idaho State 9 3 .750 927 797
CS Sacramento 8 4 .667 892 858
Montana State 6 6 .500 802 856
Eastern Wash. 5 7 .417 879 936
Montana 5 7 .417 827 950
Weber State 5 7 .417 773 854
Northern Arizona 4 8 .333 904 953
Portland State 2 10 .167 773 921

klayman

05-16-2003, 07:17 AM

Game 13: Montana Grizzlies (5-7, 0-0) @ EWU Eagles (5-7, 0-0)
We own a 4-1 starter advantage and are the overall favorites as well. We absolutely crush the Grizzlies 2-1-2 zone, and go on a 20-1 run before the bench takes over for the half. We hold Montana to only 6 for 30 shooting, and cruise to the 43-19 half time lead. We relax in the 2nd, and the Grizzlies take advantage from 3pt range, but not enough to ever threaten. Eagles win 75-65. Holley led the charge with 15, while Rigby grabbed 14 and 8 boards, and Price had another solid game with 12 points and 8 assists.

Game 14: Montana State Bobcats (6-7, 0-1) @ EWU Eagles (6-7, 1-0)
Bobcats are the favorites on the road with a 3-2 starter advantage as well. We come out completely flat against the Bobcats, and they quickly grab an 11 point lead that they maintain through most of the first half. We finally start to get on track offensively, and close the gap to 7, trailing 37-30 at the break. We finish the game a horrible 18-61, and never own the lead, suffering a 69-60 defeat. Cabrera had 15, and Williams grabbed 9 off the bench, and everybody else sucked.

klayman

06-02-2003, 04:21 PM

We still get no commitments from our targets. Yilmaz gets another week of aggressive effort, while Brinkley gets a moderate effort since nobody continues to show interest in him. Ball rounds out the recruiting week with a light effort since he looks a lock to sign.

Rigby takes the Big Sky Freshman of the week award, again. His stat line for the week 12.5 Ppg, 2.0 Apg, 8.5 Rpg, 2.0 Bpg, +3.

Game 15: EWU Eagles (6-8, 1-1) @ Idaho State Bengals (9-4, 1-1)
ISU are the favorites with a 3-2 starter advantage as well. We start off with an 11-4 run and foul trouble by ISU keep us in the lead for most of the 1st half. Joey Zinn's 10 first half point give us a slight advantage, but 2 quick 3 pts by ISU give them the 39-37 lead at the break. We fail to find any offensive momentum in the 2nd half, and ISU never give up the lead, defeating us easily 67-73. Zinn and Rigby lead with 14 points each, while Price had 12 and 5 assists in the loss.

Game 16: EWU Eagles (6-9, 1-2) @ Weber State Wildcats (6-9, 1-2)
We're the unlikely favorites with a 3-2 starter advantage on the road. Another disappointing 1st half, as we can't contain Weber State at all, and they march to the 41-34 half time advantage. Despite the fact that the Wildcats play like absolute garbage in the 2nd half, some embarrassingly poor shooting by us guarantees their victory, and we lose our 3 straight 59-72. Zinn got 11 and Holley got 10. Not much of an effort really.

klayman

06-02-2003, 05:00 PM

Our very poor performance over the last week results in Rigby not picking up the Big Sky Freshman of the week award for the first time this year. That of course, probably spoils his chances to win the Big Sky Freshman of the year award.

Brett Ball commits to EWU, leaving us with just 2 more targets. I want to give Brinkley a visit and in order to do so can only offer a light effort to both Brinkley and Yilmaz since it eats over half of our budget. Both still have moderate interest in EWU, and neither have received interest from higher ranked universities.

Committed: Brett Ball C (***, 6-9, 188) Grant HS Portland, OR C: NR, National: NR, Regional: #80 West. Offense: Good, Defense: Good, Handling: Average, Rebound: Good, Athleticism: Below Average, Potential: Good HS Stats 6.4 Ppg, 2.9 Rpg, 1.8 Apg 3.89 GPA

Game 17: Cal State Sac Hornets (11-4, 3-0) @ EWU Eagles (6-10, 1-3)
A shift of power in the Big Sky as perennial bottom feeders Cal State sit on top of the Big Sky while we hold last spot in the conference. The assist coaches generously give us the favorite tag although Cal State holds a 3-2 starter advantage. We push through early foul trouble and god-awful shooting to come ahead with a 33-27 lead, saved only by the fact that the Hornets shot less than 30% in the half. The 2nd half is much the same, but a strong performance by Marcus Williams off the bench turns out to be the difference as his 11 points lead us to a 67-56 win. Cabrera had a strong game with a 12 point, 11 board night, while Holley grabbed 11 points as well. The reason we won, however, was Cal State's 18 for 61 shooting on the night to help us snap a 3 game losing skid.

Game 18: NAU Lumberjacks (6-10, 2-2) @ EWU Eagles (7-10, 2-3)
We are the favorites at home again, although the Lumberjacks hold a 3-2 starter advantage. We miss our first 10 shots, giving NAU a 12 point head start in the game. Things don't get much better after that, and we find ourselves down 45-25 at the break. Continuing our lack luster play of late, we miss our first 8 shots of the 2nd half as well, and the game is quickly over as NAU go on to an easy 51-84 win. Our best player on the night was Tim Williams who got 8 points off the bench. That tells you about everything you need to know about our starters effort.