The Front Row with JASON ELLIOTT March 10, 2010
For those fans who haven't quite gotten their fill of high school basketball for the year, you're in luck.
This Saturday, the best high school seniors in the state of Idaho will converge on Christianson Gym as North Idaho College hosts the seventh annual Idaho all-star games starting with the girls at 1 p.m. and the boys at 3:30.
THERE IS a good chance that most of the stars on display won't be playing their final game of basketball as most will be moving onto various two or four-year colleges.
Post Falls High standouts Shawn Reid and Katelyn Loper are just two of the players that have already committed to Montana State and Hofstra, respectively, with others weighing their options also.
Lewiston's Justin Podrabsky will be headed to the University of Idaho, but not to play basketball. He'll be just one of the new recruits in "Akey's Army" next season, joining the football program at quarterback after graduation.
Josh Fuller of Madison High will take his game to the University of Utah and Eagle's Taylor Kelly will make an appearance at NIC before taking over as a quarterback for Dennis Erickson at Arizona State next fall.
LOOKING BACK at the Coeur d'Alene Holiday Inn Express Invitational, it's no shock that the Post Falls boys basketball team was able to claim its first state title since 1964 over the weekend.
The Trojans defeated teams from Walla Walla, Lincoln of Tacoma and Chief Sealth out of Seattle on their way to being the only 3-0 boys team in the tournament.
Both Walla Walla and Lincoln advanced to their respective state tournaments, but neither school could recapture the same as Walla Walla finished fourth and Lincoln lost out on a chance to play in a trophy game to Mead. Chief Sealth failed to advance past its 3A regional tournament.
AS FAR as the girls teams went in the tournament, Shadle Park was the only school out of Washington to make it to state, with Lapwai and Coeur d'Alene both playing in championship games.
Lapwai lost for the first time since Post Falls defeated them 62-60 at Rolly Williams Court, when Clearwater Valley defeated its White Pine League rival in the 1A Division I title game.
Both Kristi Pratt of Clearwater Valley and Lapwai's Shawn Spencer will be on the opposite side of the court as coaches of the South and North.
Meanwhile, the Vikings won a third straight championship over 5A Inland Empire League rival Lewiston.
Talented players looking to make one more memory before graduation on the basketball floor.
Should be a great time watching the stars shine this weekend.
Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d'Alene Press. He can be reached by phone at 664-0239 or via e-mail at jelliott@cdapress.com.
WSU looks to avenge
two narrow losses to Oregon
as Pac-10 tourney opens
By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS
Associated Press writer
It's a basketball truism that beating the same team three times in one season is tough. Washington State is hoping that's true as the Cougars prepare to play Oregon in the first game of the Pacific-10 tournament, just four days after losing to the Ducks in the regular season finale.
Oregon (15-15, 7-11) swept the season series in two close games, with Saturday's loss dropping WSU into last place in the Pac-10.
The Cougars (16-14, 6-12) play Oregon tonight (8 p.m., FSN, KXLY 920) in Los Angeles, with a goal of putting together a solid 40-minute game for the first time in weeks and getting to the second round.
"We're excited to play Oregon again," WSU coach Ken Bone said.
Oregon coach Ernie Kent said his focus will be on getting his team to score more points against the Cougars.
"We left points on the floor," in both previous games, he said.
Oregon may be distracted by broadcast reports last weekend that Kent would be dismissed at the end of the season.
see COUGS, B2
Television station KVAL of Eugene reported that athletic director Mike Bellotti had already told Kent he would not return as coach next season. Kent has declined to comment and Bellotti has said his decision will be made "around the (Pac-10) tournament."
Washington State became the first conference team to finish last despite at least six league wins, and their 16 overall wins are the most ever by a last-place team. That makes them a dangerous opponent in the tightly packed Pac-10.
"There are nine of us who feel we could win it and get to the (NCAA) tournament," Kent said. Southern Cal took itself out of the postseason this year for recruiting violations.
The Cougars fell at Oregon, 74-66, on Saturday. They lost at home, 91-89, in double overtime in the Pac-10 opener for both teams.
The Cougars have weapons. Sophomore Klay Thompson ranks third in the conference with 19.6 points per game, scoring at least 20 points in 16 of WSU's 30 contests. But he has been maddeningly inconsistent in the latter part of the season.
With 22 points at Oregon, Thompson has 1,003 career points, the 31st Cougar to reach that milestone. He's the third fastest, accomplishing the feat in his 63rd career game. The only Cougars to do it faster were Steve Puidokas (52 games) and Jim McKean (57 games).
Post DeAngelo Casto was an honorable mention to the all-conference team and was chosen for the all-defensive team. He averages 10.7 points and 6.9 rebounds and leads the Pac-10 with 2.1 blocked shots per game.
Guard Reggie Moore averages 12.9 points and 4.1 assists and was chosen to the all-freshman team.
But it has been a struggle to get all three of those athletes to play well on the same night, Bone said, leaving WSU with some frustrating losses.
"We are better than we have shown," Bone said.
WSU holds a 3-1 advantage against Oregon in the Pac-10 Tournament and has ousted Oregon from the event the past two years.
The winner of their game plays top-seeded California in the quarterfinals Thursday.