NIC's pipeline to UTSA continues
The schools are separated by 2,002 miles, but for the third straight year, the North Idaho College men's basketball team will have a player join the University of Texas-San Antonio roster.
Keon Lewis, a 6-foot-2 guard from Seattle, has signed with the Roadrunners, joining former NIC player Edrico McGregor next season. Lewis will have two years of eligibility remaining and McGregor will be a senior in 2013-14.
Michael Hale, who played at NIC from 2009-11, played the last two years at UTSA, averaging 15.6 points per game as a senior. McGregor played in all 32 games for UTSA, which finished 10-22.
Lewis averaged a team-high 13.3 points per game, with 37 steals and 63 assists in 19.3 minutes per game last year for NIC, which finished 26-5.
"Keon is a true combo guard and can play both the point and shooting guard," NIC coach Jared Phay said. "He can score in a variety of ways."
While Hale was being recruited at NIC, Phay said the Cardinal coaches began a friendship with some of the UTSA coaches.
“We got to know (assistant coach) Jim O’Dowd a few years ago,” Phay said. “Michael went down there and really liked playing there. Whenever your former players have a good experience playing somewhere, it becomes contagious.”
The Roadrunners will compete in Conference USA next season after playing in the Western Athletic Conference this year.
Lewis was accompanied on his visit by fellow sophomore Kaj Sherman, who is visiting Montana this weekend. Phay said Sherman will make his decision after his visit to Missoula.
McGregor and Lewis will room together next year, Phay added. Lewis is the fifth NIC player off this year’s roster to sign with a Division I school, joining James Webb III (Boise State), Michael Middlebrooks (Illinois State), Jalil Abdul-Bassit (Oregon) and Chris Sarbaugh (San Diego).
NIC sophomore guard Mikey Hope will visit Division II Western Washington in Bellingham this weekend, Phay said.
On the incoming side, NIC has signed Washington State transfer Bryce Leavitt. Leavitt, a 6-4 guard from Kennewick High, played in 20 games for the Cougars last season as a freshman, playing a total of 113 minutes and averaging 0.7 points per game.
“We’re excited about him,” Phay said. “He actually has a rule that he needs to spend at least three hours a day in the gym. That was his first question when he came here, was if he could get into the gym for three hours a day. He’s definitely a kid that’s not going to skate by and wants to work.”
Phay expects him to fill the role of Sarbaugh, who played last season at NIC after transferring from Gonzaga.
“He can really handle the ball,” Phay said. “He can play the point, the 2 or the 3.”
NIC originally recruited Leavitt out of high school before he opted to go to Washington State.
“He was under the radar a little bit,” Phay said. “So we recruited him and he wound up going to Washington State. When he decided to leave, we were the first school he thought about.”
Tatufu Nuku, a 6-7, 250-pound forward from Australia, has also signed with NIC.
“He’s a big dude, but he’s pretty athletic,” Phay said. “We’ve still got some gaps to fill, but we’re getting there.”
Earlier, NIC signed Rainier Beach High players Will Dorsey, a 5-9 guard, Jordon King, a 6-3 forward and Wilfred Middlebrooks, a 6-10 forward and the younger brother of Michael Middlebrooks.