Northwest Notes: March 12, 2015
Hill, Vandals face EWU today
in Big Sky tourney opener
MISSOULA, Mont. - Connor Hill remembers playing early morning basketball games before - but that was back in AAU ball.
This isn't AAU ball - this is the Big Sky men's basketball tournament, and Hill and the Idaho Vandals (13-16) are scheduled to face Eastern Washington (23-8) in a first-round game today at 11 a.m. MDT - 10 a.m. Moscow time.
"I would rather play at night," said Hill, the Vandals' senior guard from Post Falls High. "But they put us at 11, so that's what we have to roll with."
During Big Sky play, Eastern won by three points at Idaho, then rallied at home to win by three points in overtime. Today's game is Idaho's first in the Big Sky tournament since 1996.
Anything short of a conference title will spell the end of Hill's stellar Vandal career. He is Idaho's career leader in 3-pointers (334), and this year broke the single-season 3-point record (102 and counting). Hill averages 16.1 points per game, and is sixth in the nation in total 3-pointers made, seventh in 3-point percentage (44.3) and fourth in 3-pointers made per game (3.5).
"I've definitely thought about it; there's no way you can't think about it," Hill said of the end of his Vandal career. "But I'm just hoping we can get a few (games), and win three."
Ex-NIC standout Webb
named MWC's top newcomer
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Redshirt sophomore forward James Webb III - who played as a freshman at North Idaho College two seasons ago - was named Newcomer of the Year in Mountain West Conference men's basketball.
Webb was also named to the all-defensive team, as well as second-team all-conference.
Webb, who redshirted last season after transferring from NIC, broke out just before conference play started. Once the Mountain West slate began, he was a full-fledged star, averaging 12.9 points and nine rebounds per game in conference play on his way to becoming Boise State's third conference newcomer of the year and first since 1996.
Webb scored in double figures 13 times during the conference season. He shot 44.9 percent from 3-point range (third-best in the conference) and 65.4 percent from inside the arc, taking exactly half of his shots from each area of the floor. Webb's nine rebounds per outing ranked third in the conference and recorded six of his eight double-doubles in league games.
Boise State senior guard Derrick Marks was named Mountain West Player of the Year.
Head coach Leon Rice took home Coach of the Year honors.
Marks was also named to the conference's first team.
Expert on recruiting process
to speak at Lakeland High
RATHDRUM - Jack Renkens of Recruiting Realities will bring his presentation on college athletic recruiting to Lakeland High next Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the student commons.
"It's a Game ... Know the Rules" is designed to serve as a reality check for families of student-athletes looking to get their degree and play at the college level. Jack's 45-minute presentation is free and open to the public.
As a former high school and college coach and athletic director, Renkens has written 14 books on the recruiting process.
For more on Renkens' presentation, check the Recruiting Realities web site at www.recruitingrealities.com. To see him in action, search 'Jack Renkens' on YouTube.com.
Locals take aim at NAIA women's hoop tourney
Five teams from the Frontier Conference were awarded at-large bids into the 32-team field for the 35th annual NAIA Division I women's basketball championship starting next Wednesday at the Independence Events Center in Independence, Mo.
Westminster College, regular season and conference tournament champion, earned the conference's automatic bid. Carroll, Lewis-Clark State, Montana State-Northern and Great Falls received at-large bids.
Lewis-Clark is making its 18th appearance at nationals. Caelyn Orlandi (Coeur d'Alene High) and Brooke Litalien (Post Falls) are starters and Brittany Tackett (Coeur d'Alene) is a reserve for the Warriors (21-10).
Former Coeur d'Alene standouts Erin Legel and Kendalyn Brainard lead Great Falls (22-9), which is making its first appearance at nationals.
Sara Chalich, also of Coeur d'Alene, is redshirting this year for Carroll (18-10).