Northwest Notes
Pair of Northwest athletes
sign with Idaho men’s hoops
MOSCOW — Idaho men’s basketball coach Don Verlin announced the signing a pair of recruits from the Pacific Northwest, in Geno West and Garrett Kingman.
“We are really excited to add both Garrett and Geno to our program,” Verlin said. “Both players fit the Vandal mold that we’ve established — talented players who are high achievers both on the court and in the classroom. Also, the addition of Garrett and Geno continues our focus and emphasis on recruiting high school players from successful programs in the Northwest.”
West led Jefferson High in Portland, Ore., to the Oregon 6A state championship this past season, his second championship in four years. He scored 28 in the championship win over Clackamas, including nine points in the final three minutes, to pace Jefferson, which finished 26-1, including 15-0 in league play. The lone loss on the season came during a holiday tournament in December, playing against Gonzaga (Washington D.C.), one of the top teams in the nation.
Jefferson as been well represented at Idaho during Don Verlin’s tenure. Three different athletes from Jefferson have gone on to score at least 500 points in a season at Idaho, in Mac Hopson, Stephen Madison and last year’s leading scorer Victor Sanders.
West’s best game of the season came against Franklin, when the 6-2 guard exploded for 53 points, eight boards, six assists and six steals in the victory. On the year, West averaged better than 25 points per contest on the way to being named the Portland Interscholastic League Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.
“Obviously Geno comes from a program that has been very good to us,” said Verlin. “Former Vandals Mac Hopson, Steve Madison and current Vandal Victor Sanders all come from Jefferson, which is the premier program in the state of Oregon. Like many of the players on our roster, Geno has won a state championship, two actually, and I believe success breeds success.”
Kingman spent last season playing for Elite Prep but previously played his high school ball for Peninsula High in Gig Harbor, Wash. In his final season with Peninsula, Kingman, a 6-6 wing, averaged 16.5 points and 10.7 rebounds per game last year while leading Peninsula to a record of 21-4 and a spot in the state playoffs. Kingman originally committed to Cal Poly following his senior season but opted to do one year of prep school before making the jump to college.
At Elite Prep Kingman was able to focus more on basketball while managing his schoolwork. Elite Prep gives rising athletes the opportunity to compete against some of the top high school teams in the nation while also preparing for the Division I experience. Kingman excelled, scoring 19.1 points per game and tearing down 8.4 boards per contest.
“Garrett is an outstanding shooter with size who I believe will be a terrific player in our program,” Verlin said. “He graduated from high school when he was just 16 years old and benefited greatly from attending prep school this past year. He still won’t turn 18 until later this summer, so he is still growing and maturing. There is no question in my mind that Garrett’s best basketball is ahead of him and that he will have a heckuva career in silver and gold.”
The Vandals have now signed five freshmen for next year.