grizzlyjournal

Rainier Beach Coach lauds Montana recruiting class

Seattle Rainier Beach H. S. boys' basketball coach Mike Bethea, whose 29-1 Vikings won the Washington State Boys 3A state championship in March, likes the look of Wayne Tinkle's Montana Grizzly recruiting class of 2008.

Four of Bethea's five starters from his state championship squad have signed letters of intent to play Division I basketball next year. Nyandigisi "Digs" Moikobu, a 6-6 post (who will probably play wing for the Griz) averaged 11 points per game during the season for Rainier Beach.

Moikobu is the third Washington State prep player to commit to Tinkle's Montana program for 2008. Shawn Stockton of Spokane's Ferris H.S., the Washington State 4a champs, signed last fall along with power forward, 6-8 Matthias Ward of Gig Harbor H.S.

Add to that group Anthony Johnson of Tacoma, who played this past year for Yakima Valley Community College, and Tinkle could almost have a complete team of Washington recruits on the floor. Bethea likes the look of Montana's recruiting class, in comments made earlier this week in the Seattle Post Intelligencer.

"With that recruiting class, he (Montana coach Wayne Tinkle) has taken care of a 1, a 3 and a 4," Bethea said. "That's going to be the best class in the Big Sky."

Moikobu's teammate, Ababe Dimisse, has made a commitment to play at Eastern Washington.

You can read the entire story on the Rainier Beach team in this Seattle Post Intelligencer story.

Northwest Shootout update: Oregonian video coverage

The Portland Oregonian covered Sunday's Northwest Shootout for boys and girls prep all-star squads. The game was of interest to Montana Grizzly fans because two Montana recruits, point guard Shawn Stockton of Spokane Ferris H. S., and forward Matthias Ward of Gig Harbor H.S. played for the Washington all star team, which won 108-105.

Ward scored eight points and grabbed five rebounds in the game, while Stockton scored four points.

The Oregonian published two items of interest. The first is a brief video of game action, which you can view here. The second is Oregonian Vikings blog writer Ian Ruder's post-game analysis, which you can read here.

Northwest Shootout update: Ward scores 8, Stockton 5

Matthias Ward scored eight points for the Washington All Stars and Shawn Stockton scored five in a 108-105 Washington victory over the Oregon All Stars in the 14th annual Northwest Shootout played at the University of Portland's Chiles Center Sunday.

Ward made three of four shots – 2-of-2 from three-point range – in the game. Point guard Stockton made 2-for-5 from the field. Both players are Montana Grizzly recruits, the only players in the all-star game who have committed to play for a Big Sky school.

You can read game-action coverage by the Seattle Times here.

Two Washington prep players – Eryn Jones of Meadowdale H. S., and Stephanie Egwautau of Auburn – have made commitments to play for Portland State next year. Another Washington prep player who played in the shootout, Brianne Ryan, has made a commitment to Eastern Washington.

Griz recruits Stockton, Ward see action in Northwest Shootout

In what may well be a first for Montana Grizzly basketball recruiting, two of the best prep boys players from the state of Washington – Shawn Stockton of Washington 4A state Champion Ferris H.S. of Spokane, and Matthias Ward of Gig Harbor H.S. – played in the 14th annual Washington-Oregon post-season Northwest Shootout, held Sunday, Apr. 6 at the University of Portland’s Chiles Center.

The game – which finished just before this post –  was won 108-105 by the Washington All Stars. DeAngelo Casto of Spokane Ferris and Reggie Moore of Seattle Rainier Beach H. S. were named co-MVPs.

Moore, who will play basketball next year at Fresno State, scored 23 points while dishing six assists and getting two steals. Casto, who has yet to decide where he’ll play next year, scored 19 points while collecting eight rebounds and eight blocks on the game.

Final game stats were not available at this point, but I’ll add them as they are posted by the Portland Oregonian web site.

In the meantime, you can read a live game blog here by Portland Oregonian prep writer Patrick Greenfield.

Also, check out Oregonian video sports video specialist Bill Miksell’s game-action highlights here later tonight or Monday.

Even a casual perusal of the Washington-Oregon lineup and the schools to which these prep players are headed next year, should lead to the conclusion that Montana coach Wayne Tinkle has a good start on an impressive freshman recruiting class for 2008.

Stockton and Ward are the only players to see action in the Northwest Classic who are committed to a Big Sky Conference school.