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MAGICVALLEY.COM: CSI men, women add players for 2009-10 season
This entry was posted on 4/22/2009 2:36 PM and is filed under Girls Basketball News.
The following is an article at Times-News magicvalley.com:
CSI men, women add players for 2009-10 season
Raft River grad Harper leaving women's program By Mike Christensen
Times-News writer
They've been racking up miles and long-distance phone calls for weeks. Wednesday, the payoff began for the men's and women's basketball coaching staffs at the College of Southern Idaho. Both CSI programs opened the NJCAA signing period by announcing several players who will join the Golden Eagles for the 2009-10 season.
The CSI men received National Letters of Intent from guard Jamaal Franklin and forward Damon Powell. Franklin, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Serrano High School in Phelan, Calif., averaged 31.7 points per game to go with 15.4 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 3.0 assists.
"He's extremely long and athletic and can just flat-out score the ball," said CSI men's head coach Steve Gosar.
Powell is a 6-6 power forward out of McClymonds High in Oakland, Calif. Gosar compared him to former CSI standout Juan Pattillo. "He's a very athletic high energy kid that just plays super hard," said Gosar.
The CSI men hope to add another player before the week is up, most likely a point guard.
Two in-state players will also join the Golden Eagles next year in Borah High's Dennis Mikelonis and Timberline's Zach Peterson. Mikelonis averaged 16.8 points and 6.5 rebounds, while Peterson, a 6-2 guard, scored 18.1 per game.
"It's a great start to our recruiting class," said Gosar, whose team is aiming to get back to the NJCAA national tournament after missing that goal two consecutivev seasons.
CSI women's head coach Randy Rogers has firm verbal commitments from six players, including four in-state athletes, who are expected to ink National Letters of Intent in the coming days.
The in-state players include former Twin Falls player Devan Matkin, who spent her senior season at Vallivue High in Caldwell. Holly Checketts (Preston), Kylie Hardison (Highland) and Laurel Kearsley (Teton) complete the Gem State additions to the Golden Eagle roster.
CSI also expects to add Utah products Tina Fakahafua (Judge Memorial) and Felicity Jones (Bear River).
"They're all just incredible kids," said Rogers, who added that the six are good players who can become great in coming years.
Matkin averaged 17.1 points, 5.4 assists and 3.1 rebounds at Twin Falls during the 2007-08 season. An ACL tear in June of 2008 caused her to miss half of her senior season at Vallivue, but she still averaged 8.3 points per game in helping her team to a fifth-place finish at the Class 5A state tournament.
"She can really shoot it," said Rogers.
Checketts contributed 17.7 points and 10.8 rebounds for Preston, shooting 65 percent from the field. Hardison scored 7.2 points a game in helping Highland to a 23-0 regular season, while Kearsley, a 6-foot post, averaged 17.8 points as a senior, while recording 372 career blocks.
Fakahafua was named the Deseret News Class 3A All-State MVP after averaging 14 points and 9.8 rebounds and will give CSI another strong post player.
Jones, a 5-7 guard, contributed 11.0 points, 4.3 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 3.1 steals for Bear River. "She's good," said Rogers, who marveled that Jones didn't wind up at Utah State or another NCAA Division I program.
Jones will likely compete with Katreese "Kiki" Lockett for the starting point guard role on next year's team. Lockett, who started at Georgetown, joined CSI in late January and redshirted. The Golden Eagles lose the nation's assist leader in Martina Holloway.
Meanwhile, Raft River High graduate Nicole Harper has decided not to return to CSI for her sophomore season. Harper started 26 games as a freshman, averaging 5.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists. Rogers said Harper plans to end her college playing career and enroll as a student at Brigham Young University-Idaho.
MeChel Hunt, a 6-foot forward from Plain City, Utah, has also decided not to play basketball at CSI next season, but could wind up joining the Golden Eagle softball program.
Rogers said guard Kiara Tate and forwards Kalika Tullock and Shauneice Samms, the Region 18 player of the year, should return for their sophomore seasons as CSI tries to win its third straight Scenic West Athletic Conference title.
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