If Don Verlin and the Idaho Vandals sign a high school player, chances are he's from the Northwest. That trend continued Tuesday when UI announced the signing of Arkadiy Mkrtychyan, a 6-foot-7 forward from Portland. Mkrtychyan has spent the last two years in Portland, but he's not a born-and-bred Northwest native. He originally hails from Moscow, Russia, and played his sophomore year in Honolulu. before transferring to Portland’s Columbia Christian High, where he had to sit out his junior season.

Verlin compared Mkrtychyan to Stephen Madison, Idaho's leading scorer and a Portland native, in terms of his versatility.

"He’s a multi-position guy who can play both forward spots, small and power forward," Verlin said in a statement. "He has had extensive experience overseas. We saw him this summer and I really liked his ability to play around the basket and away from the basket, and he really fits into our system."

Mkrtychyan joins Jake Straughan of Colton, Wash., as Idaho’s early period signees. "The things we’re excited about are his size, his ability, his ability to play multiple positions and getting another good, young high school player from the Northwest," Verlin added.

---

---