Vandals recruiting strong

Basketball programs that have won four games each of the last two seasons often find recruiting doors locked, latched and dead-bolted shut, making it even harder to facilitate a turnaround.

That’s the dilemma facing Idaho, which has endured eight straight losing seasons.

“It took a while for this thing to get to this level and I don’t think you can reach over and click a switch, particularly at the University of Idaho,” said George Pfeifer, who concluded his second season at Idaho and his first as head coach. “But the way to be successful here is you have to be blue collar and wade in. We’ve been told no a lot in recruiting, but that hasn’t made us take a step sideways. We’ve continued to move ahead.”

The Vandals have apparently made some progress, piecing together what many regard as a strong recruiting class that ranks in the upper half of the Western Athletic Conference.

“People are going, ‘You got who?’ ” Pfeifer said. “That doesn’t happen because we picked up the phone once or wrote one letter. Sleep is overrated for this staff.”

The Vandals took their lumps again this season, finishing 4-27, the most losses in school history. They won just one WAC game for the second consecutive season. Pfeifer reworked the roster shortly after he was hired and another remake – though not quite as dramatic – is likely.

The newcomers include Washington transfer Harvey Perry, who will become eligible to play in December; Andre McFarland; and Luis Augusto.

Perry practiced with the team after enrolling at UI for second semester and some close to the program said he was the team’s best player. McFarland, originally a USC recruit, played at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire and figures to step in immediately. Augusto, a 6-foot-8, 235-pound transfer from Western Oklahoma State College, could provide the interior size Idaho lacked this season.

The latest addition is Michael Loyd Jr., who said Monday he has orally committed to Idaho. The son of former UNLV point guard Michael Loyd Sr. averaged 16.3 points and 3.3 assists as a combination guard at Palo Verde High in Las Vegas. Forward Demetrius Crowell, younger brother of Vandals forward Michael Crowell, also is en route, but he missed most of last season with a torn ACL.

Pfeifer describes the 6-6 McFarland as a “kind of a snow plow with the ball.” Perry can play point or “2” guard and “he’ll give us a big guard on the perimeter that will defend,” Pfeifer said. “He’s a big-time athlete.”

Augusto “posts up as hard as anybody I’ve seen,” Pfeifer said. “He’s a rebounder and defender, but he’ll get his points.”

The Vandals lost posts Mike Kale and Sebastien Taulbee to knee injuries and often were overmatched in the paint last season. Senior Desmond Nwoke, bothered by persistent knee problems, provided some quality minutes but wasn’t a consistent scorer. Darin Nagle played post much of the season but the slender 6-10 Potlatch native is probably better suited as a “4” or power forward.

The 6-8, 240-pound Kale, who had knee surgery, is on course to return, Pfeifer said. Idaho will have to replace guard Keoni Watson, the fourth leading scorer (18.1) in the WAC.

Idaho started true freshmen O.J. Avworo and David Jackson much of the season and both put up respectable numbers. Other underclassmen who played a lot were Clyde Johnson, Michael Crowell and Trevor Morris.

“We played more than a handful of games that came down to the last one or two possessions and we didn’t get it done,” Pfeifer said. “We had more pains than we wanted in our growth. We feel like some of those pieces are going to come into play for us in the future. We’re not going to forget the past, but we are going to rip off the rear-view mirrors and move ahead.”

The Vandals will play several exhibition games in Canada this fall, Pfeifer said. It’s an opportunity to hold 10 practices and play 3-4 games in late August, early September.

Idaho isn’t finished recruiting, which could lead to some roster reshuffling, Pfeifer said. “Look at our record. We have to make some tough choices, but we have to do what’s best for the program.”