Simon reconsiders

Patrick Simon, the 6-foot-7 forward from Ephrata, Wash., announced Thursday night he was recommitting to the Cougars. The decision came after he met new Washington State University men’s basketball coach Ken Bone for the first time.

“I knew I wasn’t going to make a decision until I met Coach Bone and the rest of the assistants he brought in,” Simon said driving back home after his visit to WSU. “We talked about strategy, about how he was changing the offense and defense and how I fit into it. I liked how it was going.

“I liked the up-tempo, kind of freeness of his system.”

Simon first committed to WSU as a 14-year-old freshman. He helped Ephrata win the State 2A basketball title as a sophomore but sat out last year, his junior season, with a small fracture in his foot. After Tony Bennett left for Virginia in early April, Simon said he was reopening the recruiting process.

Simon said he should be able to play again in August and expected to be healthy for his senior season.

Girls basketball

Medical Lake coach Justin Blayne has had the interim tag removed from his job. The Medical Lake graduate took over the program midway through last season. Prior to that, he was an assistant at University and Liberty. Before taking over the girls team, he spent five years as an assistant with the ML boys.