Guard gives WSU oral commitment
PULLMAN – Nick Witherill, a 6-foot-3 junior guard from Arizona, has orally committed to play basketball at Washington State in the fall of 2008.
At Saguaro High School in Scottsdale, Witherill averaged better than 17 points a game as a sophomore and his shooting range could provide another boost to a Cougars offense that has struggled to find consistency.
The commitment is non-binding, and Witherill can’t sign an official letter of intent until more than a year from now.
Witherill is the first player to orally commit since Tony Bennett took over as head coach in the spring.
“He is really, really a great shooter,” said Russ Pennell, Witherill’s AAU coach and a former Rob Evans assistant at Arizona State and Mississippi. “I think the style of play – I’m sure sometimes people use that against Washington State – I think in this instance it was a positive. He’s a real cerebral player. He’s a good shooter and can come off screens to knock down shots.”
New Mexico had already offered Witherill a scholarship, and Arizona State had called in the last week, asking the junior to hold off on making a commitment so it could further evaluate him. Witherill’s father, a Michigan native, played football for the Sun Devils.
Though the commitment came early in the process, Pennell said he doesn’t think Witherill is the type of person who will rest on his laurels with a collegiate future secured.
“A lot of times kids make their decision and almost relax,” Pennell said. “He not only wants to come to Washington State, he wants to go and be a focal point of what’s going on.”
The Cougars haven’t secured any commitments for the recruiting class of 2007, but they are in the hunt for a number of players, including Abe Lodwick of Bend, Ore.; Arman Johnson of Oakland, Calif.; and Blake Hoffarber of Hopkins, Minn.
The Cougars declined to offer a scholarship to Jon Reed, another Californian.
Men announce schedule
WSU released its 2006-07 basketball schedule Wednesday and it includes 14 opponents that reached postseason play.
WSU will play 16 “home” games, including 14 in Pullman, one at the Spokane Arena on Nov. 25 against Boise State and one at Seattle’s KeyArena on Dec. 21 against San Diego State.
The Cougars open the season Nov. 10 at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Tournament.
WSU is host to Gonzaga on Dec. 5 and plays at Idaho on Dec. 9. The Cougars’ first Pacific-10 game is at UCLA on Dec. 28.
The complete schedule is in the Scoreboard, Page C4. Most tipoff times are to be determined.