NIC players sign with D-I schools

Three North Idaho College men’s basketball players, including Gonzaga Prep product Chris Sarbaugh, recently signed with NCAA Division I schools.

Sarbaugh, a 6-foot-3 guard who redshirted at Gonzaga University as a freshman before transferring to NIC, signed with San Diego, where he’ll have three seasons of eligibility. Sarbaugh averaged 7.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists in helping NIC to a 26-5 season.

“Chris is a Swiss Army knife as a player; he does a little of everything and can play multiple positions,” San Diego coach Bill Grier, a former Gonzaga assistant coach, said in a USD release.

Michael Middlebrooks, a 6-9 sophomore forward from Seattle, signed with Illinois State of the Missouri Valley Conference. Middlebrooks averaged 8.9 points and 7.2 rebounds and blocked 93 shots.

“Michael is a long, athletic forward who can block shots,” Redbirds coach Dan Muller said. “His length and quickness will allow him to be a very good defender in our system.”

Sophomore Jalil Abdul-Bassit, who is from Anchorage, Alaska, signed with Oregon. The 6-foot-4 guard was NIC’s second-leading scorer at 13 points per game. He made 45 percent of his shots, including 38.5 percent from 3-point range.

Abdul-Bassit transferred to NIC after playing his freshman season at Monroe College in Rochester, N.Y.

Freshman forward James Webb signed with Boise State in November. He averaged 8.7 points and 5.1 rebounds.

“James is an extremely long and athletic wing who has the ability to score from the perimeter and off the dribble,” said Boise State coach Leon Rice, a former Gonzaga assistant.