EWU men’s basketball signs four to letters of intent
Like most ‘A’ students, Tanner Groves is a quick study.
Only two weeks after his official visit to Eastern Washington, the Shadle Park basketball star knew what he wanted and signed a letter of intent to play for Jim Hayford and the Eagles.
“Just meeting all the guys, they were great people to be around, and the coaches recruit guys who are good students,” said Groves, who also prizes the chance to play close to home.
“That was one of the most important things for me, also that the program fit me the best,” said Groves, a 6-foot-9 forward who was the Greater Spokane League MVP as a junior after averaging 16 points, 11 rebounds and 1.5 blocked shots.
“I just hope I can continue shooting the ball well and bang down low with the other big guys,” Groves said.
Groves was one of four EWU signees announced Wednesday. The others include 6-6 forward Brendan Howard, from Great Falls, Montana; Jack Perry, a 6-2 guard from Australia; and 6-7 guard-forward Kim Aiken, from Redlands, California.
Last year, Groves led Shadle to a 16-7 record and a spot in the state 3A regionals.
“Tanner is a skilled big man who will fit into our system,” Hayford said. “One of our goals is to keep the best players in the area right here at home, and Tanner is a good player who chose to stay local.”
Groves is the just the latest Spokane-area player to sign with Eastern and Hayford. Others include Parker Kelly from Gonzaga Prep, Cody Benzel from Ferris and Joshua Thomas of Central Valley.
“One of our goals is to keep the best players in the area right here at home, and Tanner is a good player who chose to stay local,” Hayford said.
Howard earned top honors in Montana after he averaged a double-double for the third consecutive season. He averaged 25.1 points and 10.4 rebounds.
“Brendan is a very gifted player who plays very hard and has multiple skills,” said Hayford. “It was a real recruiting battle to sign him, and we couldn’t be happier.”
Perry is on the U20 Victoria State Team, and will compete in the U20 National Championships in February. He plays club basketball for the Dandenong Rangers, and in 2016 helped them to the U18 Victorian and National Junior Classic Championships.
In 2015, he helped Victoria Metro finish fourth at the U18 national championships, and led Dandenong to a runner-up finish at the U18 Victorian Championships with a 24-point effort on 6-of-9 shooting from the 3-point stripe. Dandenong was also third in the National Junior Classic and finished third in the SEABL Eastern Conference.
“We try to add an Australian every year and we signed a good one,” said Hayford, who has five Aussies on this year’s roster.
Aiken averaged 18.6 points and 12 rebounds as a junior to earn All-California Interscholastic Federation honors. He was the co-MVP of the Citrus Belt League.
“Kim is a dynamic player who is extremely athletic,” Hayford said. “He brings great size to the backcourt and can also play in the frontcourt.”