Most high school athletes dream of playing a sport at the college level, and most schools try to keep rising high school stars in their home state. That has not been the story in Idaho for years. Idaho colleges do not recruit Idaho talent when they absolutely should, especially in basketball.
This was a prime example during this basketball season and at the state tournament. For the girls in Idaho, this was without a doubt the best crop of talent the state has produced in years. With talent like Boise guard Avery Howell, who won every award there is, shy only of a state championship. Howell is a McDonald’s All-American, 5-star recruit and top-20 player in the country. What if I told you she only had an offer from one Idaho school?
Howell only got an offer from Boise State University in Idaho. Another example would be senior guard Teagen Colvin, a guard from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, who was a spectacular player for the Vikings, winning back-to-back state championships and averaging 20 points per game in two consecutive seasons.
Colvin is from Coeur d’Alene, only an hour and a half from the University of Idaho. You would think they would offer a talent like Colvin, but with the coaching change for the Vandals, there is not an offer for such a local talent.
Lake City guard Sophia Zufelt is the same way, an outstanding guard who led the Timberwolves to a state championship appearance and was a top player in the state all year long. Zufelt does not currently have an Idaho offer.
UI, Idaho State and Boise State women’s basketball teams have two Idaho players on their rosters, one for UI and one for BSU. ISU does not have a single Idaho player on its roster.
The men’s side is better, with eight players from Idaho between the three schools: four for ISU, three for Boise State and one for UI. This has been a problem for a long time, letting the best players in Idaho’s backyard go to different states just to play basketball.
Idaho men’s coach Alex Pribble and women’s coach Carrie Eighmey stressed the importance of recruiting kids from their backyards.
With their first real offseason about to kick off, we will see if that was all talk or if they will deliver on their words and make sure talented Idaho kids get to stay home to play college basketball.
Ron C Reynolds
Should UI offer top talent knowing full well they're not going to come to Moscow?
Rich Kaufman
Good article and I agree, yet 2 examples don't apply. Howell and Colvin were not recruited since they are destined to much higher level programs. Howell is obvious, with Colvin committed to UNLV.