North Idaho College Updates
North Idaho College in Coeur d'Alene, Id., pushed the College of Southern Idaho at last month's Region 18 Tournament, but the Cardinals came up on the short end, ending their season at 17-14.
While the season ended on a disappointing note, several North Idaho players helped themselves with solid performances at the Region 18 Tournament.
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JUCO Junction profiles a number of those available sophomore prospects in this report, courtesy of NIC Asst. Coach Jared Phay.
Athletic 5-11 combo guard Curtis Lincoln of Portland, Ore., will need summer school to graduate, Phay said. As a result, his recruitment hasn't picked up much steam since the end of the season.
Phay said that Division I programs such as Nicholls State and Texas A&M Corpus Christi are involved with Lincoln, while Division II Abilene Christian is there should he fail to graduate this summer.
Lincoln averaged 13.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game, shooting 43 percent from the floor, 36 percent beyond the arc and 55 percent from the foul line.
A true hybrid guard, Lincoln has good quickness and athleticism, although he's not the purest shooter or best decision maker (2.8 turnovers per game). What he does most effectively is penetrate, and despite his wiry build, he's not averse to drawing contact.
As for Jonathan Holden, a 6-8 power forward/center from Canberra, Australia, he recently committed to Minnesota-Duluth, Phay said.
Holden's situation is an interesting one. Some Division I programs had been involved with him this winter, but an issue regarding his athletic eligibility may have kept those programs from offering him this spring.
Phay said that at issue is a school that Holden attended in Australia. In the NCAA's eyes, Holden may have given up a year of eligibility by attending the school.
"Minnesota-Duluth will need to appeal to the NCAA to get the year back for the school that he attended in Australia," Phay said.
Depending on that all works out, Holden will definitely have one, and possibly two years of eligibility at UM-D.
Holden started 29 of 31 games for the Cardinals, averaging 6.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. He shot 49 percent from the field and 81 percent from the foul line.
A pair of wing players from North Idaho are currently being eyeballed by some Division I programs.
Tyler Hayes, a 6-4 sophomore small forward from Bend, Ore., will visit Maryland-Baltimore County from Apr. 16-18, Phay said.
Hayes averaged 9.4 points, two rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. He shot 40 percent from the floor, 41 percent beyond the arc and 79 percent from the foul line.
One player who really boosted his stock at the region tourney was 6-3 shooting guard Paul Hafford of Lynden, Wash.
While he's catch and shoot all the way, Hafford has a deadly three-point stroke and very deep range. In the 85-80 loss to CSI, he canned six treys on the way to 32 points.
Phay said that Portland State and Idaho State are most heavily involved with Hafford this spring.
We'll keep you posted on the North Idaho sophs as they continue to finalize their college destinations... stay tuned!