Zags Like Freshman JC Guard
Curtis Lincoln, the cat-quick 5-10 freshman point guard from North Idaho College in Coeur d'Alene, Id., is being seriously looked at by Gonzaga University, among other D-I programs.
NIC Head Coach Hugh Watson told JUCO Junction on Monday night that Gonzaga is planning to come in and take a look at Lincoln this spring. Eastern Washington and Idaho are also expected to make the trip up to Coeur d'Alene and take a look at Lincoln.
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Utah State and Wyoming are two other colleges who have also expressed some degree of interest in Lincoln, who hails from Portland, Ore.
Despite his small size, the 160 pound Lincoln is really more of a scoring lead guard than a true point. Blessed with a great first step and good athleticism, Lincoln led the Cardinals in scoring this season, averaging 16.4 points per contest to go along with 4.3 rebounds and three assists each outing.
Equally impressive was the fact that Lincoln topped the Scenic West in steals per game as a freshman, racking up nearly three per game. His foot speed and anticipation on defense help him collect those steals.
However, Lincoln must get stronger and improve his outside shot. He converted just 29 percent of his three point attempts and 57 percent from the foul line.
Watson said that Lincoln has put on several pounds since the season ended and is in the weight room quite a bit trying to bulk up. He's also working on his outside shot to make it a more potent threat next winter.
Because he was a non-qualifier out of high school, Lincoln must return to junior college next year and earn his associates degree before moving on to a Division I program.
JUCO Junction will keep tabs on Lincoln and other top JC freshmen throughout the country as we shift our focus from the Class of 2003 to the Class of 2004 in the coming months. Stay tuned!