Northwest Notes: May 13, 2023

NIC softball takes two

by forfeit as Big Bend cancels season

North Idaho College received a forfeit in Friday's Northwest Athletic Conference softball doubleheader at Big Bend in Moses Lake after the Big Bend program canceled the final four games of its season due to safety concerns, according to the Big Bend athletic website.

NIC (34-9, 26-4 NWAC) leads the East Region and travels to Yakima Valley for a doubleheader today at noon to conclude the regular season.

Big Bend (3-33, 3-29) is last in the East Region. Alyssa Krause, a freshman from Post Falls High, appeared in 26 games for the Vikings, finishing with seven home runs and 19 RBIs and a .329 batting average (23 for 70).

Former Idaho player among two to sign with WSU men's basketball

PULLMAN — Isaac Jones, the Big Sky Newcomer of the Year at Idaho last year, and Isaiah Watts have signed letters of intent to play basketball at Washington State next season, Cougars coach Kyle Smith announced Friday.

Watts is the grandson of former Seattle SuperSonics great Donald "Slick" Watts, and is the son of Donald Watts, former Washington Huskies’ standout who led the Pac-10 Conference in 3-point percentage in 1998-99.

Jones, a 6-9 forward/center from Orting High in Spanaway, Wash., will arrive at WSU as a senior, after averaging 19.4 points per game and 7.8 rebounds per game last year for the Vandals. Jones posted the best field goal percentage in the conference (.629), and ninth in the nation. Jones recorded 11 double-doubles last season, including a career-high 42 points against Sacramento State.

“Isaac is the addition we need to become the best version we can be,” Smith said in a news release. “He adds length, skill, and feel to our frontcourt. He can play inside and out, has a great shooting touch, plays unselfish, and is easy to play with. Like Mo, he is someone you can play through on the offensive end and makes others better.”

Prior to arriving at Idaho, Jones played three seasons at Wenatchee Valley College. He led the Northwest Athletic Conference in scoring (25.3 ppg), rebounding (13.2 rpg), and field goal percentage (.695) in 2021-22 and was named the NWAC Player of the Year. Jones was also tabbed East Region Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year.

Watts, a 6-3 guard from West Seattle High, is the third freshmen in the 2023 recruiting class and the second from Washington (Parker Gerrits). Watts played four years of at West Seattle, twice picking up All-Metro League honors, before electing to complete a post-graduate year at South Kent School in Connecticut. That team went on to win the New England Prep School AAA Championship, earning Watts and the team a berth to the 2023 National Prep Championships.

“Isaiah is another in-state home run for the Cougs,” Smith said. “He is someone we have watched closely over the last couple of years and we are thrilled when he became available. He is a long, rangy guard with a good feel for how to play the game. He can dribble, pass, drive, cut, and shoot at a high level. A year of prep school with South Kent and coach Raphael Chillious have allowed him to mature physically, academically, and emotionally.”