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Picture of the Day: Scene of the Crime

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 10:22:52 -0500

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Today's BIG PICTURE

Thanks to our friends over at Icon Sports Media, CHN has access to thousands of great college basketball photos. Each day during the season, CHN will feature a Picture of the Day, which might include a newsworthy, funny, or simply interesting subject. At the bottom will be a caption or headline that might be informative or amusing. The possibilities are endless! During the off-season, we'll publish scattered favorites that were missed during the year.

SCENE OF THE CRIME

Irvine's Zack Atkinson is knocked hard to the floor.. while his EWU opponents stand around the scene of the crime

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Big Sky Basketball Preview: 08-09

CHN — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 21:16:03 -0500

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Conference Rank: 23rd

Conference Page

All-BIG SKY Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Jeremiah Dominguez	Portland St	Sr
G	Josh Wilson	NAU	Sr
F	Phil Nelson	Portland St	So
F	Jabril Banks	No. Colorado	Sr
F	Jordan Hasquet	Montana	Sr
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
none		Points: Jeremiah Dominguez 14.2 Rebounds: Jordan Hasquet 7.2 Assists: Josh Wilson 5.4

BIG SKY Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

112	Montana	Big Sky	1	NCAA
149	Portland State**	Big Sky	2
181	Northern Arizona	Big Sky	3
203	Weber State	Big Sky	4
243	Idaho State	Big Sky	5
265	Eastern Wash	Big Sky	6
279	Northern Colorado	Big Sky	7
308	Montana State	Big Sky	8
327	Sacramento St	Big Sky	9

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

** returning conference champion

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the Big Sky?

Other BIG SKY Content

Conference Media Poll

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Rise & Fall: Big Sky

EWU Falls to Carroll College in Exhibition

Press Release — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 20:40:10 -0500

Eastern Washington University couldn’t overcome 21 percent shooting and a nearly nine-minute scoreless drought in the first half and lost 58-56 to Carroll College in a men’s basketball exhibition game Saturday (Nov. 1) at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash.

The game does not count in EWU’s season record or statistics. The Eagles have another exhibition game next Saturday (Nov. 8) against Puget Sound at 2:05 p.m. Pacific time before officially opening the season at Illinois on Nov. 14.

"That's what these exhibition games are for -- to find out where you are, what you need to improve on and what you're doing well," said Eastern head coach Kirk Earlywine, whose team was playing without three key players on his anticipated active roster of 11 players.

"I don't think I did a good enough job of expressing to our guys how good Carroll is," he continued. "I knew that they would be good and that is precisely why I scheduled the game. I knew that they would come in here and that we would have our hands full. That turned out to be true."

The Eagles rallied from a 19-point deficit to pull within one in the closing seconds, but Eastern’s Milan Stanojevic missed a three-pointer at the buzzer that would have won the game. Carroll, which opened its season with an 83-76 victory over the University of Regina on Oct. 23, is now 2-0.

The Eagles made just 16-of-50 shots in the game for 32 percent. In the first half alone, Eastern was just 6-of-29 overall (21 percent) and 2-of-15 from the three-point stripe (13 percent). Eastern was out-rebounded by Carroll 39-32, including 26-16 in the first half.

"You have to give them a lot of credit," added Earlywine. "I thought that they out-competed us, particularly in the first half. They out-rebounded us by 10 in the first half and held us to 21 percent. So our hats are off to Carroll."

Eastern returning starter Trey Gross led the Eagles with 17 points and Stanojevic added 11. Both players hit a trio of three-pointers, but the rest of the team was 0-of-9.

In the first half, Eastern went 8:52 without scoring as the Fighting Saints scored seven-straight points in that span to take an 11-point advantage. Carroll led by as many as 18 in the first half before taking its biggest lead of the night at 39-21 with 14:41 to play.

Eastern rallied, pulling to within five at 49-44 at the 5:04 mark and three at 53-50 with 1:22 left on a driving layin by Gary Gibson. Gibson sparked the Eagles in the second half with six points, three steals and three assists.

Two free throws by Gross pulled Eastern to within one, but a three-pointer by Chad Vaculin put the Fighting Saints back up by four. After a basket by Gross, Vaculin made a free throw with 3.9 seconds left prior to Stanojevic’s miss.

"I thought Gary Gibson played very well in the second half," said Earlywine of his team’s positives. "Milan made three from the arc in the second half. I think that Andy Genao and Jeff Christiansen both did exactly what I'm asking them to do -- take care of the ball, defend, and play hard. On the defensive end we were much better in the second half. On the offensive end we were a little better in the second half."

Guard Benny Valentine, who sat out last season after transferring from Texas Tech, had five steals in his first game in an EWU uniform. However, he made just 1-of-10 shots from the floor.

State of '08: Washington

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 17:09:26 -0400

Duke or Carolina? BC or UMASS? Gonzaga or Washington.. or Washington State? What is the best program in each state? While there's not much competition in Hawaii.. there are great debates to be had in loaded regions like California, North Carolina, and Texas. The State of '08 is a ranking of every program in every state.. based mostly on recent success (the last five years) mixed in with subjective factors such as conference prestige, historical success, and overall program direction.

For more info, check out the State of '08 introduction.

WASHINGTON

GONZAGA - While NCAA Tournament wins have been more elusive than some Gonzaga fans would like, the Bulldogs run over the last decade is nothing short of spectacular. 10 straight NCAA Tournaments, 10 straight seasons with at least 23 wins, 9 of 10 seasons winning the WCC, multiple Sweet Sixteen trips, and multiple seasons finishing in the Top 25. And big shock, most pundits predict this year's squad will finish in the Top 10.

WASHINGTON - In '05 or '06, it looked like Lorenzo Romar's Huskies were about to become a basketball juggernaut (they finished 2005 with a Top 5 RPI). But after three straight tourneys, including two Sweet Sixteens, the program has regressed as Washington State has emerged. This year, the Huskies are merely looking to at least make the NIT for the first time in three seasons.

WASHINGTON STATE - Dick Bennett kick-started the new age of WSU basketball in 2003, and since taking over for pops, Tony Bennett has taken the program to another level. Back to back NCAA Tournament trips, let alone a Sweet Sixteen run last year, is shocking for a program that went 50 years without being decent. Still, WSU has to sustain the success before moving up this list.

EASTERN WASHINGTON - Earlier in the decade, EWU dominated Washington State in the RPI, surpassing the Cougars from 2000 to 2004. But outside of some Rodney Stuckey excitement, the last five years since EWU made the '04 tourney have been rather weak.

Last: Virginia - Next: Wisconsin (the last one!)

State of '08: The Introduction (& State list/links)

Eastern Washington Signs Mark Dunn

Press Release — Tue, 20 May 2008 11:43:28 -0400

Cheney, WA - Mark Dunn, a 6-foot-8, 280-pound forward from Danville Area Community College in Illinois, has signed a letter of intent to attend Eastern Washington University and play men's basketball for the Eagles. He is from Trafalgar, Ind., and is a 2006 graduate of Indian Creek High School.

Dunn averaged 5.5 points and 3.9 rebounds as a sophomore at Danville, helping the Jaguars to a fourth-place finish at the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II National Tournament.

"Mark not only provides us with much-needed size and strength, but he also has a very high basketball I.Q.," said EWU head coach Kirk Earlywine. "He has a skill level that will allow us to utilize him facing the basket as well as in the post."

Dunn played in 32 games this past season at Danville, averaging 13.7 minutes per game as a 12-game starter. He made 59-of-104 field goal attempts for 56.7 percent, and 57-of-77 free throws for 74.0 percent. He had 124 total rebounds, including 50 on the offensive end.

As a freshman in 2006-07, Dunn averaged four points and four rebounds with his career highs for points (26) and rebounds (13) coming in the same game against rival John Wood.

"I'm excited for Mark and happy for him to choose Eastern Washington and play for coach Earlywine and (assistant coach) Jamie Matthews," said Danville head coach Mike Carpenter. "They have that program going in the right direction. He'll be a good fit and his best basketball is ahead of him. He's a hard worker and dedicated to the game, and he's a great person and a good student."

Dunn scored in double figures eight times, including a season-high 19 in an 88-51 win over Wabash College JV when he made 9-of-12 shots from the field. He had at least eight rebounds on five occasions, including 10 when he had a double-double with 11 points and 10 boards in a 67-58 win over Spoon River.

He also made 7-of-10 shots from the floor to finish with 18 points and nine rebounds in the school's season-opening 67-62 loss to Lincoln Trail. He missed four games during the year because of a high ankle sprain.

Danville finished 24-12 and hosted the national tournament where it recorded a 73-66 quarterfinal victory over Penn Valley, Kan., before losing its final two games to finish fourth. The Jaguars were 9-5 in the Midwest Athletic Conference before winning the Region 24 championship and national berth with three-straight victories.

"We got hot at the end of the season and Mark was a big part of that," said Carpenter. "He provided leadership and scoring punch inside. His defense was outstanding down the stretch."

On their way to the national semifinals, the Jaguars defeated, in order, 11th-ranked Illinois Central (78-71), sixth-ranked Lincoln (76-71) and eighth-ranked Penn Valley (73-66). Danville was ranked 16th entering the post-season.

"Mark has played against some very good competition in his time here," added Carpenter "That's going to prepare him well moving on to the next level."

Dunn lettered four years in basketball at Indian Creek and twice was selected to the All-Mid Hoosier Conference team. As a senior, he was a Top 100 selection by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) and was an Indianapolis Star player of the week. As a junior at Indian Creek, Dunn averaged 15.8 points and 7.5 rebounds, with highs of 23 points and 14 rebounds.

Dunn's high school coach was Rex Wilson, who is from the same hometown as Earlywine (Fortville, Ind.) and played basketball for Earlywine's father at Mt. Vernon High School.

Turnarounds: 31 Teams to Watch For in 08-09: Part One

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 12 May 2008 11:57:20 -0400

With the off-season now upon us and the spring signing period well under way, this is a good opportunity to attempt to forecast some of the teams who could make the jump next season. Is there a team out there like this past season’s Drake Bulldogs, who went from ninth place to a dominating run through the Missouri Valley? Or how about Arizona State, a team that went from dead last in the Pac-10 to fifth place and could have the makings of a conference title run this season? With one pick for each conference, here are 31 teams you should keep an eye on next season.

America East: Maine

2007-08 Record: 7-23 (3-13)

With their top three scorers from last season all returning (as tri-captains no less), I think the Black Bears have a chance to make a move up the America East standings. Mark Socoby, mid-season transfer Kaimondre Owes and Junior Bernal will lead the way for head coach Ted Woodward next season, giving Maine a three-pronged attack on the perimeter. Their ascension up the standings will depend on what they can get from the frontcourt, most notably Phil Tchekane Bofia and Sean McNally. I’d say a move to the middle of the pack at least from Maine, but a title? Maybe a little premature on that, but you never know.

ACC: Wake Forest

2007-08 Record: 17-13 (7-9)

Not like this pick is a surprise, but the combination of a highly-touted recruiting class led by Al-Farouq Aminu and returnees such as Ish Smith, James Johnson and Chas McFarland could mean a top-four finish in the ACC for Dino Gaudio’s Demon Deacons. They weren’t too far off this season either, with five of their nine league losses being by seven points or less. And given the muddled picture that was the middle of the ACC standings last season, snatching a first-round bye in the 2009 ACC Tournament certainly isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

Atlantic Sun: Campbell

2007-08 Record: 10-20 (5-11)

Even with two of their top four scorers out of eligibility (Reggie Bishop and Jake Wohlfeil), the Camels have a good shot at improving their 5-11 league record. Only provisional members USC Upstate and North Florida were below them in the standings (Upstate actually had five wins as well), and Florida Gulf Coast had one more conference win. But they do return forward Jonathan Rodriguez, who averaged twenty points per game on his way to snatching up Mid-Major All-America honors from CollegeHoops.net and CollegeInsider.com. And with the solid recruiting class being brought in by head coach Robbie Laing, Campbell should have the tools necessary to make a move in the A-Sun.

Atlantic 10: George Washington

2007-08 Record: 9-17 (5-11)

I don’t think there’s any way the Colonials can be as bad as they were in 2007-08. From an Atlantic 10 Tournament title to not even reaching the conference tournament, GW couldn’t continue the momentum. Even with three players gone (Maureece Rice to graduation; Cheyenne Moore and Miles Beatty were dismissed on Wednesday by head coach Karl Hobbs) from last year’s team, the Colonials could make a move up the standings with many of the teams ahead of them going through roster turnover as well. Whether or not they get to the middle of the A-10 pecking order will depend on who becomes their go-to guy on the offensive end of the floor. But they should be a balanced group, which may work out just as well for the Colonials.

Big East: Providence

2007-08 Record: 15-16 (6-12)

Another season of underachievement led to the departure of longtime head coach Tim Welsh, who was replaced by National Coach of the Year Keno Davis last month. Just as important a development for the Friars may be the return of guard Sharaud Curry, who was a medical redshirt last season. As seen with Drake last season, Coach Davis puts a high value on perimeter players who can shoot the ball from the perimeter. Guard Dwain Williams has received permission to talk to other schools, but even with his loss the Friars should be well-stocked on the outside with the likes of Curry, Weyenmi Efejuku, Brian McKenzie and Jeff Xavier.

And don’t forget about jack-of-all-trades Geoff McDermott and pivot Randall Hanke. The hype for this team won’t reach what it was a couple seasons ago, when a team featuring Ryan Gomes thought to be a player in the Big East didn’t even reach .500, but they will be good. The question is just how far they can go in a loaded Big East.

Big Sky: Eastern Washington

2007-08 Record: 11-19 (6-10)

Last season was indeed a tough one for the Eagle program. Head coach Kirk Earlywine didn’t get the job until late June, and under his command was a nine-man roster featuring six players with no previous Division I playing experience. While they didn’t qualify for the Big Sky Tournament in 2007-08, six of their ten conference losses were by five points or less. Granted, replacing an all-conference player like Kellen Williams will have an effect, the four transfers who sat out last season along with the returning experience should make for a better season in Cheney, Washington.

Big South: Charleston Southern

2007-08 Record: 10-20 (4-10)

With the return of rising sophomores Omar Carter (Big South Freshman of the Year) and Jamarco Warren (member of the Big South’s All-Freshman Team), the Buccaneers should be a good bet to improve their last place finish of a year ago. Guard Chris Moore has graduated, but he’s the only loss of note for head coach Barclay Radebaugh, who has also signed a solid recruiting class. Guard Jaden Isler (Clovis, NM) could fit right into the guard slot left open by Moore’s departure, and the other three commits are no slouches either. Competing for the conference title may be a year away, but some of the teams who finished ahead of them in the standings last season have taken on some key losses due to graduation.

Big Ten: Illinois

2007-08 Record: 16-19 (5-13)

Once Eric Gordon decided to head to Indiana instead of Illinois, things went downhill for Bruce Weber’s Fighting Illini. With the cornerstone of last year’s recruiting class gone, Illinois scuffled on the offensive end of the floor, but the fight was still there as this group was a mere forty minutes away from an NCAA Tournament berth. Shaun Pruitt and Brian Randle are both out of eligibility, but every other key contributor from last season is slated to return, along with three newcomers. Stan Simpson was a standout performer at Chicago Simeon, and Coach Weber also received a commitment from Top-20 junior college talent Dominique Keller. After the first semester, Kentucky transfer Alex Legion will also be eligible. I don’t see this team losing thirteen conference games again this season.

Part Two tomorrow: Big 12, CUSA, Horizon, etc

Daily Dribble: Monday Rewind in 10

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:11:20 -0500

A little bit delayed with the Rewind today.. had a little engagement in beautiful Trenton, NJ. I was sworn into the New Jersey Bar this morning (yes, they let me in somehow..), but I'm back at the trusty keyboard this afternoon. Nothing too exciting last night.. as the real action is today.. UNC, Memphis, USC, Kansas State all in action and all on national cable. Nonetheless, here is a shortened review of last night in 10:

1. Eric Gordon, newly christened as the top rookie in the Freshman 10, injured his back last night in Indiana's victory over Tennessee State. DJ White shined in his absence, scoring 29 points.. the first time he's broken the 20 point mark since February last year.

2. I thought Missouri State at Arkansas would be a good game on Monday.. but the Razorbacks spanked the Bears by 19. This was a disappointing result for MSU, and pretty much relegates them to the NIT at best. Oddly enough, Arkansas won without any of its starters scoring in double-digits.

3. Life post-Stuckey for EWU should be pretty uneventful, but the Eagles did pick up their 3rd win of the season at UMKC. Things get a bit stickier on Wednesday, as they take a road trip to Kansas.. inevitably to be smacked around.

4. Remember Tubby Smith? The guy who used to coach at Kentucky? His Gophers are 5-1, and will continue to play cupcackes for the next few weeks. They could easily be 10-1 heading into UNLV on December 30th, and they could easily be quite bad at that point still.

5. The Gophers got that 5th win against North Dakota State last night. The Bison got some national pub when they upset Marquette last year. Things aren't going as well in 07-08, just 2-4 against D1 competition.

6. I mentioned this on the message board, but how in the world was Wofford at Wisconsin televised on ESPN2? The Badgers won by 27, in a game that had no business even being on ESPNU6. There's thousands of great college basketball games.. its not hard to do better than this.

7. You may remember when Mercer upset USC to open the season? The Bears proceeded to lose their next five games before finally beating Charleston Southern last night.

8. Relating to Mercer.. Mike Mercer, formerly of the Georgia Bulldogs, is transferring to South Florida.

9. And relating to Georgia, the Bulldogs avoided disaster last night.. almost losing to DII Augusta State. In fact, the Jaguars were up by 4 with just 4 minutes to go. Don't be fooled by Georgia's 5-1 record.. they're not good.

10. I keep pulling for 0-9 NJIT to get a win, but they got blown out 81-56 by Lafayette last night. I hate to bring it up again, but the Highlanders have lost by at least 20 in 8 of 9 games. They host Army on Thursday, perhaps a chance for their elusive first win..

Earlywine Named EWU Head Coach

Press Release — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 09:17:00 -0400

Kirk Earlywine, a former assistant coach at Big Sky Conference rival Weber State, has accepted the position as head men’s basketball coach at Eastern Washington University, EWU President Dr. Rodolfo Arevalo announced Thursday (June 14).

Earlywine, who will turn 43 on July 4, will be officially introduced at a press conference at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 15, in the Red Reese Room at the EWU Special Events Pavilion in Cheney, Wash. The public is invited to attend and meet the 16th head coach in the history of Eastern, which will celebrate its 100th recorded season of men’s basketball in the 2007-08 season.

“This has always been my goal and I’ve prepared myself for this for 22 years,” Earlywine said. “It’s very humbling because there are only 325 NCAA Division I jobs and not everyone gets this opportunity. I’m very excited to work at a school I’m so familiar with.”

He comes to EWU after spending one season as the top assistant coach at UNC Wilmington -- his 21st as an assistant at the NCAA Division I level. He also spent the 1995-96 season as a head coach at Pfeiffer University in Misenheimer, N.C.

His 22-year collegiate coaching career includes seven seasons at Weber State where he worked as associate head coach on the staff of Joe Cravens. The Wildcats won 116 games while Earlywine was there -- the most in the Big Sky in that span.

The 2002-03 Weber State team had a perfect 14-0 Big Sky finish. The Wildcats defeated Eastern 60-57 for the Big Sky title, then lost to Wisconsin 81-74 in the NCAA Tournament. The following season, Eastern advanced to its first-ever NCAA Tournament before going 38-49 the past three seasons under Mike Burns.

One of four finalists for the position created when Burns was let go on May 30, Earlywine agreed to a three-year contract at EWU with a rolling option of future years. He will be paid $90,000 per year.

“After making several rounds of reference calls, it solidified in my mind the final selection,” said Arevalo, who made the decision with feedback from a four-person selection committee. “Kirk's experience with coach Rick Majerus and his success at Weber State, coupled with the caliber of recommendations we received, made this a great choice for Eastern."

The University received recommendations from several high-profile collegiate head coaches, including Bruce Weber (Illinois), Bo Ryan (Wisconsin) and Dick Hunsaker (Utah Valley State and formerly at Utah). Earlywine worked with Hunsaker at Ball State when they both served on the staff of Rick Majerus, who then hired Earlywine to join him at the University of Utah. Majerus, Weber, Ryan and Hunsaker have combined to win various national coach of the year honors in eight different seasons at the NCAA Division I level.

“Kirk is one of the best basketball minds I know with a proven record of success,” Weber said. “Having myself struggled to get that first Division I head coaching position, it is wonderful to see a coach of Kirk’s caliber finally get the opportunity to lead a program. He will accomplish great things.”

Former Portland State University head coach Heath Schroyer, now at Wyoming, has coached against teams Earlywine has been with and had this to say about his colleague:

“I coached against Kirk when I was an assistant at Brigham Young and when I was at Portland State,” he said. “He is, without a doubt, one of the best basketball minds in the game and can really evaluate talent.”

Earlywine’s team at Pfeiffer was 21-8 overall and 14-4 in conference play to advance to the NCAA Division II Championships. It was the school’s first season as a D-II member after playing previously as a member of the NAIA. He took over the team in July 1995 with only two players returning and picked up a 71-62 first-round NCAA Division II Tournament victory over 12th-ranked N.C. Central. The season ended with a 49-47 loss to undefeated and No. 1 ranked Virginia Union in the regional semifinals.

Earlywine is a 1987 graduate of Campbell University Buies Creek, N.C., where he served as a student assistant coach for two seasons. He went on to coach at Ball State (two seasons from 1987-89), Utah (four seasons from 1989-93), Central Michigan (two seasons from 1993-95), Wisconsin-Milwaukee (three seasons from 1996-99) and Weber State (seven seasons from 1999-2006).

Earlywine’s 21st year as a D-I assistant came in the 2006-07 season at UNC Wilmington where he worked for head coach Benny Moss. Moss, who finished his first season at the helm, was a former assistant for Earlywine at Pfeiffer.

“I grew up in a gym with my father as a high school coach,” added Earlywine, a native of Indiana. “So playing basketball and now coaching basketball has always been my passion. After 22 years of hard work, I’ve now achieved one of my goals.”

Mike Burns Done as EWU Head Coach

Press Release — Wed, 30 May 2007 20:02:04 -0400

Spokane, WA - Eastern Washington University interim athletic director Michael Westfall, who recently completed his evaluation of the department, has announced that Mike Burns will not return as men’s basketball coach next season.

Burns was hired as head coach April 1, 2004. During his three seasons at the helm the Eagles compiled a 38-49 record, including 22-22 in the Big Sky Conference. He was also with the team as an assistant coach from 2000-2003.

Westfall said a search for a new men’s basketball coach will begin immediately.

- From www.goeags.com

Rodney Stuckey Hires Agent

Press Release — Wed, 23 May 2007 18:15:19 -0400

Spokane, WA - Eastern Washington University’s loss is the National Basketball Association’s gain.

Although he kept open the option to possibly return for his junior season, Rodney Stuckey has eliminated that option by recently hiring Goodwin Sports Management based in Seattle, Wash., to represent him.
On April 25, the sensational Eagle basketball player declared for the NBA draft that takes place on June 28. If he hadn’t hired an agent, he could have withdrawn his name by June 18 and returned to EWU next fall.

“We’re disappointed to lose him, but we’re excited about the opportunity he has in front of him,” said Eastern head coach Mike Burns. “For us to have a player in the NBA will be a spectacular accomplishment for our school and our program.”

“We’ve received information from the NBA draft advisory committee and in the last month since he declared,” added Burns. “And all of the information we’ve been provided is that he will be drafted.”

Eastern's only previous NBA draftee is Ron Cox, a sixth-round draft choice by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1977. Although he never played in the NBA regular season, Cox will remain as EWU's all-time leading scorer with 1,741 points as Stuckey finishes his career fourth in school history with 1,438 points.

The only first-round draft choice in the 44-year history of the Big Sky Conference was Michael Ray Richardson from Montana. He was the fourth pick overall by the New York Knickerbockers in 1978.

Stuckey was an All-American at Eastern -- both athletically and academically -- after averaging 24 points per game in each of his two seasons. He helped EWU win 30 games in two seasons and has a 3.34 grade point average.

A 2004 graduate of Kentwood High School in Kent, Wash., Stuckey was a NCAA non-qualifier and had to sit out the 2004-05 season at EWU.

“He came to Eastern as a non-qualifier and left as an Academic All-American and NBA draftee,” summed up Burns. “I think it speaks volumes about Rodney’s character and work ethic. We’re proud of him and we wish him all the best.”

Goodwin Sports Management -- founded by twin brothers Aaron and Eric Goodwin -- has negotiated more than $1 billion in contracts for its pro basketball clients. In 17 years of agency work, GSM has represented more than 40 athletes - 12 that have been NBA Draft Lottery selections, four that have earned the prestigious NBA Rookie of the Year Award and five that have received gold medals as members of the USA Olympic Basketball Team.

Besides Stuckey, other clients for GSM who are eligible for June’s NBA draft are unanimous college basketball player of the year Kevin Durant of Texas and Al Horford of two-time national champion Florida.

Other clients for GSM include Andre Barrett, Chris Webber, Damon Stoudamire, Delonte West, Dwight Howard, Gary Payton, Jamal Crawford, Leon Powe, Nate Robinson, Salim Stoudamire, Shareef Abdur- Rahim, Todd MacCulloch and Willie Green. From 2003-2005, GSM represented LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers.