Sasquatch Players Moving On
Seven members of the 2007-08 Community Colleges of Spokane team have signed to play at four-year schools. This core group helped lead the Sasquatch to a school best 30-2 record on the year, the East Region title, and a second place finish at the NWAACC tournament.
Eric Beal has signed with Concordia University in Irvine, CA. Beal averaged 10.5 five points per game his sophomore season and earned a spot on the All-NWAACC East Region Team for the second year in a row. He led the Sasquatch by averaging 15.3 points and 5.2 assists per game as a Freshman at Spokane.
A product of North Central High School, Beal was named the Greater Spokane League Player of the Year and helped lead the Indians to their first State Tournament Appearance since 1951. He will join an Eagles team that finished 28-5 last season, including winning both the Golden State Athletic Conference regular season and conference tournament championships, as well as making an appearance in the NAIA National Tournament in Kansas City.
After the completion of the best season in program history Head Coach Ryan Looney and the Eastern Oregon University men's basketball program received a commitment from a JC standout according to Head Coach Ryan Looney. Jordan Gregg has signed with Eastern Oregon University in La Grande, OR. Gregg, a 6-foot-6, 200 pound post from Spokane Community College in Spokane, Washington averaged 11.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. He was named Second Team All-NWAACC Eastern Region, NWAACC All-Tournament Team, and was selected to represent the Eastern Region in the NWAACC All-Star game. This past season Spokane Community College finished with and overall record of 30-2 and won the NWAACC Eastern Region championship.
"Jordan has all of the qualities that we look for in a student-athlete," said Looney. "He is tough, rebounds very well, can play inside and outside, and works defensively. Jordan played on a very good junior college team. It is evident that he knows how to compete. We identified him early and new that he would be a good fit for our program. He is a great person and truly believes in the team concept."
Bo Gregg has committed to play at Whitworth College in Spokane next season. Gregg, a 6’5 wing from Lewiston, averaged 13 points per game to lead the Community Colleges of Spokane Sasquatch last season. For his efforts, Gregg earned a spot on the NWAACC All-Eastern Region Team. Gregg started in twelve games and averaged seven points per game as a freshman at Spokane.
At Lewiston High, Gregg averaged 14 points per game as a senior and was named 2006 Inland Empire League Player of the Year and earned a spot on the All-State team while helping lead the Bengals to a third place finish at the State Tournament.
Gregg will be joining a Pirate team that finished 21-7 and made an appearance in the NCAA Division III National Sectional Semifinal.
The South Dakota School of Mines along with men’s basketball head coach Jason Henry are pleased to announce the addition of new recruit Kyle Turpin to the Hardrocker program. Turpin is a 6-foot-6-inch post player that will come to SDSM&T as a junior from Spokane Community College in Washington.
“He is a true 6-6 kid with long arms and good feet,” Henry said. “Kyle has a knack for the ball and he is going to shore up our rebounding.”
Turpin played for the SCC Sasquatch the last two years. This past season, the Post Falls, Idaho, native helped his team to a 30-2 overall record and a trip to the Northwest Athletic Association of Community College post season tournament where the Sasquatch earned second place.
Turpin averaged just under 10 points a game this past season and was a 62 percent field goal shooter.
“Kyle can step out and hit that 15 to 17 foot shot,” Henry said. “It’s a big deal for our team that he can play at the four or five spot. We will be able to run some high low offense with him while playing big at times next season. With his abilities and size, we will be able to match up better with bigger teams.”
During Turpin’s high school career, he was a first team North Idaho selection, second team IEL selection, a participant for the East and North All State teams and named Gatorade Rookie of the Year as a sophomore.
As a member of the Hardrocker basketball program Turpin will be a solid contributor in the paint both offensively and defensively.
While at the South Dakota School of Mines, Turpin plans to major in Civil Engineering. “Kyle is a great student and loves being outdoors so naturally the Black Hills and the South Dakota School of Mines were the perfect fit for him,” Henry added
Matt Dorr has signed to play at the University of San Diego next season. Dorr, a 6’5” wing from Mt. Spokane High School, averaged 13 points per game last season to lead the Community Colleges of Spokane Sasquatch last season. Dorr, a redshirt freshman, spent the previous season at the United States Military Academy Prep School where he also participated on the basketball team. At Mt. Spokane, Dorr averaged 18 points per game in helping lead the Wildcats to a regional playoff appearance.
Jon Clift, a point guard from the Community Colleges of Spokane, has declared his intention to continue his collegiate basketball career at Central Washington University. Head coach Greg Sparling made the announcement on Thursday.
Clift spent the past two seasons as the point guard at Spokane, playing for former CWU assistant coach Mike Burns in 2007-08. He earned second team all-East Region honors in the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC), helping the Sasquatch to a 30-2 overall record and a second-place finish at the NWAACC Tournament.
"Jon is very smart and hard-working point guard," Sparling said, "who has proven himself at the junior college level. He will add depth to the point guard position and he has been a very successful player throughout his career -- both at the high school and junior college levels. And overall, Jon is a quality student-athlete."
Clift, whose older brother Marcus starred for two seasons at Great Northwest Athletic Conference rival Northwest Nazarene, averaged 3.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game as a sophomore this past winter for the Sasquatch. As a freshman in 2006-07, he started all 29 games at point guard, averaging 11.1 points and 3.0 rebounds per game while totaling 98 assists and 63 steals.
Over the course of his two seasons at CCS, the Sasquatch posted a combined 43-18 record. A two-year letterman at Joel E. Ferris High School in Spokane, Clift was a member of Saxon teams that went a combined 45-11 with two Class 4A state tournament appearances in two seasons under head coach Don Van Lierop. His prep accolades included first team all-Greater Spokane League honors, honorable mention all-state, and second team all-WIAA Class 4A state tournament. Clift averaged 17 points, four assists, and 2.5 steals per game during his senior season at Ferris, with his top performance including 27 points and 10 assists against Spokane's East Valley High School.
Also an academic standout, Clift was named to the NWAACC Men's Basketball Academic Team with a 3.63 grade-point average. He plans to major in accounting at CWU.
Robert Lippman has signed with Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, ID. Lippman, a 6’7” post from Northwest Christian in Spokane, averaged just over 10 points per game last season for the Community Colleges of Spokane Sasquatch. Lippman battled injuries but still managed to start in 17 games and shoot 68% from the field. Lippman started four games for the Sasquatch as a freshman and averaged 4.7 points per game.
At Northwest Christian, Lippman averaged 16 points and 8 rebounds per game, and garnered Second Team All-State, and First Team NE “A” League honors.
Lippman will be joining a Crusader team that went 17-9 competing in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.