4theluvofgriz said:flatheadedgriz said:This is a win win. Phillip gets a chance to play right away in a very competitive league. The Griz get a chance to watch him as he grows right in their backyard.
Or perhaps watch him sign with Washington, or Utah, or Gonzaga. DeCuire has blown this one in my opinion. There is no guarantee that he will sign with Montana following JC ball. What would be the risk to give him a scholarship for one season to evaluate his ability to play at this level, then encourage him to transfer if he fails to meet that potential during his red-shirt season? Much better option in my opinion.
The posters trying to justify why this kid is unworthy of a scholarship simply because he plays Class C basketball, or because he plays Indian ball obviously don't understand the game. When a college coach evaluates a potential recruit, he looks for the skill set that translates to the college game. The level he plays in high school is way down the list of factors a coach considers. If you remember Alan Neilsen from Westby, or Criswell..... both were Class C kids who excelled at the Division I level. And neither of these two had the overall skill set that Malatare has. Both were basically great outside shooters, but lacked many of the other skills that Malatare has. He is a complete ball player, with no holes in his game except for his size. Even his lack of size is not as big a deterrent as some might think, because of his savvy on defense. He is one of the smartest defenders I have seen in high school at anticipating passes and filling passing lanes, which allows him multiple steals each game.
I may be wrong about this kid, but I don't think so. He will be a great Division I BB player for somebody, providing he can overcome the Indian curse that seems to follow many reservation kids to college.
We have a basketball coach at the University of Montana. His name is Travis Decuire. It is his job to evaluate potential recruits. So far, can you complain about his judgement on recruits? Has he not brought great talent to the University? Have his teams not been successful? What are your qualifications to question his judgement? Please inform me, or shut the f..k up!