Idaho State Observations & Conjectures

The NCAA investigating Idaho State (apparently triggered by a letter from former interim head coach Deane Martin), has been a hot topic on this blog and around the web on Idaho State sites and message boards. Everyone seems to have an opinion or thought on the topic, and that is what makes Idaho State's fan base one of the best certainly in the Big Sky.

Here are some of my thoughts, observations, and conjectures on the whole situation. Not I am not saying any of this is fact, only things that I think to be true about the whole situation based on what I have been told, what I have read, and what I can logically assume.

- Deane Martin knew about any violations relating to the booster well before his letter to ISU AD Jeff Tingey and to the NCAA. This booster activity was also going on while Joe O'Brien was the coach. In fact, it was pretty well known within the athletic department that this particular booster was friendly with the players, practicing with players at times, and doing other things which (at the very least) toed the line. However, nobody told him to stop, possibly because they liked the benefits that he brought, or they feared retaliation.

- If Martin had become the head coach rather than being passed over for it, it seems likely that he would never have sent the letter opening this can of worms. To be honest, it is pretty tough to conclude otherwise. You would have to think that this will hamper Martin's ability to get another job soon.

- The alleged booster and AD Jeff Tingey are friends, which may further be complicating (or maybe, did complicate) the investigation by Tingey into the matter.

- Tingey did not handle the initial letter from Martin very well, accusing him of making "potentially slanderous statements." Safe to say, this didn't go over too well with Martin, and he then sent the letter to the NCAA with the information.

- There are big concerns within the ISU fanbase on whether or not Tingey is the right guy to lead the athletic department. It seems like almost a given among people that family ties played a big role in him getting the position. While he has done some nice things, he seems to be in a bit over his head. If these allegations turn out to be true, many feel that should be a call for his job.

- Most of all, terrible luck for new head coach Bill Evans. He walked into what looked like a rebuilding situation, but also a situation that looked like he would have a fresh start with new staff, a lot of new players, etc. Instead, he is left to deal with this mess. Certainly this will have a big impact on his ability to do the job well.

Anything I missed or any assumption or conclusion you think I am coming to erroneously? Would love to hear thoughts and feedback.

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Deane Martin's letter key in ISU investigations

Last week I passed a report on that Idaho State athletics were under investigations, including the men's basketball team. New details emerged over the weekend, and it probably won't make a lot of Idaho State fans very happy.

The key to triggering these investigations was a letter from former interim head coach Deane Martin sent to AD Jeff Tingey and the NCAA, according to the Idaho State Journal.

The former interim coach, Deane Martin, sent the letter to ‍ISU Athletic Director Jeff Tingey the day after being passed over for the permanent men’s basketball coaching position.

After Tingey responded by saying Martin was making “potentially slanderous statements” in the letter, Martin provided the document to the NCAA. The Journal has been told that NCAA investigators are currently on the ‍ISU campus trying to figure out if sports teams at the university have committed violations of NCAA rules. Typically, NCAA investigations take several months before any findings are released.

Martin’s letter, dated March 6, alleges that a booster told him “in the presence of another witness, that he wanted to insure that ‍ISU got the best recruit we could, and he offered his support. Specifically (the booster) indicated that if it took a ‘money handshake’ from him to a coach or a recruit, to seal the deal, he was happy to do that.”

Obviously many ISU fans are crying sour grapes, and really, it's not hard to blame them. For one, Martin did not contact the AD when first contacted by the booster, but reportedly the day after he was passed over for the permanent head coaching job, which was given to Bill Evans. If he was concerned about the NCAA violation, why didn't he contact the athletic director immediately when the [alleged] violation occurred? Why wait until after he was not hired? Maybe he was just doing this to cover himself, but the timing is odd at best, nefarious at worst.

Of course, that doesn't mean that Idaho State handled it well. It appears that AD Jeff Tingey didn't exactly try to work with Martin to figure out if there was a problem or not. He responded (again, this is all based on reports) by saying Martin was making "potentially slanderous statements." At best, his response, or what we know of it, seems a bit arrogant. It apparently led to Martin sending the letter to the NCAA, and the rest is history.

Bottom line, nobody comes out of this looking good. I think it is too early to presume that violations did occur, but even the fact that ISU will have to go through this does not look good on them. They wanted a clean break from the past coaching staff, but it appears it will be a while before that break can fully happen.

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Bill Evans Will Be Head Coach at Idaho State

As speculated this morning, KPVI is now reporting that Bill Evans will be the new head coach at Idaho State.

He was the head coach of Southern Utah for 15 years, and has a school record 209 career victories there. He is currently an assistant coach at Montana, where he helped lead the team to a Big Sky regular season title this season.

More details and thoughts to follow.

EDIT: HoopDirt also talked about this earlier in the day.

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Deane Martin Will Not Be Idaho State's Coach

According to KPVI News 6, Idaho State has announced that interim coach Deane Martin will not get the permanent job.

A news conference will be held Thursday to announce the new men's basketball coach. The time and location of the press conference will be announced on Wednesday.

In a statement, ISU Director of Athletics Jeff Tingey said, "I greatly appreciate all that coach Martin has done for our men’s basketball program this year. He took over the team in a difficult time and helped our program qualify for the conference tournament."

I will admit, I am a bit disappointed by the decision.

Under Martin, Idaho State had done a total 180 this year. They began the year 3-13, were picked to finish last, and wound up nearly hosting a game in the conference tournament. On a team without a depth of talent, they nearly won their quarterfinal game to advance to the Big Sky semis. He took over mid-season and did an outstanding job.

He appeared to have a knack for knowing how to use his talent, has a history of solid recruiting at previous jobs, and appeared to be working on recruiting this year as well. It's clear that Idaho State AD Jeff Tingey and his staff have done a thorough job searching for the next head coach, and have come up with someone they like better, but it will be interesting. One guess is Bill Evans, but we'll have to wait until Thursday to see.

If I was Northern Arizona, I would pick up the phone and give Martin a look for my open position. Honestly, it seems like he would be a great choice there.

Idaho State fans, I know you are my passionate, would love to hear your thoughts on this.

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Idaho State @ Eastern Washington Quarterfinal Preview and Prediction

The Big Sky Tournament is finally upon us! On Saturday, there will be two quarterfinal games being played. In the four vs five matchup, we will see Idaho State travel to Cheney to take on Eastern Washington. Let's break it down.

PREVIOUS MATCHUPS
They actually have played twice in the past week. Last Thursday, Eastern Washington won 85-78 in Idaho, and on Tuesday night they won 77-64 in Cheney.

BACKCOURT
I look at this as the 1-2-3 positions for these teams. For Idaho State, they have two Big Sky second teamers in Chase Grabau and Kenny McGowen. Grabau is a do it all guy that has been one of the most versatile players in the conference. He gets to the line, is very efficient offensively, is a very good passer, and can even stretch the floor. Defensively, he makes plays happen. Kenny McGowen has had some really big moments as well this year. He hasn't been an overly efficient player, but when he gets hot he can make teams pay. Rounding out the lineup is Melvin Morgan, who like McGowen is kind of a streaky player. When they are on, they can beat anyone in the conference.

EWU is led by first-teamer Cliff Colimon, who has been one of the best point guards in the Big Sky this year. He is a very solid passer, and can also put up 20 points on you. He gets to the line, and shoots well enough that you always have to account for him. Joining him in the backcourt is Jeffrey Forbes, who is unheralded but has a role on this team. He is a very solid defender, and again helps to keep defenses honest. Collin Chiverton has had an interesting season. He can be a bit of a ball stopper, but he does shoot 41% from downtown. He is the rare guy that may be wise to stop shooting so many twos, as he only makes 33% of them.

EDGE: I will cop out and call it even. Both backcourts are very streaky, with one guy (Colimon, Grabau) for each that really stands out.

FRONTCOURT
Eastern Washington starts two seniors up front, and both have been consistent, solid players for them. Cliff Ederaine is a bit more versatile, as he is a really good passer and surprisingly deft ballhandler for his size. Laron Griffin is a more traditional banger. He is a solid rebounder, and efficient offensive player around the hoop.

ISU's frontcourt is led by Abner Moreira, one of the best rebounder and interior defenders in the Big Sky. He doesn't add a whole lot offensively, but he sets the standard for toughness for the Bengals. He is flanked by Andre Hatchett, who is only 6'4'' but plays a lot of minutes in the frontcourt.

EDGE: Eastern Washington has the decided frontcourt edge.

BENCH
Idaho State has struggled with a thin bench all year long, as their bench plays just 24.4% of the team's minutes, 301st in the country. Even more, not many of those guys have contributed. Sherrod Baldwin and Garrett Swanson can make some plays, but neither guy has really been a consistent player for them.

Eastern Washington gets 28.3% of their minutes from the bench, just 229th in the country, but they have a lot more talent and depth. Tremayne Johnson is a versatile forward that can step in at either spot. Jordan Hickert keeps teams honest with his shooting. Perhaps most importantly, Parker Kelly has developed into a big-time weapon for them off the bench, and has even been a guy they have looked for in crunch time. He has been one of the most pleasant surprises in the conference.

EDGE: Eastern Washington has better players off the bench, and more of them.

WHO WINS
The truism is that it is tough to beat a team three times in one season, and this is even more true if we are talking about three times in a nine day stretch. However, I simply think Eastern Washington is the better team. They are more athletic, they are better shooters, and they are deeper. Idaho State has had some nice moments this year, and you know they are going to come out thinking they can win, but I have a hard time seeing it.

One way to exploit EWU is by getting to the foul line, and that is not something ISU is very good at, as they are more of a jump shooting team. The Eagles are susceptible to losing at anytime, because they are so reliant on the three-point shot, but I think they have a lot more options and weapons than the Bengals. The third time will not be the charm for Idaho State.

EASTERN WASHINGTON 76, IDAHO STATE 67

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Little More on ISU Coaching Search

This time from HoopDirt, which lists some of the candidates for the job. While he omits Chris Jones, whose name appeared in a recent SL Tribune article, the post seems well researched and to have some solid connections.

Deane Martin – Current Interim Head Coach at Idaho State. Has a legit shot to have the interim tag removed. Ripped off four wins in a row before a loss on Monday to Montana. According to my source, AD Jeff Tingey has been impressed by how the team has responded to Martin.

I will admit as an outside observer, I would like to see Martin get the job. He seems like a personable guy, has been a grinder in the coaching ranks, and has proven this year that he can at least coach (don't know how well he recruits).

It will be a very interesting coaching search, and you have to be impressed at the homework ISU is doing to try and find the right man for the job.

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Idaho State To Offer Head Coaching Job?

Extremely interesting post at the Salt Lake Tribune about Idaho State, and whether they may soon be offering their head coaching job to Utah State assistant coach Chris Jones:

The Salt Lake Tribune has learned that Utah State assistant coach Chris Jones, the lead instate recruiter on the staff, is a finalist for the Idaho State job and could be offered as early as next week.

Jones is scheduled for an interview on Sunday. He has already previously interviewed.

This is quickly becoming one of the most interesting storylines in the Big Sky. Nobody can deny that interim head coach Deane Martin has done a marvelous job of turning around the ISU team this year, but from all of the rumors and talk of the ISU staff looking into other candidates, it almost seems like they will be set on going in a different direction.

It will be an interesting story to follow the rest of the year, that is for sure.

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Idaho State With Thorough Coaching Search

Another name has emerged in Idaho State's search for a permanent head coach - Kent State assistant head coach Bobby Steinburg.

A Kent State source confirmed that KSU assistant men’s basketball coach Bobby Steinburg has been contacted by Idaho State regarding its head coaching vacancy.

Joe O’Brien resigned as the coach of the Bengals in December after a 2-8 start. They are now 7-14 and in fourth place in Big Sky Conference.

Steinburg is known as a talented recruiter, landing players like current MAC East Player of the Week Chris Evans during his four seasons in Kent. He also has head coaching experience, leading Motlow Community College in Tennessee to a 28-5 mark and a No. 15 ranking in 2007-08, the second of his two seasons at the school.

In December, Steinburg was ranked No. 6 on a Basketball Times list of the “Best Future NCAA Division I Head Coaches” among former junior college head coaches. It might be long before he gets that first chance to run a Division I program.

Steinburg was on the recruiting trail for KSU and could not be reached for comment on Monday.

Based on what the Bengals have been doing, it seems like Deane Martin should have the interim tag removed from his title. Still, doing extra research to make sure you get the best guy for the job is always a good thing, so it is nice to see ISU taking time to find the best candidates possible.

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Article on Idaho State Coach Deane Martin

Solid article in the St. Joseph News-Press about Idaho State interim head coach Deane Martin.

Deane Martin decided he wanted to return to the college basketball scene after spending the past five years at the professional level.

Simply trying to reunite with a former coach, the Mercer High School graduate suddenly gained a much higher level of responsibility. Martin went to Division I Idaho State as an assistant coach but earned the interim head coach tag only 10 games into his tenure with the Bengals, a member of the Big Sky Conference.

Very solid article and good background on the coach, who will certainly be a candidate for the permanent head coaching job after the season is over.

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Idaho State Searching For Answers

There was an article in the Magic Valley Times-News about Idaho State, and how they are searching for answers as conference play begins. There was a curious quote from interim head coach Deane Martin about them team:

The Bengals (2-9) head into Big Sky Conference play searching for answers, and they simply may not be coming. New interim head coach Deane Martin was frank when assessing his team's potential with con-ference play on the horizon.

"This isn't the NBA, it's not like we can go out and make trades," he said.

This is not exactly the ringing endorsement you would expect to hear from a coach. Obviously the team knows they are 2-9 and struggling, but the one thing you would expect to hear is confidence from your coach.

I have no idea Martin's coaching style, or too much about him, so it's certainly not fair for me to read too much from a couple of quotes in an article, but if I was a player I would want to see a little more optimism. On the other hand, maybe Martin is just realistic.

Many thanks to a commenter for pointing out this article!

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Three Other Big Sky Teams Fall Thursday

We looked at Sacramento State's loss last night, but three other Big Sky teams fell on Thursday night, leaving some bad tastes in their mouth heading into the Christmas break (soon hopefully to be filled by the taste of a delicious Christmas dinner).

Portland State continued their trend of mixing a great offensive performance with a bad defensive one, as they fell 92-86 to Cal State Fullerton. Amazingly, it was the fourth time in five games that Portland State has given up 85 points in a game, which is something that Tyler Geving needs to clean up. The Titans shot 49% from the field and made 11 three-pointers in this game.

PSU had a stellar offensive game in their own right, finishing with 6 guys in double figures. Charles Odum had another efficient game, finishing with 19 points. Chehales Tapscott also had a nice all-around day, with 12 points, 7 boards, and 6 assists. They are still not getting much play-making from Lateef McMullan, who had 14 points, but only 3 assists against 3 turnovers. They need him to get others involved.

Portland State is a team that doesn't force turnovers (they are absolutely one of the worst in America), and their defensive efficiency could soon be among the worst in the country. Their talent states that they should be one of the top 4 teams in the Big Sky, but to do so, they will need to get some steps at key moments in games, and they have yet to show that they are capable of that. One thing is for sure, they will be an exciting team, and you can bet that lots of points will be put on the board in their games.

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Northern Colorado took on Colorado State, a nice rivalry since the schools are about 20 minutes apart, but they simply could not stop the Rams on Thursday night, losing 92-78. Dorian Green for CSU had a career-high 36 points in this game, which boggles my mind a little bit.

"They're just not focused on [defense]. They just don't understand the importance of it," Hill said. "We have two guys in this program (Mike Proctor and Elliott Lloyd) who played any type of significant minutes on that team last year or the year before. I know Emmanuel [Addo] was on that team; I know Tate [Unruh] was on the team; I know Tevin [Svihovec] was around in practice. But unless you have a significant role in those seasons, you don't understand what it takes. And they don't understand right now. They have to be baptized and get it on their own, because that's what kids have to do.

The loss drops UNC to 3-8, and there is some talk about how much the Bears struggled last season before going on a run in conference play, but this has the look of a much different ballclub.

It is not like Northern Colorado is void of good players, they are simply too young right now to get it done every night, as they have shown so far this season.  They are a team that does not bring it defensively every night, and it shows. Offensively, they are their own worst enemy. They are an excellent outside shooting team but they turn the ball over a ton.

Their schedule has potentially set them up to get off to a quick start in conference play, as they begin with home games against Northern Arizona and Idaho State. Based on the way they have played this year, no outcome in these games would surprise me.

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Idaho State was hoping that the coaching change would provide a spark, but it did not such thing against Wyoming, as they fell 80-56. The loss drops the Bengals to 2-9, while Wyoming continues their quietly impressive year, improving to 12-2.

Kenny McGowen led the team with 23 points, while no other Bengal was in double figures.

“It was more of the same thing pretty much. We come out. We play through stretches for a while and then it just all goes kaput at some point. Offensively I told the team that I don't know if there is an offense we can scheme up to go out and make the shot for you. At some point you have to go out and make the play. We did pretty good defensively against them. We get them down to the shot clock at under 10 seconds I don't know how many times. They come off a ball screen and go make a play."

Looking at the way things have ended in non-conference play, it is tough to make an argument that Idaho State will be anywhere but the cellar. They need to start getting full team efforts on both ends of the court, as they just can't seem to put a full game together.

Anything else you guys noticed from these three games?

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Deane Martin Profile

A quick look at the Idaho State profile of their new interim head coach, Deane Martin:

Deane Martin enters his first year as assistant coach at Idaho State. Martin comes to Pocatello after spending 2010 as the head coach of Potros Itson, a professional team in Mexico. The team was a part of the top professional league in the country.

Martin has also spent time coaching in the NBA Development League. He spent the 2008-09 year as an assistant coach and assistant general manager with the Bakersfield Jam and in 2007-08 he assisted the Dakota Wizards to the Central Division Championship.

From 2001-2004 he served as an assistant coach at UNLV where he was the recruiting coordinator and assisted practice planning, scouting and coaching. During his time in Las Vegas he coached NBA lottery pick Marcus Banks. Along with Banks, Martin played a significant role in recruiting the Midwest and Northern California areas.

Martin was the Associate Head Coach at Tennessee-Martin from 1999-2001 and from 1997-99 he was an assistant at St. Louis University. While at UT-Martin, he helped recruit a class that turned in the first winning season in the school's 10-year history at the Division I level.

At Saint Louis University he served on coach Charlie Spoonhour's staff for two seasons (1997-99) and helped tutor a team that defeated Massachusetts in the first round of the 1998 NCAA Tournament before losing to eventual national champion Kentucky in the second round.

Spoonhour added Martin to his Billikens staff after Martin had spent four seasons as an assistant at his alma mater Central Missouri.

A native of Mercer, Mo., a town of about 400, Martin earned unanimous first team all-state honors at North Mercer High School.

He played two seasons at Trenton (Mo.) Junior College before transferring to Central Missouri, where he graduated with a degree in physical education in 1987. While at Central Missouri he played two-years for Joe O’Brien, who was an assistant at the University at the time.

Martin began his coaching career at Neosho County (Kan.) Community College, in 1998-89, then spent 1989-92 at Cowley County Community College, in Arkansas City, Kan. Cowley won the Jaykawk Conference title in each of Martin's three seasons and was known for a pesky match-up zone that kept opponents off balance.

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