Garrett Swanson of Idaho State Granted Release to Talk to Other Coaches

Sources tell me that Idaho State freshman forward Garrett Swason has asked for and been given a release from new head coach Bill Evans to speak with other coaches about transferring.

Swanson is a versatile big man that can score from the perimeter, and had big scoring numbers in high school. On a team that lost their best big man after last season, I thought Swanson would have a chance to have a pretty good role on the team, but things didn't quite work out as planned.

Through early January he was averaging 5.5 PPG and 2.5 RPG (including scoring 15 points and nabbing 7 rebounds of North Dakota), but he reportedly got mono through the second half of the season, and he played less than ten minutes per game over the last six.

Though Swanson never was able to make a big impact every game, his future looked to be solid. He shot 46% from inside the arc this year, and could have been a solid frontcourt player for them, especially if he had been able to bulk up a bit. On a team that will lose three of its top four players, you have to figure he might have competed for a starting spot next year.

ISU fans, your thoughts?

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Idaho State's Frontcourt Production

When Deividas Busma exhausted his eligibility, Idaho State lost not only one of their two best players, they lost their best (and the cynic in me would say only) inside scorer from last season. Who will fill the void left by Busma?

One guy that will try to step in is Abner Moreira, who will be entering his senior year. He was the best rebounder on the team last year, and that should certainly continue. He shot a respectable 45% from the field, but that could stand to improve. He is decent at getting to the FT line, which is great, because he shot 80% from there last season.

After Moreira, no returning post got regular minutes last year, which leaves a lot of uncertainty. Jakub Kusmierak will get some PT for a couple of reasons. One, he has some D1 experience, having spent his freshman year at UTEP. Second, he is 7'4''. Kusmieruk will have a chance to earn consistent minutes for the Bengals.

Nobody else on the roster is taller than 6'8'', so they might have to play small for long stretches. Dejan Kostur from Australia will get a chance to be in the rotation, but he averaged just 8 PPG and 4 RPG last season (for a very good JUCO team.

Brandon Glanz is 6'6'', but he did averaged 17 RPG his senior year of high school (not a typo), so he figures to be able to play in the post a bit. He redshirted last season. Then there is Garrett Swanson, also at 6'7'', but he is more of a perimeter player than a post. He will have a role on the team though, as he can drain it from outside. If you are interested, he's got a lot of highlight videos.

Bengals fans, who do you see having the biggest role in the post this year? Am I forgetting anyone?