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Preston's Austin Smellie Commits

SLCBengal

SLCBengal

Active member
It appears he's going on a mission first...

[tweet]https://twitter.com/asmay20/status/709872489426395137[/tweet]
 
Good young player, we'll see you in a couple of years. Speaking of missionaries I heard today that Jared Stutzman from IF has decommitted from San Francisco and is being recruited by Utah and Utah State.
 
The Idaho Statesman named Smellie the 4A player of the year, and the Logan, UT, newspaper (Herald-Journal) named him the All-Valley player of the year...

Simply put, Smellie excelled in every aspect of the game for the Indians during the 2015-16 campaign. Case in point: The senior paced a talented Preston squad in scoring (19.3 points per game), rebounding (8.8 pg) and assists (4.5 pg).
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The rest of the state certainly took notice as the Idaho State commit was recently selected as the 4A Player of the Year by the Idaho Statesman. Smellie, the District 5-6 MVP, is also The Herald Journal All-Valley Player of the Year.
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Read more: HJNews: All-Valley Boys Basketball
 
I hope to see him in an ISU uniform in two years, but as we are seeing with Stutzman, there are no guarantees.
 
Skippy said:
I hope to see him in an ISU uniform in two years, but as we are seeing with Stutzman, there are no guarantees.
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Just ask Herb Williams about Justin Jones.
 
Refresh my memory, did Justin Sant leave after his FR year, go on mission, then to Utah Valley State and then to Southern Utah? Or was there no mission?

I thought Herb Ball got dinged twice with mission kids...
 
bengalcub said:
Refresh my memory, did Justin Sant leave after his FR year, go on mission, then to Utah Valley State and then to Southern Utah? Or was there no mission?

I thought Herb Ball got dinged twice with mission kids...
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To be honest with you Cub, I don't remember the whole Sant scenario. I do remember very vividly losing Justin Jones to Utah State after he returned from his mission. That was a huge blow.
 
I just saw this...Sant either went on a mission or left the team and went to Utah Valley State. I remember at the time, everyone was saying no more mission kids. I think it had to do with losing some good ones after playing one season. Maybe I am wrong. I am going to try and find out.
 
Justin was never a star, although he did average almost 10 points a game for Bill Evans' Southern Utah team that went to the NCAA tourney in 2001.
 
I think he left saying he was going on a mission and didn't end up going. Don't hold me to that.

While not a star, at the time ISU fans saw a ton of potential in the player they referred to as SHAGGY. He averaged 8.5 ppg at ISU as a FR. Justing Jones averaged 8.2 ppg. At the time---losing both of these kids after their freshman seasons really stung the program. Idaho State believed twice that they had two kids to build around.

The only reason I bring this up is because I think of these two kids every time ISU offers a mission kid. Not saying mission kids are a bad bet at all.
 
ISU was the only school that offered Justin Jones when he came out of Malad High School. And therefore Herb felt betrayed when Justin had transferred immediately to Utah State when he got off of his mission, because Herb had passed on a lot of quality guards fully expecting Justin to return to ISU.

Justin has been the head coach at Rigby High School for the last eight years, while his brother Tyler has been coaching at Preston for the last six years. Their dad, Terry, had coached basketball and other sports at Malad High School for 25 years, and before that he taught and coached at Hawthorne Jr. High in Pocatello for 10 years -- although it may be a middle school now.
 
Yeah I never bank on mission kids until they show up and put on the uniform. I think it's a little better situation now that most take their mission right out of high school. They are not nearly as marketable as if they get a season to show their skills against D1 competition for a year.
 
Skippy said:
They are not nearly as marketable as if they get a season to show their skills against D1 competition for a year.
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Larry Eustachy was Idaho's coach during Jones' freshman season, so he saw him firsthand 3 times (twice in the regular season, once in the tournament). He took the coaching job at USU after that season...
 
Justin Sant never served a mission, but do you guys remember when he scored 18 in the first half against Texas San Antonio and then 2 games later he scored 19 in the first half against Montana state...
 
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