Happy Holidays From Our Family To Yours

On Christmas Eve, our team fed the homeless at the Red Cross in Spokane. Afterwards, the guys who couldn't make it home spent the night at Coach Hayford's and enjoyed Christmas with the Hayford family.

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season!!

First Conference Win vs. Idaho State

http://goeags.com/sports/m-baskbl/2012-13/Releases/12mbDec22ISURecap

Crosgile and Big Block Helps Eastern Beat Bengals 57-54

Eagles finish with their best defensive performance of the season and EWU heads into its extended holiday break with 1-1 Big Sky mark

A late 8-0 run keyed by the floor play of Justin Crosgile – and a huge blocked shot by Thomas Reuter with nine seconds left -- lifted Eastern Washington University to a 57-54 victory over Idaho State Saturday (Dec. 22) at Reese Court in a Big Sky Conference men’s basketball game.

Crosgile offset a 2-of-12 shooting night with seven assists, four steals and seven rebounds to go along with eight points. His 3-point play with 3:31 to play gave Eastern a lead it would not relinquish as the Eagles snapped a four-game losing streak.

The Eagles head into the holidays with a 3-9 record overall and 1-1 Big Sky record, having not won since Nov. 30 against Cal State Fullerton. The Bengals are now 1-9 overall and 0-2 in the league and have lost four in a row.

 “To be on this side of a close win will go a long way for our guys -- it was a much-needed win,” said Eastern head coach Jim Hayford. “I am really happy our guys can take this win into the break. We don’t play again for twelve days. To think of the alternative, that would have been really tough.”

Freshman forward Venky Jois had his sixth double-double of the season – all coming in the last nine games – with 13 points and 12 rebounds. He also had three blocked shots, as well as 6-foot-10 sophomore Martin Seiferth, who finished with nine points and four rebounds.

Senior Jeffrey Forbes hit a trio of 3-pointers – giving him 155 in his career – to finish with nine points. Freshman point guard Daniel Hill chipped in eight points in just his third game as an Eagle.

Eastern led by as many as 13 in the first half, but found itself trailing by five at the 6:25 mark of the second half. Crosgile assisted on a 3-pointer by Forbes to ignite the 8-0 run, then had three steals in the next minute, including one that led to his 3-point play with 3:31 left and gave EWU 49-46 advantage it would not relinquish.

In the final minute, with EWU nursing a one-point lead, ISU had a steal and was headed for a fast-break layin. But Reuter blocked the layin attempt, retrieved the ball, was fouled and then made a pair of free throws with seven seconds left that provided the final margin.

“They made a great steal when we were trying to call timeout -- give them credit, they made (what could have been) a winning play,” explained Hayford. “Fortunately, Thomas made a big block -- I don’t know if he will make a bigger block in his career. I hope so, but that’s going to be a big one to try to get better on. That’s just a great winning play, and he came down and sank the two winning free throws.”

Eastern led most of the first half, and used runs of 7-0 and 10-0 to open a 29-16 lead on a layup by Hill with 3:11 left. Idaho State, however, scored the last six points of the half and trailed at intermission 29-22.

The Eagles made 46 percent of their shots in the first half, compared to 35 percent for ISU. Jois scored 11 points and had six rebounds in the first half, with Hill providing a spark off the bench to hit a pair of 3-pointers and score eight points total.

The 54 points the Eagles allowed was the fewest they surrendered by 16 – the previous best for the Eagles came in a 75-70 win over South Carolina-Upstate on Nov. 21. Eastern held the Bengals to 37.9 percent shooting from the field, which was Eastern’s best defensive effort of the season. The previous best was a 38.1 percent effort versus Cal State Fullerton.

“They are very patient on offense,” said Hayford. “And they play a zone that makes you need rotations to get the ball inside, so that’s going to take time on the clock. They are a very well-coached team. When they got the separation on us, it was us missing some good looks. Fortunately we had some good plays where defense led to offense and that reversed it, and got the lead back in our hands.”

“I figured it would be a one or two possession game in the fifties and I was right,” he added.

 Eastern has won the last 11 meetings versus ISU in Cheney, dating back to a 65-63 Bengal win at EWU on March 1, 2003. Overall, the Eagles have won seven consecutive games in the series, dating back to the last win for ISU on Jan. 22, 2010 (79-71 in Pocatello). Eastern has won 25 of the past 34 meetings against the Bengals, including a sweeps the last two years.

Eastern takes an extended break for the holidays, and won’t play again until visiting Big Sky Conference favorite Montana on Jan. 3 in Missoula, Mont. Two days later on Jan. 5 the Eagles play at Montana State. Eastern doesn’t play at Reese Court again until Northern Arizona visits on Jan. 10.

“We have guys from all over the world, so they don’t get to go home,” added Hayford. “The neat part is we will have an international Christmas with these guys. We will go to the Salvation Army on Christmas Eve, and serve some people. That will bring us a lot of joy to have that opportunity.”

 

Big Win vs. Cal-State Fullerton

In front of our home crowd for the first time this season, the Eagles showed grit and determination in overcoming a 9 point deficit in the second half, for a thrilling come back victory.

For action photos from the game, check out this link:

http://www.spokesman.com/picture-stories/ewu-vs-cal-state-fullerton-nov-30/

For more information on the game, here is an article by Jim Allen of the Spokesman Review.

December 1, 2012

EWU knocks off CS-Fullerton 79-75 without Chiverton

Jim Allen
The Spokesman-Review

Tags:Big skyEastern Washington EaglesEWU basketball

EWU’s Martin Seiferth, left, defends against Fullerton’s D.J. Seeley.

As growth spurts go, this one is as graceful as they get.

A young Eastern Washington basketball team grew up in the second half of Friday night’s game with Cal State Fullerton, gaining not only a 79-75 win but the promise of more growth to come.

“The first thought that went through my head was our team grew up a lot tonight,” said Eagles coach Jim Hayford, whose club earned a signature win in its first home game of the season.

Most of that growth happened in the second half, without the services of starter Collin Chiverton – who is in California on a personal emergency – and with Eastern trailing by eight points against an aggressive, fast-paced team.

In Chiverton’s place, forward Thomas Reuter scored four straight points to ignite a 13-2 run.

“We wanted to make them pay for having four guards, and Thomas was the mismatch,” said Hayford, adding that Chiverton – the Big Sky Conference Newcomer of the Year last season – is on indefinite leave after a close friend died in California. That comes a month after the death of Chiverton’s mother.

“Our whole team really hurts for Chiv right now,” said Hayford, whose club improved to 2-5 entering Thursday’s home game against Idaho.

“I think all Thomas thought was ‘I need to play up to my ability and that’s the best I can do to fill his shoes.’ And he did a great job.”

Six points from redshirt freshman forward Venky Jois extended the rally, which was punctuated by a long 3-pointer from junior point guard Justin Crosgile that put Eastern ahead 63-60 with 7:46 left.

“I felt that if I got a free look I was going to take it, and it felt good,” said the 5-foot-11 Crosgile, who scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

Fullerton, getting 22 points from Kwame Vaughn and 21 from D.J. Seeley, forged a 64-all tie with under 5 minutes left, but didn’t make another field goal until a meaningless 3 with 5 seconds left.

Fullerton (3-3) thrived in its transition game in the first half, but wore down as the game went on and shot just 28 percent in the second half.

“We saw (on film) that they loved to play transition,” Jois said. “But we felt that in a half-court game, they couldn’t match up with us.”

Certainly not with Jois, who shot 10 for 14 and finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds, both team highs. Reuter added 16 points and five boards.

Still, the game nearly went down to the wire. Crosgile drove the lane for a layin that put Eastern ahead 72-68 with 1:26 left, but Fullerton cut it to two on a pair free throws by Vaughn.

The Titans had a chance to take the lead with 36 seconds left, but Vaughn missed from long range and Jois grabbed the biggest rebound of the game. Jois passed to Forbes, who was fouled, made a pair of free throws, then stole the ball and made two more free throws to make it 76-70 with 17 seconds left.

Freddy J Getting Some Media Love!

Excerpt taken from the article: http://easterneronline.com/2012/11/30/athletes-recruited-from-all-over-the-globe/

"Although he may not have sun or a beach in his hometown of Korschenbroich, Germany, freshman basketball player Fredrik Jorg can relate to the feelings of homesickness.

“It’s tough being far away from home,” Jorg said. With a nine hour time difference, Jorg also said that contacting his family can be difficult. “Skype is an option. It’s hard to find time for me and my family, but we find a way to work it out.”

Originally, one of the reasons Jorg said he came to play at Eastern was because of the level of interest expressed in him by the coaches. Jorg also said that head coach Jim Hayford visited him and his family at their home in Germany. “Coach Hayford met with me and my parents, and we decided he was a good guy,” Jorg said. “It was important to my parents that they sent me with someone they could trust.”

For Hayford, there are two elements to recruiting players. “The first key is you recruit where you have relationship,” he said. “The second principle is we’re not going to out-recruit Pac-12 schools.”

By going to both Germany and Australia to recruit players, Hayford was able to experience less competition. Nevertheless, Hayford emphasized that it is also his goal to recruit players in the nearby areas. “We’re very committed to getting local players,” he said. According to the team roster, six of the 16 players were recruited from either Germany or Australia."

http://easterneronline.com/2012/11/28/basketballers-use-height-to-their-advantage/

BASKETBALLERS USE HEIGHT TO THEIR ADVANTAGE

WRITTEN BY KELLYMANALO ON NOVEMBER 28, 2012. POSTED IN SPORTS

Photo illustration by Easterner Graphics

The height gap between the shortest and tallest player of the men’s and women’s basketball team is two feet.

Freshman forward Frederik Jörg is the tallest man in EWU’s basketball history, standing at 7 feet 1 inch.

Sophomore guard Kylie Huerta has a 5-foot-1-inch frame.

As a forward, Jörg feels his height is advantageous for defense and easy rebounds since he is close to the basket.

According to Jörg, he cannot always compete with teams that are smaller and quicker because he is not quick and flexible. Jörg claimed that sometimes he does not play because of his height.

Last year, in Huerta’s rookie season, she had 43 points, 30 assists and 13 steals, according to her biography.

Huerta mentioned being strategic because of her height.

Huerta, as a shorter player, said she uses her height to be sneaky. “When tall people bring it down, that’s when small people sneak it in,” said Huerta.

“There’s definitely advantages and disadvantages [to being 5 feet 1 inch], but from my point of view I have a bigger advantage because that’s how I’ve always been playing,” said Huerta.

“There are definitely disadvantages for being tall too. In basketball, sometimes people switch on people. I’m so much quicker than taller people so it’s easier to get by them,” said Huerta.

Huerta claims that she is at a disadvantage when a taller person is guarding her because it is harder to push someone bigger than her out.

Talking about his height, Jörg said, “What I like is that there’s probably more advantages than disadvantages.”

Huerta compensates for her size by being strong, claiming, “I’m able to push them out when they drive [down the court]”.

Huerta said she does not let players go past her because she is quick and keeps her opponents in front of her.

“I’m the player I am today because I’m smaller. I find ways to get my shots off,” said Huerta.

“For me, I want to use my size better and get more athletic, faster, quicker,” said Jörg.

When Jörg plays he claims he has a disadvantage in the foul court because of his height. “Always say I’m tall I gotta make it. When a foul is called they don’t send me too often to the free-throw line,” said Jörg.

Jörg says he wants to get used to the American way of playing basketball and get more experience in the game.

According to Jörg , Europe does not have college sports, just club teams. That’s why Jörg came to the states, for an opportunity to get a college education while playing basketball.

Jörg said he could not imagine his life without basketball.

Happy Thanksgiving

Our team spent the day in Palo Alto and enjoyed a crazy good meal together. Wishing you and yours a very happy thanksgiving. We all have a lot to be thankful for!!

Snack Time

Hanging Out in the Claremont

Before checking into our rooms, some heated games of checkers took place.

Martin Seiferth named Big Sky Player of the Week

The Big Sky has announced that Martin Seiferth is the first Big Sky Player of the Week for the 2012-13 season. Martin was given the honor after a dominating performance at Cal-State Northridge in which he recorded 27 points, 17 rebounds and 7 blocked shots. After sitting out last season because of NCAA red shirt transfer rules, it is so great to see all of Martin's hard work being rewarded! Congratulations Martin!

New Video Board Installation

The process of mounting our new video board has begun! The board will be up and running for our first home game against Cal-State Fullerton!

Don't Sleep On The Eagles!!

See you in Pullman :)

Eastern Washington vs. Washington State this Saturday, November 10th!

Eagles Open Season at Washington State

After 26-point exhibition win over Concordia, games start to count for second-year head coach Jim Hayford

Upcoming Games

Saturday, Nov. 10 - Friel Court (11,671) - Pullman, Wash.
4:30 p.m. - Eastern Washington at Washington State

Monday, Nov. 12 - The Matadome (1,600) - Northridge, Calif.
7:05 p.m. - Eastern Washington at Cal State Northridge

Coaches Show

Tuesdays (Starting Nov. 27) at 6 p.m. at The Swinging Doors in North Spokane . . . 700-AM ESPN, www.700espn.com & via iphone app. (search for “Spokane Radio” and download app). Shows are each Tuesday from Nov. 27-Dec. 18 and from Jan. 15 to March 12, and feature head coach Jim Hayford and host Larry Weir. The Swinging Doors is located at W. 1018 Francis in Spokane.      

Coverage

TV: The WSU game is televised on the Pac-12 Networks.
Radio: All Eastern games are on 700-AM ESPN in Spokane. Larry Weir returns for his 20th season calling the play-by-play, starting 20 minutes prior to tipoff. Dennis Patchin will fill-in for Weir at Washington State because of EWU's football game that day.
Internet Radio: www.700espn.com or www.tunein.com
Radio iPhone App: Search for “Spokane Radio” and download app. An app is also available for tunein radio.
Live Stats (home games): ewulive.statb.us (web) or ewustats.com (mobile phones)

---

Although he received a better preseason look at his squad than most years, second-year Eastern Washington University men’s basketball coach Jim Hayford never knows what the season opener will be like. Especially when facing a Pac-12 Conference opponent in the first of six-straight road games to open the year.

The Eagles officially open their 2012-13 season this Saturday (Nov. 10) when EWU plays at Washington State at 4:30 p.m. Pacific time at Friel Court. The game is being televised by the Pac-12 Networks.

The radio broadcast of this week’s game will be joined in progress after the conclusion of Eastern’s football game versus UC Davis that starts at 1:35 p.m. Veteran announcer Dennis Patchin will be in Pullman and fill-in for Larry Weir, who will be broadcasting the football game but will return as EWU’s full-time play-by-play announcer for basketball. The radio broadcasts may be heard on 700-AM ESPN, via the web at www.700espn.com and via iPhone application (search for “700 ESPN” and download the free app). The broadcast is also available via www.tunein.com and tunein’s mobile phone app.

“We’re trying to build a winning program, so you put the uniforms on, the lights are on, the refs are out and the fans are there, so winning is always a good thing,” said Hayford of his team’s 96-70 exhibition victory over Concordia (Ore.) last Sunday (Nov. 4). “You hope that becomes contagious. But at the end of the day, those exhibition games are just like a practice. But now everything counts and it gets a lot more intense. We are eager to take the challenge on down in Pullman.”

A year ago, Eastern finished 15-17 overall and was 8-8 in Big Sky Conference play to finish fourth, and the Eagles hosted and won their first Big Sky Conference Tournament game since 2006. Eastern improved by five victories from the year before, as the Eagles equaled their most wins since Eastern made its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2004.

Four seniors were lost to graduation from Hayford’s first Eastern team, and his 2012-13 squad will return two starters and four other returning letterwinners. His team also includes three players who redshirted last season – featuring a pair of NCAA Division I transfers – with six newcomers rounding out his squad. One guard and three players 6-7 or taller were lost from last year’s team.

The Cougars were 19-18 a year ago and 7-11 in the Pac-12 Conference. Washington State played in the College Basketball Invitational Tournament, and lost to Pittsburgh 89-69 in the championship game. The Cougars lead the all-time series 54-11, including a 75-49 win over EWU in Pullman a year ago. The 26-point setback was easily the worst defeat EWU had in Hayford’s debut season.

“When you look at that all-time series, it is definitely heavy in Washington State’s favor,” said Hayford. “Our players feel like we really let our fans down and ourselves down last year – we felt like that was maybe our worst game of the year. We’re going to come focused. We might be the underdog, but we embrace the role and we are looking at going down to Washington State and get the win.”

Following Saturday’s game, Eastern continues on the road to face Cal State Northridge on Nov. 12. The Matadors finished 7-21 overall last season and 3-13 in the Big West Conference. The Matadors, who were a member of the Big Sky Conference from the 1996-97 to 2000-01 school years, are coached by Bobby Braswell. He is currently in his 17th season at Cal State Northridge, having started there in CSN’s initial year as a Big Sky member.

Eastern doesn’t play at home until Cal State Fullerton visits on Nov. 30.

“We’re going to try to come back from that road swing with a team that is cohesive and together,” said Hayford. “Obviously, it is going to be hard to take a young team who hasn’t played much together and ask them to win on the road with six straight games. I feel the adversity can pay off in the long run. We embrace the challenge, but obviously it is a big challenge.” 

6th Man Club Season Preview Night

On November 5^th, the Eastern Washington Men’s Basketball 6^th Man Club had their annual Season Preview Night at Masselows, located at Northern Quest. It was a great evening, filled with unbelievable food, wine, and company. Over 90 people came to the event, a substantial increase from last season.

Coach Hayford started out the night by introducing our team via the following video: http://youtu.be/xptnMQ4PGfY?hd=1 Coach then spoke candidly about each individual, and his vision for their role on the team this season.

Attendees heard from Eastern Washington University President Dr. Arevalo about the growth and progress made at EWU in the past few years and how he feels basketball is contributing to the long-term vision for sustained growth.

Echoing these sentiments, Athletic Director Bill Chaves talked about the facility upgrades to Reese Court, including new chair-back seating behind the benches, and a new videoboard that will be installed before the first home game on November 30^th.

EWU 6^th Man Club President Irv Zakheim spoke specifically about progress being made within the 6^th man club, and shared a few goals the club has set for this season to help EWU Men’s Basketball compete fiscally with the other teams in our conference.

Coach Hayford concluded with some insight into team strategy, most specifically against Washington State, and his vision for short-term and long-term success within the program.

It was a fantastic night, and so great to see all of the support we receive from so many different people. We would certainly not be able to do what we do without the support of our 6^th Man Club!

If you have an interest in supporting the Eagles, hearing about the benefits that our club members receive and becoming a member of our 6^th Man Club… click here: http://goeags.com/sports/m-baskbl/2012-6thmanbasketball.pdf 

Player Interview: Collin Chiverton

Collin Chiverton enters his senior season for Eastern Washington. A junior college transfer from San Francisco City College, Chiverton was named the Big Sky Newcomer of the Year in the 2011-2012 season for the Eagles, despite a nagging foot injury that lingered throughout most of the season. Collin has been a winner at every level of basketball. Teams that Chiverton has played on since his junior year of high school have won 129 out of 163 games for a winning percentage of .791.

When you're not playing basketball, what do you enjoy doing?

Playing Playstation, either NBA 2K or Red Dead Redemption... I love watching movies, I'm a huge movie buff. I love to relax and watch TV when I'm not doing stuff with basketball or school. I also love to cook, I'm a great cook. My mom used to be a chef and she taught me everything she knows.

If basketball wasn't in your professional future, what would you want to do after this season? 

I'd figure out a way to start my own business. Even if I have to start from the bottom, working for someone else... I would work my way up to the top until I could branch off and do my own thing. At the end of the day, I want to run my own company and/or become a college head coach.

If you could sit down with anyone, who would it be, and what would you ask them?

It would probably be Carmelo Anthony. I met him once before and I know about his trip to the NBA and how hard it was and all the hard work he put in. I know he's one of the best work out people in the league as far as getting up extra shots and getting in extra workouts and stuff like that to work on his individual game. I would love to ask him about what he does to prepare for games, how does he keep his body in great shape and rehab sort of stuff. I really want to find out what types of things he does in his workouts, and find out what it takes to be an elite NBA player.

What person in your life gives you the greatest inspiration?

In all reality, I have three. But I would just say, all of the women in my life which is my grandma who passed when I was eleven, my mom and my older sister. All three of these women have taught me a lot of life lessons that I wouldn't have learned from anybody else. When you have women as the central part of your life, looking back on it, it's great to see the different perspectives that they have shown me. When you talk to guys, you're usually only getting the same perspective that you have, but in my experience, women have a more complex understanding about what's going on. I take pride in my family and how much they love to help me and see me grow as a person.

What are your thoughts about practice so far?

Practices have been going great. You can tell the team is really gelling day by day. We have film sessions to get better as a team. We usually focus on a certain theme every day at practice as an area to improve on. Each theme builds on one another. Everything that is happening with practice and this program is going in the right direction. Everybody is buying into the system. I'm excited for this season!

Peak Condition

EWU Basketball players have been conducting preseason practices while being hooked up to heart monitors. This allows our strength and conditioning coach to monitor our player's heart rate, to adjust his coaching in order for our guys to be in peak physical condition during the season.

We also use it to evaluate who is working hard in practice and competing!!

Media Picks Eastern Washington Men's Basketball Third in Big Sky Conference

http://goeags.com/sports/m-baskbl/2012-13/Releases/12mbNov18BSCPolls

Media Picks Eastern Third in Preseason Poll

Eagles are chosen by the coaches to finish sixth as the Big Sky Conference preseason picks are announced

The Eastern Washington University men’s basketball team, under the direction of second-year head coach Jim Hayford, has been picked to finish as high as third in the 2012-13 Big Sky Conference preseason men’s basketball polls released Thursday (Oct. 18).

The media have picked the Eagles to finish third, and the coaches selected Eastern sixth. Defending Big Sky champion Montana has been selected first in both polls.

Eastern finished the 2011-12 season 15-17 overall and was 8-8 in Big Sky Conference play to finish fourth, and the Eagles hosted and won their first Big Sky Conference Tournament game since 2006. Eastern improved by five victories from the year before, as the Eagles equaled their most wins since Eastern made its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2004.

“We want to stand by the same goal we put out there last year – we want to be a perennial postseason team,” Hayford said. “When you look at the Big Sky Conference and you talk of teams in the postseason mix, we want Eastern Washington to be in it.”

The 2013 Big Sky Championship will consist of the top seven teams from the regular-season standings. The championship will be played March 14-16 at the site of the regular-season champion. The No. 1 seed will receive a bye to the semifinals. There will be three first-round games on Thursday, March 14.

Teams will play 20 conference games this season in a true double round-robin format. While some schools begin their seasons Nov. 9, Eastern opens the next day at Washington State. The Eagles also play an exhibition game against Concordia (Ore.) on Sunday, Nov. 4 at 3:30 p.m.

After losing four seniors to graduation from his first Eastern team, Hayford’s 2012-13 squad will return two starters and four other returning letterwinners. His team also includes three players who redshirted last season – featuring a pair of NCAA Division I transfers – with six newcomers rounding out his squad.

“Whether it’s a rebuilding year, a strong year or a team with a young roster, we want to be a part of the postseason and that hasn’t changed,” said Hayford. “Last year the team and fans were excited to host and win a postseason game for the first time in a long time. That goal remains the same.”

The Grizzlies received eight first-place votes and 98 total points in the coaches’ poll, and 24 first-place votes and 344 points in the media poll. Weber State, which lost to Montana in the Big Sky Championship game, was selected second in both polls. Randy Rahe’s Wildcats earned three first-place votes from the coaches and 92 total points. Eight media members selected Weber State first, and the Wildcats earned 318 points from the media.

Northern Colorado was selected third by the coaches and fourth by the media. League newcomer North Dakota could make a splash -- the coaches selected UND fourth, while the media picked it sixth. North Dakota played in the Great West Conference last season and finished 17-15.

Portland State was picked to finish fifth in both polls, and Sacramento State was picked to finish seventh in the coaches’ poll and eighth in the media poll. Montana State was picked seventh in the media poll and eighth in the coaches’ poll. Rounding out both polls were Idaho State, Southern Utah and Northern Arizona. All three teams feature new coaches this season.

 

2012-13 Preseason Men’s Basketball Polls

Media Poll1. Montana (24) – 344
2. Weber State (8) – 318
3. Eastern Washington – 2314. Northern Colorado – 221
5. Portland State – 218
6. North Dakota -173
7. Montana State - 171
8. Sacramento State – 166
9. Idaho State -106
10.Southern Utah – 98
11. Northern Arizona - 67

Coaches’ Poll1. Montana (8) – 98
2. Weber State (3) – 92
3. Northern Colorado – 74
4. North Dakota – 67
5. Portland State – 61
6. Eastern Washington – 537. Sacramento State – 51
8. Montana State – 48
9. Idaho State – 25
10. Southern Utah – 23
11. Northern Arizona - 14

Eagles In The Community

On Thursday- members of the EWU Men's Basketball team helped collect food items for the local Cheney Food Bank!

Picture Day

Our guys came into Reese today looking GOOD for the media guide pictures!

Eagles in the weight room!

1 week before the official start to the season! Our guys were getting after it early in the morning!

Good Morning

Good Morning Friends!

We kicked off this beautiful Friday morning by getting in a sprint workout on the Inferno!

We hope you have a great weekend, and if you don't have any plans, come to Roos Field on Saturday and support the EWU Football Team when they take on Montana at 4:05p. 

Men's Basketball Helps Freshmen Move In!

On Monday, our guys helped welcome the incoming Eastern Washington Freshmen Class to Cheney by helping them move into their new dorms. Conveniently, the elevator was broken; so we also got a nice workout in too! First day of class is Wednesday!

EWU Men Found Good Blend in British Columbia (Spokesman Review Article by Jim Allen)

EWU men found good blend in British Columbia

Jim Allen The Spokesman-Review

• 
  

The melting pot that is the Eastern Washington men’s basketball team got a quick stir last week by leaving the country.

The Eagles went 6-0 during their trip to British Columbia but gained something more important: experience. NCAA teams are allowed one foreign trip every four years, “and we picked the right year to do it,” second-year head coach Jim Hayford said.

Hayford said the main goal was to blend a team of Germans, Australians and Americans from five states. On the floor, he had to blend returning letterwinners, redshirts, four-year transfers, a junior college transfer and several incoming ex-high school players. He also had the chance to assess what the players learned during on-court sessions during the summer.

“With so many newcomers,” Hayford said, “I thought it was beneficial to have that game experience, to blend these guys together and show where the teaching stuck and where it was deficient.”
The team departed on Sept. 6 and played six games in six nights. After opening with an 87-70 win over Thompson Rivers University, Eastern headed west and edged the University of British Columbia in Vancouver 77-73. Eastern then defeated the University of Victoria 77-58 on Sept. 9 before another narrow triumph over the University of The Fraser Valley, 84-79. Eastern concluded its tour with overwhelming victories over Quest University in Squamish (93-46) and Trinity Western (86-57) in Langley.

The Eagles had a different leading scorer each night.
“We know the competition in the regular season will be more difficult, but we were pleased with our play and the outcome of the games,” Hayford said.
The offcourt experience was even more valuable, Hayford said. Activities included hiking excursions and time on the waterfront. The team also used a “portion of each day going through a mental fitness curriculum and I’m very pleased with the buy-in each player had,” Hayford said.
For now, the team is allowed two hours of on-court coaching per week. Formal practice begins Oct. 12, allowing up to 20 hours on-court time a week, with a maximum of four hours per day.
The Eagles play an exhibition game Nov. 4 against NAIA Concordia of Oregon, then open the season Nov. 10 at Washington State. The first home game is Nov. 30 against Cal State Fullerton.
The Eagles, 8-8 in the Big Sky Conference and 15-17 overall last year, return two starters, forward Collin Chiverton and guard Jeffrey Forbes, plus four letterwinners. The team also includes three players who redshirted last season, plus six newcomers.

Eastern Goes Perfect 6-0 on Canada Tour

http://goeags.com/sports/m-footbl/2012-13/Releases/12mbAugCanadaTripReview

Eastern Goes Perfect 6-0 on Canada Tour

Trip exceeded the expectations of Eagle head coach Jim Hayford, who treasured the opportunity to see his nine newcomers on the court

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Going into his team’s six-game preseason tour of Canada, second-year Eastern Washington University head coach Jim Hayford knew it was an opportunity for his team to gain experience and blend together.
But he and the Eagles got more than they bargained for.
The six-game, seven-day trek across British Columbia not only helped blend nine newcomers on the floor with his veteran players, but off-the-floor the experience was even more valuable. Hayford’s biggest chore during the trek was developing camaraderie and a team-first attitude among a melting pot of a roster consisting of Germans, Australians and Americans from five different states. On the floor, he had to blend together returning letterwinners, redshirts, four-year transfers, a junior college transfer and lots of incoming high school players.
“It really was a great trip,” said Hayford as his team prepared to head back to Cheney. “Our team enjoyed and got to know one another better, and we improved in many areas.”
“We took a portion of each day going through a mental fitness curriculum and I’m very pleased with the buy-in each player had,” he continued. “We know the competition in the regular season will be more difficult, but we were pleased with our play and the outcome of the games.”
The team’s trip was captured on a blog that included game recaps, videos and facts about the players. It was another tool Hayford utilized to bring his team together. The blog may be found at: http://ewuhoops.blogspot.com
NCAA Division I schools are allowed to make one preseason foreign trip every four years, including up to 10 practices and six games. Of the 15 players on his roster, 14 of them played during the tour.
The team departed on Sept. 6 and played six games in six nights. After opening with an 87-70 win over Thompson Rivers University, Eastern headed west and edged the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, B.C., 77-73. Eastern then defeated the University of Victoria 77-58 on Sept. 9 before another narrow triumph over the University of The Fraser Valley, 84-79. Eastern concluded its tour with overwhelming victories over Quest University in Squamish (93-46) and Trinity Western (86-57) in Langley. The Eagles returned to Cheney on Sept. 13, with classes at EWU beginning on Sept. 26.
In winning six games in six nights, Hayford’s squad had a different leading scorer each night.
“I think that shows we are going to have a deeper team with more balanced scoring,” he predicted. “We have a team with a lot of newcomers and we know there are adjustments that need to be made. This trip goes a long way to expedite the process of becoming familiar with one another on the court.”
The Eagles open the season Nov. 10 at Washington State, but won’t play at home until Nov. 30 when Cal State Fullerton visits. Although the Eagles officially don’t open at home until Nov. 30, they will host an exhibition game versus Concordia (Oregon) on Sunday, Nov. 4 at approximately 3:30 p.m. at Reese Court, following an exhibition game for the Eastern women’s squad.
After losing four seniors to graduation from his first Eastern team, Hayford’s 2012-13 squad will return two starters and four other returning letterwinners. His team also includes three players who redshirted last season – featuring a pair of NCAA Division I transfers – with six newcomers rounding out his squad.
Eastern finished 15-17 overall and was 8-8 in Big Sky Conference play to finish fourth, and the Eagles won their first Big Sky Conference Tournament game since 2006. Eastern improved by five victories from the year before, as the Eagles equaled their most wins since Eastern made its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2004.

 

Highlight Film From Our Trip

Here is a highlight video of our Canadian Trip made by our video guy, Dave Riley.