MOSCOW – Don Verlin and the University of Idaho men’s basketball team capped off their 2010 late-period signing period with the addition of Portland wing, Stephen Madison, on Friday.
Madison, a 6-5, 200-pound wing from Jefferson High School, officially committed to Idaho on Friday in a ceremony at his school along with four teammates. Madison helped lead JHS to a 26-2 record and a 2010 Oregon 5A state title this season while averaging nearly 19 points and eight rebounds per game.
“We are very excited to announce Stephen’s signing,” Verlin said. “He is a talented young player that has a bright future. He has great size for playing on the perimeter and his understanding of the game is beyond his years.
“Stephen is a great finishing touch on what we think is a very good recruiting class.”
At the end of the season, Madison was honored as a first-team all-state selection, as well as a first-team all-Pacific Interscholastic League choice. He was also chosen to participate in the Les Schwab Northwest Shootout all-star game and led all scorers with 27 points.
He was named Player of the Game twice during the Democrats’ state tournament run, including after the quarterfinal round when he scored 28 points on 12-of-22 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds. In the state championship game victory over Mountain View, Madison scored a game-high 20 points on 8-of-17 shooting. Madison reached 20 points three times and averaged 19.3 points in the team’s four state tournament games.
“I feel that Idaho is a great fit for me both on the floor and in the classroom,” Madison said on Friday. “I fit well with their returning players and the new ones coming in. I think that we have a great chance to be successful with this team and the coaching staff.”
ESPN’s men’s basketball recruiting grades Madison as an 84 and rates him as the No. 100 small forward prospect in the nation. The site describes him as “a deceptive athlete who can dunk over the top of his defender in transition and he can knock down the 3-point shot as well,” and also lauds his high basketball IQ.
Madison is the sixth member of Idaho’s 2010 recruiting class that already includes fall signees Gary Winston (Walla Walla, Wash./Walla Walla HS), Idell Bell (Lakeland, Fla./North Idaho College) and Renado Parker (Fairwood, Wash./North Idaho College), and spring signees Matt Borton (Yakima, Wash./West Valley HS) and Deremy Geiger (Las Vegas, Nev./Grayson County (TX) College).
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