Eubanks plans second trip to Corvallis
When Drew Eubanks returned from Las Vegas on Sunday, he knew his phone was about to get busy.
Eubanks, a 6-10 big out of Troutdale, Oregon, was already in regular communication with Oregon State, Gonzaga, Washington State, Purdue, San Diego State and Portland before the weekend, but five days of impressive play at the talent-laden Bigfoot Tournament in Vegas generated a host of new suitors.
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Eubanks, however, isn't biting.
"A bunch of new schools have been calling this week," Eubanks told BeaverBlitz.com on Wednesday, "but I'm not interested. It's not like they haven't seen me before so I must not have been that important to them."
Fortunately for Head Coach Wayne Tinkle, he saw something special in Eubanks from the outset. The trending post player visited campus unofficially on June 26 with noted AAU Coach Pat Strickland and will return on Friday for a second unofficial.
"I didn't really get a chance to sit down with Coach Tinkle for a long time before so this will be an opportunity to do that," said Eubanks. "He called the other day and just said that they really liked the way I've been playing and are excited to show me around some more."
Eubanks' rise to high-major prospect is a tribute to his athleticism. Though he's only been playing basketball a few years, soft hands, good instincts, and impressive leaping ability have allowed him to quickly close the gap on more seasoned players.
That athleticism is also evident on the pitcher's mound, where Eubanks was an all-state pitcher a year ago. The rising senior would like to play both sports in college and on Friday, is expected to meet with Beavs' headman Pat Casey, as well.
As far as the basketball program is concerned, landing Eubanks would be an early victory for the first-year coaching staff. Tinkle, Gregg Gottlieb, Stephen Thompson, and Kerry Rupp have all been outspoken about prioritizing local talent and Eubanks - a two-sport star at Reynolds High - is exactly that.