MOSCOW, Idaho — The Idaho men's basketball program has undergone a major face lift since late March when Alex Pribble was introduced as head coach.
After the dust settled following graduations and transfers from last year's roster under then head coach Zac Claus, Idaho's roster was trimmed from 15 student athletes to three.
Just over three months later, Pribble already has a full roster and a clear direction for his program.
"It's been a whirlwind, but every day has been a blessing. We have a great group of guys and a great coaching staff on this journey with us in just a fantastic community," Pribble said.
Pribble's positive outlook has been bolstered by the addition of 12 new faces to the program in a brief period of time.
"We had a very clear blueprint we wanted to follow in terms of the types of players we wanted to bring into this program. We wanted skilled guys who were going to be able to be versatile, interchangable and guys who had a little toughness and competitiveness to them," Pribble said.
"We just went one by one. I had a great group of coaches with me on the journey helping with the identification and recruitment processes and then once we brought them here to campus, this place sold itself," Pribble said of the process.
This new wave of Vandals has the opportunity to change the narrative and culture of Idaho basketball, something which excites Coach Pribble.
"To decide to be a part of this program, an unproven program, one that is just a vision at this point, not something they can come in and follow the footsteps of players before them, and to be trailblazers, requires a certain type of young man. It requires a young man who is confident in himself, is totally bought in and wants to be a part of something bigger than himself. It is a special commitment that these young men made and it is one that my coaches and I do not take lightly, it is what motivates us," Pribble said.
Bringing in 12 new faces is one thing, but having all of those players gel quickly with new offensive and defensive scheme terminology is another.
"As soon as we had the 15 guys on our roster here together, it was about building cohesion both on and off the court. We made it a priority to recruit guys who would buy into that and be a part of something bigger than themselves," Pribble said.
A major part of leading that charge is the team's lone senior, Western Washington transfer guard D'Angelo Minnis.
"From the first minute D-Lo stepped on the court with these guys, everyone was just attracted to him. He is a true leader. We define leadership as the ability to make those around you better and more productive. D'Angelo is one of those guys where every team that he is on seems to raise its level of play," Pribble said.
The new look Vandals will look to compete in a wide open Big Sky Conference immediately.
"From day one, game one we are going to be competing to win and our goal is going to be to win games, there is no doubt about it. In the big picture, we talk about our guys competing together every day with joy and purpose, that is what this program is built on," Pribble said.
The Vandals begin conference play December 28th at home against Sacramento State.
Keep an eye on transfer guards Quinn Denker and EJ Neal to stand out for Idaho this season.
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