FOUR SIGN WITH WASHINGTON STATE

TODAY MARKS THE first day of the early signing period in college basketball and as expected Washington State has signed a quartet of new Cougars -- two forwards and two guards -- to Letters of Intent. Brock Motum, a 6-9 power forward from Down Under, was the first to fax in his signed LOI this morning. Soon thereafter, three others joined him and officially became Cougars.

CF.C will have more on Signing Day -- including Tony Bennett's thoughts on the four new Cougars -- following the WSU press conference to be held later this afternoon. The crimson quartet who signed with Washington State this morning:

WSU BASKETBALL CLASS OF 2009

November 12, 2008

SG Anthony Brown (6-5, 205)   
Shadle Park High, Spokane WA

A 6-5 swingman, Spokane's Brown is a slasher with moves in the mold of a Kyle Weaver. Even though Shadle Park's offense was built largely around long-range shooting his junior season, Brown still scored in double-figures most nights his junior campaign and he did the majority of his work in close around the bucket. A three year letterman, he was named second-team All-GSL, first-team all-region and was a Seattle Times Player of the Week.

PF David Chadwick (6-8, 215)  
Charlotte Latin School; Charlotte, NC

The Cougs get a little bit of everything in Chadwick. He's as comfortable banging bodies inside as he is taking a three and is in that "worker bee" mold Tony Bennett has talked about over the years -- unselfish and able to deftly shoot, pick and pass the rock and to relish play on the interior as well as out. He averaged 19 points and 10 rebounds as a junior. Chadwick's father was the Charlotte Hornets chaplain during Tony Bennett's playing days there.

PF Brock Motum (6-9, 215)   
Australian Institute of Sports; Canberra, Australia

Motum has outstanding athleticism and a great motor and the combination makes for a hard-nosed style and a nice shooting touch, and range. Like Aron Baynes, Motum's talents carried him to the Australian Institute of Sports, where he earned his league’s Player of the Year honors in the just-concluded season -- the previous year he took home a National Player of the Year award. Motum averaged 15.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game this past season, shooting 57 percent from the field, and made 13 of 29 three-pointers. He also had 28 steals, 20 assists and eight blocks.

PG Xavier Thames (6-3, 160)   
Pleasant Grove High, Elk Grove, CA

Thames is the highest rated Cougar in the class by Scout.com -- the No. 19 point guard prospect in the country has great physical tools for the position according to Scout's Greg Hicks. He averaged 23.7 ppg and 4.3 assists his junior year while his quick hands and feet accounted for 61 steals (2.3 per). Thames is a first-team all-State and all-league selection and ranked second in scoring, steals and assists in the Delta River League. Washington State's recruitment of Thames went into overdrive back in May, when he tore it up in AAU tournaments in Houston and Vegas against top flight competition.

NOTABLE NOTE: Both Brown and Motum are lefties, as is Tony Bennett. The early signing period runs from Nov. 12-19. In looking at the numbers, WSU is thought to be finished with the inclusion of the four new Cougars but until the 19th, and until the last day of the Signing Period in the spring, nothing is for 100 percent certain.