MISSOULA - The University of Montana Grizzly basketball team has
recently signed two outstanding players to National Letters of Intent,
announced third-year UM head coach Wayne Tinkle.
Anthony Johnson, from Yakima Valley Community College (Wash.)
and Nyandigisi (In-dig-ih-see) Moikobu (Moy-koe-boo) from Rainier Beach
High School in Seattle, Wash., will join the 2008-09 Grizzlies this
fall.
A 6-3, 195-pound guard who can play the one or two position,
Johnson was the East Region MVP of the NWAACC. Johnson averaged a
team-high 24.4 points a game for his squad, which was 21-7 this past
season. He shot 53.6% from the field and an impressive 89.1%
(205-of-230) from the line.
Johnson led Yakima Valley CC to the NWAACC Tournament
championship, scoring 38, 33, 29, and 25 points en route to earning MVP
honors in the tourney.
"Anthony is a tough player on the defensive side, and a talented
offensive force as well," Tinkle said. "He was the MVP of his
conference during the regular season and in the league tournament, which
tells you the kind of season he had."
"He's a great scorer, and he has the a great combination of
athleticism and strength," said Ray Funk, Johnson's head coach at Yakima
Valley CC. "He can get to the basket and create shots and finish when
he gets to the hoop. He is also extremely efficient from the free throw
line and gets a lot of his points there. He's got an uncanny mid-range
pull-up shot that you don't see much anymore. He's really quick and a
great on-the-ball defender too."
Moikobu, who goes by the nickname of "Digs," played for prep
power-house Rainier Beach High School which was the Washington 3A
champion and had a record 29-1. Moikobu averaged 11 points, 10
rebounds, and two blocks a game.
"Digs is a 6-6 player who is fundamentally sound, has good
defensive toughness, as he also has the ability to score the ball,"
Tinkle said.
Moikobu is the fourth Division I recruit (Reggie Moore and Mike
Ladd, Fresno State; Ababe Dimisse, Eastern Washington) from coach Mike
Bethea's Rainier Beach squad.
"Digs is an outstanding young man and was a joy to coach,"
Bethea said. "What he's going to be able to do is get to play his
natural position - which is the three," Bethea said. "He can showcase a
lot of his skills that he wasn't able to showcase here because we needed
him at the four and five. He was an outstanding leader for us, and he
has the potential to be as good as he wants to be."
"Both of these student-athletes come from quality and successful
programs, where we know that have been well-coached," Tinkle said.
The addition of Johnson and Moikobu brings Montana's total
number of basketball signees to four. Last November the Grizzlies
signed 6-7 forward Mathias Ward from Washington's Gig Harbor High School
and 6-1 point guard Shawn Stockton from Spokane's Ferris High School.
"With that recruiting class, he (Coach Tinkle) has taken care of
a one, three, and a four," Bethea was quoted in a recent publication.
"That's going to be the best class in the Big Sky."
"These four players give us what we were looking for in the
recruiting process this year - talent, toughness, and character," Tinkle
said. "Those are three important ingredients we needed to add to our
team. With the players we have coming back and our 2008 recruiting
class, we feel that the future of Grizzly basketball is definitely
bright."
Tinkle said that he hoped to sign one more player by some time
next week.

2007-08 Griz Basketball Signees:
Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Year Exp. Hometown
(Previous School)
Anthony Johnson G 6-3 190 Jr. JC Tacoma,
Wash.(Yakima Valley
CC)
Nyandigisi Moikobu F 6-6 200 Fr. HS Seattle,
Wash. (Rainier

Beach HS)
Shawn Stockton G 6-1 185 Fr. HS Spokane, Wash.
(Ferris HS)
Mathias Ward F 6-7 215 Fr. HS Gig Harbor,
Wash. (Gig Harbor
HS)