RECRUITING: Coronado post Glanz picks Bengals

After losing its top five rebounders to graduation, Idaho State’s men's basketball team will need an influx of talent in the post next season.

Enter Brandon Glanz.

Glanz, a senior from Coronado, gave an oral commitment to the Bengals, and plans to fax his letter of intent to Pocatello on Friday. He said he has already signed his letter, but will send it in during a ceremony at Coronado.

“Every team wants to get a defensive rebounder,” Glanz said. “The rebounds, that’s what caught coach (Joe) O’Brien’s eye.”

The 6-foot-5-inch, 235-pound Glanz said Idaho State will likely play him as a power forward.

The Bengals were the only team to offer Glanz a scholarship, but he also received interest from Sacramento State and New Hampshire.

Glanz was a Review-Journal first-team all-state selection as a senior. He averaged 25.2 points and 16 rebounds last season, leading Coronado (23-7) to the Sunrise Region semifinals.

“I was barely noticed in the summer,” said Glanz, who starred for Henderson-based Mad Moves Inc. “It took until the start of senior season to get looks.”

Coronado coach Paul Berg said Glanz became a more physical player in the post as a senior thanks to strength training and conditioning.

“It helped him in the rebounding area,” Berg said. “It made him more versatile and changed the way people regarded him.”

Glanz said he expects to compete for minutes as a freshman. Idaho State went 7-22 last season, including a 4-12 record in the Big Sky Conference.

“I’m excited to go in there and compete for a starting spot,” he added.

Glanz said he firmly chose Idaho State “within the last week.”

He said he fully realized he could play at the Division I level on the Cougars’ Senior Night during his junior year, when he poured in 31 points in a 96-92 loss to Del Sol.

“Coming into my senior season, I thought we could make things happen,” he said.

Berg said Glanz was not a vocal leader, but drove his team’s play by setting an example on the court.

“He led with his play when he got going,” Berg said. “The team fed off that and the energy went up.

“He was a pleasure to coach. Our program’s going to miss him a lot. We can’t wait to watch him grow and get better.”

Glanz said securing a scholarship was a big relief.

“It’s good to get it off my chest,” he said. “Now I can focus on the rest of the school year and graduation.”

Glanz is the third Las Vegas-area senior to commit to a Big Sky program.

Cheyenne guard Chris McCall (Montana State) and post Jaylen Henry (Eastern Washington) signed in November.