Big Sky Breakdown

Oregon F Quinlan commits to Fish, Montana State

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Zeke Quinlan knew he needed an extra year to develop fully into a coveted Division I prospect. The 6-foot-7 forward elected to go to Hillcrest Prep in Phoenix in quest of elevated competition to help him round into form after spending his first four years of high school at Life Christian School outside of Portland.

Quinlan will now be able to solely concentrate on his development on the basketball court. His recruitment is officially finished.

On Monday, the skilled forward gave his verbal commitment to Montana State head men’s basketball coach Brian Fish. Quinlan made his official visit to MSU eight days earlier, touring campus and attending Montana State’s home football opener.

He weighed his options for a week before deciding MSU is the right fit for him.

Zeke Quinlan

Zeke Quinlan

“The players, I was comfortable with the players. It’s going to be a great situation. The program seems to be on the rise, starting to win some games. There’s a possibility to play early and to make an impact early on. I like all of that.”

The slasher with a soft shooting touch helped lead Life Christian — located in Aloha, 10 miles west of Portland — to the semifinals of the Oregon 2A state tournament in March. Quinlan scored 15 points and pulled down 14 rebounds in his team’s loss one game short of the state title game. He earned all-tournament honors.

He also played with Portland BC in this year’s Nike Elite Youth Basketball League, a circuit with a reputation as one of the best in the country.

Despite his standout final year, the looks he hoped for did not come. Quinlan elected to spend a fifth year at Hillcrest Prep, a premier hoops factory that finished last season 33-6 and with a No. 8 national ranking. The roster last season included, among other elite prospects, DeAndre Ayton, a 7-foot-1, 250-pound McDonald’s All-American center who is headed for the University of Arizona. Marvin Bagley III, the consensus No. 1 player in the country who’s headed for Duke this fall, spent his sophomore year at Hillcrest.

“I didn’t necessarily like my options coming out of high school,” said Quinlan, who visited the University of San Francisco and held offers from Idaho State and Colgate coming out of high school. “That mostly and the opportunity to get better, get stronger, play against stronger guys was a selling point too.”

Montanan State assistant coach Luke Fennelly served as Zeke Quinlan's primary recruiter/ photo courtesy of MSU

Montanan State assistant coach Luke Fennelly served as Zeke Quinlan’s primary recruiter/ photo courtesy of MSU

Quinlan has won various awards and been named to several all-tournament teams during his time playing club basketball. He received interest from Portland State and Weber State. A source said he was set to take an official visit to WSU before October.

Instead, he’s committed to the Bobcats because of the vibrant campus he experienced at MSU, particularly during his one half watching MSU’s football game against South Dakota State from the sideline. That combined with the vision Fish sold him has Quinlan headed to Bozeman in less than a calendar year.

“Montana State was a lot bigger than I expected it to be,” Quinlan said. “I liked the campus. It was pretty laid back. I liked the atmosphere.

“Since they are graduating four seniors (Zach Green, Joe Mvuezolo, Konner Frey in reality) that are playing in my position when I’m coming in, (Fish) just wants me to play hard come in and make an impact early. I think I can.”

Montana State assistant Luke Fennelly first identified Quinlan and served as his primary recruiter. MSU assistant Eric Jackson, a longtime assistant at Portland before coming to Montana State before last season, has crossed paths with Quinlan multiple times.

Those MSU coaches saw what recruiting scouts have touted Quinlan for online in recent months. The Arizona Hoops Review scouting report on Quinlan reads:

Zeke Quinlan at Life Christian

Zeke Quinlan at Life Christian

“A skilled 3/4, combo-forward prospect with good size and length. He has a good overall skill level and a nice, athletic frame. A solid shooter with range that needs to add consistency from longer ranges to maximize his play on the floor. A good mid-range player. Has solid low-post skills. A strong and active rebounder. A very good finisher. Runs the floor well. A native of Oregon, where he played his high school basketball, Quinlan is a sure-fire sleeper prospect that should be able to make an impact at the collegiate level.”

Quinlan identifies his strengths in a similar fashion.

“Playing with energy, defense, rebounding, slashing, shooting, I feel like I know how to play hard and I’m pretty good at getting to the cup,” he said.

Quinlan has been a sleeper for his basketball career up to this point. Now he has a year to develop knowing his future is already decided.

“It’s pretty relieving going into the upcoming season,” Quinlan said. “I’m pretty confident going into the upcoming season so it’s nice to have this out of the way. Not playing with a lot of pressure will help big time.”

Photos contributed by Quinlan family and attributed. All Rights Reserved.

About Colter Nuanez

Colter Nuanez is the co-founder and senior writer for Skyline Sports. After spending six years in the newspaper industry with stops at the Missoulian, the Ellensburg Daily Record and the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, the former Washington Newspaper Association Sportswriter of the Year and University of Montana Journalism School graduate ('09) has cultivated a deep passion for sports journalism during his 13-year career covering the Big Sky Conference. In August of 2014, Colter and brother Brooks merged their passions of writing and art to found Skyline Sports.

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