Siebrandt signs with K-State

Matt Siebrandt, a Galena High School graduate who helped College of Southern Idaho to a berth in the national junior college basketball tournament this past season, has decided to extend his playing career to Kansas State.

Siebrandt, a 6-foot-8 forward, chose Kansas State on Thursday from a list of that included Louisville, Gonzaga, Pittsburgh, Oregon State and Duquesne, according to Galena coach Tom Maurer. He will come into the Kansas State program with three seasons of eligibility remaining.

"Matt had a great year at CSI," Maurer said. "He's worked hard and gotten a lot stronger in all phases of his game, and now to be recruited by some of the top programs in the nation, I'm real proud of him."

Siebrandt helped Galena win Northern 4A zone tournament championships in 1997 and '98 and was named Nevada's Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior. He signed with UNLV out of high school and played briefly before receiving a medical red shirt. He transferred to College of Southern Idaho and helped the Golden Eagles compile a 29-6 record this season. He averaged 14.5 points and shot 61 percent from the field.

He will be stepping into a new program that is under the direction of Jim Wooldridge, who was named as Kansas State's head coach last month. Wooldridge comes in after serving as an assistant under Tim Floyd with the Chicago Bulls since 1998.