NCAA Basketball: 10 best players from state of Oregon of last decade
By Joey Loose
8. Isaac Bonton – Montana State / Washington State
It was a strange journey for Bonton, but he achieved quite a bit over the four years of his collegiate career. A 6’3 guard from Portland, he originally spent his freshman year at Montana State but left the program midway through the year after disagreements with the coaching. After a year starring at a local junior college, he would spend his final two years as a starter and important piece at Washington State in the Pac-12.
He played just 11 games at Montana State before departing the school, though he showed potential during that month. After stellar play in the junior college level, he spent the last two seasons doing some great things for coach Kyle Smith and the Cougars. He averaged 15.3 points as a junior and 17.7 points as a senior, dishing at least 4 assists a game in each season. Bonton had career-highs with 34 points and 8 assists in a win over Oregon State as well.
A junior college player just a few years earlier, Bonton really emerged while with the Cougars and was named Second Team All-Pac 12 as a senior. He was one of the most heavily-used players in the conference and lead it in steals during his final season. An above-average shooter and scorer, he was an important piece as Smith began to turn the Washington State program. He spent last season playing professionally overseas in Lithuania.