{"id":99982,"date":"2018-05-03T15:41:37","date_gmt":"2018-05-03T21:41:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/ignacios-valdez-signs-with-willamette-university-basketball\/"},"modified":"2018-05-03T15:41:37","modified_gmt":"2018-05-03T21:41:37","slug":"ignacios-valdez-signs-with-willamette-university-basketball","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/ignacios-valdez-signs-with-willamette-university-basketball\/","title":{"rendered":"Ignacio\u2019s Valdez signs with Willamette University basketball"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Johnny
Johnny Valdez of Ignacio High School signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball for Willamette University, a Division III program in Salem, Oregon, on Wednesday at IHS.<\/span>Joel Priest\/Pine River Times<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

During his time with the Ignacio High School boys basketball team, Johnny Valdez did all he could to make the Bobcats reach their potential. Now, he\u2019ll try to do the same for Willamette University after the IHS senior signed a letter of intent to play for the Bearcats.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really feel like at Willamette I can make an impact right away, which is great,\u201d Valdez said in an interview with Joel Priest of the Pine River Times. \u201cAnd it might not be by playing; it might be, you know, getting the team better in any way I can, and that\u2019s what\u2019s important to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Willamette, located in Salem, Oregon, competes in the NCAA Division III\u2019s Northwest Conference. During the 2017-18 season, the Bearcats went 11-14 overall and 6-10 in conference play under Kip Ioane, who will enter his ninth season leading the team in 2018-19.<\/p>\n

When Valdez visited the campus in Salem, he said Ioane liked his style of play and how he moved without the ball. Although he played primarily off the ball at IHS, Valdez will likely split time at the point and shooting guard positions at Willamette.<\/p>\n

\"Johnny
Johnny Valdez spent most of his time at Ignacio High School playing off the ball as a shooting guard, but at Willamette he&#x2019;ll see more time at point guard.<\/span>Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cI\u2019ll start off at the point, so I definitely have a lot of work to do with ball-handling and all that, because here at Ignacio our team didn\u2019t need that,\u201d Valdez said. \u201cWe had plenty of ball-handlers; I was kind of more a 3-and-D kind of player and a slasher. So it\u2019s going to be a bit of an adjustment right away, but in their open gym \u2013 when I went there \u2013 I played some point and didn\u2019t turn the ball over as much as I thought I would.\u201d<\/p>\n

During his senior season with the Bobcats, Valdez led the team with 14.5 points per game to go with 5.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists and an absurd 5.1 steals per game.<\/p>\n

Ignacio head coach Chris Valdez, who is Johnny\u2019s uncle, said Johnny\u2019s ability to score won\u2019t be an issue at the next level and echoed Johnny\u2019s belief that improving his handle and decision making should be his biggest focus heading into his collegiate career.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe place he\u2019s going to have to improve is his ball-handling,\u201d coach Valdez said. \u201cAnd he\u2019s not bad, but they\u2019re probably actually going to put him close to a point-guard position at times, so they\u2019re really going to drill him on that. I already know they\u2019re talking to him about that. His handles have to improve.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Johnny
Johnny Valdez led Ignacio with 14.5 points per game to go with 5.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 5.1 steals during his senior season.<\/span>Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Johnny Valdez, son of Johnny and Wendy Valdez, plans to major in economics and is going to enter the Masters of Business Administration accelerated program at Willamette, which consists of three years of undergraduate studies followed by two years in the Masters program.<\/p>\n

Division III does not offer athletic scholarships, but Valdez will receive academic scholarships to help cover the cost of tuition at the private university. Valdez is a star student with a 4.4 GPA.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt won\u2019t be too much of a financial burden, definitely, and that\u2019s been my goal, not to burden my family in any way, or even myself in any way,\u201d Johnny Valdez said. \u201cSo if I can keep (it) together, maintain my grades and play a high level of basketball, then I should be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joel Priest contributed to this report.<\/em><\/p>\n

kschneider@durangoherald.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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