Today a Spartan, tomorrow a Bulldog

Published 6:00 am Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Hoops star Steven Gray signs his letter of intent for Gonzaga.

Steven Gray was worried he wouldn’t hit the shot. So he dished off to teammate Austin Wood.

Wood sized up the shot, then passed it back.

“You do it,” he said, handing Gray the knife. “It’s your cake.”

Gray finally sliced through the confection that was shaped like – what else – a basketball, and the celebration was under way.

Cutting the cake didn’t go quite as smooth as signing his letter of intent Wednesday at the Bainbridge High School library, officially declaring Gray a Gonzaga Bulldog.

But even with his parents Robert and Lorraina, his sister Brittany, his grandparents and cousin, BHS head coach Scott Orness, his teammates and select team coach Craig Murray in attendance, Gray wasn’t too crazy about having to pose while press and personal cameras flashed in front of him.

“I guess it comes with the commitment and the signing,” the Spartan senior basketball star said. “I thought I was going to wake up, sign it, fax it and that would be it, but Coach (Orness) had other plans for it.”

Gray did appreciate the small gathering of the people who mean the most to him.

“(I don’t need) too big of a thing,” he said. “Just the people who’ve been there and are close. The people who’ve helped me get this far.”

While Gray said he didn’t hear from many colleges after his verbal commitment to Gonzaga last year, his father said there were still numerous schools interested, including Pac-10 schools and some big programs back east.

“He was getting a lot of stuff,” Robert Gray said. “But most schools backed off after his verbal. I was talking to one of the UW coaches and he was like, ‘boy, that was quick. You didn’t even give us a chance.’”

Gonzaga wasn’t Steven Gray’s first choice, but he fell in love with the school after attending a basketball camp there in 2005.

He made an official visit in September.

“I kind of waited to see what (school) was the best fit for me,” Gray said, “but when I went there, I knew.

“There’s a family chemistry on the team like with these guys,” he said, gesturing to his teammates, “that I saw there, and its got that small-town feel. Plus, people in Spokane are so excited about the Gonzaga basketball program, so it’s everything I’ve grown up with. Add in the fan base, it wasn’t that hard of a decision.”

It wasn’t that hard of a decision for Bulldog coach Mark Few to offer a scholarship, as Gray will be part of an incoming class ranked 11th in the nation according to the Bulldogs.

Gray, a three-time all-state selection and currently ranked the 52nd best prep prospect in the nation by Rivals.com, will be joined by Austin Daye from Irvine, Calif., Robert Sacre from North Vancou­ver, British Columbia, and junior college transfer Ira Brown from Conroe, Tex.

All are ranked in the top 100 in the country among high school hoops prospects.

“Two of the other guys that committed (Daye and Sacre) were on their official visit, so I got to know them,” Gray said of his college visit. “I think we’re going to be a lot stronger than just two guys scoring.”

He may even have some company in the next few years, as his sister, a BHS sophomore standout, was offered a Gonzaga scholarship while she was out at the mall.

Steven said he’s not too worried about the expectations as he tries to lead Bain­bridge to the state playoffs in the season about to start.

“Our goal is to get to state and win a state championship,” he said. “That’s what we’re looking to do as a team, and I’m part of that team, so that’s where our sight is set.”

But he is happy the process is finally over.

“I’ve been waiting for it for a long time,” he said. “It feels good to get it done and refocus on the season.”