Apr. 18—Lapwai High School alum Kase Wynott, the state of Idaho's prep basketball all-time scoring king, is taking his talents back to the Gem State.Wynott, who was a part of the Washington State men's basketball program for the past two seasons, announced his commitment to the Idaho Vandals with an Instagram post Friday."I had a great relationship with (Idaho coach Alex) Pribble and the staff going into the portal," Wynott said in phone call with the Tribune. "And I wanted to stay close to this area and they just came off a really good year, so it kind of felt like it was a no-brainer."Fresh off Idaho's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1990 and with key contributors such as Big Sky Freshman of the Year Jackson Rasmussen leaving the program, Wynott is Pribble's first official transfer addition this offseason.Out of high school, Wynott chose Wazzu after a standout prep career in which he set Idaho's all-time high school boys basketball scoring record with 2,962 points in four years, reached the state championship each year — winning three times — and earned Idaho's Gatorade Player of the Year award in 2024.Wynott's announcement post featured two photos — one of him in a black No. 51 Vandals jersey and the other in a white No. 51 Vandals jersey, each against a golden background."Let's do it @vandalhoops #committed," Wynott wrote in the caption.Wynott said he first informed his parents, who were thrilled, and then called Pribble who was on a call with his staff when Wynott rang."They were very excited," Wynott said.Idaho announced the move with a news release later in the day."Kase is coming home!

He was a recruit we really prioritized when our staff first got here, so it's exciting to officially get him in the Vandal uniform," Pribble said in a statement. "We want the best players from Idaho to be in this program, and Kase is the all-time leading scorer from the state, so we're very excited. He can really score the ball, he's got a diverse skill set and he's a competitor.

He'll make an immediate impact next year."University of Washington coach Danny Sprinkle heavily recruited Wynott as well out of high school, first at Utah State and then at UW.The three-time Idaho state champion with the Lapwai Wildcats was one of 10 WSU players to enter the transfer portal this spring after the Cougars finished 12-20 in coach David Riley's second year at the helm.Wynott, a 6-foot-6 guard, posted 1.7 points and 1.3 rebounds per game in 29 career contests at WSU. He spent 13.4 minutes per game on the floor during his true freshman year. His sophomore season this past year was cut short after five games because of a hip injury.He scored a career-high seven points against Southern Utah along with two rebounds in a career-high 16 minutes of action on Nov. 19.Wynott said his time at WSU taught him the importance of bettering oneself, from dieting to rest and recovery.It also introduced him to current Memphis Grizzlies forward Cedric Coward, who was teammates with Wynott two years ago.Coward, an Eastern Washington transfer who followed Riley to Pullman in 2024, suffered a shoulder injury six games into the season.

He remained around the program and the Grizzlies selected him with the 11th overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft."One of the best things about my time at Wazzu was being around Cedric Coward and just really seeing what it takes to be elite," Wynott said. "(He has) an unmatched work ethic, and he's just a great human. One of the best people I've ever met."At Idaho, Wynott will contend for greater playing time than he received in Pullman and attempt to recapture his knack for high scoring.He set the state of Idaho's single-game scoring record with 68 points on Jan. 19, 2024, at Genesee and averaged 36 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 9.1 assists per game his senior season."I think I'm a winner," Wynott said.

"I won in high school. I know how to win and I think I can bring that to an already-winning program."Wynott said he wishes his former school "nothing but the best.""I got a lot of great relationships on that staff," Wynott said of WSU. "But I think everything happens for a reason, and I think Idaho was meant to be."Wynott joins a Vandal squad that lost its second-leading scorer, Rasmussen, to Oregon State. Former Vandals Trevon Blassingame (William and Mary) and Ewan Steele (Stonehill) found new homes, while Coeur d'Alene's Kolton Mitchell, Boise's Jack Payne and Talon Jenkins are still in the portal, according to verbalcommits.com.Titus Yearout, Wynott's high school teammate and a four-year Vandal who missed this past season due to an injury, is also in the portal, according to the same site.Wynott said he has not spoken to Yearout about his future plans.The former Wildcat first met future teammates Kristian Gonzalez and Miles Klapper during his high school recruiting visit and got to know them better when he visited this month."They're a really tight-knit, close group, and they're great people," Wynott said of Idaho's