Boise State adds a professional

When he was in high school, Travis Mattair's dream school for basketball was Gonzaga.

But basketball wasn't Mattair's best sport. Baseball was, which is why the Phillies gave him a $395,000 signing bonus as a second round pick in 2007. But after three seasons in which he never hit better than .254 and did not get past A ball, Mattair decided to see if basketball was still an option.

He contacted a couple of schools, but Mattair saw his chance when Leon Rice got the head coaching job at Boise State. Rice was an assistant at Gonzaga when Mattair was considering the Zags. Mattair visited Boise State, fell in love with the school, and held his own in a workout with the team.

He was sold.

Mattair said he heard what he expected from Rice.

"He said I'm gonna have to earn everything there," Mattair said. "I'll pretty much be an unrecruited walk-on. All I'm looking for is an opportunity. I definitely have to prove myself."

He should have a chance to contribute. Boise State loses three starters, including leading scorer and rebounder Ike Okoye from a team that finished just 15-17 and 5-11 in the WAC.

And hey, Mattair has some game, too: