The big man from Marysville is ready for a big change.
Nathan Lozeau, a 6-foot-10, 275-pound basketball standout, will play college hoops for the University of San Diego, a member of the NCAA Division I-A West Coast Conference.
Lozeau, a 2007 Marysville-Pilchuck High School graduate, recently found an opportunity at San Diego after asking for and receiving his release from his basketball scholarship to Eastern Washington University, the program he originally signed with.
The post player said he left Eastern because of coaching changes. Former EWU head coach Mike Burns was let go May 30 and his successor, Kirk Earlywine, was hired June 14.
Although he said Burns’ departure from Eastern was an unfortunate surprise, Lozeau looks forward to playing for San Diego, which in March hired former Gonzaga University assistant Bill Grier as its head coach.
“I’m excited,” said Lozeau, “because the West Coast Conference is a bit of a step up in competition level” from the Big Sky Conference, of which Eastern is a member.
Lozeau averaged about 20 points and more than 10 rebounds during his senior season at Marysville-Pilchuck. He was an All-Wesco North First Team honoree and received Associated Press Class 4A all-state honorable mention recognition.
Lozeau is a physically gifted player who has a chance to excel at San Diego, M-P coach Bary Gould said. Early in his prep career Lozeau struggled with consistently giving maximum effort, Gould said, but Lozeau improved significantly in that area, especially as a senior. The post player has an opportunity to develop his work habits and skills even more at San Diego.
“I think it’ll be a great growing experience for Nathan to get away from (home) and to have to really turn it on every single time on the floor,” said Gould.
Lozeau, who last week took an official recruiting visit to San Diego, said he is in the process of completing the forms required to make his commitment official. Grier, the Toreros’ new head coach, can’t comment on Lozeau until the school receives Lozeau’s paperwork, said Ted Gosen, San Diego associate athletics director for media relations.
It will be difficult to move so far away from family, Lozeau said, but he looks forward to the generally sunny, warm weather of San Diego. Plus, he’ll have a chance to battle a friend and former teammate.
Jared Stohl, a 2007 M-P grad who played with Lozeau throughout high school, signed with the University of Portland, one of San Diego’s West Coast Conference rivals. It’s unclear how Lozeau and Stohl, a 6-2 guard, will fit into their respective team’s plans this season, but the friends will cross paths at least twice per season in WCC games the next several years.
Lozeau can’t wait.
“I’m excited,” he said. “It’ll be fun to get a chance to play against him.”
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