Idaho Native Kase Wynott Transfers from WSU to Join University of Idaho Vandals Basketball
All-Time Idaho High School Scoring Leader Returns Home to Moscow
MOSCOW, Idaho — The University of Idaho men’s basketball program has landed one of the most decorated high school players in Idaho history, as Kase Wynott announced his transfer from Washington State University to join the Vandals. Wynott, who played his prep career at Lapwai High School in north-central Idaho, is widely recognized as the all-time leading scorer in Idaho high school basketball history.
The transfer brings a celebrated Idaho native back to his home state and adds a proven Pac-12 transfer to a Vandal roster that is riding significant momentum heading into next season. Vandals head coach Alex Pribble wasted no time expressing his enthusiasm for landing the highly sought-after player.
“Kase is coming home,” Pribble said in the news release announcing Wynott’s commitment. “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.”
The announcement drew immediate attention across the Palouse and throughout the state of Idaho, given Wynott’s remarkable prep legacy and the University of Idaho’s rising profile in college basketball.
A Storied Prep Career in Idaho Before Heading to WSU
Wynott’s path to Moscow is deeply rooted in Idaho basketball tradition. During his time at Lapwai High School, Wynott was a four-year varsity contributor and helped lead the program to three state championships. His prolific scoring and consistent excellence made him one of the most recruited Idaho products in recent memory and earned him the title of all-time leading scorer in Idaho high school basketball history.
Those accomplishments helped attract attention from across the Pacific Northwest, ultimately leading Wynott to Washington State University, where he played two seasons for the Cougars. His first season showed considerable promise, but his second campaign was significantly disrupted by injury. A hip injury sidelined Wynott and he did not appear on the floor after November 24th of that season, limiting what many expected to be a breakout year.
With a fresh start available through the transfer portal, Wynott chose to return to Idaho — this time suiting up for the Vandals in Moscow. Fans and analysts across the state have taken note, and the Vandals’ coaching staff clearly views this addition as a pivotal piece of their program’s continued growth. For more on Wynott’s arrival in Moscow, see the earlier report on Kase Wynott, Former Gatorade Player of the Year, Signs with Vandal Hoops.
Vandals Riding High After Historic NCAA Tournament Run
Wynott is joining a University of Idaho program that is experiencing a genuine resurgence. The Vandals won the Big Sky Tournament this season and earned a return trip to the NCAA Tournament — the program’s first appearance since 1990. That historic turnaround has energized the Moscow campus and renewed statewide enthusiasm for Vandal basketball.
The addition of Wynott, a player Coach Pribble described as a recruiting priority since his staff’s arrival, signals that the program intends to build on that momentum rather than treat the NCAA berth as a one-time achievement. Returning Idaho’s all-time high school scoring leader to play for the state’s flagship university in Moscow carries both symbolic and practical weight.
The University of Idaho is located in Moscow, the Latah County seat, and serves as the academic and athletic anchor of the Palouse region. Vandal athletics has seen growing support from the surrounding community, and additions like Wynott are expected to further fuel that enthusiasm heading into the next season.
For fans in Moscow and across Latah County, the return of a homegrown talent to Idaho’s flagship university represents exactly the kind of story that builds lasting program identity. Whether Wynott can stay healthy and recapture the form that made him a household name in Idaho prep basketball will be one of the most closely watched storylines of the upcoming Vandal season.
What Comes Next
Wynott will now begin preparations to join the Vandal program ahead of the upcoming season. As the University of Idaho continues to build its roster, attention will turn to how the coaching staff integrates Wynott alongside returning players and other transfer additions. Health will remain the key variable, given his hip injury limited his availability at WSU. Vandal fans and the broader Idaho basketball community will be watching closely as the program looks to make another deep run in the Big Sky and beyond. Stay with Latah County News for continuing coverage of Vandal athletics. For statewide sports and education news, visit Idaho News.