Portland State can start preparing for Jason Conrad, while Conrad and his Gilroy High School varsity boys basketball teammates prepare for a run at a Central Coast Section title.

Holding a press conference at Gilroy High Wednesday, the 6-foot, 11-inch senior made good on his verbal commitment to become a Portland State Viking by signing a letter of intent to attend the school.

"It was an easy decision," Conrad said. "After meeting the coaches and seeing the campus, it was easy."

Getting to this point was anything but easy though.

Picking up a basketball with the intent of becoming a serious ballplayer didn't even enter Conrad's mind until four years ago.

"I played YMCA (basketball) just two seasons when I was eight, but that was it," he said.

Growing up, Conrad had focused on other sports. But in the middle of eighth grade, he stood 5-feet-8-inches and began to realize basketball was the game he wanted to pursue. Telling his parents, Bill and Karen, that he was quitting all other activities to focus on hoops, the skinny freshman set out clear goals.

"He had it mapped out," Karen said. "[College] is the next step. It's a big step."

It's also a step that has been taken by every other member of Conrad's immediate family. Bill and Karen received athletic scholarships from Santa Clara to play baseball and volleyball, respectively, and Jason's sister Kristina received a scholarship to play volleyball at San Jose State.

GHS varsity boys basketball Coach Bud Ogden said Conrad should be an example to other athletes of what a strong work ethic and a good attitude can achieve.

"He's come a long way," Ogden said. "He's matured, he's put on a lot of weight, he's grown a lot stronger, a lot quicker. He's a force to be reckoned with - rebounding, shot blocking. ... He's done everything that's been asked of him ... and this is a product of what good, hard work can do."

Schools such as Northern Arizona, Cal Poly, Arkansas - Little Rock, Pacific, Northern Kentucky and Loyola University - Chicago had all kept an eye on Conrad, some offering scholarships while others played the waiting game to see how he performed this season. For the future Fine Arts major, Conrad said Portland State had the proper amount of commitment from the start and a focus on academics in place.

"The coaches, I like the campus, the school, I met all the guys on the team and I got along with them good, and their art program," Conrad said, listing the positives of Portland State.

With the pressure to pick a school out of the way, Conrad said he can now focus on helping Gilroy make a postseason run.

"It's good that I'm not worrying about (signing)," he said. "I can focus more on school, working on my game."

At some point next year, Conrad could see a familiar face while playing in the Big Sky Conference. Kyle Sharp, the 2004-'05 TCAL Most Valuable Player of the Year while leading the CCS in scoring for San Benito, currently attends Montana which Portland State will play at least twice a year.

Behind Conrad, Ogden believes this year's GHS squad will be a more cohesive unit than in years past.

"This is pretty much his team so it will be different from other years," Ogden said. "Sophomore year, he was playing with a bunch of seniors. Last year, he was playing with a bunch of transfers and we never really jelled very well. So this year, it's his team. I think the kids like each other. I think they respect each other."

With a distraction - albeit an exciting one - out of the way, Conrad and the rest of Gilroy's team will now look to earn respect from others.