Difference maker for Eastern Washington will be newcomer Collin Chiverton

The kind of excitement created by the arrival of junior wing Collin Chiverton rivals any since Detroit Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey made his way to Cheney back in 2005, and with good reason.

Chiverton, a 6-foot-6, 200-pounder, originally signed with WCC power Saint Mary’s College, where he redshirted in 2008-09 before opting to go the junior college route, which led to a brilliant sophomore year at City College of San Francisco last winter.

As an Eagle, Hayford is expecting Chiverton, who averaged 19 points, five rebounds and 2.5 assists in leading CCSF to last year’s California’s state community college title, to have a deep and immediate impact because of his ability to shoot the ball from the perimeter, as well as finish plays at the rim.

“We have three small veteran guards, who are mainly 3-point shooters, and three veteran bigs, who score primarily down low,” Hayford explained. “But in Collin, we’ve got a guy who can do both.

“He brings a kind of versatility that, maybe, wasn’t there in those other two groups.”