Winter brings snow, slush and bitter cold. It forces you to wake up earlier, drive slower and dress warmer. It can be a tough time for any lover of summer, but don’t worry, there’s consolation: basketball.
The excitement is palpable at a men’s basketball practice. The players have been working out and refining their game for the coming season.
“The team is excited and ready to get started,” said head coach Jim Boylen. “We’ve had some very productive practices, and I know my team will be ready come November.”
For them, there is no offseason. The Utes began with players-only practices in which junior guard Carlon Brown and senior center Kim Tillie took charge and led the sessions.
“Of course it is fun to play and practice in the summer, but nothing compares to the real thing,” Tillie said. “Knowing that our work will pay off is what gets us through practice. When the season starts, the game is faster and more fun, and I cannot wait to get it started.”
Losing Mountain West Conference Player of the Year Luke Nevill, as well as several other key components from last year’s MWC championship squad, the team looks much different. However,the players intend to stay on top of the mountain, defending their crown.
“This is not going to be a rebuilding year8212;it’s a repeat year,” said redshirt freshman Jason Washburn.
The coaching staff and players are all preaching the same message and have a philosophy they believe will lead them to success: Work harder than everyone else.
“I expect us to be the hardest-working team in college basketball, and I expect us to get better every day,” Boylen said.
Now that practice is in full swing, the team is coming into form. Most of the team’s experience lies in the backcourt, so the team might feature more of a running offense than it has in the past.
“We have athletes on this team,” said sophomore guard Jordan Cyphers. “We know we can compete with anyone, and if we play to our potential, then the sky is the limit.”
The team will rely on the experience of returning players Tillie, Brown and senior guard Luka Drca. The three have the most experience under their belts and should lead the team statistically.
Also expecting to make major contributions will be Cyphers and sophomore guard Jace Tavita, both of whom have added muscle to their frames in the offseason and plan on playing big minutes this season.
“I feel great about the work we’ve put in this summer,” said Tavita. “We will probably be more of a running team this year, so we’ve been emphasizing conditioning in practice. It’s important to keep our momentum from last season, so we need to put in the work.”
The Utes’ season will start Nov. 7 at home when reigning NCAA Division-II champion Findlay comes to town.
Boylen started a tradition last season by playing a difficult nonconference schedule. This year will be no different, as he has put together a schedule he said he believes will test his team and get it ready for conference and postseason play.
After the Las Vegas Invitational, the Utes will square off against Michigan, Oklahoma and Illinois State in Salt Lake City. They will also travel to Baton Rouge, La., playing the Tigers of LSU on Jan. 2.
MWC play opens Jan. 9 when TCU visits Utah. The first meeting with rival BYU will come Jan. 30 when the Cougars host the Utes. The two will meet again March 3 in Salt Lake City. The Utes will close out their regular season when they play at Colorado State on March 6.
“Conference play will be so tough this season,” Boylen said. “When I look up and down the list of teams in the MWC, I can’t predict who will finish where, because everyone is good. The key for us has to be play well and become a solid unit during the preseason.”
Thien Sok/The Daily Utah ChronicleKim Tillie emerged as a team leader this summer by taking charge, along with Carlon Brown, during workouts. The team will continue to work hard all season as they look to win another MWC Title.