Showing posts with label Gary Wilkinson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gary Wilkinson. Show all posts

Sunday, May 8, 2011

The WAC on Mom's Day

The G-Man headlines it today.

Teddy Feinberg and Jason Groves team up on the to be or not to be a collegian or a pro decision coming up for Troy Gillenwater.

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It looks like Gary Wilkinson will be back with his championship New Zealand team next season.

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Here's another article on Mike McChristian's signing with Idaho.

Friday, April 29, 2011

Gary Wilkinson's team wins the championship

Gary Wilkinson's squad, the New Zealand Breakers, just won the Australian National Basketball League championship. Go here for the details.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

A bit more on Gary Wilkinson

Liked this article about Gary Wilkinson and his team's upcoming title game because he invokes the basketball atmosphere in Logan as a comparison.

It's lean so far this morning

Matt James plows through some not so pleasant recent (pre-Steve Cleveland) Fresno State basketball history vis-a-vis a tabla rasa-like Rodney Terry. Who knows what the Terry era will bring but PTW feels the need to state that Terry and Ray Lopes have but coaching basketball in common.

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Gary Wilkinson's "unduly rough play" -- gotta love the influence of the King's English, or is it the Queen? -- produced a fine but no off the court time as his New Zealand squad continues to battle for the championship.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

A must-read Gary Wilkinson update

No, there's nothing outlandish to peruse except for fascinating descriptions of what playing abroad can be like  -- the good, the bad and the downright ugly.

Monday, January 31, 2011

Some Monday p.m. WAC links

Pesky Utah State fans? That's what Chris Murray is calling the denizens of The Spectrum so we're putting the onus on The Refractioners and Bill Sproat to respond to being labeled pestiferous.

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ESPN's Mark Adams leads off with a Brian Green photo and kudos to Utah State -- later on, he goes psychic and sees Stew Morrill's induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield.

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Tony Jones goes with Brian Green as the best shooter in the WAC.

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Gary Wilkinson is called the best import talent in the ANBL.

A Gary Wilkinson update

Here is a New Zealand Breakers game report plus a photo of Gary Wilkinson and quotes from him. Wilkie is proving to be an integral part of the success of the team.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Your Wednesday p.m. WAC edition

The Collegian, the Fresno State student newspaper, looks at Fresno State hoops of late.

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Chris Murray offers his four keys to the game for the Wolf Pack when New Mexico State comes to Reno on Thursday.

Just warming up, Chris also writes about Nevada facing Mr. G and the entire Aggie frontcourt.

For dessert, Chris features the Nevada reserves and role expectations.

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Jeff Portnoy's radio show tonight will serve up ESPN's Andy Katz, BYU Coach Dave Rose and someone named Gib Arnold to complete the trifecta.

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Gary Wilkinson is en fuego for his New Zealand squad.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

The links keep coming

Here's a brief Q-and-A with Kerry Rupp.

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Gary Wilkinson earned Player of the Week honors down in the Australian Basketball League.There is no truth to the rumor that Stew Morrill is checking to see if Wilkie has any remaining collegiate eligibility.

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The Spartan Daily offers a game report and a nice photo of freshman Keith Shamburger who scored 30 points in the SJSU exhibition win over Whitman.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Tuesday and the world of WAC basketball

Utah State fans (see Kyisean Reed) should now be visiting Melvin Grussing's Antelope Valley College site on a daily basis. He maintains his fan site better than any community college does and the material he posts is from hsi eyewitness accounts. If there is any news, Melvin will have it first.

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Chris Murray located a feature on the long bond between Armon Johnson and Luke Babbitt.

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Here's another look at the path of Gary Wilkinson -- it's 'cute' to read some of the words/phrases used by foreign journalists and surely they feel the same way when partaking of a U.S.-based news story.

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Redshirt freshman -- all 6-foot-9, 248 pounds of him -- Sam Hicks is the latest Boise State Bronco featured by Nick Jezierny.

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Ilya Pinchuk at the Vandal Nation site offers a series of photos from the recent Idaho intra-squad scrimmage.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Two Gary Wilkinson items

Came across a pair of articles about former Utah Stater Gary Wilkinson among other hoops items.

Chris Barclay, writing about the Sydney Kings basketball club, offered this:

"...Centre Gary Wilkinson occupies the Breakers second import spot and appears to be an astute signing for the departed Rick Rickert after his impressive performances in Darwin's recent Top End Challenge tournament.

Wilkinson averaged 22.6 points and 15 rebounds per game at the pre-season tournament and he was also immaculate from the free throw line..."
"immaculate from the free throw line" -- gotta use that line some time this season.

and

Steve Deane, covering the same subject, wrote this:
"...The new import can shoot

Boy he can shoot. After a couple of years watching Rick Rickert take four attempts to convert a point-blank lay up, Gary Wilkinson promises to be a breath of fresh air. It's early days yet but Wilkinson set tongues wagging with his performance at the pre-season tournament in Darwin. The chunky American top scored for the Breakers in all three matches with hauls of 24, 24 and 20 points. He was deadly from beyond the arc, hitting eight out of 12 three-pointers, and perfect from the free-throw line, converting 10/10 chances. He also chased someone who annoyed him and slipped them a sly punch in the kidneys. Hard not to like the guy..."
Somewhere in Logan, Stew Morrill is enjoying a hearty laugh.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Sunday's a.m. WAC news, notes and links

Nick Jezierny offers counsel to new Boise State head man Leon Rice and no, it's not, put me in coach (we grew up on CCR):

Hey coach Rice, looking for some advice?
Nick Jezierny
Idaho Statesman
3/28/10

Longtime Gonzaga assistant Leon Rice was introduced as the Broncos' new coach Friday. Since the past two Boise State coaches have been fired, there's a lot of work on the table. Longtime Idaho Statesman basketball reporter Nick Jezierny always has an opinion...
Go here for the remainder.

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Jason Groves looks at the totality of New Mexico State's season and offer grades for the various elements:
Looking back
Jason Groves
Las Cruces Sun-News
March 27, 2010

I had to take a week to regroup and re-think the season that was at NMSU. And I was burnt out.

But I thought the best way to look at the season was a report card type of evaluation. Overall I would give the Aggies a B + on the season. Winning a WAC championship and playing a very competitive game in the NCAA Tournament is what we all remember, but it’s hard to forget the 3-6 start, losing another point guard during the season and the academic struggles of two players who proved capable of turning the season around...
Go here for the remainder.

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Ferd Lewis's column names names of the UH behind-the-scenes powerbrokers plus a look at their demographics.

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The Deseret News offers a Q-and-A with former Aggie Gary Wilkinson.

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Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Calling for nominations

So who are the leaders on each WAC team?

We keep reading more and more that this team 'lacks a leader' or that 'so-and-so needs to step up and lead' so we want your takes on who you see as the leader of your team and also what you expect a leader to do both on and off the court.

Our sense is it doesn't necessarily have to be a team's leading scorer, that it could be the one who makes his teammates better by example and demonstration. Plus, the one whose teammates look to for both verbal and non-verbal commanding, especially at tough points in a game and/or near the end of a contest?

The sentiment is out there that Utah State is missing Gary Wilkinson for more than his numbers. If so, what else did he bring to the court?

So who is your squad's influenc-er, so to speak?

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

A new home for Gary Wilkinson and Spencer Nelson

It certainly didn't take long for Wilkie to hook back up with a team and now he also has for former Aggie alongside him:

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Spencer Nelson and Gary Wilkinson sign with Peristeri, who release two others.

Despite a solid 3-2 start to the season, Greek A1 team Peristeri Athens announced that they were releasing former Illinois big man and Golden State Warriors camp invite Shaun Pruitt, as well as Rhode Island forward Will Daniels, to be replaced by Utah natives Spencer Nelson and Gary Wilkinson...
Go here for the remainder.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Gary Wilkinson bound to Europe?

Gary Wilkinson's time in Korea is up and it appears he is next headed to The Continent.

From the Cache Valley Daily Full Court Press blog comes this:

Gary Wilkinson cut from South Korean team
Eric Frandsen
November 25, 2009

Contents of an email exchange between Sports Producer Hurricane John Newbold and Gary Wilkinson's agent, Ben Pensack indicate that Gary has been cut from his team in South Korea. There are no immediate plans for his future but his agent sounds optimistic about other opportunities for Gary...
Go here for the remainder.

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Floundering against the pigskin tide...

We understand it's game day and all that and hereby extend our best wishes to all the WAC football teams but here's an item that's been festering with us for a few days.

That being prominent columnists who get it wrong. Those who enjoy a national platform and pontificate on a subject they need to learn more about before before issuing a 'my take.'

Granted, we've certainly had our share of brain blips for all the readers of this blog to see and read so we candidly issue our very own mea culpa.

However, we can't let go of this one.

Eamonn Brennan (now there's a great Irish name) recently offered a column on the Rivals/Yahoo network about the Utah State signing of Anthony DiLoreto. Plenty of people have weighed in on the subject of DeLoreto and Stew Morrill's judgment so we won't bother adding to that.

But here is what concerned us:

"...As Rob at Ballin Is A Habit notes, this isn't the first time Utah State coach Stew Morrill has taken a chance on a player. Last season's lone senior for the Aggies was Gary Wilkerson, who dropped out of high school ball and turned to drugs and alcohol, but who redeemed himself with a tournament appearance last season. If DiLoreto is as talented as the interest in his skills -- despite his transgressions -- would indicate, he might be making a similar redemption soon."
We love redemption stories but that's not the point here.

Putting on our WAC hat, Gary Wilkinson redeemed himself far, far before Utah State made last season's Big Dance. He in fact straightened out his life path way before he began playing basketball at Salt Lake City College, way before he earned a scholarship at Utah State and way before the Aggies went to the NCAAs.

Brennan obviously meant no harm -- his article is a positive one. But because of his professional affiliation, his large readership is now mis-informed about Gary Wilkinson.

Of course, maybe it's Gary Wilkerson they will misled about but the actual surname of the ex-Aggie is Wilkinson, not Wilkerson -- not a small oversight.

By the way, Rob Dauster, at Ballin' Is A Habit (who Brennan mentioned), is much more accurate in his post here.

Friday, March 6, 2009

Jared Eborn with a Gary Wilkinson feature

Wilkinson nears a record in his journey to success
Jared Eborn
Deseret News
March 6, 2009


LOGAN — By now, Gary Wilkinson's story has been told and retold dozens of times.

His tale of descent down a self-destructive path and subsequent journey to redemption has been published in Sports Illustrated, the New York Times and plenty of local media outlets.

Wilkinson's story starts with a troubled youth dropping out of high school and finding a direction and purpose in life only after a close friend took his own via suicide...

Go here for the remainder.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Here's our Utah State early preview

2008-2009 will be Coach Stew Morrill's most challenging season in some time. Of course, 'challenging' can be quite the relative term seeing as how successful the Aggies have been for the last decade or so. Put another way, there is no longer Jaycee Carroll and his marvelous shooting range, quick release and point production available nightly so Morrill is going to have to rely on more of a team effort but will still need a player or two to 'step-up' at the end of games. It will be interesting to see who emerges.

THE DEARLY DEPARTED

High scorer Jaycee Carroll, point Kris Clark and underrated frontcourter Stephen DuCharme have completed their eligibility, leaving three very big holes and roles to fill.

DeUndrae Spraggins and Desmond Stephens were junior college backcourt transfers from last year and neither worked out quite as expected in 2007-2008 -- both are now elsewhere.

Here's the current Utah State roster:

RETURNEES TO LOGAN

Brad Brown 6-6 195 sophomore walkon forward -- unconfirmed word is that Brown is heading out on his church mission in August
Pooh Williams 6-3 200 sophomore guard/forward -- a fine athlete, known as a shooter in high school who displayed defensive prowess last season
Tyler Newbold 6-4 190 sophomore guard -- our choice for the player to step up the most in the coming season
Jaxon Myaer 5-9 150 redshirt freshman guard -- a redshirt last season who is a candidate for time at the point
Tai Wesley 6-6 230 sophomore forward -- probably the most pleasant Aggie surprise last season
Matt Formisano 6-8 220 sophomore walkon forward -- an effort kid who is a fill-in here and there type of player
Gary Wilkinson 6-9 240 senior center -- enjoyed a fine season but Morrill needs consistent production from him in the coming go-around
Modou Niang 6-9 240 sophomore center -- getting by right now on his marvelous athleticism rather than actual basketball skills


NEW TO USU

Jared Quayle 6-2 180 junior -- from a junior college in Wyoming, known primarily as a longrange shooter
Stavon Williams 6-3 185 junior -- a transfer from a Texas junior college also with a reputation as a shooter
Rich Sirju 6-2 190 junior -- hailing from a Florida junior college, he is another shooter/scorer type
Deremy Geiger 5-10 165 freshman -- he's a point out of Las Vegas who may redshirt depending on the advancement of others
Jordan Stone 6-11 240 freshman -- a center who will first complete his two-year church mission
Brady Jardine 6-6 200 freshman -- he is supposedly arriving in Logan come August after completing his church mission


FULL USU ROSTER BY POSITION

Center

Gary Wilkinson 6-9 240 senior -- Wilkinson had periods of inconsistency but still an overall successful transition from the junior college ranks. A second team All-WAC selection, a major portion of the Aggie success in 2008-2009 will be dependent upon Wilkinson's improvement. His 13.3 ppg. and 7.0 rpg. averages will get better -- maybe averaging a double-double? -- but what Morrill would like to see the most from his big man is a constant physical presence exhibited in the paint.

Modou Niang 6-9 240 sophomore -- Just like no decent bottle of wine can be rushed, this physically blessed kid will need rep after rep and greater experience before being able to be counted on as a steady contributor. He averaged just over five minutes a game and a sign of his improvement and readiness will be a doubling of that playing time in 2008-2009. Look for him to be the top Aggie shotblocker next season, having swatted away an opponent's scoring attempt every nine minutes last go-around.

Strong Forward

Tai Wesley 6-6 230 sophomore forward -- We see Wesley as a future All-WAC pick but are not so sure this will come to fruition next season. He plays a physical style and just may have to spend some time in the middle due to no one else on the roster ready to provide Wilkinson substantial relief in the paint. One area in need of improvement is the number of personal fouls Wesley commits as he was whistled 42 more times than Wilkinson.

Matt Formisano 6-8 220 sophomore walkon forward -- This guy is a 'try-hard' frontcourter who can help maintain the status quo of a game for a short stretch of minutes. It will be a sign of trouble in Logan if Formisano is playing double figure minutes next season.

Wing/Shooting guard

We always find it difficult to discern who will play the two guard versus the wing so we have combined the candidates.

Pooh Williams 6-3 200 sophomore guard/forward -- He became recognized for his defensive effort last season after redshirting his first year in Logan. Defensive effort will always earn someone playing time but let's see if Williams begins to shoot as expected.

Tyler Newbold 6-4 190 sophomore guard -- He shot marvelously last season -- .547% overall, .515% on treys, 839% from the foul line -- but the key for him is can he become a go-to scorer and a dribble-drive creator? Newbold shot just 31 free throws in 35 games -- one every 24+ minutes -- scorers typically get to the line much more. We certainly see promise in him.

Brady Jardine 6-6 200 freshman -- Call this guy the joker in the Aggie deck. He might also be in competition for minutes at the strong forward spot but will certainly need more strength in order to do so or he may redshirt, depending on both how quickly he adapts to playing basketball again after a two year church mission and the needs of the team. Jardine's a quick-jumping, very athletic player with nice shooting range. A ready-to-play Jardine would be a nice boost to the Aggies chances in the WAC. Out of Idaho, it's unusual that Greg Graham let this kid get away but one never knows what were the actual factors involved.

Stavon Williams 6-3 185 junior -- Williams led the Minneapolis prep ranks in scoring as both a junior and senior and cemented his shooting/scoring reputation in the Texas junior college ranks the past two seasons. Known for being a better than average athlete, his expected contribution will appear on the offensive end.

Rich Sirju 6-2 190 junior -- He's been a shooter/scorer the last two seasons in the Florida junior college ranks just as he was in the Sunshine State prep ranks. He looks to have some creative ability with the ball, having led his team in free throws this past season.

Point

Kris Clark produced 224 assists last season -- the following three players will not cumulatively reach that total in 2008-2009 nor have Clark's generally stellar assist-to-turnover ratio. However, the collective shooting percentage from the point will be better.

Jaxon Myaer 5-9 150 redshirt freshman guard -- We're not sure if Myaer is on scholarship for this coming season or not but he'll be in the mix at the point. The slightness of his size and resulting problems with matchups dictates his court time be as a role player at this time.

Jared Quayle 6-2 180 junior -- This kid is best known for his shooting range and scoring ability but he did play at the point in high school and will more than likely be looked at there first since such is the weakest/most unknown position right now for the Aggies.

Deremy Geiger 5-10 165 freshman -- Geiger may be redshirted next season depending upon where he ranks at the point after a few amount of practices. Both he and Myaer need to maximize their strength potential in order to get on the court.


OVERALL


The site known as the Dee Glenn Smith Spectrum remains an ace in the hole for Morrill as it's usually full and loaded with noisy USU students. In 2007-2008, the Aggies cleaned up at home to the tune of a 17-0 record. They won't be undefeated there in 2008-2009 though.

The apparent loss of 6-9 recruit Bruce Webster definitly hurts. He would have satisfactorily filled in as Wilkinson's backup next season but his loss of desire to play ball any longer superseded this plan.

Morrill has definitely brought in backcourt/wing point producers in Stavon Williams, Rich Sirju and Jared Quayle, knowing that no one recruit could replace the departed Jaycee Carroll. Getting them to produce and quickly will be another key component to the Aggies success or failure in the upcoming season.

A nucleus of Wilkinson, Wesley and Newbold is a fine set of building blocks. But after those three, it's anyone's guess at this point as to who steps forward from the returnees and who is ready to contribute among the newcomers.

Combining Morrill's Big Three with half the games being at home makes Utah State a still formidable foe but not an unbeatable one.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Watch out for Nevada come tourney time

Nevada sure seems to be peaking at the right time, with sixth-year senior Marcelus Kemp leading the charge. It's telling that Utah State, even with an all-senior starting backcourt and soon-to-be WAC Player of the Year Jaycee Carroll, isn't the all-efficiency unit of the past.

We've highlighted a quote by Gary Wilkinson in the first article -- words that need to be kept in mind. Here is a very solid player, albeit a newcomer to D-1 from the junior college ranks, and he is talking about the critical mental approach that is needed to win games and how he is just getting the hang of it.

Besides Wilkinson, the Aggies are also starting two freshman -- obviously talented ones and 21 years olds -- but just like the Supremes of way back with "You Can't Hurry Love," full-fledged 'getting it' takes time, effort, experience and lots and lots of patience.


Nevada 85, USU 80
USU: Aggies at least show heart in making it close
Martin Renzhofer
The Salt Lake Tribune
2/12/2008


RENO, NV - A funny thing happened on the way to a Nevada blowout Monday night - Utah State showed up in the second half.

For the first time this season, USU played hard-nosed basketball away from Logan. The Aggies lost the game, 85-80, but may have found their heart. Jaycee Carroll's 24-point second-half performance provided the pulse.

Nevada had to sweat for its victory in the Lawlor Events Center, a win that pulled it within a half-game of the Aggies in the Western Athletic Conference race. However, USU rallied from 18 down to come within four points with 46 seconds to play.

Marcelus Kemp, who scored 35, sealed the game by converting 5 of 6 free throws.

"We kept our composure," Kemp said. "Jaycee and others made some tough shots, but we kept our composure and got the win."

USU coach Stew Morrill wasn't about to crow about a moral victory. However, "Our team hung in there and battled," he said. "I have no complaints about our effort. We had the tempo of the game where we wanted it. We let it get away from us."

Tempo means everything for Utah State (18-7, 8-2 WAC), which prefers a moderate, run-the-offense style of game. The Aggies had the tempo they wanted and, despite struggling a bit offensively, had a one-point lead with four minutes to play in the first half.

Nevada (16-8, 8-3) then put the hammer down defensively outscoring USU 37-18 during the next 14 minutes to take a 64-46 lead.


Plus,

"I'm learning how to win in the WAC on the road," said Wilkinson, who finished with 12 points. "In the second half, I started to get a feel for the game..."
Go here for the remainder.

and

From the Nevada perspective:

Kemp blows up in Nevada win over Utah St.
DARRELL MOODY
Nevada Appeal Sports
February 12, 2008


RENO -- Star players tend to come up big in important games.

Monday night was one of Nevada's biggest, most important games of the season, and Marcelus Kemp turned it into a personal highlight show.

Not only did Kemp score a career-high 35 points, but he also passed Alex Boyd for third place on the all-time scoring list and then helped the Wolf Pack withstand a late Utah State rally to lead Nevada to an 85-80 win before a crowd of 8,454 at Lawlor Events Center.

Nevada, which has won three straight and six of its last seven, improved to 8-3 in Western Athletic Conference play and 16-8 overall. Utah State dropped to 8-2 and 18-7, respectively.

Kemp is all about wins first and personal achievement second, so it was extra special that he was able to win the game and achieve another milestone in his tremendous career. He passed Boyd when he converted a three-point play with 7 minutes, 50 seconds to go in the first half. Kemp now has 1,757 career points.

"It's a great accolade," Kemp said. "I heard [Boyd] was a great player, but I never got a chance to see him play. I'm just happy we got the win."

As he has done all season, Nevada coach Mark Fox was full of praise for his star player and the way his team played, especially the 24 assists compared to just four turnovers...
Go here for the remainder.

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Is it an advantage or not?

We came across this item on the Utah State men's basketball site:

AGGIES YET TO LOSE WITH TWO FRESHMEN IN THE STARTING LINEUP

"Utah State is 5-0 since head coach Stew Morrill inserted Tai Wesley and Tyler Newbold into the starting lineup before the Cal State Bakersfield game. Prior to the that game, Morrill had started a total of three freshmen in his first nine-plus years in Logan in Tony Brown, Nate Harris and Jaycee Carroll."


Wesley is averaging 11.6 points and 7.2 rebounds in his last five games, while shooting 76.5 percent from the field. He is a 21-year-old freshman.

Newbold -is averaging 5.2 points and 3.2 rebounds as a starter. He is also a 21-year-old freshman.

Name any other team with two freshman in their twenties?

Plus, believe it or not, junior Gary Wilkinson is 25 while senior Jaycee Carroll is 24. Even sports trivia masters would have difficulty coming up with a college team sporting a newcomer junior college transfer who is a quarter of a century old.

Obviously, thse young men are these ages primarily due to serving a mission as part of their LDS faith.

An 'older' player (it's really difficult to twine old with someone in his 20s) is typically more settled and mature, with a body grown into itself -- both a height/ weight and an athletic package of strength/speed that more than likely has reached its best.

So is this an unfair advantage in favor for athletic programs that recruit a high percentage of LDS members?

There is also an argument to be made that two years away from practicing basketball fundamentals is a major hindrance in skill development, along with no participation in any sort of an organized weightlifting program.

It's an aspect that seems to cut both ways. Plus, many of the LDS players either enter their two-year mission after signing with a college basketball program or play an initial college season and then go on the mission, forcing their coaches to plan out their recruiting at least a couple of season off into the future. Many college coaches prefer not to have their recruiting cycles disrupted so.



Speaking of Wilkinson, here's a thorough background story -- an intriiguing one at that -- on him:

Making large strides
Shawn Harrison
Logan Herald Journal
January 2, 2008


Gary Wilkinson has come a long way — on and off the basketball court.

The Aggie forward is already becoming a fan favorite. Chants of “Ga-ry, Ga-ry” have been heard several times this season. The junior is one of just three Utah State athletes to start all 15 games so far and is second on the team in scoring with 11.9 points per game.

It all can be a bit hard to believe if you go back 10 years. You see, Wilkinson didn’t play high school basketball. He didn’t even graduate from Bingham High School, where he had attended.

“To be frank about it, why I didn’t play high school ball is I had a bad attitude,” Wilkinson said. “I didn’t have an attitude that was conducive to being a coachable player, to being a player that a coach would want to put on the floor. I really didn’t have a strong desire to play.”

That sure has changed.

Aggie head coach Stew Morrill has praised Wilkinson for being “very coachable.” USU assistant coach Tim Duryea, who is in charge of the big men, shared similar feelings.

“Gary is an eager learner, very attentive,” Duryea said. “... He’s a guy that really listens to you. Some guys act like they are listening, but he listens to you, takes it in and tries to put it into habit.”

Sounds like a totally different person than the guy who sat on the bench in junior high, didn’t try out as a freshman, then was cut his sophomore year because “I wasn’t willing to do what the coach asked,” Wilkinson said. And don’t even ask about his junior and senior years of high school.

Not that the South Jordan native won’t tell you about dropping out of school because the “scene wasn’t fitting for me.” It’s just that he was hanging out with friends, playing his guitar in a band and doing some DJ work. Basketball was not on his mind. In fact, he wasn’t sure where he was going in life...

Go here for the remainder.