BADGER BASKETBALL OUTLOOK
by Rick Pike

For Roger Reid, basketball is a game of inches and effort. You’ll see it at Badger games this season.

“Inches! You make or miss a shot because you’re inches away from where you’re supposed to be or the screener was inches away from setting a good screen. You win or lose this game because of inches,” says Reid at a recent practice.

Reid’s practices are basketball clinics. If the 14 players on Snow’s roster – five sophomores and nine freshmen, play how they practice, expect to see Snow among the Scenic West Athletic Conference leaders.

“I can honestly say that I’ve never coached a group of guys who work harder,” remarks Reid. “These kids want to be players – they work hard and want to learn.”

Reid’s hard-nosed style of play begins on the defensive end. The Badgers will emphasize man-to-man defense but may play up to “five defenses in a game,” according to Reid.

“We’re also working on multiple offenses that require players to move intelligently without the ball and to pass the ball,” explains Reid. “It’s a team game and most of our shots must come within a team concept.”

Guards
Four players are in the mix at point guard and all four bring different strengths to the position. Jake Peterson, a freshman from Bingham High School, is the probable starter. “Jake is cerebral – a smart player who gets us into our offense,” comments Reid. “He’s also unselfish and makes open shots.” James Sonnenberg, a freshman from Chicago, is the strongest and best ball-handler who may be the best defender among the guards. “I want a point guard who thinks of the team first – who counts assists as more important than points,” says Reid.

Two guards may play the point and shooting positions. Bowie Jeffs, one of the best catch-and-shoot players on the team, is a letterman from last season. He’s a scoring guard trying to make the transition to a pass-first point guard. Cory Boyack has demonstrated in practices an ability to direct the offense and run the fast break effectively. Boyack is a freshman from Las Vegas.

Mike Clark, a sophomore letterman, will start at the shooting guard and will play small forward as well – the two positions are interchangeable in Reid’s offenses. “Clark’s a leader for us – an overwhelming choice as team captain. We’ll count on him to lead and score. He’s a terrific shooter who’s beginning to understand to be a basketball player you have to play good defense,” says Reid. Cameron Clark, a freshman from Ephraim, is a steady player who Reid describes as “tough to rattle and one of our better shooters.”

Forwards
Dante Green, a sophomore transfer from Palmdale, Calif., will play both shooting guard and small forward and should start. Green will be one of the most athletic players to don a Badger uniform. “Dante’s an exciting player who is beginning to understand our offensive and defensive concepts,” remarks Reid. Wes Berge, a freshman from Orem, is an energy player. His strengths are driving the ball to the basket, defense and rebounding.

Geoff Payne, a freshman from Sandy, will start at power forward and play some small forward. “Geoff will be great player here. He has a high basketball IQ – he could play all five positions,” says Reid. “Like Clark, he was chosen by the players to be a captain.” Cris Hoopes, a sophomore from Duchesne, is a smart player with “nifty” moves around the basket. Clayton Searle, a freshman from American Fork High School, is the best outside shooter of the forwards. His hard play and work ethic are perfect for Reid’s system.

Centers
Like most seasons, Snow is undersized at center; but Reid is confident the three players he’s asking to play the position will be effective. Tyler Quinney, a freshman from Alta High School, has been the surprise of fall workouts. “Tyler is as good a rebounder as I’ve seen at this level, this young. You’ll never see Tyler loaf!” exclaims Reid. Like the power forwards, Quinney is most effective right around the basket.

Jason Palmer, a letterman who redshirted last season, will play both the power forward and center positions. Palmer’s strengths are post moves and passing ability. “Palmer’s recovering from a knee injury. We need him – we need his body and maturity out on the court this season,” says Reid. John Clifford, a freshman from Bingham High School, is the tallest Badger at 6’9”. Like Quinney, his progress since Reid scouted him in the spring has been significant. “John will get a lot of minutes. He’s working hard on his post moves – particularly a hook shot. He’ll be a good one here,” predicts Reid.

Reid brings up Coach Carling when discussing the centers. “Coach Carling is another head coach on the floor. The progress of our bigs is a compliment to their hard work and his coaching.”

Summary
Snow’s success this season will be no different than the BYU teams Reid coached – effort and execution will be paramount. Reid once described “perfect effort” to a Sports Illustrated reporter. He said, “If they feel good about how hard they work and go on and throw up a little bit after a basketball game, that’s all I ask.”

In another interview he discussed talent. “…when people tell me a guy is talented I look at it different. A lot of teams we play have better jumpers, faster runners, but I want a guy who wants to play hard, that loves the game, that believes in what we’re doing. To me, that’s where talent is.”

If that’s true, the Badgers might just be the most talented team in the Scenic West Athletic Conference this season.