BADGER BASKETBALL IS BACK
by Rick Pike

Roger Reid Says Badger Team is “Hardest Working Team I’ve Coached”

A lot of new faces took the court Wednesday as the 2005-06 men’s basketball team was introduced. Coach Roger Reid, in his inaugural season at Snow, described the Badgers as “the hardest working team I’ve coached.” The former head coach at Brigham Young University led six teams to the NCAA Tournament and won 20 or more games six times.

Just four players return from the 2004-05 Badgers. All four should see significant playing time. Mike Clark and Chris Hoopes – both forwards – were reserves last season as was point guard, Bowie Jeffs. Jason Palmer, another forward, redshirted last season and returns for his sophomore year.

The other sophomore joining the returning Badgers is Dante Green, a transfer from Los Angeles. Green wowed Badger fans during a dunking exhibition at halftime of an intrasquad scrimmage.

Coach Reid expects several freshmen to also impact the year. Geoff Payne, a forward who gray-shirted at Utah in 2003-04, impressed the fans with inside scoring and deft passing. John Clifford, a freshman center from Bingham High School, and Tyler Quinney, a freshman forward from Alta High School, had moments of strong interior play.

“Our progress at this point is predictable – the defensive effort and execution is much better than the offense,” said Coach Reid. “But the offense will come. We’re asking a lot of these guys but they’re an intelligent, hard-working group.”