Beat #8 November Madness

It may not come with office pools, celebrity brackets, national media attention or a catchy theme song from CBS, but November Madness is underway at Brigham Young University Idaho.

It was 8 weeks go this Thursday that coaches held the draft for the school’s competitive basketball league.

All of those early morning practices, and hard fought games that players put their sweat blood and tears into have prepared them and their respective coaches for this moment.

The tournament actually began the week before Thanksgiving break and now only the final four teams remain.

The 88ers held their final practice before Friday night’s game earlier this week.

88ers Head Coach Steven Flanders decided to have his team scrimmage with the Titans for the majority of his team’s hour and a half practice.

After the scrimmage Coach Flanders huddled up his team and told them that they’d be having some fun before they’re final practice was over.

Everybody participated in a 3-point shootout.

There was clear no winner. A few players could make 50 percent of their shots, but it was clear to see that everybody was cold after a rigorous hour and twenty minutes of drills and scrimmaging.

The 88ers know that Friday night’s game will be a taught test they’ll need to pass in order to even have a shot at eternal glory.

Power forward Mitch Huntsman talked about what they’re doing to prepare.

“I think that the biggest thing to prepare for the tournament is that we just have to have fun. We’ve got a talented team; we’ve got a good coach, we’ve just got to put it all together that’s what our team’s all about.”

Coach Flanders reflected on what his team has been able to accomplish this past season, “We just had a lot of fun this season. We really hit our stride when we smoked the Spartans. Our team has transformed a lot since then playing together well.”

But for the 88ers it’s not all about physical preparation there’s also the spiritual aspect of playing basketball at BYU - Idaho.

Patrick Lunquist also known as "The White Mamba" has been the team’s designated “spiritual guide” this season.

He explained what that involves,

 “What I like about our team is we’re pretty good but we’re pretty spiritual, we know how to get up that way. We say our prayers before we come to practice, before a game so I think that really helps us out.”

Coach Flanders isn’t sure where the nickname came from, but mention that Lunquist has lead his teammates in group prayers this season.

Here’s a breakdown of the final four:

88ers will take on the Knights this Friday at 7:30 P.M. 

Titans will play the Hurricanes at 9:30 P.M. 

The championship game will be played this Saturday and that is scheduled to tip off at 4:30.

All three games will be played in the main gym of the Hart building. 

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Beat #4 Scoreboard "Malfunction" in Season Opener

REXBURG- The first game of the Basketball season at BYU – Idaho took place this past Friday night.

The Vikings fell to the Titans 61 to 64 in a closely contested battle that was decided the final seconds and probably left a few fans heading home with bloody stumps for finger nails, but the highlight of the night that brought the crowd to its feet wasn’t a slam dunk, it wasn’t a defensive player fly swatting the ball into the tenth row of seats, it wasn’t even a last second shot.

The game started late because of a malfunction with the scoreboard and game clock.

This meant that for the entire first half it was not only tough for the fans to know what was really happening on the court; it was confusing to the players as well.

Vikings’ guard Matt Krammer said, “It was tough you didn’t know how much time was left, what the score was so you didn’t know what play to run. You just had to be a lot sharper.”

His teammate Daniel Evans saw things differently when he was asked about the score board debacle.

“As a fan, you know it’s hard to follow, but sometimes it’s nice because you’re not really worried about what the score is as much as executing and making the right play.”

Vikings’ forward Tyson Hummer said, “I didn’t think it made much of a difference, but once you have to worrying about time it makes a difference there.”

Vikings head coach Jessica Tews summed up her feelings by simply saying, “It’s frustrating because we got down 13 to 2 and nobody knew. . . It’s just nice to have a scoreboard.”

When the scoreboard was repaired just prior to the start of the second half, fans, players, coaches and referees alike rose as one and gave a standing ovation.

The Vikings trailed for most of the game.

They did mount a comeback, and managed to take the lead 51-50 late in the second half but couldn’t build on that slim lead.

Vikings’ Forward Tyson Hummer reflected on what he believed was the reason his team could never seem to control the game.   “It’s one thing to miss a jump shot or a three pointer and it’s another to be missing shots a point blank range. That shouldn’t be happening.”

Coach Tews gave her thoughts on the reason for the loss, “We kinda dug ourselves in a hole in the first half. We came out with first game jitters but we’ll be alright. [I told] the players to keep their chins up.”

The second week of games will begin Friday evening at 5:30 P.M. in the main gym of the Hart building.

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Beat #2 The Draft

REXBURG-After two early morning tryout sessions in the BYU-Idaho Center the coaches gathered in the bowels of the Hart building were they took the next step toward building a championship team basketball team, by drafting the players that had caught their attention during the tryouts.

Before the drafting process began where emotions would run high and players would be snapped up like eBay bids the league coordinator Matt Fletcher stated the principles of the school’s athletic program.

1. Participants make and keep commitments.

2. Participants love, serve and lift one another.

3. Participants govern themselves by true principles.

4. Coaches invite the spirit by teaching gospel, institutional and sports specific principles.

5. Quality management, raise expectations of outcome provide offerings that leave students interest that are appropriate and balanced.

John Christansen was the first overall pick in this year’s draft.

He was followed by Stephen Speyer, Patrick Johnson, Dallin Layton, Ferguson Gammon, Nate Birrell and Justin Cook.

Bruins’ coaches Brandon Pelfrey and Spencer Flitton didn’t hesitate to answer the question “what’s next for your team?” by saying, simply, “a championship.”

Spartan’s Head Coach Tyler Beck said that the next step for his team is to, “create unity in our team. It really is like a culture that we have to have as a team. There’s no player that’s better than the other” (He sounds a lot like a high school basketball coach from Indiana doesn’t he? Look it up movie buffs).

Coach Beck was looking for players who showed that they where coachable, humble and “willing to be pushed to a higher level as a team . . . if a team is changing, a player will change.”

Coach Beck also had a message for the students of BYU-Idaho, “Come out to the games because it will be good basketball, it will be fun to watch [and] entertaining.”

Sixty-three players were drafted the first night and the remaining players were drafted the following night.

There are no cuts in the league. Those players who make a team’s Junior Varsity squad will participate in practice and are expected to play with their varsity teammates should circumstances permit them to do so.

The regular season is scheduled to tip off on Oct. 12 at 5:30 P.M. in the main gym of the Hart building.

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Beat #1 Tryouts

REXBURG- The start of another exciting basketball season at BYU – Idaho is upon us. There was a good turnout of students at the BYUI Center who wanted to see if they have what it takes to earn a roster spot on one of the intramural teams.

But how do you earn a spot on a team roster? And what exactly are the coaches looking for in potential draft picks?

Brandon Pelfrey, an assistant coach said, “We’re looking for players that are going to be really aggressive, that are gonna play the ball really well. We’re looking for guys that are gonna pass really well. [we’re] not really interested in stars we just want guys who can play well as a team.”

Stephen Flangers is hoping to show that he can do just that, and added, “I think it’s a good opportunity for all of us to get out and do some exercise and create some bond.”

For Tyson Hummer, it’s all about showing the coaches that he knows the fundamentals of the game: “The quicker you can be seen with those basic skills the quicker you’ll be drafted.”

Aside from impressing the coaches with their knowledge of the game and their ability to run like a herd of gazelles, coaches are looking for players who display good sportsmanship on the hardwood.

Before they lace up their basketball shoes all of the participants must complete a sportsmanship test online.

Speaking of the emphasis that the school places on good sportsmanship, Coach Nathan Eppich said, “I’m looking for somebody that is willing to work hard and do whatever we ask of them . . . mainly someone who is a team player and willing to do anything to win, but also with good sportsmanship. That’s the most important thing.” The draft is scheduled for September 27-28.

The regular season is scheduled to tip off on October 12 at 5:30 in the main gym of the Hart building.

@sdhummer

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Hot Rod Hundley Honored

Tonight was one that I and longtime Jazz fans will never forget. The legendary broadcaster and the voice of Jazz basketball for 35 years Hot Rod Hundley was honored at tonight's game.
There was a halftime ceremony for Hot's and a banner was unvailed to hang in the rafters of the Delta Center alongside notable Jazz-men such as Jeff Hornacek, Karl Malone, and John Stockton.
In addition to that the Jazz renamed the media center The Hot Rod Hundley Media Center.
The room is filled with Hot Rod memorabilia that documents his entire career starting with his humble beginnings at West Virgina University to his days playing for the Lakers capping it off with his 42 years in broadcasting. What's even cooler about the room is that all of the pictures are made up of words and phrases. That's a great touch because Hot Rod will always be well known for his ability to paint a picture of what was happening on the court with just a few words and phrases.
Hundley broadcasted over 3000 games as the voice of the Jazz.

Here is the video of Hot Rod's ceremony at halftime.

Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

This is the BYU Idaho Menes choir (yours truly is the one sitting down). I love singing these kinds of songs that's why I signed on. I was the only member of the choir who knew who Gordon Lightfoot was and the about the song. Kevin Brower (the director) pointed out before the song began that I was the sole member of the choir who knew who Gordon Lightfoot was and said that he had felt rather lonely :). Sit back relax and enjoy this video clip I loved being a part of it.