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Show '7 - DIXIESUNNEWS.COrvi WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER tnriTio,, a BY 0 ERIN HAKODA The Dixie State University women's basketball team welcomed a seasoned Hall of Famer to the coaching staff this year. Deb Bennett, a retiree athletic director of Skyline High School in Salt Lake City for 16 years, has come to DSU as an assistant coach to head coach JD Gustin. - , Bennett brings years of experience to the Trailblazers. She was named UIAAA Athletic Director of the Year for season. While at Skyline High School, she also head coached the varsity girls basketball team for 19 years and was an eight-tim- e Region Coach of the Year as well as e Utah Women's a Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year. "As an athletic director, you often do see the big picture, and I think it translates into me understanding the paperwork, the policies and behind the scenes," Bennett said. "And I've worked through the years with hundreds of young athletes...it gives me a good background to be a good assistant...I understand how to build good teams, good teamwork, and I think I can contribute with my under the 2016-1- 7 three-tim- BY K.0 Johnson TNS nd ing Zach LaVine's rehabilitation from February left ACL surgery has produced consistent themes. La Vine, as he reiterated Monday, is feeling great. He's ahead of schedule and pushing at every opportunity to move up the nine-mont- h timeline to be cleared for contact. s lat T orN standing and analysis of the game." Head coach JD Gustin recognized what she could bring to his team, which is why he personally reached out to her and asked her to be an assistant coach. "Bennett has a wealth of experience and a remarkable resume," Gustin said. "She's somebody that we're super excited to have around our players every day.1 feel like she can help them grow as young people and as basketball players...She's very respectful, very positive, hardworking, and always doing her very best. Those are things we're trying to instill with our players every day." Bennett also served as president of the Utah Women's Basketball Coaches Association from 1994-9She is a 'member of the Utah Sports Hall of Fame Foundation Board of Directors and was inducted into the Utah Sports Hall of Fame Foundation as a Distinguished High School Coach in 2014. "She's made an incredible impact on girls basketball in Utah," said DSU Athletic Director Jason Boothe. Having been involved with DSU's Team Camps for 17 years, Bennett is already familiar with the university. She will now take over running the Trailblazer Team camp, a drIN coxiires t assist-annew ViILJL ,eryT)s summer program for middle school and high school basketball players. "I probably would not have t come out of retirement to L coach for just anywhere else," Bennett said. "This university has always been a special place to me." Bennett said she was drawn : to DSU because she previous- 1 ly knew Gustin, as well as the L other assistant coach, Nicole Yazzie. Yazzie even played at Skyline High School while Bennett was a coach there. Bennett said she is excited to see that Gustin is growing 0 co I C 1 i i 1 , - i I tr... ' : , 4 t f ,, I ' ' 1 ) , , . l' 4 ,,,, I 4 ..,,, ,i ,.....;,,. K t Iv, 1 I 1 I 1 I ; ,, I ', 1k PROt,7k.,,,,'' ' ii 1-, 1 It - N -.., :::::4,,,,,,6 i',. ' ''' ,,., 1 ''' 016 i MeetaiddaddibiNatiltatillithlthials. , - ,, ' ''"".'"'",, x 1 74 ' IS "O. ,.. N I ; , ,ti 1 41041144, 4 '', , , , "7" - '477, J,,-t- t 1 ,,, '' ,It 2)11. I .,' ; ., 0 , 1,,N ,', w A ',.; I ' i ;r$ , ,S,' I WIIMMINOIMOIT 0 - , , , - ,4 , ,0' z 1 5. , program." This season, Gustin is focusing on getting the players to be more aggressive defensively. They will be playing a different style of defense than they have in the past, he said. Last season, the team brought home five wins and 21 losses. "We are hoping to get better," Gustin said. "We didn't have a very good year in terms of wins and losses last year, but we've done our best to bring in the best recruits." 3 ' 0 biology major from Las Vegas, fights off a Dominican nett said. "I think they'll turn this program around. What I see is that they've come in with a new, fresh mindset, a lot of energy, they're recruiting the best kids in Utah, and they have a fine group of athletes they've put together...There's a real excitement about it because you're growing a team and a program, so the team is excited, and said. "We've successfully recruited a few here that are Division I talent. They could be playing at the Division I level, but they're going to play at this level and have a stronger team. "What I like right now about the team is the tempo, the defensive focus, and the really positive energy on the team," Bennett said. "These are some top players from Utah." This year, the Trailblazer women's basketball team will be bringing Division I talent to the court. "We feel we have a really good product to offer the best talent to come here," Boothe greater impact right away on this program." Given her extensive experience in Utah high school basketball, Boothe is looking forward to what Bennett will bring to recruitment. It is likely she has connections the other coaches may not, which will be helpful when it comes to recruiting, Boothe said. "Gustin and Yazzie have recruited well last year," Ben And the centerpiece of the Bulls rebuild understands why doctors and the Bulls aren't budging on that timeline. "I should be doing contact really soon. It all depends on them," La Vine said, addressing reporters for the first time since the Sept. 25 Media Day. "I'm pushing them as hard as I can. But at the end of the day, we still gotta be careful. "I feel great. I'm going everything I was doing before. I'm pretty sure I can do contact. But we've got to stick to that schedule." Underscoring how close that schedule is, coach Fred Hoiberg said La Vine will be cleared for minor contact "probably in the next two weeks" and full contact in "probably three weeks." That's almost exactly nine months after La Vine's Feb. 14 surgery to repair the ligament, which he tore while Timber-wolve- s playing for the on Feb. 3. La Vine's testing points for jumping, speed and strength are near or better than when he tested at the NBA pre draft camp in 2014. Between that and being the freshly minted face of the franchise, one can understand why the gregarious guard is eager to return. "I don't like missing games," La Vine said. "Before the injury, I think missed one or two in my career. So it really sucks just sitting there, not being able to help. I try to help as much as I can from the sideline, give a little advice here or there. But yeah, it hurts." La Vine, who missed five games his rookie season and none his second, is fully engaged in practice. they're working hard." The first home game for the women's basketball team will be against Colorado Mesa on Nov. 17 at 5 p.m. in the Burns Arena. . fers he receives in restricted free agency. "I think it's fine," La Vine said of no new deal by the deadline. "Obviously, I want to be here for a long time. And I feel the deal is going to get doneeither then or next summer. I don't have any fear in that. I think! know I'll be in black and red for a little bit longer." Indeed, rather than setting a high number on a new guaranteed deal now, LaVine's cap hold of $9.6 million can help the Bulls have more flexibility next summer. Until then, LaVine vows to keep playing the same way he did "I can still jump. I can still get up, take contact through the hoop," he said. into what we're doing as far as coming off of some live ball screen actions," Hoiberg said. "He's one of the fastest guys in the league. His explosiveness, he's already gotten that back. And his ability to shoot the ball from anywhere on the floor out puts another there that you can do a lot with. So he does make our team a lot better." Ultimately, that will cost the Bulls, which they knew when they traded Jimmy Butler for him, Kris Dunn and the draft rights to Lauri Marldcanen. Though the deadline to extend LaVine's rookie contract passed on Oct. 16, the Bulls, barring unexpected injury issues, or match any of will He participates in situations, watches during contact drills and scrimmages and even traveled for e the trip to Toronto a for workouts, rarity. The career scorer likes what he sees. "With the team that we have and the system that coach put in, we're going to get up a lot of threes," he said. "When we're on, we're going to blow some teams out with those threes. When we're off, as the last couple games have shown, it's going to be a struggle to score sometimes. But I think that's where I can come in and help." one-gam- floor-spac- Hoiberg agrees. "He's going to fit great er pre-injur- re-si- , PAST ,. .. f ;t, ti, A g raised in St. George. She has taught, coached, judged and danced for every genre of dance. "Through being able to ,4, : iiiwor .. , , - ,, , Ji.,..1.T 1 i. t .,,' ; - Orange Peel of St. George Now Hiring Full Time Store Manager The see DSU's development as an athlete and a coach, could develop and grow dance team with the school," she said. Esplin said Pat Roper, a DSU Hall of Famer and longtime cheer and dance advisor, and Diane Hafen, BYU cougarette coach, are two people who influenced her to coach. This is Esplin's 20th year as a DSU's coach. :, . .. t ,... I y. - continued from page 5 nir c mi,logp the program tremendously. F ' ,,,,,,,.. s "One of the things that is I0HU' appealing to me is that he's 0 a phenomenal coach," she Senior guard, Mattie Vent ling, a said. "He's going to raise the University defender in January. level of women's basketball at Dixie higher than it's ever Thanks to the recruiting been. I'm excited that he's efforts of Gustin and assistant coach Yazzie, last year, building this into what I think is going to be a championship both coaches feel they have a ; - athet-i- Gulls' La Vine cleared for contact 'probably in next 2 weeks' le 1.. 1 or rettilTreP 1 Tr erinhakoda o , " e-1-- .olt ti TI f 25, 2011 7:COAM-3:CO- P the tit have management experience, excellent customer service, able to multitask and handle fast paced work environment. Must Esplin is currently the head coach of the Dixie State University Blaze Dance Team. She was a former member of the DSC Rebelettes. Kori Email Interested? your resume, availability and 3 work references to: annettetheorangepeelbiz -- ; |