University of Utah Student Newspapers | 2010-01-21 | Page 7

DAILY UTAH CHRONICLE Thursday, January 21, 2010 WATKINS continued from Page 6 one," Watkins said. "That was real big. With my recruitment, I wanted to be with somebody that was honest and told me actually what they were going to do for me, not just blowing smoke." Boylen said he feels lucky to have snatched Watkins up. "It was difficult because he's a quality guy," Boylen said. "He had a lot of options, a lot of opportunity. I was just honest with him. I told him we needed a guy like him. He'd be a difference-maker in our program. We'd take care of him and love him and make him better with school. We helped get him through academically, and he's done a heck of a job." Playing for his third school in three years, Watkins believes he's found where he wants to be. "I love it out here," Watkins said. "I love it in Salt Lake. The school is getting a lot of support from the city, and I like that. It's quiet, it's peaceful and everybody's joyful and greets you with a handshake." Although Watkins was not expected to make such an impact this soon, he has averaged 9.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. "It's been focus and being helped," Watkins said. "The coaches have taken a lot of time to work with me, showing me film and answering questions that I have. And also Carlon (Brown), Kim (Tillie) and Luka (Drca), guys that have been here and been in the system for two or three years, have helped me a lot too. I knew I had to pick it up fast. (Boylen) brought me in to make an immediate impact." Brown said Watkins' presence is felt on the court. "He rebounds very well, and he plays very good defense on other fours we have trouble against," Brown said. He has also established a reputation as a big-time dunker and has even taken the crown as the team's best dunker from Brown, who appeared on SportsCenter's Top Ten plays for his dunks last season. "This year, he is (a better dunker)," Brown said. "I haven't had too many dunks because of my foot injury. Hopefully, we can make something happen towards the end of the season." But Watkins' first season as a Ute has not been without hardship. He did not play in the team's first four games because of an injury and missed time when his stepfather, John Smith, passed away. It was a difficult time for Watkins, who described Smith as a major influence in his life. "He meant a lot," Watkins said. "He was so selfless and was one of those types of people who always help others. He never did things selfishly, never did something like 'I'm doing this because I'm getting something in return.' He had a gigantic heart." Showing support for their teammate, the Utes decided to wear a number 24 patch— Smith's number during his playing days—on their jerseys to honor Watkins' stepfather. "It was just one of those honor things and respect things for one of our teammates," Brown said. "We knew it meant a lot to him, so we put it on the team's chest and made it mean a lot to us." The gesture didn't go unappreciated by Watkins. "I can't even put it into words," Watkins said. "I really 7 can't describe it. It touched my heart. Just to see that they respected me enough to do that for him when they only met him once or twice. Just to know they have my back like that makes me want to play that much harder for them." Tenacious on the hardwood, Watkins also likes to have a good time off of it. He spends a lot of his time with friends and family. He also likes vid- eo games—especially sports games like Madden, NBA 2Kio and the NCAA franchise. Coaches and teammates appreciate the influence he has on the team off the court. "He's got great personality, and he's got a great sense of humor," Boylen said. "He's very well-liked by his teammates. He's a guy's guy; he's a good guy. A good guy who can really impact winning, and I've been very impressed with his maturity and skills off the floor." Watkins doesn't hesitate to loosen up the locker room with a well-timed joke either. "He's a good guy," Brown said. "He raps, he's funny and pretty laid-back. He likes cracking jokes—that's what he does the most." b.brown@ chronicle.utah.edu 4' All coffee sales generated on Monday, January 25th, in all Chartwells retail locations at the University of Utah will be donated to the Red Cross HOCKEY to help the relief efforts on continued from Page 6 HAITI. difficult shot over the goalie's shoulder later in the first period. Bo Bertagnolli showed the ability to shoot off the pass but the five periods that followed did not feature this level of offense. "Our strong start was our biggest weakness," Vrtis said. "It put us into a false sense of security." The Utes will try to rebound from their dreadful weekend with a two-game homestand against Mesa State. The first contest is Friday at 7 p.m., and the Saturday game is at 8:3o p.m. [e-mail] I • • •- . RE Get the news in your email every day! 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