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Show SPORTS VOLUMELII. ISSUE 20 IN THE ZONE with Matt Petersen Florida RM's play as they go By TRAVIS LEAVITT Sports Writer To the typical intramural team, the words practice and training camp might as well be in Swahili. Nathan Hansen, a Experience isn't everything No one gave the women's soccer team a chance after losing nine seniors from their 2010-11 squad. Tell that to Houston Baptist. No one gave the men's basketball team a break, not after returning four starters and an All-America Honorable Mention from last year's 19-11 team. Tell that to head coach Dick Hunsaker. Experience, it turns out, isn't the elixir so many oldschool experts claim it is. Utah Valley sports in 201112 have leaned as much (and sometimes more) on the youth of their rosters to gut out key wins. Senior guard Isiah Williams came up big last week with 11 second-half points, but without sophomore guard Holton Hunsaker's 16 first-half points, Williams' production wouldn't have mattered. Ironically, the women's soccer team's most productive player Natalie Young. The redshirt sophomore topped the team in goals (12) and assists (6) and the Wolverines won the Great West Conference regular season and tournament championships. The volleyball team got its points from seniors Jaicee Kuresa, Chelsey Heaps and Sarah Clement, but those points were set up by conference Setter of the Year and sophomore Brookelyn Campbell. And while experience isn't everything, youth has shown its own drawbacks. Hunsaker's growing pains are magnified at the point guard position, where he is held accountable for team's offense as well as his own. Ditto for Campbell, who was forced to forge on-court chemistry with Clement and Co. during a brutal non-conference schedule. Perhaps no other team has dealt with both extremes more than the wrestling team. Carried by three senior national qualifiers last year, the 201112 edition has 28 freshmen — and zero seniors. That didn't stop the team from downing Boise State earlier this month, thanks to the accelerated growth of junior Josh Wilson and sophomore Avery Garner. Many of the freshmen are redshirting this season, as head coach Greg Williams hopes what little experience the team does have will be enough to compete and, ultimately, contend. The Wolverines' overwhelming youth, however, has been just as key to lessening the impact of what Williams admitted is a rebuilding phase. In the end, it will probably be Williams the final shot, Wilson getting the big decision win. It is also just as likely that Hunsaker and Garner will be the reasons the seniors' production will matter at all in the first place. CONTACT: JANUARY 30, 2012 WWW.UVUREVIEW.COM Junior Criminal Justice major and established UVU Intramural basketball player, had this to say concerning practice. "We don't need practice," Hansen said. "We all spent two years together playin' ball in Miami and we'd take on (and beat) all corners. I'm of the Allen Iverson school of thought. It's all about the games, baby." Was Hansen referring to his time as a college player at Miami University, or even Miami Dade College? The answer is neither. Hansen and the rest of his team, dubbed FFLM (Florida Fort Lauderdale Mission), spent two years of their lives as Mormon missionaries in Southern Florida. Basketball was an occasional treat for them, a way for them to relieve stress amidst their busy schedule. But now basketball is serious business. The nine members of FFLM have varying degrees of basketball experience, but they are united in their purpose to win every game. Unfortunately for FFLM, their long winning streak in Miami didn't translate to the intramural courts. In the UVU Intramural opener, they were pitted against the deceptively named Benchwarmers. FFLM started the game in a 2-3 zone and the Benchwarmers laid down a barrage of three-pointers, opening a large lead in the first half of play. For FFLM, the lack of practice time showed. Their offense was stagnant and their defense was repeatedly torched by the backcourt of the Benchwarmers. Visions of an undefeated I NTRAM URALS B2 Reserves need to step up play Starters are producing, but bench is lacking By JONATHAN BOLDT Asst. Sports Editor There is nothing in sports quite like the emotions that are evoked by the senses. The smell of freshly cut grass and the sight of morning dew glistening in the early morning sunlight immediately bring to mind the joy of stepping on to the field for the season's first practice. On the other hand, some emotions are preferred left not experienced. Nothing brings a flood of emotions like hearing, "You're benched!" However, the bench can be a coach's best friend, instilling confidence and peace of mind. When not performing, the bench can make for a long season, as well. Wolverines head bas- ketball coach Dick Hunsaker is experiencing the whole range of emotions with this year's squad as he attempts to make his reserves a reliable weapon. As UVU continues Great West Conference action, Hunsaker is looking for :.,, fIV-4 ; 41111 UVU CHICAGO ST. Afr. 65 56 more consistent production and effort off the pine. For the season, the bench has averaged 18.9 points per game and has looked stronger as of late, scoring 19 against North Dakota and 23 against Saint Mary. That all went out the window in Thursday night's four-point effort against Chicago State, and Hunsaker came out with a strong response. "It's hard to have a team like that," Hunsaker said. "It's very frustrating. Bench play is such a crucial aspect of having a quality team that has some consistency in its play. It certainly was glaring that we didn't have that productivity tonight, no question. We won't win many games with that kind of effort." Hunsaker has been leaning heavily on his starters for scoring, with the starting five accounting for a shade under 75 percent of the offense. Alfonzo Hubbard has taken on the role of sixth man and leads a second unit that has been tightened up as the Wolverines roll through GWC action. "Hubbard is really get- RESERVES B3 Conference play no cake-walk for Wolverines Plo By KEVIN OLSEN Sports Writer After Utah Valley's 65-56 will on Thursday night, head coach Dick Hunsaker defined a general cry among Great West Conference teams in regards to the start of conference play. "It's a new season once conference play starts," Hunsaker said. -11 1' 1•••=11111111111=1110 -- PHOTO COURTESY OF UVU ATHLETIC DEPT. Backup big man Rory Fannon impressed in the Wolverines' 72-64 win over North Dakota, but just four days later the head coach Dick Hunsaker called out the reserves' effort in a lackluster victory against Chicago State. "And teams are certainly emotional and geared up to play their best." UVU honored the mantra with a perfect conference record after Thursday night's game against Chicago State, but it also certainly explains the energy that CSU brought to Utah Valley's home court on Thursday night despite a record of 2-17. During the first half, Chicago State held the Wol- verines to 34.4 percent shooting. Yet The Wolverines won't get comfortable despite the record as they see areas of improvement. The most notable aspect of the first half against CSU was the offense of senior guard Isiah Williams. Last year's All-American Honorable Mention was pressed by Chicago's defense from the CONFERENCE B3 Former Purdue wrestler sees better opportunity in Orem Smith left Boilermakers hoping to make impact By ALEX RIVERA Sports Writer There is an old adage that says, "Opportunity is knocking on your door." According to UVU wrestler Ethan Smith, he knocked on opportunity's door. "I saw opportunities here," Smith said. "I saw a lot of potential where I can succeed and reach college goals I had wrestling here in Utah." Smith was raised in Utah after being born in Albion, Mich. He grew up in the Utah wrestling program, becoming a four-year varsity letter-winner at Wasatch High School as well as a twotime Utah State High School Champion, winning individual state titles as a senior and junior. Although he grew up in Utah, he was recruited by Purdue and spent the 20102011 season there as a redshirt. Although Purdue was a more well-known program than Utah Valley, Smith believes there is more of a perk, as well as an opportunity, to wrestle for the Wolverines. "[Purdue] is really intense, it seems," Smith said. "It seems like there's a lot more pressure there because there is a lot more tradition there that you are expected to back up. Where here, it's something we're creating. We're trying to create to have that tradition." Smith is one of the 24 freshmen on UVU's wrestling team, which he thinks will bring more opportunities to compete. "It gives you an opportunity to show everybody what you've got," Smith said. "Just being a freshman, you're not as known. Your name is not SMITH B2 PHOTO BY LANCE LARSEN/UVU REVIEW Ethan Smith became a high-profile recruit after dominating at Wasatch High School in Utah, but his experience at Purdue left him wanting for more opportunities. Online only at UVUREVIEW.COM Men's Basketball The Wolverines hopes to stay undefeated heading into Saturday's game against Great West Conference foe New Jersey Institute of Technology. Look for the inside scoop from Jonathan Boldt. Wrestling The nationally recognized UVU wrestling program took on Northern Iowa Friday night. Look for exclusive coverage from the Review staff as the Wolverines look for another conference win. SPORTS EDITOR ASST. SPORTS EDITOR SPORTS DESIGNER petersensports@gmail.com jonboldt@gmail.com gonzamatic@gmail.com MATT PETERSEN JONATHAN BOLDT ERIC GONZALEZ Women's Basketball Utah Valley hopes to get back above .500 in conference play as they continue their Eastern road swing. Look for results from their game against NJIT on Saturday. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER! @UVU_SPORTSDESK |