After two months of play the UVU men’s basketball team sits at 8-8 with a month remaining in the teams 2008-09 campaign. Heading into the season the Wolverines appeared to be a possible 20-win team. As that goal appears bleak the question remains as to whether the team has underachieved so far.
Florida’s Urban Meyer was given a Gatorade shower after his team won the BCS title game last week. Tim Tebow, Florida’s Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, sat at the pulpit following the game and declared his team the number one team in the nation. While that statement may be true, it’s definitely not undisputed.
Late in the second half of Utah Valley’s Dec. 13 69-50 loss to Utah State, chants of “Orem High School… Orem High School” echoed throughout the McKay Center. The chant, led by a portly Utah State student in the Aggies’ fan section, was icing on the cake as the Aggies stomped all over the Wolverines.
When Christmas music filters through speakers in the mall and every department store within the realm of civilization, it means something is just around the corner for college football fans — bowl week. While Hanukkah has eight wonderful days of celebration and Christmas will finish 2008 with a bang, the college football bowl games make the holiday season long lasting and enjoyable.
A team with an All-American, several returning starters and a home court advantage that resulted in an undefeated run in the McKay Center last season isn’t suppose to start out the year with a loss. But that’s exactly what happened to the Wolverines. After dropping their only exhibition game to Fort Lewis at home 82-53 the Wolverines should have taken notice.
Even with the opening of a new Cinemark movie theater at the University Mall and the rowdy nightlife Utah County has to offer, the best bet for entertainment could be right inside the McKay Center at UVU. With the men’s and women’s basketball seasons now underway, you can see the performance of a lifetime as Ryan Toolson and Robyn Fairbanks take the floor for their respective teams.
Riding on the emotional wave of senior night and the confidence of a superior home record, the Wolverines finished off the Houston Baptist Huskies in a three-set sweep. The lone senior for the Wolverines, Kristi Lindley did her part in securing the victory with a .
It’s no secret that Utah Valley’s basketball season hinges on the performance of senior Ryan Toolson — he’ll see double teams every time he sets foot on the court. It’s also no secret that a solid second option has yet to be established. So, how will coach Dick Hunsaker and the Wolverines keep this season from becoming a Snow White parody? “Ryan is a special player and it’s a real treat to have him at Utah Valley,” Hunsaker said.
A year ago the lady Wolverines floundered through the regular season posting a minimal four wins, a feat barely warranting recognition. However, a strong showing in the United Soccer Conference Tournament resulted in the team hoisting the trophy in celebration.
The fast-paced, action-packed show that is arena football is coming to Utah Valley and will play in the McKay Center starting in March of 2009. The UV Thunder will compete in the Arena Indoor Football Association under the tutelage of first-year head coach Chad DeGrenier, who played in the Arena League for seven years.
With the frailty of the economy and the uncertainty in the stock market, the safest investment to put your whole soul into is sports. In a controlled setting you can invest your time, attention and passion into something you have no control over without the risk of substantial loss.
It’s not midnight madness, but the men?s and women?s basketball teams will be introduced and put on display in a meet-the-team event to be held Saturday Oct. 18, 2:00 p.m. at the Activities Center. Kicking things off the teams will have a scrimmage to showcase their skills before a free youth basketball clinic, and photo and autograph opportunities will cap things off.
It’s no secret that UVU and its students miss out on the school-spirit-building euphoria that is college football. The lack of a football team on campus has been tackled numerous times and status on the issue remains the same: don’t hold your breath. In the meantime, however, there is no better way to spend your Saturday than taking it all in on a national level.
Though UVU’s athletic teams have struggled on the road this season, their efforts at home have yielded significant success. At week’s end, both the women’s soccer and volleyball teams were undefeated at home, something that hasn’t always been the case for the Wolverines.
What once was a team that was unbeatable at home and first in the Western Conference standings is now holding on to secure a playoff spot as Real Salt Lake enters the final stretch of the season. In last weeks 1-0 loss, Chivas USA snapped RSL’s home-unbeaten streak and dropped them from second in the west down into the middle of the tightly contested conference.
