Jordan Richardson, WSU Freshman

October 18 When considering the outlook of Weber State men's basketball, one thing is certain: as long as we have Damian Lillard leading the team, the 'Cats will be a dominant force in the Big Sky Conference. But what happens when Lillard gets his diploma? Will the 'Cats still be able to dominate? And the question that maybe we should ask that will help answer these questions is, Is there a point guard already in the program that will be able to take over and run the team the way Lillard has?

When Jordan Richardson signed his letter-of-intent in November of 2009, the Wildcats may have found the man who will be able to run the team when Lillard moves on. Richardson attended Merrill West High School in Northern California where he averaged around 22 points per game as a senior. ESPN said the following of Richardson's skill set: "Richardson has all the physical attributes to play at the Division I level. He has a chiseled physique with solid speed, quickness, and bounce. His strong frame allows him to finish in the paint area and he loves to push it in transition." With this skill set, it is no wonder why Rahe recruited the kid. The rumors are that he will not red-shirt this year and will see some playing time. While it may be hard for him to see much time playing behind Lillard, Hughey, and JC transfer Bamforth, it will be interesting to see how Rahe plays him and how well he fits into the system as a true freshman. Below is a short Q&A he was kind enough to take the time to do with Weberhoops.com. Weber Hoops: How was your summer? Did you get to do anything fun? Jordan Richardson: My summer was pretty good, I didn't really do anything interesting, was working out the whole time. WH: How do you like college life so far? Is it anything like you expected? JR: I like it a lot so far. It's not like anything I expected though; you are busy all the time with school and basketball. WH: What is your favorite class so far? JR: I really don't have a favorite class right now. lol WH: Have you decided on a major yet? JR: I'm going into communications. WH: What is something about you that Weber fans probably don't know? Any hobbies or nicknames? JR: I like to hang out with my friends and watch movies. Everybody usually calls me Jrich. WH: Have you dunked on Trevor Morris yet? JR: Haha no i haven't yet. WH: I've heard speculation that you probably won't redshirt. What do you see your role being on the team this year? JR: Well it's kind of early to know my role now. I just try to go out and work hard everyday. WH: Now that the team is all back in Ogden and in school, do you guys get together to play ball much? How is the team looking? When do team practices officially start? JR: Yes we play pretty much everyday. Our team is looking really good right now. Official practice starts October 15. WH: How do you like playing with Lillard? Is there anything you think you can learn from playing with him? JR: I like playing with him a lot. It seems like he does everything well. I can learn just knowing how to run a team and our system. By Mark Berger For questions, comments, or thoughts, email me at mark@weberhoops.com

Q&A with Big Man Kyle Tresnak

Kyle Tresnak To Play True Freshman Year

August 29th Last year Weber State lost center Steve Panos to graduation. And this is Trevor Morris's last year as a Wildcat. We all know and expect Darin Mahoney to be a contributor at the center position this year and next, but who has coach Randy Rahe recruited as the next generation center? The answer is 6'10" big-man Kyle Tresnak. Tresnak, like fellow teammates Byron Fulton and Blake Davis, comes to Ogden from Arizona. It appears that this 225 pound freshman will likely see some playing time as a true freshman this year as well. Tresnak played his high school ball at Horizon High School where he proved he could score points (his season high was 30 points), block shots (10 in one game), and rebound (season high was 17). From what we've heard, WeberHoops is confident that Tresnak will be able to fit in nicely at Weber State and will continue its tradition of great centers. I plan on hearing his name mentioned along with great past Weber centers like Valeika, Allred, Patten, and Panos. Here is the Q&A that Tresnak recently did for WeberHoops.com. Weber Hoops: How has your summer been? Do anything fun? Kyle Tresnak: My summer has been great. I didn't really do anything special. I just worked out and hung out with my friends. WH: How much time have you been able to spend in Ogden so far? How have you liked it? KT: I was in Ogden for the month of June. I loved it. WH: What do you plan on majoring in? KT: Business. WH: Did you really swallow a tablespoon of cinnamon? How did that work out for you? KT: Haha. Yes I've done it 4 times. It's not that hard to do. WH: Can you tell us something about you that Weber fans probably don't know? Nicknames, hobbies, etc? KT: I have a brother that is going to NAU. WH: What do you think about joining a team with two Arizona guys already on it? KT: I'm excited. I played on the same AAU team with Blake Davis and watched the both of them through out my high school career. WH: We are glad you signed with Weber State. What helped you make the final decision to come to Weber? KT: The coaches were a main factor in my decision. They offered me my junior year and were always calling me and sending me letters. The players were also a main factor. I really felt like I could fit in when I was on my visit. WH: Any idea on whether you will play or redshirt this year? KT: As of now I am not going to redshirt, but I'm willing to do whatever the coaches want me to do. WH: Have you had the opportunity to work out and play with the other in-coming freshmen? Did anyone stand out to you? Do you have any insight on what we can expect to see out of the freshman class this year? KT: I got to play with them this June. They are solid players and great guys. We'll have to see when the season comes around. For questions, comments, or thoughts, email me at mark@weberhoops.com

Getting to Know Blake Davis

I wrote this for Weberhoops a few weeks ago and forgot to post it here. Enjoy. August 9th It has been almost two years since redshirt freshman, Blake Davis, committed to come to Ogden to play for Coach Randy Rahe and the Wildcats. Now that his redshirt year is over, he is anxious to get out on the court and show Wildcat fans he belongs on a Division I court. And should he catch Rahe's eye, he may very well get good minutes on the court this year.

Minutes from two of the three guard positions will be mostly taken by returning veterans, Damian Lillard and Lindsey Hughey. However, it appears that the third guard position is wide open for one of this year's younger players to claim. And Davis just might be the one to do so. When Davis committed to the Wildcats in September of 2008, Coach Rahe had good things to say. "Blake is a tough, hard-nosed. competitive kid. He plays extremely hard everyday and just knows how to play on both ends of the court." Rahe went on to describe Davis and the recruits he came with. He said, "We are really excited about having these players coming into our program. First off, they are all good students and work hard in the classroom. They are all high character individuals, good citizens and will be good teammates. Each of them has a bright future ahead of them here at Weber State. Davis was kind enough to respond to a few questions I emailed him. Based on his responses, I think Rahe knew what he was talking about. Weber Hoops: How has your summer been? Blake Davis: Summer's been good, and really nice to be home with the fam. WH: Is it true you work on a farm? How did you get that job? Have you always been a farmer? BD: Haha. I went to Oklahoma to visit my mom's side of the family, and while I was out there, I worked on their farm. When I'm at home, I work for my buddy's mom. They have horses, goats, chickens, roosters, pigs, turkeys, and a barn, so I just keep things clean there, and do some handy work. Just pretty much anything that needs fixing. WH: Is there something you can tell WSU fans about yourself that we don't know? Hobbies, nicknames, or anything like that? BD: Haha. I can't think of anything. WH: What have you been doing with basketball this summer? BD: I've been lifting with my strength coach, shooting at my old high school, and playing at different open runs throughout Arizona. WH: Last year you were on the team as a redshirt. This year as a redshirt freshman you will be able to play in games. How exciting is this for you? BD: I'm very excited to be playing this year. It was hard to sit through all those games last year, knowing I wasn't going to be able to get in there and play. Now that I have gone through the redshirt year, I'm glad I did it. But now it's time to get in there and hoop. WH: Have you had the opportunity to meet the incoming freshmen and JC transfer Bamforth yet? BD: I met those guys while I was at Weber for June. They're really good guys, and Kyle Tresnek is actually from Arizona. I work out with him when we are home. WH: There is going to be a lot of youth and inexperienced players on the team this year. Who do you expect to step up and contribute this year? BD: Dame is definitely going to step up and be a key factor in our season. I also think Trev will have a good senior season and bring a lot of leadership. WH: How do you hope to contribute this year? BD: I hope to bring some fire and enthusiasm to the court. Do the little things to help our team win and knock down shots. WH: Can we expect to see Rahe and the Wildcats go dancing this year? BD: Oh yeah definitely.