Whoopie Cushion Guy

February 21 Stadiumjourney.com is a website that rates and reviews the many different professional and college stadiums and arenas throughout the U.S. One of their most recent reviews was of Weber State's Dee Events Center. David Mortimer, the author of the review, gave the Purple Palace a pleasant four out of five

stars, mentioning things like the student section's "Turn over, Turn over, You Suck!" chant to easy access to the arena to the Whoopie Cushion Guy in the student section for his high praise. Since Whoopie Cushion Guy, also known as Joey Puntasecca, was mentioned twice in the review and seems to be a major reason for the four-star rating, WeberHoops.com caught up with him and asked him a few questions about himself and his take on the basketball experience one can have at the DEC. WeberHoops: So how long have you been going to Weber State Basketball Games? Whoopie Cushion Guy: I am a junior. WH: Why did you start wearing the Whoopie Cushion costume to the games? WCG: Well, one of the photographers (Paul "Paul Parazzi" Turnblom) brought it (during the Idaho State home game) and had it laying down on the railing across the first row, and I was leaning on it and didn't know what it was so I picked it up and thought it was hilarious so I put it on to stand out and for something different! Weber doesn't have enough "Crazy" fans, and I like being different. WH: What is your favorite part about the games? WCG: My favorite part about the games is to yell really loud at the other team and try to get into their heads. WH: What has been your favorite moment in the Dee Events Center? WCG: My favorite moment in the Dee Events Center this season was when we broke Northern Colorado's undefeated streak. WH: What do you think would make the Weber State basketball watching experience even better? WCG: If there were more crazy fans like me, and the students were excited to go and watch the team, so that we could fill the student section and everyone yell really loud. WH: What would you tell other students to convince them to come to the games? WCG: I would show them my costume, show them how much fun I have, and share that experience with them and persuade them into coming and joining me. We are already in talks about what other costumes will show up next season!!

WSU Senior, Trevor Morris

February 4 Since we've done a Q&A with several of the under-classman on this year's team and we are now already 2/3rds the way through the season, I figured it was time to get to know the Wildcat veterans a little better. This year's Wildcat team has only 2 seniors, and Trevor Morris is the only one who has been on the team for four years. For the first three years of his career here at Weber, Morris contributed as a solid back-up to center, Steve Panos. This year Morris has been given the starting job and has not disappointed.

He has had several double-digit games, including a 16 point, 7 rebound and 2 block game in a 65-61 victory over Seattle University. His most recent heroics came in Weber's most recent home game against UM. Morris had a career-high 17 points. Against UNC he had 10 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks and a steal. While Scott Bamforth's half-court buzzer-beater shot got all the media attention and video posts on Facebook, maybe the next best play of the game was Morris's second block. With under a minute to play and the game tied a UNC player had what looked like an easy dunk that would have put the Bears up by two. But Morris was having none of that. He came out of nowhere and knocked the ball out of the UNC's players hands and left the guy hanging on the rim while the ball ended up in Weber's hands. Here is the recent Q&A with Morris. Enjoy. WeberHoops: How have you enjoyed your time in Ogden at Weber State? Trevor Morris: I've really enjoyed my time here at Weber State. It has allowed me to explore other areas of interest that span outside of the gym. And the success that we've had as a program on the court has been an amazing experience as well. WH: What's your major? TMO: I'm a History Teaching major with a P.E./Coaching minor WH: What's something about you Weber State fans might not know? Hobbies, nicknames, etc.? TMO: Fan's might not know that Bullinger and myself are very good friends and in the off season we take trips to his home state of Wyoming and go on fishing and hiking trips. WH: I'm dying to know. Have any of the young freshman dunked on you in practice yet? (After that monster block against UNC on Saturday, I would imagine not.) TMO: Haha that is a good question. We have two big freshman this year in Tresnak and Hajek and they've tried but I've been lucky enough to escape being dunk on, so far at least! WH: As a 4th year Senior on a fairly young team, how would you explain your role on the team? TMO: I try and be a leader. As you may know, I'm not the most vocal person, so I've had to challenge myself everyday to try and talk to the new guys and just be positive, but I've always believed that one should lead my example. So i try and go out everyday, practice or game, and give it my all. Hopefully they can take some good things from that. WH: What do you think it is going to take to go to NCAA tournament this year? TMO: Even though we've been through a lot of adversity with some guys getting hurt and what not, we all have confidence in our own ability, and we know that to make it to where we want to be, we just have to keep working hard and getting better everyday. We learn new things about ourselves and our team everyday, so we just have to keep challenging ourselves and if we do that we'll have an opportunity to be where we want to be at the end of the year.

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

Weber State Goes to Boston

My little brother, Andrew, lives in Boston and was able to attend the recent Weber State v. Boston College football game. He wrote this blog for me.

WSU at Boston College

September 6 Heavy rains descended on Boston Friday night and into the early hours of Saturday morning, but by the time most New Englanders woke up, Hurricane Earl had left only clear skies, dry air and a blistering heat in its wake. The Weber State Wildcats made the 2,091 mile trek from Ogden to Boston a few days earlier to face the Boston College Eagles. BC fans didn�t seem too worried about their season opener. "I've never even heard of 'Wehbah State' before," was often said in regard to the game, "aren't they division 1?" Turns out, they didn't have much to worry about, as the Eagles pounced the Wildcats, 38-20. But the Wildcats didn't go down without a fight, and put on quite a game, gaining some respect from BC and its fans. Offensively they looked sharp. Despite being under constant pressure from BC's defensive line, Wildcat quarterback

Cameron Higgins played quite well completing 24/39 for 234 yards. He scrambled and found open receivers on several occasions. Unfortunately the pass game turned out to be Weber State's only edge. The Eagle's defensive line looked a lot like the Colonial forces during the first two advances by the British Regulars at the Battle of Bunker Hill (which took place 10 miles from BC's Alumni Stadium), allowing Weber to only run 104 yards on 39 carries. On the other side of the ball, BC was able to run for 188 yards on only 33 carries. Giant holes opened up in Weber's defense allowing BC to do some serious damage on the ground. Mental errors (Weber had 9 penalties, many of them false starts) and some key turnovers, including fumbling the ball in BC territory and an interception that was returned for a touchdown, didn't help Weber either. Weber State didn't give up. With less than two minutes remaining, Weber recovered a fumble and was able to score one last touchdown. And with 19 seconds remaining, down by 18, Weber still fought on, attempting an onside kick (which didn't recover). Overall the game was a good start to the Wildcat season. They can go back west having gained some valuable experience and with confidence that they will be a force to be reckoned with this year.

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.

Getting to Know Scott Bamforth

Weberhoops.com is excited to see what Scott Bamforth, JC transfer out of Western Nebraska CC, will bring to this year's squad. The only JC transfer in this year's recruiting class, Bamforth comes highly touted. Bamforth was planning on playing his sophomore year with Western Nebraska before a season-ending elbow injury prevented that from happening. While this was most likely devastating to him, it can be seen as a positive for the 'Cats. Now, instead of having Bamforth for only 2 years, Weber will have him for 3. In Bamforth's freshman year for Western Nebraska, he played great, averaging over 18 points per game with a 45.5% field goal percentage; he shot 41% from behind the arc, sinking 88 thee-pointers; and he was an 80% free throw shooter. If this these stats carry over to DI basketball, Bamforth will be a familiar and exciting face on the court for the next three years.

I sent Bamforth a few questions via email and he was kind enough to respond. Enjoy!

Weber Hoops: How has your summer been? Did you get to do anything fun?

Scott Bamforth: My summer has been pretty good, I've just been working out and getting ready for the season to come. I've been taking some summer classes so my summer hasn't been to exciting, but I think it has been very productive.

WH: Your Facebook status says you are engaged. Congratulations! When is the wedding?

SB: Yea I am engaged and our wedding is planned for July 15th, 2011 so it should be an exciting experience in my life and we are really excited.

WH: How do you and Kendra like Ogden?

SB: Me and Kendra are excited to be out here in Ogden. We have enjoyed our summer so far. Ogden is a place that reminds us of our hometowns, which Kendra is from Denver and I am from Albuquerque, so we are familiar with having mountains really close to us.

WH: What is your major?

SB: My major is Human Performance Management.

WH: Can you tell us something about you that the Weber fans probably don't know? Hobbies, nicknames, anything like that?

SB: When I'm not playing basketball or working out, I enjoy playing video games and watching movies. I also enjoy going home and seeing my family whenever I get the chance to because they are the ones who helped me get to where I am at in my life.

WH: Last year you suffered an elbow injury. How is it feeling now?

SB: My elbow is pretty much back to 100%; it has been a long process and going through surgery wasn't the funnest thing to do but I feel I have worked hard to get back to normal and I am ready to get the season going.

WH: How do you see yourself fitting in with the team this year? What do you see your role being?

SB: This year I think we have a great chance to be very good. I think that the returning players will be ready to get back at it, especially after the hard loss that they went through at the end of the season last year. We have all been working hard, getting ready for the season and I think all of this hard work is going to pay off. I see myself fitting in really good with the team and I am willing to take on any role that I can. I can't predict what role I will have as of now, but I think that as practice starts and the season comes closer, I will be able to find my role and help the team win.

WH: There are going to be a lot of young, new players on the court this year. Do you have an idea of which ones will step up and get some playing time?

SB: I think that there are going to be a lot of new, young players who will step up and play good this year. But like I said before, as the season comes around each one of us will be able to identify our roles and we will be able to try and help this team get to where we want to go. I think that everybody on the team will have to step up if we want to win, and I think we have the talent and willingness to do that, so I am really excited.