This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
St. Louis • Weber State senior forward Joel Bolomboy caught the eye of Xavier coach Chris Mack prior to Friday night's NCAA Tournament game at the Scottrade Center.
"They have a big-time front court," Mack said, "and it all starts with Bolomboy."
Asked if Xavier faced a similar player this season, Mack said, "I don't think he reminds me of anyone. I don't think there's anyone out there with his size, skill and athleticism. … He's just a very difficult matchup."
Mack knows Bolomboy, a lightly recruited player coming out of high school, transformed himself into a prime-time player.
"He was a young colt," Mack said. "… He didn't know what he was doing. He was athletic but couldn't really hold his position and didn't have any go-to moves. Now look at him. He's going to get a lot of NBA looks because of [his] development."
On his improvement, Bolomboy said, "I came in at 205 pounds. I was really long, lanky, skinny. Just athletic. I was really raw. Over the years I've been able to put on 35 pounds — all muscle. I increased my vertical. I've gotten better, stronger, faster, more explosive every year. And my confidence has gone up."
Rahe roots are down
Coach Randy Rahe has had chances to leave for bigger programs over the past 10 years, but he's stayed at Weber State.
"I grew up on a farm," he said. "I'm not the best basketball coach or the smartest guy in the world. But [I] kind of figured out how to try and do things right. It just feels comfortable to me here and the support that we get from our administration is outstanding.
"They support our program. They give us what we need to be successful. We don't ask for much but, when we do, they're there to help us. The community is the same way. Very supportive. To me, it's just very comfortable."
The feeling is mutual.
"I do exit interview with players," athletic director Jerry Bovee said, "and it's a special situation when a coach can be demanding and hold them to high accountability and those players will still run through walls for him. They don't leave here saying anything derogatory about the coach."
Adidas extends contract
Weber State announced Friday it has signed a seven-year contract extension with Adidas, a Portland, Oregon-based company that will continue to be the school's supplier of athletic footwear, apparel and accessories. The partnership, which began in 2002, will now run through 2021-22.
Twitter: @sluhm