DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - For three years, center Luke Nevill has tormented fans by alternating flashes of basketball brilliance for the Utah Utes with moments of maddening mediocrity. For every emphatic dunk, it seemed, there was a missed layup. For every rebound, a smaller opponent muscling him out of the way.
Perhaps, finally, that's all starting to change.
The 7-foot-2 senior is off to the best start of his college career, and will lead the Utes against Mississippi tonight in the Glenn Wilkes Classic on the strength of back-toback dominating performances to begin the season - something he had never accomplished before, regardless of the level of competition.
"He's grown as a player," coach Jim Boylen said.
Off the court, in fact, as much as on it.
Coach and player both said Nevill made a much greater effort to bond with his teammates during the offseason - until then, they had never been especially close - which has improved their relationship on the floor.
What's more, Nevill has begun to feel the end of his college days inevitably approaching, and he wants to conclude them by becoming a top pick in the NBA Draft.
"This is my last year, so I have to go out strong," he said. "It just kind of occurred to me. A couple of times, my junior or sophomore year, I just kind of got it into my head that, 'Oh, I have another year to make it up. I have another year to make it up.' Well . . . it's my last year, so every game counts. I'm just going to go at it as hard as I can."
To be sure, Nevill always has said the right things, about playing hard and wanting to win. He just hasn't always looked on the floor as if he really meant them.
So far this season, though, he has looked renewed and determined.
Though he missed a halfdozen free throws in the season-opening loss to Division II Southwest Baptist, he finished with 20 points and 14 rebounds before going for 28 and 14 - he's shooting 64 percent, up from 53.5 percent last season - in a victory over Wisconsin-Green Bay. He enjoyed a significant height advantage in both of those games, but he almost always does, and that hasn't always translated into strong performances in the past.
In fact, Nevill had never enjoyed even back-to-back 20-point games while also grabbing at least 10 rebounds in each. And it's the rebounding that has pleased Boylen the most.
"You know I've asked him to rebound, rebound, rebound, and he's doing it," Boylen said. "He's big, he can run, he can catch. He should be able to rebound, and that's what we talk about him doing."
Utah vs. Mississippi
Where: Ocean Center, Daytona Beach, Fla.
Tipoff: 4:30 p.m. MST
Radio: 103.1 FM
Records: Utah 1-1; Mississippi 2-0
Series: First meeting
Line: Mississippi by 2
About the Utes: Playing the second of three games in five days, they're making their longest road trip of the season to the Glenn Wilkes Classic. . . . Junior F Kim Tillie is averaging 8.5 rebounds per game.
About the Rebels: They're averaging 77 points after wins over Arkansas State and South Alabama. . . . Junior G David Huertas leads the team by averaging 25.5 points.
