SUU basketball: Talent upgrade has Reid, T-birds optimistic

Cedar City » Three years after taking the job as Southern Utah men's basketball coach, Roger Reid says he finally has his guys in place.

Translation? The Thunderbirds may be ready to make some noise.

SUU, which begins preseason practice today, was 11-20 overall and 8-10 in the Summit League last season. But Reid believes that if the core of four returning lettermen and a talented group of newcomers meshes, the T-birds will take a step forward this season.

"There will be ups and downs," said Reid, whose résumé includes a long, mostly successful stint at Brigham Young University and several years with the NBA's Phoenix Suns. "But we're starting with a good base of talent. We're a young basketball team, but we've definitely upgraded the talent this year. We have better shooters, we have better size and we're better athletically.

The T-birds are young, Reid acknowledged. "How well we do will depend on how fast our young players can mature."

Senior Davis Baker and sophomore Jake Nielsen, SUU's two returning starters, will lead the Thunderbirds this season. Baker was one of the nation's top shooters last season, averaging 17.4 points per game; Nielsen earned a starting spot midway through last season and emerged as one of SUU's most exciting players on both ends of the court.