Old Neighbors Threaten Boylen and His New Team
When coach Jim Boylen and his Utah Utes take the floor today to meet the No. 19 Oregon Ducks, he will see a couple of familiar faces preparing to do their best against him.
Oregon's Tajuan Porter and Malik Hairston.
The 5-foot-6 sophomore point guard and 6-6 senior forward are among the five Duck starters who average double-figures -- Porter averages 15.7 points and Hairston averages 17.9 -- and both are from Renaissance High School in Detroit, where Boylen became familiar with them during his time as an assistant coach at nearby Michigan State.
"You always keep an eye on the kids from your area," he said.
Though Boylen said the Spartans did not recruit either player -- which seems dubious, considering how heralded they were in high school -- he said he knows first-hand that they're awfully dangerous.
Porter and Hairston played together on the 2004 Renaissance team that went 27-0, won a state championship and ranked No. 3 in the nation by USA Today. Two years later, after Hairston had left as one of the nation's highest-profile recruits, Porter led the team to another state title. He made an Oregon record 110 three-pointers last season, and was named the most outstanding player in the Pac-10 Conference tournament.
"Tajuan Porter was terrific," Boylen recalled. "I saw him in the state finals and, you know, big-time player and athlete. Played in our gym in the summer. He's a great kid, and I wish those guys success."
Except today, anyway.
"They're good players," Boylen said. The Ducks "have a lot of guys with ball skills, a lot of guys who can shoot. Multiple ball-handlers. They play loose -- not in a negative way, in a good way. They play loose and they play off each other and they do a really good job."
Oregon's Tajuan Porter and Malik Hairston.
The 5-foot-6 sophomore point guard and 6-6 senior forward are among the five Duck starters who average double-figures -- Porter averages 15.7 points and Hairston averages 17.9 -- and both are from Renaissance High School in Detroit, where Boylen became familiar with them during his time as an assistant coach at nearby Michigan State.
"You always keep an eye on the kids from your area," he said.
Though Boylen said the Spartans did not recruit either player -- which seems dubious, considering how heralded they were in high school -- he said he knows first-hand that they're awfully dangerous.
Porter and Hairston played together on the 2004 Renaissance team that went 27-0, won a state championship and ranked No. 3 in the nation by USA Today. Two years later, after Hairston had left as one of the nation's highest-profile recruits, Porter led the team to another state title. He made an Oregon record 110 three-pointers last season, and was named the most outstanding player in the Pac-10 Conference tournament.
"Tajuan Porter was terrific," Boylen recalled. "I saw him in the state finals and, you know, big-time player and athlete. Played in our gym in the summer. He's a great kid, and I wish those guys success."
Except today, anyway.
"They're good players," Boylen said. The Ducks "have a lot of guys with ball skills, a lot of guys who can shoot. Multiple ball-handlers. They play loose -- not in a negative way, in a good way. They play loose and they play off each other and they do a really good job."
posted by www.sltrib.com @ 12:03 PM |
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