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Viewpoint 1/30: Pay attention to WSU basketball, Utah news

The Weber State University men’s basketball team is the best in the state. Our sports staff has established this in numerous columns. The team itself has established this by the way it plays in every game.

WSU is undefeated in Big Sky Conference play. If it keeps on this track and performs well in the Big Sky Tournament, the ‘Cats will head to March Madness and compete in the big tournament. WSU has a chance.

The Brigham Young University, University of Utah and Utah State University basketball teams don’t have the best chance (if they have any chance at all) to make it to the big tournament. The Utes have a 5-16 record. They don’t just lose games; they get slaughtered in them. Basically, these schools do not deserve the media attention they receive.

The teams from these schools are not performing at the level that WSU is. The other morning, as a major news entity’s broadcast was on (the news entity shall remain nameless), it showed highlights from the U of U vs. University of California Los Angeles game (in which the Utes were stomped on, by the way) and highlights from the USU game, and gave a brief about the BYU game.

That news entity said, “Weber State beat Sacramento State 75-60.” That was it. No “that was their 10th-straight win,” or “They are still leading the Big Sky Conference,” or even “Damian Lillard had 21 points.” All WSU got was an “Oh, by the way, they won.”

Another recently heard conversation from the news about Utah basketball teams was that the big three — BYU, U of U and USU — were not going to make it to the big dance in March. Why is that the main focus? That those schools are not going to make it to March Madness? Why wasn’t it that WSU is going to make it there?

WSU is one of the most focused teams in the state. If a player wants to go late at night to get extra shooting practice, usually that player has to go find the lights, find the balls and set up the court for themselves. Not at WSU. If Scott Bamforth wanted to go and shoot late at night, he wouldn’t have to do that stuff, because most of the other players would already be there, getting in some extra practice time.

This team is not selfish. They are all focused toward the same and only goal, which is to win. They are tight on and off the court. They’re one of the best basketball teams because they work so well together. It’s incredibly rare to have a team as focused and selfless as this team is.

Damian Lillard leads the nation in scoring. If he played for the U of U, BYU, North Carolina University or Gonzaga University, he would be getting constant attention. He would have a daily featured spot on SportsCenter every day. But because he plays at little, unknown WSU, he gets a “by the way, Weber State won.”

WSU deserves more attention in the local media. Just because we play for a smaller conference doesn’t mean we are any less important. Honestly, what person wants to hear about the Utes losing by 30 again and again, when Lillard scores 30 points a game again and again? WSU wins comfortably every single game and gets zero attention.

It’s ridiculous we get no attention. Wake up, Utah, and pay close attention, because the Wildcats are going places.

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