The Weber State University men’s basketball won the Big Sky Conference Championship this season, and made its first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2007.
Much of that success came from the strong leadership the team had. One of those leaders was senior Kyle Tresnak.
The Scottsdale, Ariz., native made his way to Ogden four years ago to fulfill his desire to play Division 1 college basketball. His decision to come to WSU was due largely in part to head coach Randy Rahe.
“The relationship I built with Coach Rahe was one of the biggest reasons I came here,” Tresnak said. “He came to every one of my AAU games, and it showed me that he really wanted me here and that he believed in me.”
Rahe reciprocated Tresnak’s admiration when talking about Tresnak’s time at WSU.
“Kyle is a poster child for what our program is about — character, work ethic, selflessness and a great teammate,” Rahe said. “In his four years here, Kyle never had a bad day. He gave his best every practice and every game. Kyle is a winner, and I am proud to have had the opportunity to coach him.”
Like many other college athletes, Tresnak set goals early on in his college career and has exceeded most of them.
“Coming in, my goal was just to play,” he said. “My freshman year, I had the opportunity to play and had some good games, but I also had that year to learn, then take what I learned that year and put it towards my sophomore year when I started.”
Tresnak’s learning and development was apparent from year to year. Tresnak’s aspiration to get better in all facets of his game kept him improving throughout his WSU career.
“I don’t notice (my improvement) as much,” Tresnak said, “but when people see me from season to season, they tell me how much of a difference there is. I see the slight progress every time I work out.”
Tresnak’s hard work paid off. He has twice earned Big Sky All-Conference honors and was named to this year’s Big Sky All-Conference Tournament team.
Tresnak also made history during his senior campaign, becoming the first player in WSU basketball with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 100 blocks in a career.
“It’s an honor,” he said of the record. “I wouldn’t be able to have those numbers without my teammates. Because of the position I play, I need to rely on my teammates to get me the ball in the post. It’s crazy to think about because there has been such a long line of great players that have come through here. It’s a weird feeling.”
Tresnak said there is plenty he will miss when his days at WSU are over, but the fans especially have left their mark on him.
“I’ll miss the fans, because we have some great fans here,” he said. “All the relationships I’ve built during the four years I’ve been here are going to be the biggest thing I’m going to miss.”