Even at 6-foot-7, Will Clyburn has such a laid-back demeanor it would be easy for him to get lost in the background of a group. Luckily for the Runnin? Utes, though, Clyburn?s personality isn?t indicative of his playing style. The recent addition is almost always front and center for the mayhem the Utes bring to the basketball court.
Clyburn leads the Utes in scoring and rebounding, averaging 20.3 points and 9.1 boards per game.
His play has become key to the Utes? success with veterans David Foster and Jay Watkins playing limited minutes and with another starter, freshman J.J. O?Brien, sidelined with a stress fracture.
?He is a big-time player for us,? Utah coach Jim Boylen said. ?He scores off the flow of the game, off offensive rebounds and he can make threes. He is the kind of guy who gets to the gym early. There is some chemistry forming between he and Josh Watkins.?
Clyburn said he feels more and more comfortable in Boylen?s system and is growing into the role of a team leader.
?I?m adjusting to the team and the coaching staff,? he said. ?I?m starting to learn how everyone plays. I?m still trying to get the system down and I want to be a great teammate.?
The adjustment to Utah is going especially well, considering Clyburn never imagined he would be playing basketball this far west. A Detroit native, Clyburn always imagined he would play for Michigan or Michigan State one day, not against the Wolverines, as he will when the Utes play Friday night at Michigan.
However, those hopes never panned out and Clyburn instead attended Marshalltown Community College in Iowa, where he proved to be a late bloomer. Average stats evolved into big numbers, and soon Clyburn was garnering interest from programs that had passed him by as a high school player.
Boylen was aware of Clyburn, thanks to contacts he developed during his time as an assistant at Michigan State. Clyburn chose the Utes over Iowa State, Saint Louis and Wichita State.
Why? Utah?s style of play, he said.
?They get up and down the floor and that fits me,? he said. ?I try to be a great teammate and bring a lot of energy and scoring ability. I want to win and that makes me go hard.?
His play is inspiring others to work hard, too, said teammate Chris Kupets.
?He makes the game easier because when we find him, he?s going to make shots and make plays,? Kupets said. ?Then he can find us and it?s just back and forth for the good of the team.?
A willingness to get a little banged up and do some banging is just the kind of player Boylen felt he needed to add to the Utes? roster when he was recruiting Clyburn. Perhaps what he didn?t know was he was also getting a player with some leadership skills. As quiet as Clyburn seems off the court, he still has developed into one of the team?s instrumental players off the court too, Boylen said.
?He is a leader in the locker room,? Boylen said. ?He believes in the system and how we do things. During timeouts, when Will speaks up to a guy or challenges a guy, they listen. He is a voice and that defines leaders, that is what you want and we haven?t had that.?
The Utes haven?t had someone who has Clyburn?s consistent scoring abilities either. Even though he is no longer an unknown factor for the Utes, Clyburn continues to befuddle opponents, such as his effort in Utah?s 67-60 win over Pepperdine in which he finished with 23 points, 13 rebounds and seven steals.
?He?s a special player and he?s a special kid,? Boylen said. ?He?s a coachable kid. He?s a sponge for coaching and correction and, when your heart is in the right place, good things happen for you.?
Clyburn leads the Utes in scoring and rebounding, averaging 20.3 points and 9.1 boards per game.
His play has become key to the Utes? success with veterans David Foster and Jay Watkins playing limited minutes and with another starter, freshman J.J. O?Brien, sidelined with a stress fracture.
?He is a big-time player for us,? Utah coach Jim Boylen said. ?He scores off the flow of the game, off offensive rebounds and he can make threes. He is the kind of guy who gets to the gym early. There is some chemistry forming between he and Josh Watkins.?
Clyburn said he feels more and more comfortable in Boylen?s system and is growing into the role of a team leader.
?I?m adjusting to the team and the coaching staff,? he said. ?I?m starting to learn how everyone plays. I?m still trying to get the system down and I want to be a great teammate.?
The adjustment to Utah is going especially well, considering Clyburn never imagined he would be playing basketball this far west. A Detroit native, Clyburn always imagined he would play for Michigan or Michigan State one day, not against the Wolverines, as he will when the Utes play Friday night at Michigan.
However, those hopes never panned out and Clyburn instead attended Marshalltown Community College in Iowa, where he proved to be a late bloomer. Average stats evolved into big numbers, and soon Clyburn was garnering interest from programs that had passed him by as a high school player.
Boylen was aware of Clyburn, thanks to contacts he developed during his time as an assistant at Michigan State. Clyburn chose the Utes over Iowa State, Saint Louis and Wichita State.
Why? Utah?s style of play, he said.
?They get up and down the floor and that fits me,? he said. ?I try to be a great teammate and bring a lot of energy and scoring ability. I want to win and that makes me go hard.?
His play is inspiring others to work hard, too, said teammate Chris Kupets.
?He makes the game easier because when we find him, he?s going to make shots and make plays,? Kupets said. ?Then he can find us and it?s just back and forth for the good of the team.?
A willingness to get a little banged up and do some banging is just the kind of player Boylen felt he needed to add to the Utes? roster when he was recruiting Clyburn. Perhaps what he didn?t know was he was also getting a player with some leadership skills. As quiet as Clyburn seems off the court, he still has developed into one of the team?s instrumental players off the court too, Boylen said.
?He is a leader in the locker room,? Boylen said. ?He believes in the system and how we do things. During timeouts, when Will speaks up to a guy or challenges a guy, they listen. He is a voice and that defines leaders, that is what you want and we haven?t had that.?
The Utes haven?t had someone who has Clyburn?s consistent scoring abilities either. Even though he is no longer an unknown factor for the Utes, Clyburn continues to befuddle opponents, such as his effort in Utah?s 67-60 win over Pepperdine in which he finished with 23 points, 13 rebounds and seven steals.
?He?s a special player and he?s a special kid,? Boylen said. ?He?s a coachable kid. He?s a sponge for coaching and correction and, when your heart is in the right place, good things happen for you.?
