Elliott Made Mistake By Leaving North Idaho, But Lucked Out At Utah Valley
Call it dumb luck.
Derrick Elliott says he made a “stupid decision” to leave the North Idaho College men’s basketball team after his freshman season two years ago.
“It had nothing to do with the coaches or players,” Elliott said. “Some other (NIC) players were leaving, so I decided I’d leave. The thing was, half of those guys were leaving because they weren’t playing.”
Elliott returns tonight as a sophomore point guard for conference champion Utah Valley, which faces NIC at Christianson Gym at 7:30 p.m.
Elliott is more mature and a better player than he was when he started on a talented, but underachieving NIC club in 1993-94.
He is a candidate for league MVP. Elliott, who has made several game-winning shots, made six free throws in overtime as Utah Valley clinched the Scenic West Athletic Conference title with a 97-93 win over Ricks on Thursday. Utah Valley will host Region 18 men’s and women’s tournaments next week in Orem.
“When we played them the first time (in December), I thought (Utah Valley coach Jeff) Reinert had done a good job with him,” NIC coach Rolly Williams said. “He played more under control. For me, I felt as a freshman, he was a little more free-wheeling.”
“He’s going to class and he’s working hard every day,” said Reinert, whose club lost leading scorer and rebounder Scott Benson to a broken leg about two weeks ago. “Derrick’s really turned it around.”
That turnaround took some time. After leaving NIC, Elliott attended Salt Lake CC but decided to quit. He went back home to Seattle, where he worked in a United Parcel Service warehouse before he phoned Reinert at Utah Valley.
“It’s weird,” said Elliott, who is being recruited by Hawaii and Fresno State, among others. “It’s been one of those perfect fits.”
Elliott said NIC’s 1993-94 team, which featured Damien Edwards (now at Nevada) and Paul Rogers (Gonzaga), was stocked with talent, but no leader emerged. The Cards lost in the first round of the tournament and finished 25-6.
“Utah Valley put us out,” said Elliott, pointing out the obvious irony. “The chemistry wasn’t there.
“I was a rowdy freshman back then, I really didn’t understand. I’ve calmed down. I think Rolly’s a great guy and I’m not just saying that. I told him there’s a lot of caring people at Utah Valley, just like Coeur d’Alene.”
, DataTimes