LEHI — Though getting the ball bouncing at one of the largest basketball complexes in the West proved nightmarish, it could become a place where hoop dreams come true.
With construction workers still nailing down hardwood floors, Open Court tipped off last week, several months behind schedule and costing nearly twice as much as planned.
"It's been a roller coaster, but at the same time I've never wanted to quit," said general manager Ryan Cuff, a former Brigham Young University basketball player.
The 62,000-square-foot building that houses eight regulation-size courts (five are open so far) sits near I-15 just north of Thanksgiving Point. The center aims to attract Wasatch Front hoopsters of all ages and abilities for leagues, tournaments, practices, clinics, personal instruction and pick-up games. It's also envisioned as a site for college recruiters to scope out local talent.
Mountain View High School girls basketball coach Dave Houle says a visiting representative of the prestigious Nike all-star camps told him Open Court is the nicest facility of its kind in the country. It also is among the biggest in the western United States if not the nation, he said.
"We are trying to prove we are a (basketball) hotbed," said Houle, who splits his time between the school and the center. "It cost $7 million, but we hope we're right."
Money woes almost took the air out of the ball before the first dribble.
Construction on the cavernous gym nearly stopped and foreclosure loomed last year after Open Court founder Rod Smith, former CEO of Buyer Online, couldn't put the financing together for what was estimated as a $4 million project. That left Cuff, who quit as Lone Peak High School boys head coach to take the managerial job last March, and Kevin Nixon, another ex-BYU basketball player, scrambling to keep the dream alive.
"We couldn't walk away from it," Nixon said. "We believed in it. We always believed in it."
The pair drew up a new game plan, though it wasn't as easy to execute as the pick-and-roll. "To get someone to believe in what you're doing is a difficult thing to do," said Nixon, who also carries the title of general manager.
Eventually, basketball-loving businessmen John Hansen and John Watson, both of Ogden, and Utah County businessmen Gene Harvey and J.H. Harvey came through with additional cash. And the ball had new air.
"We couldn't have done it without them," Cuff said.
Now it's largely up to Cuff and Nixon to make the venture work. A similar but smaller basketball facility in Orem called Champions Athletic Academy recently closed. Open Court, which scuttled a second project in South Salt Lake last May, has even more ambitious plans.
Neither of the former Cougars gets much floor time as they organize programs, instruct coaches and hustle business for the courts, weight room and 1,200-square-foot multipurpose room. While basketball is the main draw, Nixon and Cuff can't make a go of it without other activities including volleyball, indoor soccer, aerobics and performing arts classes. Nixon sees a variety of things going on to keep the complex busy day and night.
Admittedly, Nixon would like to see kids shooting hoops at each of the gym's 48 baskets. But he knows that isn't realistic.
"Our goal is to provide the best experience we possibly can whether you're a basketball player, a volleyball player or a concert pianist."
Whether Utah becomes a basketball mecca remains to be seen. But for dreamers like Nixon, Cuff and Houle, there's at least a shot.
E-MAIL: romboy@desnews.com