I feel a lot stronger, and I'm able to power through guys a lot more. – Isaac Neilson
OREM — There's a glaring difference between Isaac Neilson when he suited up for BYU during the 2014-15 season and how he looks now playing for Utah Valley University.
The 6-foot-11 junior has seriously bulked up, and it's paying dividends. After leaving the Cougars a svelte 218 pounds, Neilson is up to 248 with the Wolverines.
"It was just about lifting and lifting and lifting, and always making sure I am eating more than I can," Neilson said. "The coaches really helped me with that. They provided the means for me to bulk up. (It involves) lots of protein."
The added bulk is working.
"I don't get pushed around as easy as I did at BYU. I think the most important thing is I am able to hold my own on defense and people aren't able to shove me out of the way. I'm able to jump up and get rebounds without being thrown off my spot," said Neilson, who added he's looking to put on a couple more pounds after this season. "I feel a lot stronger, and I'm able to power through guys a lot more."
UVU head coach Mark Pope is impressed with Neilson's dedication to adding more bulk.
"It's been an everyday project for Isaac," Pope said. "He doesn't take any days off. ... Right now, he's enjoying some of the fruits of that project."
Neilson is one of just two players in the state of Utah currently averaging a double-double — at 14.6 points and 10.7 rebounds per contest — with Utah's Kyle Kuzma being the other. His four double-doubles are tied for 35th nationally, and he came up just short in the rebounding category against BYU and Washington State of recording two more.
While teams along the Wasatch Front are already paying attention to the season Neilson is having, he's setting up the potential to make waves nationally. The big man is currently ranked No. 23 in the country in rebounding with his 10.7 clip and 30th in offensive rebounds at 3.56 per contest.
UVU's starter in the post is also the most efficient shooter on the team, hitting 62.2 percent of his shots from the field while adding a bit of outside shooting touch with five 3-pointers. He also has a team-leading 15 blocks, including a beautiful denial on a dunk attempt by Utah State's Alexis Dargenton last Saturday.
https://twitter.com/brandonljudd/status/807736924186230784While Neilson has become a valuable scorer for the Wolverines, he really takes pride is his rebounding ability and his added weight helps in that department.
"Every day, my thing is to rebound and run," Neilson said. "Because I know if I do those things, the ball will come to me. I don't worry about scoring. ... If I do the little things like rebound and run, I'll score when needed."
Neilson's presence is especially vital on the court for the up-and-coming Wolverines (5-4). While Pope admits he'd like to see Neilson play fewer minutes than he has recently — that included 32 minutes against Utah and a season-high 34 vs. Utah State — Neilson is 4 inches taller than any other player who has played all nine games this season.
Junior Zach Nelson, who starts alongside Neilson, is among the Wolverines who rotates down low when Neilson takes a breather, but the forward Nelson stands 6-7. Andrew Bastien, who started 23 games last year for UVU, is the team's next tallest player at 6-9, but he's only played 15 minutes all season.
"We don't have a big front line," Pope said. "We were really nervous how we were going to function on the glass this season, and (our players) have done a good job keeping us competitive on the glass. We need Isaac for rim protection and all those things he can do. It's important he's on the floor for us right now."
For Neilson, the next challenge of the season comes against a familiar opponent, Weber State, and perhaps that's a good thing. In his relatively young college career, Neilson has put up big games against in-state competition.
Two years ago this week, Neilson, playing for BYU, had his best day as a Cougar when BYU beat the Wildcats 76-60 at the Dee Events Center in Ogden. It included hitting four 3-pointers, scoring 15 points, grabbing six rebounds and playing 26 minutes, all BYU highs for him.
"There's a lot of memories about that game," Neilson said. "Hitting those four 3's was especially nice. I guess I was just having a good day and things were falling."
This year, wearing Wolverine green, the big man has had his best two games at BYU and Utah. In a 114-101 win over the Cougars, he poured in 26 points on 10-of-12 shooting and added nine rebounds, two blocks and a steal. In Salt Lake City against the Utes, an 87-80 UVU loss, Neilson scored a career-best 28 points while shooting 13 of 20 from the field and completed the double-double with 15 rebounds.
Then against Utah State last Saturday, Neilson had 16 points and 14 rebounds in an 80-79 overtime loss to the Aggies.
"I don't know what it is about these Utah schools. I just seem to be playing well against them," Neilson said. "I'm not going in with any different mentality than I am these other games because I try to treat them the same. Fortunately for me, things have worked out in my favor."
Neilson and the Wolverines are trying to shake off their greatest adversity so far this season, a two-game losing streak in those close defeats against Utah and Utah State. It's moments like this that could galvanize UVU going forward, or stunt its clearly seen progress.
"I'm really pleased where we are in terms of our progress, but we can't stay here," Pope said. "We have to grow more cohesive as a group in the high-stress moments of a game. You can tell we have a lot of slippage offensively and defensively. ... We have to spend more minutes of the game in the flow of the game we're searching for desperately.
"We've got a lot to work on, but we're excited to do it."
Up next for UVU is a Weber State team sitting at 3-6 on the season. A Wolverine victory would give them a 2-2 record against in-state teams and a 6-4 overall record, with five more games — all winnable — before WAC play begins in early January.
In the nine previous games between UVU and Weber State, the home team has won every time. The Wolverines will try to break that streak against a Weber State team led by senior guard Jeremy Senglin, who's averaging 17.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.
The challenge will also be great for Neilson, who will match up against Weber State's Kyndahl Hill and Zach Braxton. While neither player averages the same kind of numbers Neilson is putting up, the athleticism both big men bring to the court will be difficult to contain.
"They work hard. They have good bigs," Neilson said of the Wildcats. "We'll probably do what we have been doing these past couple of games, double-teaming. If they have a good game, that's on me. But we're just improving every day and we hope to stop them and get this victory."