It remains one of Utah Valley University’s most successful sports teams. This past week players and coaches gathered to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the 1995-96 Scenic West championship basketball team that made it to the national championship in Hutchinson, Kansas.
Back then, UVU was known as Utah Valley State College and competed as a junior college. The head coach was Jeff Reinert, who was a former assistant to Roger Reid at BYU. That team finished 29-6 and had a dominating record against Dixie College, coached by future BYU head coach Dave Rose.
“The team was made up of local kids and other (Latter-day Saint) kids from across the country. They were all so diverse but came together in a short amount of time,” remembers Reinert, now head coach at the College of Southern Idaho.
“The team was led by Scott Benson and Derrick Elliott, two guys that had an unbelievable competitive nature from different backgrounds that loved the game. Other players that joined the group were all winners at their school and champions within the state.”
That Wolverine team ranked as high as No. 3 in the country and is the only UVU team to qualify for Hutchison, losing to the eventual national champion, Sullivan College (Kentucky).
UVU beat national powerhouse Southern Idaho three times in one season. UVSC hadn’t defeated CSI three times in a year ever.
Benson, who earned All-America honors, finished his college career at Colorado State as UVSC finished league play with a 15-3 record. Four assistant coaches would eventually move on to get college jobs the next year and 10 players moved on to play major college hoops.
Here are key players who moved on to extend their careers at the next collegiate level:
Scott Benson – Colorado State
Derrick Elliott – Idaho/Central Washington
Brad Willden – Utah State/Westminster
Mark Michaelis – BYU/Oregon
Jake Fugal – East Carolina
Danny Brotherson – UNLV
Skouson Harker – Oregon
Ryan Lewis – Wagner
Roger Hendrix – Fresno State
Nathan Hallows – Metro State
Here is list of the roster and high schools where they played before signing with UVSC:
In State
Scott Benson, 6-6, So., Taylorsville HS – team captain
Brent Hawkins 6-2, Fr., Alta HS
Brad Willden – 6-5, Fr., Alta HS
Mark Michaelis – 6-10, Fr., Taylorsville HS
Jake Fugal – 6-10, Fr., Mountain View HS
Ryan Lewis – 6-2, So., Mountain View HS
Nathan Hallows – 6-4, Fr., North Sevier HS
Justin Wilkes – 6-1, Fr., Pleasant Grove HS
Out of State
Derrick Elliott, 6-0, So., Seattle, Washington, North Idaho college transfer
Roger Hendrix 6-6, So., Utah State transfer
Danny Brotherson, 6-4, Fr., Bunkerville, Nevada
Mike Marriott, 6-4, Fr., Phoenix, Arizona
Skouson Harker, 6-6, Fr., Canada
Paul Sonnenberg, 6-1, Fr., Chicago, Illinois
Coaches
Jeff Reinert – Former BYU Ass’t, Simpson College, Nebraska, Oregon State, Fresno State, Santa Margarita Catholic HS, College of Southern Idaho
Nate Call – BYU, Utah Valley
Don Kenney – Utah Valley, Boise State
Gib Arnold – Vanderbilt, Loyola Marymount, USC, Hawaii, Utah Valley, Pepperdine, Boston Celtics (Scout)
Kelly Crosby – Utah Valley, Metro State