MYRON DEAN SHINES AT WESMEN CLASSIC
Former Garden City Gopher returns to annual tourney as a Bison
VUTHANA SUON STAFF
To put it ever so eloquently, second year power forward Myron Dean has got some “hops.”
After having gained some much- needed experience during his rookie year, the lanky 6’4’’ power forward has made his presence known this season as a defensive threat for the Bisons. A big part of Dean’s game is dependent on his raw athleticism, which includes a nearly 6’9’’ wingspan and a lightning-quick first jump, to swat away shots.
Dean has been averaging 1.8 blocks per game, good for fourth in all of Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) and in the Canada West Conference. It’s more impressive when considering the other three players ahead of him in the category are all at least four inches taller. In fact, in the three Wesmen Classic games he played, Dean recorded six blocked shots and would very likely have recorded more if it were not for foul trouble in the last game.
“I believe everybody has got to play hard; if you’re not, then what are you doing? I just try to hustle and hopefully bring some defensive intensity to the team,” said Dean.
Given that his high-energy and in-your-face style of play is dependent on him being aggressive, coupled with the fact he is undersized for his position, it is no small wonder it is a constant struggle for him to stay out of foul trouble. In just ten conference games so far, Myron has run into foul trouble in more than half of them.
“One of the biggest things I’m trying to improve on is helping my team out on the offensive end,” said Dean. “I’ve gotta stay out of foul trouble to do that.”
Even though the Bisons may not be notching up as many games in the win column as his old Garden City Gophers team, Dean feels the current Bisons squad is the most close-knit team and plays with the most heart than any other team he has been on.
In his 2003-04 high school season at Garden City Collegiate, Dean competed in the high school portion of the Wesmen Classic, taking home the tournament’s championship trophy, along with an MVP award. He cites a number of reasons he enjoys playing in the annual tournament, some of which include the fact the crowds are larger because of the Christmas break and because it is a rather prominent stage for the players to showcase their skills.
“It’s sort of different to be playing in the Classic as a University player, but when it all comes down to it, a game is a game,” said Dean. “It’s still five guys against five guys and you’re still trying to put the ball through the hoop.”
With the unique vantage point of having coached against Dean in high school, Bison head coach Minich Nowrang (formerly of the Glenlawn Lions) has seen first hand the steady progression in Dean’s game, from high school star to his current role as the starting power forward for the brown and gold. Nowrang is optimistic that with continued improvement, Dean will be one of the pillars of the team and a force to be reckoned with.
“I’ve watched him develop into a really great player since high school — his coordination didn’t even start kicking in till he was in grade 10 or 11,” said Nowrang. “Myron will be scary in a few years because he is the type of person who is willing to put in the time to get better.”
