Far from dogging it

PROVO — Kenyn Koop and Tanner Gregory, starters on Provo's basketball team this year, have some big shoes to fill.

Last year, the Bulldogs were led to the school's 15th state championship by 4A MVP Tai Wesley and first-team all-state point guard Cory Carter.

Koop and Gregory were both role players on last year's team, with Koop handling sixth-man duties and Gregory being brought in for defense and rebounding.

"Last year we had Tai Wesley and Cory Carter and a bunch of seniors who stepped up and did well. It wasn't our job to score," Koop said. "Last year we had Tai to dump the ball down to. Tai was the best player in the state last year. Having them there eased our burden. All we had to do was get them the ball."

Now that burden lies with Koop and fellow junior Gregory.

Provo coach Craig Drury said that a lot of the pressure these two will face this year comes as a result of the positions they play. Drury has had a lot of great point guards and post men come through his program, including last year's all-state tandem of Wesley and Carter.

"There is a lot of pressure on the kid," Drury said of Gregory. "A lot of all-state post men have come out of Provo High, and he's the current post man. We have also had a lot of great point guards from the Santiago brothers, to Frampton, to even last year with Cory Carter."

Another reason this pair has a lot of pressure is they are juniors with only one year of playing experience. Drury points out that most players in their position are seniors.

But Koop and Gregory are taking their new roles in stride, saying that they just have to prepare differently now that they're looked upon as leaders by their teammates.

"It's definitely different," Koop said of his new role on the team. "You have to prepare mentally. You know you have to do it, step up and be the leader of the team."

While both are leaders on this team, they have different styles of leadership. Koop, as the point guard, is more vocal, helping to calm his younger teammates and making sure they are where they are supposed to be.

Gregory, on the other hand, said he likes to let his play do the talking for him.

"I don't yell a lot at the other guys. I mostly lead by example," Gregory said of his leadership style. "I'll say something if it needs to be said, but mostly I'm the one cleaning the glass every game. I want to be consistent every game."