Southern Utah basketball: Clifford, Quinney seize opportunity

For many athletes, being overlooked or passed by is one of the ultimate forms of disrespect. Having put years of training and practice into making oneself a college athlete — and then not being offered a chance to be one — can turn into the ultimate motivation.

And for John Clifford and Tyler Quinney, proving they do, in fact, belong on a Division I basketball court has been a quest several years in the making.

"I kind of take it personally," Quinney said after his Southern Utah T-Birds gave Utah State a serious scare in December. "I didn't get recruited by anyone. So when I get a chance to play against a team from Utah, I want to give it my best."

Clifford, likewise, said he was not the target of much recruiting as a high schooler. Despite being 6-foot-10 and having decent numbers at Bingham High, Clifford found himself without an invitation to play for a four-year school, and he settled in at Snow College with Quinney, who was virtually unrecruited out of Alta High.

"I'm grateful coach gave me a chance," Clifford said.

"Coach" is SUU coach Roger Reid, who spent two seasons at Snow College and recruited the duo to play for him in Ephraim. Reid is grateful to have the Badger transfers working with him as he tries to rebuild the Thunderbirds into a contender in the Summit League.

So far, the rebuilding process has taken a little longer than Reid had hoped.

At just 8-15 overall, the T-Birds have taken their lumps in non-conference games but are a respectable 6-6 during conference play heading into this weekend's road trip to North Dakota State and South Dakota State.

But with players like Quinney and Clifford providing a much-needed interior presence, Southern Utah is set to make a push toward the top of the conference standings as they close out the regular season.

Quinney, in particular, has come on strong for the Thunderbirds. After averaging only 6.4 points per game as a junior, the 6-foot-7 forward has blossomed as a senior and is averaging 14.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists. He was named the Summit League player of the week after a 24-point, eight-rebound effort in a win over Missouri-Kansas City last week.

Clifford, who scored 1.4 points and grabbed 2.4 rebounds per game as a junior, has similarly seen his production increase during his final college season. He's now tossing in 9.8 points and grabbing a team-best 8.0 rebounds per game.