USU basketball: Wilkinson nears a record in his journey

LOGAN — By now, Gary Wilkinson's story has been told and retold dozens of times.

His tale of descent down a self-destructive path and subsequent

journey to redemption has been published in Sports Illustrated, the New

York Times and plenty of local media outlets.

Wilkinson's story starts with a troubled youth dropping out of high

school and finding a direction and purpose in life only after a close

friend took his own via suicide.Because of this experience, he went to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for answers and it changed his life. He earned his GED and served a full-time mission in Alberta, Canada.

His journey has led him to the point where he needs only 21 points

to pass the 1,000-point plateau, joining 32 other former Aggie players.

When he reaches 1,000 points, he'll be one of only eight two-season Aggies to reach the mark.

It's a story that has given him experiences in life not many other

college basketball players can draw on as they deal with the adversity

that accompanies life as a college basketball player.

"Being able to have that life experience allows me to take things on

my shoulders," Wilkinson said. "I can see things maybe a little

differently and carry things."

Wilkinson is undeniably a leader on this 26-4 Aggie team.

The emotional redhead is Utah State's leading scorer, leading rebounder and only senior.

At 26 years old, he also by far the elder statesman on the team and gets his share of ribbing about it.

"The other day, Tai (Wesley) was saying something about something

happening in the '30s and asked if I was around to witness it live,"

Wilkinson said. "I'm not that much older than those guys."

Still, he is a leader in many ways, and his coach and teammates are quick to point that out.