Huber at home; Utah State is third school for senior
It took Chris Huber a stop in Salt Lake City and a stint in St. George before finally making a home for himself in the Spectrum at Utah State.
Huber, a senior from Garland, Utah, is averaging three points and 2.6 assists in 17 minutes off the bench for the Aggies this season. More importantly, he has been a solid defender and often finds himself on the floor in crunch time.
Huber signed with the University of Utah coming out of High School and left for a 2-year mission in South Korea for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints before playing a game for the Utes. He returned to Utah as a redshirt.
“I ended up having to pay for school that year because [coach Rick] Majerus gave away my scholarship while I was on my mission to someone named Andrew
Bogut,” Huber said.
Bogut entered the 2005 NBA draft and became the first overall selection. He now plays for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Huber left the U of U for St. George to become a starter for the Dixie State Rebels.
“[Utah] just wasn’t the right fit for me,” Huber said. “I learned a lot, but I didn’t really enjoy my time there.
Huber said it took him about a year to get back into shape after a 2-year absence from basketball. He didn’t get to play much in South Korea.
“There weren’t any courts,” he said. “If there was a court, it was a dirt court with an iron hoop.”
Huber said he tried running a little on his mission, but started falling asleep during the day and while teaching people about his faith. He said he gave up the running and stuck to push-ups and sit-ups from then on.
While at Dixie, Huber was an integral part of a Rebel team which finished third in the national tournament for junior colleges and played alongside current Aggie teammate Nick Hammer.
After their freshman season, Hammer left for a mission of his own and Huber left the junior college to play Division-I basketball.
“It was always a dream of mine,” Huber said of playing major college basketball. “I’ve never been one of the most talented players on the floor, but I figured if I tried to work harder than everybody else, then I’d at least be able to get someplace.
This year marks Huber’s third playing for head coach Stew Morrill who recently logged his 400th collegiate win.
“[Coach Morrill] has a great knowledge of the game. He gets after us and demands that we’re here, we pay our dues and do everything else, but any good coach will do that,” Huber said. “He’s a good guy and he treats you fairly.”
Morrill isn’t the only one who demands a lot from Huber. Huber is quite demanding of himself.
“If you don’t have any expectations of yourself, you won’t go anywhere,” Huber
said. “Some people say if you don’t have expectations, you don’t get disappointed if it doesn’t happen.
Huber said he’s trying to balance basketball with family life and school as well. He and his wife of almost two years are expecting twin girls who are due the first week of April.
“We decided to double instead of slowly grow. We’re really excited for them to come,” Huber said. He also said he hopes they wait until the basketball season is over and actually arrive in April.
Huber will be graduating in the spring with a double major in business management and marketing, then he plans to move his family back to St. George. He said this season at Utah State is the last of basketball for him excepting city leagues.
“My body’s had it,” Huber said. “I feel like I’m a lot older than I am. I’ve lived my basketball life. I’ve enjoyed it and it’s time to move on to what in my opinion are bigger and better things.”
-benwalker@cc.usu.edu
Utah State’s Chris Huber looks to pass the ball while being guarded by a South Dakota State defender during a game on Jan. 27 in the Spectrum.