Column: View from the Stands
Contrary to popular belief, David Pak does not suck.
In the men’s basketball team’s last two games, the starting point guard has recorded 13 assists and only two turnovers. That’s right, only two turnovers in his last two games.
Yet he continues to be ridiculed by students and fans for not being able to run the offense.
Pak said the criticism bothered him at first, but he has come to expect it.
“It makes me laugh,” he said. “When I was in [the fans’] situation, I did the same thing. That’s just college basketball. It’s fun.”
But Pak’s numbers so far this season don’t lie. He has a 2.4 assist-to-turnover ratio. By way of comparison, Mark Brown – the last point guard for USU who rarely received any criticism – compiled a ratio of 1.8 during his two seasons for the Aggies.
Last year, Pak’s ratio was only 1.5. He was the starting point guard and he didn’t even finish first on the team in assists. Spencer Nelson finished with 54 more.
Pak said he feels much better on the court this season.
“I am 10 times more confident this year,” he said. “I know what the coaches expect.”
One thing head coach Stew Morrill expects of all his players is good, solid defense and Pak provides just that. He is one of the only players on the court with quick enough feet to guard opponents up close on the perimeter.
Jaycee Carroll and Durrall Peterson are terrific shooters, but their defense hasn’t measured to Pak’s thus far this season.
Most people don’t know it, but Pak was an incredible player at the junior college level.
Like former Aggies Brown and Marques Crane, Pak was the Orange Empire Conference Most Valuable Player his sophomore year at Saddleback Junior College in California. He was also named first team all-California the same year.
A player with that rich of a history doesn’t stay down for long. Pak has shown in the early part of this season that he has taken that next step and will be a valuable asset to the team.
Bryan Hinton is a senior majoring in print journalism. Comments can be sent to
bhhinton@cc.usu.edu.