On Aug. 2, Portland Trail Blazers point guard and Weber State University alumnus Damian Lillard returned to Ogden to host the Weber State Basketball Classic.
The event, which occurs every two years, usually takes place in the Dee Events Center, but due to ongoing renovations, it was relocated to Swenson Gym.
Before the event, Lillard signed autographs and took pictures with fans while the players warmed up on the floor.
At the event’s start, Weber State President Brad Mortensen welcomed everyone, then gave the microphone to Lillard, who announced that he is becoming the men’s basketball team’s general manager.
While general managers are common in professional sports, the position is new at the college level. Due to the recent surge of Name, Image and Likeness, commonly known as NIL, changing how college sports are run, many schools have hired general managers to help run their teams.
From NBA players such as Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry and Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young, who took the role at their alma maters, Davidson College and the University of Oklahoma, respectively, to Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, who took the role at California State University, Sacramento, where his son Shaqir currently plays. Even former sports reporter Adrian Wojnarowski took the role at his alma mater, St. Bonaventure University.
“I think the first thing is to make sure the fabric stays true to what it’s always been, having good people and high standards … That’s what it’s all about. Just creating ways to encourage that even more and really just create a powerhouse,” Lillard said.
The general manager position will be similar to professional sports, as it will help recruit players and make other decisions to improve the team.
Since the event was held in the smaller Swenson Gym, the tournament was switched to a three-on-three setup instead of the typical five-on-five.
Eight teams filled with former members of both the men’s and women’s teams were put into a tournament.
In the first round, Team One: KJ Cunningham, Jimmy DeGraffenried and Kyle Tresnak, defeated Team Two: Josh Noble, Pat Danley and Dyson Koehler.
Team Three: Brett Cox, Nick Hansen and Darin Mahoney, defeated Team Four: Brody Van Brocklin, Crystal Howe and Harold Arceneaux.
Team Six: Dusty Baker, Zharia Hale and Steve Panos, defeated Team Five: Dan Henry, Julie Gjertsen and James Hajek.
Team Seven: Larryn Brooks, Lewis Lofton and David Patten, defeated Team Eight: Marlon Carter, Tori Allen and Alex Tew.
In the second round, Team Three defeated Team One, and Team Six defeated Team Five. Finally, in the championship round, Team Three took home the title.
After a decade of not winning the Big Sky Tournament, Wildcats fans hope that Lillard’s presence as general manager will help the Wildcats return to their winning ways.
