An Owl's jazz education

By Brody Rollins     2/5/09 6:00pm

Unaccustomed to proper locker room etiquette, I stood somewhere near the middle of the room and watched as the Utah Jazz dressed for their game against the Houston Rockets. Grinning like a fool and feeling more and more uncomfortable, I fidgeted with my belt and unbuttoned the top two buttons on my shirt. As I waited, Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan paced back and forth between his office and the tunnel, his head down. A couple players asked for drinks, with iced tea and water the most popular requests. I overheard an attendant with the Jazz asking his coworker if the tea he made was better than in Dallas, and they both agreed it was.

I was waiting for Rice alum Morris Almond (Martel '07), who was making his first trip to Houston as a member of the active roster, confirmed by his name and number taped above the locker adjacent to Andrei Kirilenko's.

Jazz communications director Hannah Lee had granted my request for a press pass the night before, but as is typical of any request regarding professional athlete alumni and access, my access was somewhat restricted.

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No, my seats would not be courtside and no, the Jazz would not pick up my seven dollar buffet dinner in the pressroom either.

The Jazz had arrived in Houston late the night before after winning on the road at Minnesota and limited the day's practice to a quick shoot around. Playing on little rest and without Kirilenko and Carlos Boozer, they were underdogs against Yao Ming and the imposing Rocket front court.

Owls in the NBA

Almond is not the only Owl to join the NBA's historic ranks. Guard Ricky Pierce (Will Rice '83) preceded Almond as the highest Rice pick in the NBA draft, going 18th overall to the Detroit Pistons. During his 15-year professional career, Pierce garnered two Sixth Man of the Year Awards and played for eight different teams.

More recently, Mike Wilks (Sid Rich '01), who started his career as an undrafted free agent, has played six years in the league and during this past offseason signed a one-year contract worth over $1 million with the Orlando Magic. Before sustaining a season-ending injury early in the year, Wilks was pegged as the team's third-string point guard behind Jameer Nelson and Anthony Johnson. Wilks has started 11 games in his NBA career and scored a career-high 22 points against the Los Angeles Lakers in 2006.

During his days inside the hedges, Wilks impressed fans with his ability to score despite standing just 5'10'' tall. After averaging over 20 points per game and four assists during his final season, he won the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year Award.

But Almond, whom the Jazz picked 25th overall in the 2007 draft, remains the most highly touted and "NBA-ready" player to come out of Rice in decades. He finished with 1,825 points, with over 1,400 of those coming over his final two seasons. His career inside the hedges, which includes a Conference USA Player of the Year Award, will almost assuredly go down as one of the best ever in school history.

Before the Jazz

According to Rivals.com, Almond received his fair share of attention from recruiters and fielded offers from Indiana, Virginia and Yale, before finally settling on Rice - a decision he said was mostly due to former head coach Willis Wilson's tactful recruiting.

"I was a decent recruit coming into Rice, but I thought I was going to play a lot early," Almond said. "Because I didn't play a lot my first or second year, that helped prepare me for what I'm going through now. [Wilson] taught me discipline, taught me to keep working for any opportunity to play."

Almond, who grew up in Powder Springs, Ga., scored fewer than eight points per game his sophomore season before catapulting himself to the C-USA first team and averaging over 20 points per game the following year.

In his final year on South Main, Almond averaged 26 points per game, ranking third nationally. Among his other achievements, he is the only Owl athlete ever to make the prestigious Playboy All-American team.

Morris in the pros

Despite the accolades with which he left Rice, however, Almond is still waiting to find stardom at the next level. During his two years in the NBA, Almond has experienced both highs and lows but remains confident that the best is yet to come.

Last season, Almond spent a significant portion of the year with the Utah Flash - the Jazz' NBA Developmental league affiliate - where he had to adjust to the lesser known and less glamorous side of professional basketball.

"You try to make the most of it when you're down there," said Almond. "I came to a playoff team with quite a few players at my position and that's just the hand I was dealt."

Almond wasted no time taking advantage of his propitious situation. Almond averaged an NBDL-high 25.6 points and broke the league scoring record when he posted 51 points versus the Austin Toros in just his fifth game. He would break the record again later in the year by scoring 53 against Bakersfield.

Now in his second pro year, and first full season with the Jazz, Almond's time on the court remains limited, and he often goes several games at a time without stepping on the floor.

Still, Almond does not let the lack of minutes affect his demeanor on and off the court.

Sloan is known for waiting on his young players to learn the Jazz offense, a complex system of sets designed to free a single player. This can lead to lots of time spent on the practice court and in the video room, not exactly the welcome young players desire.

Under Sloan's tutelage, eventual hall of fame guard John Stockton started five, 38, and two games respectively in his first three years for the Jazz before establishing himself in his fourth year as a perennial All-Star.

Even though Almond has had limited opportunities to prove himself over the past two seasons, his success in the NBDL proved to his NBA teammates what Rice fans already knew.

"He can get buckets," third-year guard Ronnie Price said. "All scorers have a knack for scoring. You could put him anywhere on the court and he'll find a way to score. Whether it's getting to the free throw line, shooting jump shots, or going to the rim."

This season has gone better for Almond, who saw significant playing time in late November and December. In addition to playing in front of bigger crowds, Almond has also been able to take advantage of his two-minute commute to Energy Solutions Arena from his apartment in downtown Salt Lake.

"It's easier than it was last year," Almond said. "You learn how to get your rest, eat right, learn how to manage your time. I'm definitely a lot further along than I was last year. Last year everything was new, a transition on the court and off it."

The biggest moment thus far in Almond's career came just a few weeks ago. After an injury to guard Ronnie Brewer, Almond was on the court for the tip-off against the Orlando Magic for the first time in his career.

"That was big," Almond said of his first start. "It beat my Rice record. I didn't even start until my junior year, so you know I've been making progress."

He finished the game with five points in 19 minutes of action. Almond has cracked double-digits three times this year, with his biggest night coming against the Cleveland Cavaliers when he posted 12 points on 5-9 shooting. He also had the unfortunate job of guarding LeBron James, whom he described as the most difficult player to defend because of his combination of size and strength.

Remembering his roots

Almond maintains frequent contact with those who knew him at Rice. Former teammate Lawrence Ghoram met Almond before the start of his freshman year, and the two talk about college and the NBA on a regular basis.

"He tells me about the fans, competition, coaching," Ghoram said. "He talks about how he's really had to develop a regimen and work on his defense, which is important on that team. He just wants to do his best when he gets his chance, too, and realizes there's only so much you can control."

With just twelve players on an active NBA roster, the players' proximity to one another creates a more intimate atmosphere than that found in baseball or football. Listening to my tape recorder, it was hard to distinguish the different voices of players trying to get into a feature article about Almond. Very approachable and courteous, Almond is definitely popular with his teammates.

Due to the rigors of the NBA schedule, Almond has a tough time making it back to campus during the year. During the summer, however, you can find him running the stairs at Rice Stadium or doing sprints on the field.

"I remember it like it was yesterday, going to NOD, Beer Bike - you miss those things when you're gone," Almond said.

10-year veteran Jarron Collins sat next to Almond throughout the interview, and towards the end he offered his own wry take.

"Morris is a good, young, educated man with a tremendous work ethic, whose best day in college was his first and last date," he said.

Taking it all in stride, Almond grinned.

"Who in here can say their school won a bowl game? Make sure you include that," Almond said. "Those guys deserve a shout-out.

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