Alumni Basketball Game 2013 | University of Washington

Isaiah Thomas, center right, is mobbed by teammates at the beginning of the University of Washington Alumni Game Sunday, June 23, 2013, in the Alaska Airlines Arena at the University of Washington in Seattle, Wash. The after-2009 team, in purple, beat the pre-2009 team, in white, 107-104. (Jordan Stead, seattlepi.com)

Isaiah Thomas watches a basket by a teammate during the University of Washington Alumni Game Sunday, June 23, 2013, in the Alaska Airlines Arena at the University of Washington in Seattle. The after-2009 team, in purple, beat the pre-2009 team, in white, 107-104. (Jordan Stead, seattlepi.com)

Justin Holiday competes in the slam dunk contest following the University of Washington Alumni Game Sunday, June 23, 2013, in the Alaska Airlines Arena at the University of Washington in Seattle, Wash. The after-2009 team, in purple, beat the pre-2009 team, in white, 107-104. (Jordan Stead, seattlepi.com)

Will Conroy reacts upon entering the arena at the beginning of the University of Washington Alumni Game Sunday, June 23, 2013, in the Alaska Airlines Arena at the University of Washington in Seattle, Wash. The after-2009 team, in purple, beat the pre-2009 team, in white, 107-104. (Jordan Stead, seattlepi.com)

Darnell Gant, left, hams up a reaction following his victory in the slam dunk contest following the University of Washington Alumni Game Sunday, June 23, 2013, in the Alaska Airlines Arena at the University of Washington in Seattle, Wash. The after-2009 team, in purple, beat the pre-2009 team, in white, 107-104. (Jordan Stead, seattlepi.com)

Mike Jensen, bottom, lifts his son, Jacob Jensen, 3, top, to reach the basket during a timeout at the University of Washington Alumni Game Sunday, June 23, 2013, in the Alaska Airlines Arena at the University of Washington in Seattle. The after-2009 team, in purple, beat the pre-2009 team, in white, 107-104. (Jordan Stead, seattlepi.com)

Will Conroy, center left, is mobbed by teammates at the beginning of the University of Washington Alumni Game Sunday, June 23, 2013, in the Alaska Airlines Arena at the University of Washington in Seattle, Wash. The after-2009 team, in purple, beat the pre-2009 team, in white, 107-104. (Jordan Stead, seattlepi.com)

Mercedes Riggs | Athlete of the Year

Year after year, all over the country, youth athletes are awarded this prestigious honor... and local photographers struggle to do something different with each new batch of portraits. After I got assigned this year's load of portraits, my editor Mark Johnston made a simple request: "let's bring these back to strong, clean photography," he said. Sounds good to me.

I lucked out with Mercedes Riggs, the Utah Valley female basketball player of 2012. Not only was she a total sweetheart and came prepared in a badass Timpanogos jersey, but she allowed me to corral her around for over an hour and half as I executed various portrait ideas I had been cooking up for the shoot. The paper ended up running three portraits of her, pictured below. My only wish is that the high school had stocked more basketballs for the first image.  Another hundred orange orbs in the background of the picture couldn't have hurt. I can only hope that she enjoyed seeing them in print as much as I enjoyed shooting them.

BYU Men's Basketball vs. Portland | Final season game

It was a shame to shoot my last men's Brigham Young University basketball game a week or two back. The senior night, the tears and the energy on the court brought back my last days of photographing basketball at my own Western Washington University last June. The pictures below are more of the same - but "the same" is one hell of a pleasure to photograph. Enjoy!

Brigham Young University's Brock Zylstra, top, goes up for a layup while crashing into Portland's Tim Douglas, bottom, during a game Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012, at the Marriott Center at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Brigham Young won the game 76-66.

Brigham Young University's Brandon Davies, center, calls for a timeout as Portland defenders scramble for the ball during the second half of a game Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012, at the Marriott Center at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. BYU won the game 76-66.

BYU's Brandon Davies, center, hypes up his team in a huddle before a game against the Portland Pilots Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012, at the Marriott Center at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.

BYU's Charles Abouo, right, watches as Portland's Nemanja Mitrovic, left, lays up the ball after a rebound during a game Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012, at the Marriott Center at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. BYU won the game 76-66.

Utah Jazz vs. San Antonio Spurs | Action & Features

NBA experience number two is in the books. It felt great to get back to the EnergySolutions Arena with a little knowledge of the lay of the land this time around. In addition to game action, which can found on the Daily Herald's website, I took some time at the beginning of the game to make some features. Enjoy.

Utah Jazz mascot, Bear, encourages the crowd to make noise at the start of a game against the San Antonio Spurs Monday, Feb. 20, 2012, at EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah.



Paul Millsap, left, of the Utah Jazz, body checks and cocks back to shoot over the arms of the San Antonio Spur's Matt Bonner, center, during the second half of a game Monday, Feb. 20, 2012, at EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Spurs won the game 106-102.

The Utah Jazz starting lineup takes a moment to huddle before the arena lights rose for the start of a game against the San Antonio Spurs Monday, Feb. 20, 2012, at EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah.

BYU Women's Basketball vs. Saint Mary's

Shooting basketball in a gigantic, well-lit, empty stadium is an odd experience.  Yet there is something to be said for the clean, graphic backgrounds of the stands behind the players.  Not my favorite basketball images, but I owe the sports ladies some photographic credit after posting guy stuff all the time.

First NBA Experience | Jimmer Fredette Returns

Yesterday was a big day. My first-time-shooting-NBA kind of day.

Quick bit of backstory. Jimmer Fredette, formerly Brigham Young University's all-star player, returned to Utah for the first time since his epic college basketball career... this time playing as a Sacramento King. Fredette was picked tenth in the first round of the 2011 NBA Draft.

Big ups to my editor, Mark Johnston, for letting me get up to Salt Lake City for this (stressful/rewarding) experience. Looking forward to keeping to my 2-foot by 2-foot square on the hardwood again.  Cheers to the cool photographers that shared the floor with me.  As always, enjoy.

Jimmer Fredette, center, of the Sacramento Kings, is encouraged by teammates in the huddle before a game against the Utah Jazz Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012, at the Energy Solutions Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Utah's Derrick Favors, center, reaches for a rebound off of the backboard as Sacramento's Donte Greene, right, looks on in horor during a game Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012, at the Energy Solutions Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Brigham Young Men's Basketball vs. Santa Clara

Full speed ahead on the sports. This was one of the first games I photographed in Utah that I felt "in the zone" on.  Maybe it was the added pressure of sending to the Associated Press and Salt Lake Tribune at halftime, but something worked better for me than what I was doing before. Thanks to editor Mark Johnston for a light kick in the rear beforehand.

*NOTICE TO NON-PHOTOGRAPHERS: The next line down will seem incredibly geeky and leave you scratching your head.  Skip it, and go straight to the pictures.

*NOTICE TO PHOTOGRAPHERS: The light in BYU's Marriott Center is unlike anything I have ever seen or photographed in for indoor sports - it's insanely good.  Averaging 1/800th at f/2.2 at ISO 500 on one of my two camera bodies, life is great.  Come to Utah and see for yourself!