UTAH TECH UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT NEWS SOURCE | March 29, 2024

Athlete of the Month: Men’s basketball’s Garrett makes shots, jokes

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One of the words you will find the fans of the Dixie State University men’s basketball team saying often is “excellent” — and right next to “excellent” in the DSU athletics’ vocabulary you will also find the name Louis Garrett.

This 6-foot-6-inch forward has unleashed his power on the court, and as statistics show, he has played a big part in Dixie’s season thus far. Head coach Jon Judkins said Garrett, a senior forward from St. George, is giving the DSU basketball team a lot of depth this year — and it is only the beginning of the season.

“Louis has been playing really well for us lately; in fact, he was our leading scorer (in December),” Judkins said.

Judkins said Garrett knows how to handle the ball and knows how to score. He can shoot and get to the rim for easy layups for the Red Storm. It is the drive to win that causes Garrett to excel.

“He just loves to play basketball, and he loves to win, and that is the main reason why I wanted him,” Judkins said. “He will do whatever it takes to win.”

So far, Garrett has played in seven games with an average of 13.6 points per game. But Garrett injured his ankle Dec. 14 against Point Loma Nazarene University. While the team won its games without him, it missed its starting forward for the next four games. But Garrett was up and at it as soon as he could be, getting more playing time again Jan. 4 against Chaminade University.

“He has brought a lot of new mix into the team this year and it is great to have him on our team, and we just expect him to get better and better,” Judkins said.

Prior to playing at Dixie State, Garrett was a member of the College of Southern Idaho basketball team. He then transferred to play on the Salt Lake Community College basketball team where he was a starter by the end of his first year. He then went on to play for San Jose State University, where he started 16 out of 25 games and averaged 6.9 points a game.

Garrett chose Dixie because of the quality of coaches, and he wanted to play in front of the home crowd.

Point guard Robbie Nielson, a sophomore business major from Gresham, Ore., said he thinks Garrett is very talented, athletic and a great addition to the team. He believes that with him, the team can go far.

“He is really good at getting to the basket, and he’s quite an effective outside shooter,” Nielson said.

But there are many sides to the quick-thinking ball player. His teammates said he is quite the closet comedian off the court.

Judkins said because Garrett is a St. George local, he has seen him around for a long time and has gotten to know him. He said Garrett has a great sense of humor and is a great guy to be around.

“He is a pretty funny kid,” Nielson said. “He and I are always joking around and just having a good time.”

Nielson said he is a very calm and laid back guy, which he enjoys having around because of his jokes.

Garrett also has a nickname that has stuck with him for a few years. Center Jordan Rex, a junior criminal justice major from St. George, said the fans started calling him “Bonesaw” on the court. He says he is not sure why, but Garrett has been called that since high school.

“On the court, he’s a great teammate, hard worker and a great player, but he is also a good friend to have around,” said forward DeQuan Thompson, a junior communication major from Las Vegas.

Rex said Garrett shows how hard he works through continuously being in the gym and putting up shots.

You can watch “Bonesaw” play during DSU’s next home game Saturday against Azusa Pacific University at 7:30 in the Burns Arena.