Centennial grad returns to valley to face UNLV

By Christopher Drexel

Thursday, Dec. 18, 2008 | 10:43 p.m.

When Mike Josserand signed to play basketball for Southern Utah, he figured the holidays would be one of the only reasons he would return to Las Vegas.

But the 2007 Centennial graduate will receive an early gift Dec. 23 when he gets the chance to play in his hometown again. Josserand's Thunderbirds visit Thomas & Mack Center that night to take on UNLV.

"When I first heard about it I was so excited," Josserand said. "Not only is it my hometown, but it's a fun place to play. It's a good environment, nice gym. You look forward to those types of games anyway, but because it's my hometown, it makes it more special."

Even though Southern Utah already played at Florida on Nov. 22, Josserand said facing UNLV will be the biggest game of this season.

"UNLV has had a good program the past few years," he said. "Everyone I know in town is basically going to go. We'll have a good amount of fans there for a visiting team."

One fan who is sure to be in attendance is Centennial coach Greg Bohls, who has closely followed Josserand's progress.

"It will be a really neat experience to see him play," Bohls said. "We're all proud of him. We cheer for the Rebels every week, but I don't know what we're going to do that game. I do know we'll be cheering for Mike."

As a freshman last season, Josserand played in all but one of Southern Utah's 30 games, averaging more than 12 minutes per contest. He was third on the team with 50 assists.

Josserand has seen his minutes elevate to 22 per game this season. After coming off the bench for the Thunderbirds' initial four contests, Josserand has started at point guard for five games through Dec. 13. He leads the team with 40 assists and averaged 4.1 points per game.

"I've been getting other players easy baskets," he said. "Instead of just running the offense, I'm creating a lot more this year. I've been playing better defense. There is always room for improvement, but I think I've been playing solid."

Bohls wasn't surprised Josserand has worked his way into the starting lineup as a sophomore.

"He is like having another coach on the floor," Bohls said. "He gets the ball in the hands of people that are threats for him. He does things you can't teach."

Christopher Drexel can be reached at 990-8929 or [email protected].