Orem basketball: Josh Pollard profile

In early April, I interviewed Orem (Utah) senior Josh Pollard, who played a major role in the Tigers' state championship run this season. Here is the article that will appear in the team's post-season yearbook.

Josh
Pollard:

His breakout senior season helped
bury bad memories of previous year

By Bruce Smith
Matchup

Josh Pollard wasn’t happy at how his junior season ended.

He was in coach Golden Holt’s inaugural starting lineup, and had three 20-point games (including a 28-point effort vs. Kearns) before a thumb injury put him on the bench. When he returned three weeks later, he had to play with a cast and wasn’t the same.

“It was tough,” he recalled. “I really didn’t feel like I could do anything other than play defense.”

One year later, that season was just a far away memory.

As a senior, Pollard was one of the team captains. He played every game and was instrumental in each. He averaged 8.9 points per game and was the team’s leader in rebounds and steals.

His high-scoring game was a 21-point effort at home against Provo. As Orem rolled to a 24-1 record and its first boys basketball state championship, Pollard set a school record for most steals in a game (5.5 vs. Salem Hills). He was named Region 8’s Defensive Player of the Year and both Salt Lake newspapers made him second team all-state.

“I got stronger and quicker in the offseason. That’s what helped me; It’s what I needed,” Pollard said. “I was working out with a trainer four days a week … going for weightlifting and speed. By the end of the summer, some of the guys (teammates) starting coming with me. I had added a few inches on my vertical (leap) and it helped our team.”

In the Pollard family, basketball is king and a lot is expected. His dad (Alan) is 6-10 and is well-known locally for leading Mountain View to a state title. He also has two twin brothers (eighth grade) who are 6-5 already.

Combined with his injury-plagued junior year, that was plenty of motivation.

“Basketball is my only sport and it was great how we finished,” he said. “We had a lot of fun along the way and the championship seemed to unite the whole school.”

Orem improved as the season progressed, primarily on defense. Pollard said the team began to accept assistant coach Greg Sheide’s formula and the Tigers limited opponents to an average of 42.0 ppg at state.

Pollard said his best game was the 4A semifinals, when he scored 13 points and pulled down 11 rebounds in Orem’s 44-36 win over Bountiful. However, coach Golden Holt felt Pollard might have been at his best in the state final.

It came during a timeout when Olympus had narrowed Orem’s lead to four points with about five minutes left. Pollard was on the bench with four fouls and Holt let him do the talking.

“Josh has been through a lot here at Orem and took the lead as a senior to let these guys know they couldn’t let up,” Holt said. “He’s been a big leader for us all year long and he gave them a bit of a pep talk there and they responded.”
Pollard celebrated with the rest of the team, and he called the title game the highlight of the season … barely.

“Between (beating) Lone Peak and the state championship, I would probably say state … still … because it was for the championship. But Lone Peak had that kind of atmosphere. It’s the most active I’ve ever seen the (Orem) Fieldhouse. There were so many students there. They were jumping up and down and it even cracked the floor.

“I celebrated more after the Lone Peak game than at state,” he added. “At state, we kind of held on and it wasn’t traumatic. It was a cooler game to win, but it wasn’t as emotional. The Lone Peak game was really intense and it was soooo loud.”

It wiped away any bad memories of the previous year, and provided a bond between him and his teammates that won’t end. Pollard said he would like to continue playing basketball after graduation, but first he will go on an LDS Church mission.

“I had a few schools interested in me but they wanted me to come there first,” he said. “I’ll go on a mission and then see what happens.”