Foyle helps raise level of play for BYUH basketball

By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer

In the sleepy, laid-back community of La'ie, Brigham Young-Hawai'i basketball player Alexus Foyle has brought new meaning to rise and shine.

Alexus Foyle, considered by some the best college player in the state, has led BYUH to its second straight PacWest title. Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser

Teams routinely double- and sometimes triple-team the senior All-America forward.

Even with the added pressure, Foyle has helped the Seasiders (17-3) win their second consecutive Pacific West Conference title and is arguably the best college player in the state.

"I tend to agree that Alexus is probably the best player on the island," said teammate Scott Salisbury, who who played with University of Hawai'i basketball players Mark Campbell, Haim Shimonovich, Nkeruwem "Tony" Akpan and Ikaika Alama-Francis during last year's NCAA Summer League. "Not to take anything away from the players who are playing at UH, but I just haven't seen anything like his ability."

For a player who only started playing basketball about six years ago, the 24-year-old Foyle has developed a high-flying game, and according to Salisbury, is worth the price of admission.

"Even if you come and you know nothing about the game of basketball, you can't help but get excited by watching him play," Salisbury said. "So ticket price or no ticket price, he's just fun to watch."

The Seasiders will finish their regular season with two conference games against Chaminade on Thursday and Saturday at the Cannon Activities Center in La'ie.

Lead BYUH radio broadcaster Lad Panis, who has watched Foyle in all 49 games spanning the past two seasons, called Foyle a must-see player.

"When he's on his 'A' game, and I've said it on the radio, Alexus is probably the best talent on the island," said Panis, who broadcasts all games on KHNR Hawai'i News Radio (650AM). "His ability, his jump, his shot, the dunk, he has some of those natural abilities that you don't see from a lot of players. And we watch basketball all the time."

Even opposing coaches, such as Chaminade's Aaron Griess, rave about Foyle's ability.

"He's a great player and would be a great Division I player at the 3 spot, the small forward spot," Griess said. "He could compete at any level of college, if you ask me. He's getting better by the day. I know every time we see him, he gets a little better."

"Everybody is asking me why I'm at this school," said Foyle, who is scheduled to graduate in exercise and sports science next year. "It was meant for me to come here. God blessed me with talent. I always said if I got the opportunity to play at a religion school, I would. I'm happy I came here. I'm doing great in school and getting stuff done in basketball."

Much of the credit goes to unselfish teammates, who pass up good shots and layups to feed Foyle, and to head coach Ken Wagner and his coaching staff, who have polished Foyle's raw game.

Before coming to BYUH, he played two seasons at College of the Desert, a junior college in California, where he averaged 26 points and 14 rebounds in what he called a "run-and-gun" program.

But when he arrived at BYUH in 2001, he found difficulty learning a new, structured playing style under Wagner, the school's winningest coach.

Foyle said he couldn't remember the plays and took nearly the whole season to adapt to Wagner's system, which stresses defense and ball movement. It also took a while to learn why, in Foyle's eyes, Wagner was always harping on him.

"He chews me out more than anyone else," Foyle said. "I love that. Before I never used to love it. I just put myself in coach Wagner's shoes and say, 'hey, he cares for me.'

"I just wanted to be (taught). Sometimes I get a little mad, but he brings out the best in me. I'm happy to have a coach like him."

Wagner said Foyle has made great strides.

"I think his overall game is getting better every day," Wagner said. "His outside shooting, his defense, his movement without the ball. Probably the two hardest areas when you're new to the game is learning to play without the ball on offense and learning to play off-ball defense. He's made some strides in those areas."

Wagner believes Foyle has a chance to become an NBA player, which would be just fine with Foyle.

"My goal is to play the highest level of basketball I can play," he said. "Not for money, just for me. One way I can do that is to keep on winning and to take this team on my back because if you're good, your team has to win."

NOTES: Alexus Foyle graduated from Canouan High School in St. Vincent, a Caribbean island, in 1996. He didn't play basketball in high school and instead played cricket and soccer. ... Foyle started playing basketball at 18, and about two weeks after that, the 6-foot-5 basketball junkie was dunking hard. "I used to be the first one on the court," he said. "I always had strong legs. That's the strongest part of my body. I had to run or walk everywhere (in St. Vincent). There was no transportation, no school buses." ... Foyle's nickname is "Flex" for his flexibility. ... During the summer Foyle goes to the Golden State Warriors' practice facility to scrimmage with NBA players Antawn Jamison, Danny Fortson, Mookie Blaylock and his cousin Adonal Foyle.