Konek: Reservations About Being Reserve

For San Diego State guard Jeff Konek, adjusting to his role as a reserve has been as difficult as learning to tone down his flashy game.

There is a correlation between the two.

“When he learned his role,” said Aztec Coach Smokey Gaines, “he realized he was going to have to gear his stuff down in order to get more playing time.

“Last year, he dribbled between his legs 10 times when he got the ball. Now, it’s one time. It’s hard for a guy who has been flashy all his life.”

Only recently, Konek has been one of the first Aztec players off the bench. He has provided the team with instant offense with his 20-foot jumpers and quick drives to the basket, and he has done it while cutting down on turnovers and unnecessary dribbling exhibitions.

Going into tonight’s Western Athletic Conference game against Utah in the Special Events Center at 6:35 (broadcast live on KSDO-1130), Konek has had three straight impressive performances.

The 6-foot 2-inch senior guard scored eight points and had a key basket down the stretch against Hawaii. He had 10 points and 5 assists against Air Force.

In Thursday night’s 77-71 win at BYU, Konek had eight points and two assists. In the closing minutes of the game, he broke the BYU press and threw a lead bounce pass that resulted in a three-point play by Leonard Allen.

Not known for his defense, Konek also contained BYU offensive star Timo Saarelainen in the final minutes of the game.

These accomplishments were made possible because Konek got out of Gaines’ doghouse, but only after he realized what he would have to do to salvage his senior season.

Konek said he hasn’t accepted his role as a backup guard, but he’s doing his best to master it.

“I was trying to make too many things happen offensively,” he said, “and I was reaching and committing too many fouls on defense.

“I was trying to do a little too much at the start of the season,” said Konek, who started 24 of 28 games at point guard last season.

After transferring from Johnson County Community College near Kansas City, Mo., Konek averaged 8.3 points and four assists a game last season.

Then the Aztecs recruited Creon Dorsey to run the offense. Konek found himself battling Anthony Watson for the other guard position.

Just one problem there. Watson is the best shooter and scorer on the team, and there was no way Gaines was going to keep him out of the starting lineup. Watson is leading the team with a 17.4 scoring average.

Konek said he never considered himself a true point guard, and he never really enjoyed playing that position.

“I have never been shy about putting it up,” Konek said, “and I like to shoot more than a point guard does.”

He also likes to play more than he played earlier this season, which was about 12 minutes a game, late in the second half.

The less court time he got, the less enthusiastic his attitude became.

But a visit from his parents at Christmas played a major part in turning his season around.

“I needed a pat on the back, and I got it when they came to San Diego,” Konek said. “They made me feel good.”

That feeling carried over to his play in practice and to his brief appearances in games.

Gaines noticed and was quite pleased to finally be able to use Konek in the type of sixth-man role he had planned for him at the start of the season.

“He has really improved the last two or three weeks,” Gaines said. “It was hard for him to realize that we had a point guard to run the show. But then he saw that we were winning games without him playing.”

That’s true. But the Aztecs are not that talented or deep a team that they can’t use a player of Konek’s talents. They can particularly use his ability to break a zone and shoot from the outside.

“He’s basically an off-guard,” Gaines said, “and he can really shoot the ball.”

Despite Konek’s limited playing time, Gaines thinks his sixth man’s ability to shoot and score makes him a potential professional player.

“He would be able to help a team with a quick point guard who could get him the ball, “ Gaines said. “His playing in Europe or even as a 10th or 11th man in the NBA could be a possibility. I really believe that.”

Konek smiles at the thought, but said his immediate goal is to do whatever he can to help the Aztecs make the NCAA tournament.

“I know we need somebody to come off the bench and do well,” Konek said. He hopes he continues to be that man.

Aztec Notes

At 7-2 in the WAC and 16-4 overall, the Aztecs have already bettered last year’s marks of 6-10 and 15-3. SDSU has six home games and two road games remaining. The Aztecs are in a three-way tie for first in the WAC with New Mexico and Texas-El Paso. . . . SDSU is 1-5 in Utah. They beat the Utes, 74-72, in Salt Lake City in 1982. . . . Utah snapped a four-game losing streak with a 78-64 win over Hawaii at home on Thursday night. Utah is 3-6 in the WAC and 8-13 overall. . . . SDSU beat Utah, 76-67, on Jan. 10 in San Diego. Forward Andre Ross scored 21 points and had 11 rebounds to lead the Aztecs. . . . Utah forward Jerry Stroman suffered torn cartilage in his right knee last week. He underwent arthroscopic surgery and will be out at least three weeks. Stroman scored 17 points against the Aztecs and was averaging 17.4 points and 6.2 rebounds a game.