Aimaq forgoes the NBA, opts to return to UVU next season
Utah Valley redshirt sophomore center Fardaws Aimaq announced on the “Making The Madness” podcast that he will be returning to UVU next season.
The return of the Wolverines standout center could help them to realize their goal of winning a WAC title this upcoming season.
“To put it simply man, I’m coming back,” said Aimaq on the Sean Paul live stream. “I’m coming back to school. I’m ready to get to work. The feedback and everything I got was amazing. I killed every workout that I did. I impressed a lot of teams. I did a lot of little things that led to the success in the workouts. I got the feedback that I needed. I’m coming back for my junior year and I’m ready to dominate this conference and am ready to be one of the best players in the country.”
Aimaq brings a unique style of play to this UVU squad, averaging 13.9 points per game and 15 rebounds per game over his career. He led the nation in rebounding, gathering over 300 rebounds last season, 95 of which came on the offensive side of the ball.
“The biggest thing I learned from the [NBA Draft] process was how to be a pro,” said Aimaq. “There is a lot more that goes into it than just the basketball side of things. There is a lot of off-the-court stuff. Understanding all that early on was big for myself. Simple little things like what you eat, what you watch, what you look at. All those things add up to how you do on the court. I didn’t ever really understand that. You go from city to city and workout to workout and I’ve learned that you have to keep your mind and body right. To be a pro, you really have to do all the little things.”
The Wolverines went 11-11 overall last season and clinched a share of the regular season WAC title. UVU lost to NMSU in the first round of the WAC tournament in Las Vegas ending their season earlier than the team had hoped.
Next year’s team led by Aimaq will also feature returns from young but experienced talents in Blaze Nield, Trey Woodbury, Asa McCord and Le’Tre Darthard. Head Coach Mark Madsen also added BYU transfer Connor Harding to the roster in the off-season, who will add a much needed defensive spark along the perimeter.
The Wolverines will compete with WAC newcomers Lamar, Sam Houston State, Abilene Christian and Stephen F. Austin in a newly revamped conference that will also feature perennial powerhouses NMSU and GCU. The upcoming season is projected to start in November.
Brice Larson is currently a Junior at UVU majoring in communications with an emphasis in journalism and media studies. He enjoys everything about sports and one day hopes to become a college football analyst and play by play commentator.