Basketball a family affair for high-flying Wilcox

Beky Beaton

Of all the Division I talent in the Valley this year, Pleasant Grove wing CJ Wilcox can perhaps lay greatest claim to being bred for the game.

"I've been playing since before I can remember," he said.

He comes by his genetics honestly, since his father Craig came from Georgia to play at BYU in 1994 and '95. At 6-foot-5, CJ is as tall now as his father was in college. He's known for his speed and tremendous leaping ability.

And there is another family factor, as well. CJ has a cousin, LeSean Wilcox, who is also a terrific athlete and has helped shape CJ's development.

Like thousands of other local players, the Wilcoxes started in Jr. Jazz in grade school. They have always played together.

In sixth grade, they competed on a local AAU team. In seventh grade, they became part of the Salt Lake Metro club team coached by Marty Haws, another former BYU player and a good friend of CJ's father.

By then, however, CJ's talent and potential were already widely known. Viking coach Randy McAllister told the remarkable story.

"In the spring of 2002, I was still at Rancho Verde High School in California, but was looking for a new job because my wife and I did not want to raise our family in southern California," the coach said. "I first applied for the opening at Lehi High School, which I found on the Web, but they didn't have a teaching position open. However, because of that contact, I was called about the opening at Pleasant Grove."

The coach had a brother living in Provo at the time who told McAllister about a couple of grade schoolers he thought could be the next Michael Jordans.

They turned out to be none other than CJ and LeSean, and after moving to Utah to accept the PG job six years ago, McAllister met them that winter when they surfaced for local league play.

"I came from the recruiting capital of the world, so I was a little skeptical about what my brother said, but after watching them play, it was apparent they were exceptional talents," McAllister said.

He met the boys then and got to know them and their families even better as they progressed through junior high.

CJ said he decided to really start pursuing his hoop dreams in seventh grade, and he didn't have to look beyond his family to get the jump-start he needed.

He began regular workouts then with his father and cousin, which have continued to the present time outside the high school season.

Besides that, the trio started watching a lot of games together, in person and on TV. Craig would point out things to his eager young listeners. The boys would then try to adapt what they'd learned in their games.

By the end of their eighth-grade season, McAllister knew he was going to bring them on varsity during their freshman year.

"As young players coming to the varsity level, there was a concern about the speed of the game and the size of the other players," the coach said. "Skill-wise, they were very capable, but strength was an issue."

That first season, CJ only played point guard.

"He had a lot of responsibility to learn the game," McAllister said. "He did a great job running the show with a bunch of juniors and seniors.

"His basketball IQ took a big jump that year. He'd gotten by on talent before then, but by the end of the year, he had the smarts to go with it."

Despite all that, however, CJ wasn't convinced he could be a college player until his sophomore season, when he was moved to the wing and became one of the squad's top scoring options after LeSean took over the point-guard spot.

"I always had a lot of people tell me I had potential, but I didn't really buy into it until then," CJ said. "When I finally realized it, it made me want to work even harder."

And work he did. He added weight training with Dave Stroshine and intensified his basketball drills. Having LeSean to play against helped.

"He's fast, aggressive and physical," CJ said. "He really helped toughen me up."

And he learned from his high school coach as well.

"Coach McAllister was always there to open the gym for me," he said. "He taught me a lot of fundamentals and a lot of court smarts."

His club opportunities helped, too, especially since the team played up an age group.

"I was always going against bigger, stronger, faster guys," CJ said. "Coming back to my high school season, I wasn't flustered after playing against guys like that."

In Utah, there's no one he relishes facing more than club teammate and close friend, Tyler Haws, who stars at Lone Peak.

"It's always a challenge against him," CJ said. "I really enjoy it. We're friends, but we compete hard. Our dads share training ideas, too. You don't get better unless you play better players."

That sentiment is shared by Haws as well.

"I love playing with those guys," he said, including LeSean. "I've grown up with them, and we really get after it. It's always fun."

So much fun, in fact, that the last four games between Lone Peak and Pleasant Grove have been sellouts. In some cases, hundreds of fans have had to be turned away, and two of those games became instant classics.

The two players are not identical, however. McAllister had no trouble pinpointing CJ's strengths.

"The No. 1 thing is he's hands-down the best shooter I've worked with in 20 years of coaching, the coach said. "He's had a Division-I jump shot since his junior year and I consider him one of the premier high-school shooters in the country.

"His work ethic has meant he hasn't come back the same player any year. His father prodded him in 9th and 10th grade because CJ didn't understand what it took to reach the level of his potential, but his dad did. Now they train 4-7 days a week."

CJ has brought an added dimension to his game this year as well.

"He's making instant adjustments against opposing defenses," McAllister said. "He's very aware of how people are guarding him and how to make them pay."

Junior teammate Dallas Lloyd has some appreciation for how CJ can help the team succeed. As the quarterback on the football team, he has an understanding of the demands of leadership.

"CJ could shoot the ball every time, but he lets the game come to him," Lloyd said. "He's a great player in all aspects, but he's also fun to play with.

"At any given time, he can liven things up with a slam dunk or make a steal to shift the momentum of the game. That's why we love having him on our team."

There's some substance behind the flash, however.

"CJ is a really positive person who's always looking for the best," Lloyd said. "Even when we're behind, he believes we can come back and make the plays to win.

"When the game is on the line, we want the ball in his hands. Other teams know that, too, because he's always been the go-to guy.

"This year, as a captain, he's even more of a leader and takes charge on the court," Lloyd added. "He's a role model for the other guys."

That's not lost on his coach, either.

"That leadership is going to be important at the next level and will increase his chances of being successful," McAllister said.

So will his humility.

"Often, great high school players develop an attitude and become harder to coach as they go along," the coach explained. "That's never been true with CJ. He's an absolute joy. There's not much better for me as a coach than to see a young man develop like that."

Up next for Wilcox after graduation is playing hoops at the University of Washington. CJ had an easy time explaining the appeal.

"It's the Pac-10," he said. "We'll be playing the big-time schools on ESPN. I want to try to make a difference out there, and I believe I can if I work hard."

CJ attributes his academic readiness to his mother. He hasn't decided on a major yet, but he definitely wants a degree. Besides that, he's just looking forward to venturing into adulthood.

"I like the idea of having to do things for myself without someone telling me what to do all the time," he said. "I'm at the point now where I know what has to get done, and I'm excited for the chance to prove it."

• Beky Beaton can be reached at bbeaton@heraldextra.com.