This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Dropped by Lone Peak today for football practice. Unfortunately, I was about 12 hours early. But as I tore through the high school looking for football coach Tony McGeary, I stumbled upon some hoops folks.
Turns out the Knights have another Division 1 player on their roster.
Guards Nick Emery and T.J. Haws are obviously the prized recruits coming out of Quincy Lewis's Knights program, but junior transfer center Eric Mika isn't too far off. Mika, who played his first two years at Waterford, played with the Knights throughout the summer.
Weber State and Utah State recently became the first two schools to offer the 6-foot-8 center.
There remains some question over whether Mika will be eligible to play this season. The UHSAA has not yet granted him eligibility for the upcoming year and it's unclear if he will qualify under the state rule which requires a "demonstrated hardship" has forced the switch. Mika's family lives within Lone Peak boundaries, but if the UHSAA were to determine that his transfer was motivated by basketball he would, theoretically, have to sit out one season. Mika averaged 17 points and 12 rebounds per game for 2A Waterford last season, but could not lead the Ravens past the first round of the state tournament.
— Bill Oram