UVU: Men's Basketball vs. Texas-Pan American 2011

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• published: 27 Jan 2011
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Ronnie Price, who is the 27th member to be inducted into the UVU Hall of Fame, played three seasons with the Wolverines from 2002-05. His first season in Orem was the Wolverines' last as a junior college. Price averaged 24.3 points per game in his final season, which ranked him third in the NCAA is scoring. He was also voted to the All-District 8 team by the United States Basketball Writers Association and was also named the NCAA Division I Independent Player of the Year. For his career he averaged 19.7 points and 3.9 rebounds in 89 games. In his last two years, which count in UVU's NCAA records books, he ranks first in career scoring average (22.2) and second in points scored (1,245). "This is an exciting time for Wolverine Athletics. Ronnie Price is such a great individual and we are so much looking forward to having him a member of our hall of fame," UVU Athletic Director Mike Jacobsen said. "Ronnie and his wife Jenni are both very important to our program. Jenni was a cheerleader for us and also worked in our marketing department. Ronnie is a great basketball player, but even a better person. They are family to us and we look forward to this exciting night." As a sophomore in 2002-03, in the school's final season as a junior college, Price averaged a team-best 15.3 points per game and scored a career-high 38 points in a win over Southern Idaho in the semifinals of the Region 18 tournament. The following year, the school's first NCAA season, Price, who played his freshman year at Nicholls State, upped his scoring average to 20.2 points per contest and tied a career high with a 38-point effort against Northern Colorado. He also scored 37 in a game against Montana State and finished with 26 at BYU. As a junior, Price led the Wolverines to the NCAA Division I Provisional Championship in a last-second win at Florida Gulf Coast and earned the tournament's Most Valuable Player award. Following the season, Price was named to the NCAA Division I All-Independent Team. His career at Utah Valley was capped by a memorable 36-point performance in front of his home crowd in a win over Northern Colorado. Following his career at Utah Valley, he caught the eye of several NBA teams by competing at the Portsmouth Invitational and participating in the NBA Pre-Draft Camp in Chicago. He worked out for the Utah Jazz, Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks. He eventually signed with the Sacramento Kings, becoming the first player to go directly from Utah Valley to the NBA. After two seasons with the Kings, Price made his return to the Beehive State, signing a free agent contract with the Utah Jazz, where he has been since the 2007-08 season. During his five-year NBA career, Price has been a fan favorite in both Sacramento and Salt Lake City. While a member of the Kings, his dunk against the Jazz over Carlos Boozer ranks as one of the top plays in recent NBA memory. This year with the Jazz, Price is averaging a career-best 4.4 points per game. Prior to his collegiate career, Price attended Clear Brook High School in Friendswood, Texas, where he was a three-time All-Conference performer and team captain. In 2008, Ronnie married his college sweetheart, Jenni Bybee, a former Wolverine cheerleader. Together, the two have a beautiful daughter, Brielle.