ST. GEORGE — Prayer, music and post-game meals at Chili’s are just some of the things that help Desert Hills High School boys basketball teammates and Performance Players of the Week Reggie Newby and Justin Judkins – both in the game and in life.
The two friends hung out with “Performance Player of the Week” host Mark Musgrave in the “Thunderdome” to talk about basketball, school and how salt and pepper shakers can be used in a coachable moment.
Learn more about “Performance Player of the Week” Reggie Newby and Justin Judkins in the media player at the top of this report.
Both Newby and Judkins expressed their passion for learning and growing in the sport as they talked about who inspires them from professional athletes to coaches, parents and siblings.
Newby doesn’t have a single favorite athlete, he said, but he believes there is always someone to learn from.
Judkins had no qualms about picking a favorite player, saying without hesitation that he admires Washington Wizards point guard Russell Westbrook for how hard he plays.
“He plays 100%, gives it his all,” Judkins said, adding that he tries to emulate the professional player in how hard he plays.
But it is their closer ties – Judkins’ father and Newby’s brother – that the boys really look up to and want to learn from, they said.
The longtime friends have mutual admiration for each other as well.
“He just brings that energy. I mean, he’s just always working hard, he’s always focused, he never takes days off,” Newby said of Judkins. “He’s just like, he’s very gritty.”
What Judkins loves about his teammate is how coachable he is, he said, adding that he feels as if his friend would do anything to help out the team.
“He’ll run through a brick wall if coach asks him to,” Judkins said.
Beyond basketball, both boys plan to serve missions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints following high school graduation.
To learn more about Newby and Judkins, including their pre-game routines in this episode of “Performance Player of the Week” sponsored by Ken Garff St. George Ford.
Performance Players of the Week: Reggie Newby and Justin Judkins | Brought to you by Ken Garff St. George Ford.
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