Meet the Newbies: Eric Mika
By Josh Horton
Apr 2, 2013; New York, NY, USA; The Brigham Young Cougars bench reacts after Brandon Davies (0) draws a foul against the Baylor Bears during the first half of the NIT Tournament Semi-Final at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Freshman forward Eric Mika has the possibility of not only being the best freshman in the WCC, but the whole nation. The Lone Peak High School product, which is essentially a BYU pipeline, is among the best big men in the nation. He will be expected to make an immediate impact this season and lead the Cougars down low alongside junior forward Nate Austin. So, without further ado, here is BYU forward Eric Mika.
High School
Mika was able to accomplish something last season that only a handful of people can claim they have done; won a high school national championship. Mika was an integral part of a Lone Peak squad that went 26-1, won the 5A Utah state championship, and won the MaxPreps.com national championship. In addition to the team awards, Mika racked up a great deal of individual accolades as well. He was named First team all-state by the Salt Lake Tribune and the Desert News. Max Preps put them on its all-American third-team. As a senior Mika averaged 16.4 points, 11.2 rebounds, 11.7 blocks, and 1.0 assists, and shot 67.1 % from the field. Played alongside fellow BYU commits T.J. Haws and Nick Emery at Lone Peak.
Before Lone Peak, Mika played at the Waterford School in Salt Lake City, Utah. As a sophomore, Mika averaged 17.1 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 3.9 blocks.
According to the BYU website, Mika was also recruited by Weber State, Utah State, Utah, Stanford, and Boston College.
Impact at BYU
Mika is a fantastic addition to this BYU team and could be the difference maker in the race for WCC supremacy. The WCC looks like a two team race, and with Kelly Olynyk and Elias Harris elsewhere, the Zags have a depleted frontcourt. If Mika is the player that everyone expects him to be, BYU will have a distinct advantage over Gonzaga in that category.