The past three games have proved to be a real turning point in Chou's young career. As I have discussed in previous points, Chou has been playing as a member of the second team. The games against the two highly ranked Idaho squads proved to be Chou's chance to prove that he deserves more minutes and a more prominent role on the team.

Against Southern Idaho he played five minutes in the first half hitting two of the three shots he took and collected two assists. Surprisingly Coach Parrish pulled him out of the game and sat him until the 15:00 mark of the 2nd half. He did not sit again for the rest of the game, playing until the final buzzer. His end stat line was a solid:8 pts (4/5 fg), 2 reb, 2 asst, 1 blk, and 1 stl. Two plays that stick out in my mind from the game are his gorgeous driving pull-up jumper at the 13:00 mark, and the nice drive and dish with 3:00 left that was taken away after a bogus charging call. What he showed in this game is he is a great third perimeter player. He fits well into the team concept and is effective with or without the ball in his hands.

The Northern Idaho game, while statistically not as impressive (2 pts, 3 rebs) solidified his role as the third wing on the team. He does a nice job of keeping the ball moving and providing opportunities for his teammates. Playing against these two teams is the reason why SLCC was such a great choice for Chou. In each game he was playing against three or four players who will play on D1 rosters in the future. Significant minutes against good competition makes this the perfect scenario for him.

Yesterday's game against Salish Kootenai marked his first start of the season, and his collegiate career. While the competition was not as high as the past few games, he responded well with a solid all-around game. 6 pts, 6 rebs, 4 stl, 2 asst, and 1 blk in 25 minutes. Hopefully Chou keeps getting these kind of minutes when the season restarts in two weeks in Mesa, Arizona.

Salt Lake Community College was busy last week playing 3 games in 4 days. It was a successful stretch for the team as they were unbeaten and sit at 10-1 for the season. Besides the first game at Western Wyoming, Chou continued his steady play from earlier in the season.

Western Wyoming proved to be just as tough of an opponent on their home floor as they were when they visited Salt Lake a month ago. Chou only played 11 minutes in the game, missing all three shots he took. Most of these minutes came in the first half (I know because I watched the 2nd half and did not see him at all) confirming that he is definitely not in the 1st team lineup at this time.

He had more minutes, 15 and 19 respectively, in the two easier games played at the Electrical Dynamics Classic held at Central Wyoming College. Shawn continued to showcase his ability to put the ball in the basket averaging 6.5 points in the two games. He continues to play within the structure of the offense, and does not force bad shots. As long as he continues to find ways to contribute more than just points, Chou should continue to get more minutes as the season progresses.

Perhaps the most impressive part of his season so far are the cities he has played in. Ephraim, Utah, Rock Springs, and Riverton, Wyoming must make Taiwan feel like a distant memory!