Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus No. 9-Seed Cincinnati (1st Round) on March 10, 2026 , Loss , 66, to, 73
Final Score
Men's Basketball
66
vs No. 9-Seed Cincinnati (1st Round)
73
The University of Utah Athletics
Not Your Typical Basketball Player
1/21/2004 12:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 21, 2004
By Jeff Burdett
Utah Sports Info. Student Assistant
On the court Bryant Markson has one goal in mind: be the best player he can possibly be. When it's all said and done, at the high school, collegiate or pro level, Markson wants to hang up his shoes knowing he gave it his best shot.
Last season, Markson paid his dues as a freshman and in return earned valuable experience. His freshman campaign saw him earn playing time in all 33 games, while getting four starting nods. He got valuable playing time during the Mountain West Conference Tournament and started in both of Utah's NCAA tournament games, when teammate Britton Johnsen was unable to play. This year, the Monrovia, Calif., resident feels he's ready to step into the spotlight and lead rather than learn.
"I feel like I have taken on more of a leadership or rolemodel role," states Markson. "Last year, I was following Britton Johnson and Trace Catton, but this year I see the freshmen looking up to me. I think that was coach's goal. To get me and the rest of last year's freshmen as much playing time as possible so that we could step up and guide the new guys."
Even after achieving early success at Utah, Markson still looks for ways to finely tune his game. He felt that his shooting was a weak spot in his game coming into this season. During the off-season he worked very hard improving his shot. "That's been my main focus," says Markson. "I really felt like I had to work on that area of my game-I continue to work on it."
Already spending most of his time on his shot, Markson was forced to deal with another problem. During a basketball game at Salt Lake Community College, he fractured his ankle. It was the day before he was scheduled to head back to Monrovia for the summer, when he stepped on another player's foot. Worst of all, it was the last play of the game. "I couldn't walk for a long time," Markson points out. "When I got back to Utah, I wasn't able to condition as much as I wanted so I've been trying to play catch-up all year."
His ankle fracture proved to be a huge setback in terms of conditioning and focus. As a result, Markson's attention was switched from leading the team and improving his game to playing catch up. But, Markson is still determined to push himself as hard as he can during practice and games.
As his attention turns towards the rest of his sophomore season, he has the same goals as last year: win a lot of games, repeat as conference champions and go deeper into the NCAA tournament. Markson has the patience, determination and intelligence to achieve these goals. He's already appeared in all nine of Utah's contests this season.
Before he joined the Utes, the 6-foot-6-inch Markson was a hot commodity at the prep level. His quickness and ability to score loaded his resume with a slew of awards such as San Gabriel Player of the Year and Arroyo MVP (two years in a row). He was also named first-team all-CIF during his junior and senior seasons. For two seasons in a row Markson averaged more than 20 points a game, but then his progress reached a setback when he injured his ACL.
During the down time, Markson picked up an unusual hobby to offset his days away from basketball. Due to the injury he found that his movement was limited, as were his activities. He began working on his car, figuring since he could make his knee better he would at least make his car better. This new hobby would grow and follow him anywhere he went. "During my injury, all I could do was get in my car and switch gears," explains Markson. "So, I really got into making my car faster."
His hobby for cars has continued, as has his dedication towards basketball. Markson now focuses on "American Muscle" since his new ride is a white, 1989 Camero RS, which he has built into a monster. Markson shows his car the same attitude he shows his basketball game, he's always looking for ways to make it better, faster and stronger. Complete with a V8 engine and a loud sound system, Markson has the fastest wheels of the Ute basketball players. "I love working on my car," tells Markson. "I love to add new things to it. Besides it's a Camero-it's American Muscle!"
This infatuation with his car is not a surprise considering Markson has many unique hobbies that are not always typical of a basketball player. For example, when he's off the court and the weather is right, he loves to fish. In fact, he enjoys fishing with grandfather back in California and plans to spend his retirement-in the far off future-fishing all day. Recently Markson and fellow Ute Stefan Zimmerman went on a fishing trip to American Fork in order to sample the local fishing he never has time to enjoy. "Fishing is great. It's a chance to get away from the world," admits Markson.
Markson also loves to write, and especially enjoys free writing and writing about his past. To him writing is a way to deal with problems out in the open. He can always write how he feels, hence why some of his best writing is done when he's angry. Many of his stories are about his experiences growing up in California. As long and you tell the truth, people will like what you write," Markson relates. "And, I always tell the truth in my writing. Many people read my stories and are shocked that I made it to college after what I've been through. I just write what I feel and people respond to that."
With some of his experiences behind him, Markson admits how great it is to have friends like Richard Chaney and Tim Drisdom as teammates. The trio, a.k.a Run D.M.C, was friends in California and their relationship has continued to grow since they arrived in Utah. Always looking out for one another, the three are almost inseparable. "We always reflect on times spent in California when we're having a bad day," says Markson.
Having already faced several setbacks and tough times, Markson appears to be one of the most unique athletes to play at Utah. He can hit the 20-foot jumper and later help you fix your transmission. He can drive down the lane and draw the foul, and later write about the experience as if you were there through it all. It's this type of well roundedness that makes Markson a not so typical player-but in a good way of course.
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