Boise State men's quickest player hopes to add toughness

Westly Perryman is the quickest player on the Boise State men's basketball team.

And while that trait is important, the junior college transfer wants to bring something else to the Broncos this season.

"I think, honestly, I bring toughness because I'm from the East Coast," said Perryman, who grew up in Boston and went to junior college in New York City.

"Guys over here, they're big and strong and don't have that much heart, I don't think. I bring a lot of that toughness and heart, and that's going to get us all powered up to win games.''

Perryman and Boise State hope that winning starts Tuesday night when the Broncos play their first exhibition game of the season against Division III foe Willamette.

Perryman will play on the wing this season and likely will come off the bench for the first exhibition game as coach Greg Graham tries various combinations before opening the season with a three-day tournament at Montana starting Nov. 13.

"Wes is a very high energy guy and will really add to our speed game," Graham said. "For the first exhibition game, I hope he has his feet on the ground because he'll be fired up, excited and ready to go."

Perryman was a JC All-American at Monroe College, where he averaged 14.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 3.1 steals per game. The team won 30-of-33 last season.

But watching the 6-foot-3, 183-pounder, the thing that stands out is his quickness, especially with the ball in his hands.

"It's going to be new for us having a guy with explosive ability and it should open up the floor for the rest of us because he can really get to the rim," junior Paul Noonan said.

Perryman still is learning Boise State's systems and adjusting to the Division I ranks. He said the biggest differences are the better players across the roster and having to be more mentally sharp because of the all of the talent.

"He's done a good job of picking it up," Graham said. "The big thing is he's gotten better each day and we expect he'll get better as the season goes along. With his speed and athleticism, he can affect the game in many ways, whether it's scoring points in bunches or steals or running the floor. His athletic ability brings another dimension to our team. I don't think we've had anybody quite like him with his speed to the basket."

And Perryman can't wait to show the Boise State fans his game.

"I'm excited for it," he said. "I can't wait for the season to start and it can't start any quicker."