The New, Sensitive Luke Nevill

Yes,, well, Jim Boylen is an emotional guy.

But you knew that already.

What you didn’t know is he has the ability to get others to show their softer side.

Talking with Boylen this weekend, I mentioned to him that I thought Luke Nevill made an amazing transformation this year, going from a fairly timid, insecure player to the Mountain West Conference’s basketball MVP.

Somehow that led to Nevill’s opening up.

“I used to hug Luke every chance I got,” said Boylen.

He went on to say Nevill would just stand there, arms at his side, looking awkward and uncomfortable.

“My Mom’s a hugger and I’d hug Luke in the weight room , after games and he’d just stand there…but about the last eight months he’s finally hugged me back. That says something. He didn’t feel good about expressing that and I know he loves me,” said Boylen. “Sometimes you’ve got to force it on him.”

Strangely enough, it was a bit of orneriness that made Nevill much better this year.

Boylen had another point about showing your feelings: Don’t be too judgmental.

“Loving people where they’re at, not where you think they should be, is a big lesson,” he said. “You may not always like the way they are, but people are so quick nowadays to say someone’s acting like a jerk, forget him, and they don’t want to talk. It’s awful.”

Maybe that explains why Boylen and Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer — another feelings-on-his-shirtsleeves kind of guy — were able to quickly get past the tiff they had two seasons ago.