Nate Austin has always loved basketball, but for him, the most important things in his basketball life have happened since he entered the program at Lone Peak High School as a sophomore.

That regimen has continued since then as well, with now-freshman brother Matt added last year.

Even with all that, however, Austin still wasn't sure if he would make the team. When he did, he was really excited, but the hard part had only just begun.

"Coach (Reed) Bromley really pushed me my sophomore year," he said. "He got everything he could out of me.

"He and coach (Quincy) Lewis have both been really patient with me and have worked with me to get my best," Austin went on. "They've really helped me to get where I am."

His teammates were an added bonus and inspiration.

"All of a sudden, I was playing against Kevin Lindquist, Bracken Funk and Justin Hamilton," he said.

"I knew they were going to play in college, and as I learned to hold my own against them, I asked myself, why not me?

"The players before me worked hard every day and helped me see what it takes to win games, be a leader and get to the next level," Austin added.

"Coach Lewis always says you can't be satisfied with where you are or others will pass you by," he said.

That desire to do more led him to join the Salt Lake Metro club team coached by Marty Haws, which provided an additional spur to his development.

"I saw all the talent that was out there, and many of those guys were as good or better than me," Austin explained. "We were playing against guys who were being recruited by the top programs in the country.

"I could see that if I wanted to win another state title or be a Division I player, I needed to work even harder and smarter, for myself and my team. I needed to really focus on becoming the best I could be."

Austin added strength training with Dave Stroshine to his personal preparation, and also started doing additional drills with the Haws family.

"Nate is definitely a hard worker," teammate Tyler Haws said. "He came and worked out with us (Tyler, father Marty and brother T.J.) in the summers. He wants to be good and he wants to win. He doesn't care what role he has on the team; he'll help wherever he can."

Austin attributed one addition to his game to Marty Haws as a coach.

"He taught me to play above the rim," he said. "Once you're up there, it's a lot easier to put the ball in.

"I felt the joy of one state championship, and that made me want to work even harder for the next one," the player added. "Now we're going through that process all over again."

According to Tyler, Austin has learned all his lessons very well.

"He's a perfect teammate," Haws said. "He's trying to be a good leader and set a good example for the guys coming up. He will be big to achieving our goals this year."

But his contributions don't stop on the court.

"Nate is always joking around; he has a funny personality," Haws said. "He keeps things light but he knows when it's time to get serious.

"Besides that, he's an overall good person. He's in my seminary class and has a good relationship with his family. There's good balance in his life. It's easier and more pleasant to succeed with a guy like that around," Haws concluded.

All that extra effort and a proper sense of priorities have now helped produce a formidable player.

Austin averaged a double-double during the spring and summer and had 24 points and 22 rebounds in the gold bracket quarterfinals of the Las Vegas Spring Showcase against a team of graduating seniors, nearly all of whom had signed to play college ball.

He also had 15 rebounds in a game against Provo at the beginning of this month.

"These were high-level games," Lewis said. "And, as well as he can perform now, he isn't anywhere close to what he has the potential to become.

"Talk about a kid who's come a long way in a short period of time," the coach continued. "People will see tremendous improvement in him just through this year, and he's still growing.

"Nate has a great upside," Lewis said. "He can step out and hit shots as well as score inside. He's a good passer and has a good feel for the game. For a guy his size, he pursues rebounds really well.

"What BYU has done with how they've picked up Nate is really smart," he added. "He needs three or four more years for his body to fill out and develop, and he won't be required to play any serious minutes in that span of time.

"For him, the mission timing worked well," Lewis said. "Once his body gets there, the Cougars will have a heck of a player."

For Austin, the chance to join the team at BYU is literally a childhood dream come true, something he used to think about when playing with his Little Tyke hoop as a small boy.

The Austins were big Cougar fans and Nate grew up watching them play. But, as he got older and realized how hard it was to get a Division I scholarship, he relegated the dream to the back of his mind.

However, as he began his high school career, he slowly came to realize that it was still a possibility for him. Lewis told him he could aspire to play college ball if he worked hard enough, and that was a turning point for Nate.

"From then on, all the extra work I did was not only to help the team now, but also with an eye to the future," Austin said.

When he was young, the big appeal at BYU was the tradition, knowing that he'd have a chance to win games and championships there.

Now that he's grown up, however, he sees other things of value in his choice.

"I like that the focus in the program is on the team; it's not about individual players," Austin explained. "I can also see that the coaches will help me to become a better person as well as a better player."

BYU has more to offer him than hoops, however.

"I'm looking forward to getting a good education," the player said. "I'm going to have to get a job to support a family, so I'll be looking for a field I like and can succeed at."

He'll also be looking to find someone to marry and start a family with, as well as people with whom he can form friendships that will last forever.

"At BYU, I know I'll find people like me that I can trust and who can help me grow in my faith," he said.

There's a friend he already has who is part of the equation too.

"I'm looking forward to continuing to play with Tyler," Austin said. "We've been friends three or four years now, and there's no one better to be around, spiritually as well as otherwise.

"Besides that, there's not too many high school teammates who get to play together in college," he added. "We've enjoyed a lot of success together these past few years, and now we'll have the chance to continue that at the next level."