David Chiotti is not the kind of center who camps out under the basket and gets beat up and down the floor.
And that's exactly what makes him a perfect fit for the 2003-04 Lobo men's basketball squad.
But if there is one thing that makes Chiotti stand out from his teammates, it would be how he wears his 240 lbs. on his 6-foot-9 frame. Take one look at him and even the most novice of basketball fans can tell he is in stellar shape, strong and large enough to play rough with the biggest big men in the MWC conference.
But it's not his size that will allow him to contribute to the Lobos' success.
"The main thing I like is running up and down the floor, so I try and push myself every time," he said. "As a big man, I will have an advantage if I am able to run and spread out the floor and hang out with the guards, so I am going to try and get those advantages every time."
On the offensive side of the court, Chiotti won't hesitate to move the ball around. This will keep taller defenders at bay and give him a chance to knock down the open jumper, something the sophomore knows a thing or two about after leading the team last year with a 54.9 field goal percentage.
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As a defender, Chiotti will have to use all of his body to stop the conference's best centers like Colorado State's 7-footer, Matt Nelson, who was the Mountain West Conference Tournament MVP last year.
As long as he can stay out of foul trouble when defending, Chiotti should be able to use his athleticism to run bigger men ragged.
Although he was the Lobos' co-Most Improved Player last year, Chiotti is looking beyond himself.
Hitting the weight room and improving his greatest asset, strength and physicality, is just one of the many roads Chiotti will travel this season in his quest to contribute to the team's success.
Also, he wants to use his head and know the opponent he will match up against.
"I know every center in the league from last year," he said. "I know their quality and how good they are. They're going to have to worry just as much about guarding me as I am about them."
If he maximizes his advantages, Chiotti should be able to show that in the MWC you don't have to be very big to dominate, you just have to be good.
