Charles Rex Arbogast, AP
With the departure of outstanding BYU center Eric Mika to a professional basketball career, the inevitable comparisons to previous BYU centers are there to evaluate and pontificate.
In the mid-20th century, early in the Stan Watts coaching era, there were two significant contributors at the center position. Their Cougar careers began a span of centers from the 1950s through the early 1970s that vaulted the play of the post at BYU.
The first was one of the all-time greats in BYU basketball annals ... the incomparable Mel "Hutch" Hutchins. Cougar lore celebrates the BYU 1951 National Invitation Tournament run at famous Madison Square Garden in New York City.