OGDEN -- Simon says he's not a big deal.
Simon also says his teammates always come first.
But what Simon won't say is that his banner season has the Weber State men's tennis team in contention for a conference championship.
Simon Unger -- a three-time first team All-Big Sky Conference selection -- is looking to cap his WSU career with a bang at the Big Sky tournament this week.
"Overall, everyone on this team is good and it takes all of us playing at our best if we want to win it," Unger said. "If it was just me, the Wildcats wouldn't even be in (the tournament) this year."
Weber State coach Jared Burnham couldn't agree more.
"The guys are all excited for each other and I'm just glad we made it, especially when the (Big Sky) only takes four out of the nine teams to the tourney," Burnham said. "Simon is a good leader for us and he's a lot more mature than when he first came in. He's still a goofy kid, but he really gets after it on the court."
Unger took a strange journey to arrive at Weber State four years ago. Hailing from Moenchengladbach, Germany, he was initially recruited by UNLV, but when the Rebels decided to pass on him, he was referred to Burnham through a close friend, and his tennis days in purple and white began.
"With foreign kids it's kind of a crapshoot," Burnham said. "There's so much talent overseas, so I'm really glad he's worked hard since he got here. I'm pretty hard on him, but he really listens and he's improved on one or two things every season."
The humble senior currently boasts a 7-1 record at the No. 1 singles spot during conference play, the best mark in the Big Sky. His only loss came in a narrow defeat to Sacramento State's Aliaksandr Malko in February. Naturally, Unger hopes to earn a rematch with Malko in the championship, but he knows overlooking Montana in the semifinals would be a critical mistake.
"Sacramento (State) is always one of the best teams, but Montana beat them this year and they are the top seed, so we have to get through them first."
The Wildcats (9-12, 5-3 Big Sky) fell to the 6-0 Grizzlies earlier in the season, but Unger said WSU is more focused now, and it plans on a better performance this time around.
"It's crucial to get those doubles points," Unger said. "We lost one of those against Montana and we really need to keep working on our consistency and our stroke if we want to get them when it counts."
If there is an example to be followed by the rest of the team, the Wildcats' No. 1 doubles spot is the cream of the crop.
Unger and teammate Oliver Good are unbeaten in Big Sky play this season, and own a 13-1 mark paired together over the past two seasons. The duo was also ranked 43rd in the nation last fall.
And with Unger, Good and company leading the pack, the Wildcats hope to bring home their first Big Sky crown since 1992.
Simon says it's certainly possible.
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