“It’s been with me ever since I came out,” junior forward Juice Mims said when asked about the nickname. “My aunties’ fiancé at the time when I was born, he was rambling, and he came up with the nickname Juice, and it just stuck.”
Mims’ real name is Julius, but he’s only Julius when he’s “in trouble.” Since he’s arrived on campus, most people have referred to him by the moniker Juice.
Mims came to the Vandals as a junior college transfer. However, his path included some influence from a former Billings Skyview High School teammate, RayQuan Evans.
“(Evans) was a senior when I was a freshman, and then from there, he went to North Idaho College. Then, Corey Simmons, the head coach there, he knew of me through Ray, and he got me there,” Mims said.
After two seasons at NIC, where he averaged 17.2 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, Mims decided to make the jump to the Division I ranks.
“After this, I’m trying to pursue a professional career,” Mims said. “I feel like that jump from juco to the DI level is something that could prepare me for going on to that next level.”
That preparation happening at the University of Idaho is no fluke. Mims had minimal recruitment after entering the portal, mostly from Montana State, but then Alex Pribble showed up. The head coach for the Vandals landed his position on March 20, 2023. Not even two months later, on May 2, he secured Mims.
“Throughout the recruitment process, a lot of teams passed up on me,” Mims said. “Then, coach Pribble came in a little late and got me down here on a visit. I liked what I saw, I liked his energy, everybody else’s energy, the town is awesome and the community support is great, so I was like, ‘yeah, for sure, I’m here to try and turn the program around.’”
Turning the program around is exactly what Mims, and his teammates, have done. While 11 wins may not seem like much, it’s the most Idaho has had since the 2017-2018 season, with four of them coming in the past eight games.
Nine games ago, Mims returned to his home state of Montana to take on the University of Montana Grizzlies. While his initial homecoming was spoiled, Mims had a great game when the Vandals played at Montana State University.
“My favorite game this season was definitely at Montana State,” Mims said. “The strong support from family and friends, including over 50 people from my community and high school team, created an atmosphere that made it truly special.” He finished that game with 15 points, 14 rebounds, four blocks, three assists and two steals.
Exactly three weeks after the homecoming win, Idaho secured win number 11, beating Northern Arizona on Feb. 24. With that 11th win in hand, Mims jumpstarted his goal of trying to turn the program around. That turnaround will continue with one goal in Mims’ mind, continuing to get better.
“(It’s) progress toward reclaiming Idaho’s past dominance in the Big Sky Conference,” Mims said when asked about the record. “I believe next year, we’ll shed the negative perception and earn deserved recognition for our hard work.”
Mims and the Vandals will be able to start their run toward that past dominance when the Big Sky Tournament kicks off on March 9.
James Taurman-Aldrich can be reached at [email protected] or on X @jamesaldrich25