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LOGAN — Utah State and Utah Valley have met 11 times in Division I college men's basketball. The Aggies have come out on top in each contest, and they put an 81-55 beatdown on the Wolverines in the 2015 contest.
However, USU head coach Tim Duryea knows it will be a tougher battle when the two teams face off in the UCCU Center on Saturday afternoon.
"They are very balanced," Duryea said. "They basically have five guys averaging in double figures, from every position on the floor. This is a testament to the way they play together and the way they move the ball. They are not playing through one guy. That always makes you harder to defend. ... Overall they are a very skilled team, one through five."
The Aggies and Wolverines have met five times in Orem, and three of the five contests have been decided by six points or less. In 2014, USU won 50-47 in a game that saw both teams shoot poorly from the field. It was the final game in the series for former head coaches Stew Morrill and Dick Hunsaker.
"Most of the games we have had at their place have been grind-it-out affairs with Coach Hunsaker," Duryea said. "This is the first time we've played Mark (Pope)'s team at his place ... and this is the most talented Utah Valley team that we've seen in a while."
One matchup Duryea thinks will be a key part of the game is the battle between USU guard Shane Rector and UVU guard Brandon Randolph. Rector is averaging 10.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game, while Randolph is averaging 9.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game.
"That is two similar players, watching them on film," Duryea said. "They like to push it in the open floor, like to get into the lane and make things happen and can finish around the basket. They are both strong and athletic kids. That will be a key matchup in the game and will be a fun matchup to watch. I see a lot of similarities between those two guys."
According to Duryea, Rector has had some really good nights and some below-average nights. However, when Rector is focused and locked in, the Aggies are a much better team, he said.
"He is still the biggest key to our team because when his shot selection is good, when he is focused on making plays for his teammates, then he plays better and our team plays better," Duryea said.
"He has been steady defensively every night and has taken the challenge and guarded people fairly well. Offensively we need to have him in the mindset of getting other people shots.
"We need him to create easy shots for the other guys on our team," Duryea said. "It is hard for him to do that when he is focused on his scoring. His scoring needs to be a byproduct of how aggressive he is being in getting into the lane and making plays for other people. When he does that, scoring opportunities are going to pop up for him along the way. That is the mindset that I hope he stays in and the mindset we need him in.”
With a larger-than-normal crowd expected Saturday night, the Aggies will need Rector to be at his best against a team that has vastly improved and is looking to break an 11-game losing streak.
Kyle McDonald is sports fan who loves the Chicago Cubs and the Utah Valley University Wolverines. He is a communication major at UVU and will graduate in the spring of 2017. Follow him on Twitter at @kylesportsbias
