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LOGAN -- With one game left in the regular season before the Western Athletic Conference tournament and just a little over a week before Selection Sunday, the Utah State Aggies look to make another appearance in the NCAA tournament.
However, with the success of in-state rival BYU and Player of the Year candidate Jimmer Fredette, many have overlooked the Aggies' success. But there is more to this USU team than what people are giving them credit for.
With a current record of 27-3, the Aggies have 12 straight 23-win seasons under their belt. Unlike their in-state rival, each year USU quietly wins their conference, moving their way up the polls.
The Aggies currently sit at No. 21 in the USA Today Coaches Poll and No. 25 in AP Poll. Utah State was as high as No. 17 in the USA Today Coaches Poll a couple of weeks earlier, which is the highest the school's ever been ranked in that poll.
We have an unbelievable home court, better than anybody else, that is huge, I can't stress that enough.
–Stew Morrill
Additionally, the Aggies secured their fourth regular-season WAC championship against the visiting Idaho Vandals last Saturday, putting them in a great position as a No. 1 seed in the WAC tournament.
With a win over the Vandals, the Aggies secured another undefeated season at home.
"We have an unbelievable home court," said Aggies head coach Stew Morrill. "Better than anybody else, that is huge, I can't stress that enough."
Despite the team's regular-season success, the ultimate goal is to go deep in the NCAA tournament.
Although the Aggies are currently ranked in the top 25, it is possible that they could miss the tournament if they lose their last regular-season game against Louisiana Tech or in the WAC tournament.
It is not likely that Utah State will falter against last-place Louisiana Tech Saturday, but how the Aggies handle the WAC tournament could ultimately determine the team's fate. Even if the Aggies lose in the WAC tournament, however, they should be a lock for the NCAA tournament, securing a lower seed than their recent projection.
Currently, bracketology expert Joe Lunardi of ESPN has the Aggies as a No. 8 seed playing a No. 9 seed UCLA—a tough matchup in the dreaded 8/9 game.
"I have learned years ago that you can't always believe what the experts say about your team because everything can quickly change with just one loss," Morrill said. "The very best thing that we can do is to try and keep winning, obviously. Hopefully we understand that and we are excited about where we are at and what we need to do."
The Aggies stats speak for themselves with a 27-3 record, an RPI of 20 and a 112 strength of schedule (SOS).
Despite their apparent success, the NCAA selection committee may question the team's only win against a top-100 RPI team—Saint Mary's. After a tough victory over the Gaels, Saint Mary's has lost three of its last four games, making a USU win look less appealing.
"As a team, we have tried to have fun with it and making them feel good about what they have accomplished, and yet still be excited about what they can still accomplish," Morrill said. "We keep talking about those things in a positive manner and we will continue to do so."
"If we can keep winning, it would certainly help our seed, and who doesn't want to do that?" USU guard Tyler Newbold said. "To do that, we need to keep winning games."
The Aggies will look to silence the doubters as they move ahead, focusing on the game ahead of them.
"There are a lot of carrots out there to play for," Morrill said. "Obviously we have won the league and all that is great, but a lot more great things can happen if we can keep on winning—and that's the way we need to take it."
Utah State will play their last regular-season game Saturday against last- place Louisiana Tech.
"It's obvious that they will be working hard to try and knock us off," Morrill said. "I think we all realize that there is still a lot to play for, anytime that you go out and play a game you should always play to win."
E-mail: jfurlong@ksl.com
