Estimated read time: 14-15 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
• Utah State is beginning its 104th season of basketball this year and has an overall record of 1,375-989 (.582). USU hasn't had a losing season since the 1992-93 campaign, a span of 15 years, when that team finished with a 10-17 record.
• Utah State is 5-0 to start a season for the first time since the 2002-03 team also began the year with a 5-0 record. Overall, it is the fourth time that USU has started a season 5-0 under head coach Stew Morrill.
• Utah State has won 10 straight regular season games dating back to the 2007-08 campaign as it finished last season with five straight wins and has won all five of its games thus far this year.
• Utah State has won 15 of its last 19 games versus in-state opponents and is 22-8 (.733) against the state of Utah during the last eight years. During that time period, USU is 5-3 versus BYU, 5-3 versus Utah, 8-2 versus Weber State, 3-0 against Utah Valley and 1-0 against Southern Utah. Overall, USU is 23-13 (.639) versus teams from the state of Utah under Coach Morrill.
• Utah State and Brigham Young will be meeting for the 225th time this weekend, extending the oldest rivalry in USU history. Last season was the first time the two teams did not play each other since the 1943-44 season due to World War II. Last year was also the first time the two teams did not meet during a scheduled season since the 1917-18 campaign.
• As of December 3, Utah State is leading the nation in field goal shooting at 55.2 percent and it ranks fourth in the nation in three-point shooting at 46.8 percent. Individually, senior forward Gary Wilkinson ranks second in the nation in field goal shooting at 76.5 percent, while sophomore forward Tai Wesley ranks fourth at 74.1 percent. USU also led the nation in both field goal (.514) and free throw (.792) shooting last year.
• Utah State is 54-16 (.771) in games played in December under Coach Morrill, which includes an 0-1 record on a neutral court. USU is also 9-4 (.692) all-time in known games played on Dec. 6, and 94-35 (.729) in games played on Saturday under Morrill.
• Utah State will be playing its first game of the season on a neutral court and is 30-14 (.682) on neutral floors under Coach Morrill.
THIS WEEK
Utah State (5-0) will play its first of four straight games away from home on Saturday, Dec. 6 against Brigham Young (7-0) at 5 p.m. in EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City. The game will be televised live on KJZZ-TV with Steve Brown (play-by-play) and Andy Toolson (color) calling the action.
ON THE AIR
Utah State basketball games are broadcast on KVNU (610 AM) and KLZX (95.9 FM) in Logan, Utah, KFAN (1320 AM) or ESPN Radio (1230 AM) in Salt Lake City and KLZX (105.3 FM) in Montpelier, Idaho, as well as on the internet at www.UtahStateAggies.com. Al Lewis serves as the play-by-play announcer while Rod Tueller serves as the analyst during home games.
ON THE INTERNET
All of Utah State's home games are available for fans to listen and watch live via the internet at www.UtahStateAggies.com. Aggie fans will also be able to follow Utah State home games through its web site via GameTracker, a program that documents each play and updates statistics. Fans can also listen to every road game live via USU's web site.
LOOKING AT UTAH STATE
Utah State is 5-0 this year after recording a 74-62 home win against UC Irvine Tuesday night. USU is led by senior forward Gary Wilkinson who is averaging 16.4 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, and shooting 76.9 percent from the field and 81.5 percent from the free throw line. The Aggies have two other players scoring in double-figures as sophomore forward Tai Wesley is averaging 12.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game, while shooting 77.4 percent from the field and 71.4 percent from the free throw line, and sophomore guard Tyler Newbold is averaging 11.4 points and shooting 57.9 percent from the field, 58.3 percent from three-point range, and 75.0 percent from the free throw line. As a team, Utah State is scoring 75.6 points per game and shooting 56.6 percent from the field, 47.0 percent from three-point range, and 70.7 percent from the free throw line. Defensively, USU is allowing 55.4 points and its opponents are shooting 40.8 percent from the field, 38.7 percent from three-point range, and 73.2 percent from the free throw line.
RANKING UTAH STATE IN THE WAC
As of Dec. 4, Utah State ranks first in the WAC in scoring margin (+20.2), field goal shooting (.566), three-point shooting (.470), assists (18.80), and rebound margin (+12.0). USU also ranks second in scoring defense (55.4), third in scoring (75.6), third in field goal shooting defense (.408), and fifth in free throw shooting (.707). Individually, senior forward Gary Wilkinson ranks third in the WAC in rebounding (8.2), third in field goal shooting (.769), fourth in free throw shooting (.815), and fifth in scoring (16.4), while sophomore forward Tai Wesley ranks second in the WAC in field goal shooting (.774), and is third in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.56), fifth in assists (4.60), ninth in blocks (1.40), 10th in rebounding (7.0), and 14th in scoring (12.6). Junior guard Stavon Williams leads the WAC in three-point shooting (.588), and junior guard Jared Quayle ranks fifth in free throw shooting (.813).
USU IN ENERGYSOLUTIONS ARENA
Utah State is 3-2 all-time at EnergySolutions Arena and will be playing its first game in the building since the 1998-99 season, Stew Morrill's first year as USU's head coach. The following is a list of who Utah State has played in EnergySolutions Arena.
UTAH STATE PLAYS FIRST OF THREE STRAIGHT IN-STATE GAMES SATURDAY
Utah State plays its first of three straight in-state games this Saturday against BYU. USU will then play at Utah Valley on Saturday, Dec. 13 and at Southern Utah on Wednesday, Dec. 17. After a road game at Idaho State on Saturday, Dec. 20, USU will host Utah on Monday, Dec. 22. Overall, four of USU's next five opponents are against in-state foes.
UTAH STATE AND BRIGHAM YOUNG MEETING FOR FIFTH TIME WHEN BOTH ARE UNDEFEATED
Utah State (5-0) and Brigham Young (7-0) are both undefeated this year and Saturday's game will mark the fifth time in series history that the two teams will play each other when both are undefeated. The last time both teams met with unblemished records was during the 1992-93 season as both teams were 1-0 and BYU won, 93-83, in Logan. Both teams were also undefeated during the 1989-90 season (BYU 3-0 and USU 1-0), and the Cougars won 71-65 in Logan. The first time the two teams met with perfect records was during the 1910-11 season (BYU 4-0 and USU 2-0), with BYU winning 29-19. The other meeting was during the 1922-23 campaign (BYU 6-0 and USU 2-0), and the Aggies won that game, 55-19. The 225th meeting between the two schools will also be the first-ever played on a neutral court.
UP NEXT
Following its game against Brigham Young, Utah State will play at Utah Valley (4-1) on Saturday, Dec. 13 at 7 p.m.
RECAPPING THE UC IRVINE GAME
After being down for a majority of the first half, Utah State took the lead for good with a 15-4 run overlapping halftime to pull away from UC Irvine as the Aggies beat the Anteaters, 74-62, Tuesday night in Logan. USU improved to 5-0 on the season, its first 5-0 start since 2002-03. The Aggies also extended their regular season non-conference home game winning streak to 57 in a row, the second-longest in the country behind Duke's 59 straight. UC Irvine remains winless on the year at 0-6. Sophomore guard Tyler Newbold led three USU players in double-figures with a career-high 21 points while freshman guard Deremy Geiger had a breakout game by tallying 14 points off the bench, his first points as an Aggie. Sophomore forward Tai Wesley tossed in 10 points and added a game-high eight rebounds, leading USU to a 32-23 rebounding edge. Newbold also tied his career-high with seven rebounds and added a season-high tying five assists. UC Irvine also had three players in double-digit scoring, paced by Michael Hunter's 17 points, but the Aggie defense held him to just three after halftime. Eric Wise added 15 points and Patrick Rembert chipped in with 10. Wise and Zack Atkinson pulled down five rebounds apiece. USU shot 62.5 percent (30-of-48) from the field, the second game in a row netting over 60 percent and the fourth time in five games this season shooting over 50 percent. The Aggies also were 9-of-19 (47.4 percent) from three-point range and 5-of-7 (71.4 percent) at the free throw line, USU's fewest attempts this year. The Anteaters finished the night 24-of-60 (40.0 percent) overall and matched that with 40.0 percent (6-of-15) from behind the arc. UCI was perfect at the charity stripe at 8-of-8. UC Irvine pulled away from a 9-8 lead with an 8-2 spurt on a pair of three-pointers from Hunter sandwiched around an Atkinson jumper and had a 17-10 lead with 15:11 left in the half. The Aggies surged back and took a 29-28 edge with 5:06 remaining in the first half after a trey from junior guard Stavon Williams from the left wing and a putback by Newbold. However, the Anteaters wouldn't let the Aggies pull away and the teams went into half knotted at 36-all. USU took a 48-40 lead less than five minutes into the second half, as Newbold and Williams hit three-pointers from the right wing with a Newbold layup in between and Wesley hit a layup to cap the 15-4 Aggie streak going back to the last minute of the first frame. The Anteaters trimmed the gap to four twice, but a 10-0 USU run put the game out of reach. Sophomore center Modou Niang started the spurt with a layup while Newbold and junior guard Jared Quayle ended it with back-to-back three's from the right corner for a 66-51 lead with 4:46 to play and UC Irvine never got close again from there on out.
NOTE-ABLES FROM THE UC IRVINE GAME
Utah State shot over 60 percent (.625) for the second straight game, and over 50 percent for the fourth time this year... USU shot over 40 percent from three-point range (.474) for the third time this year... USU has posted at least 20 assists in each of its last two games including 23 against UCI... USU also had a season-high five blocked shots against UCI... USU had season-lows in both free throws made (5) and attempted (7)... USU has held all five of its opponents under 45 percent shooting... Gary Wilkinson did not score in double-figures (8 pts.) for the first time in 13 games... Tyler Newbold scored a career-high 21 points, tied his career-high with seven rebounds, and tied his season-high with five assists... Deremy Geiger scored a season-high 14 points, his first of the season... Tai Wesley had a career-high four steals and played a career-high 37 minutes.
UTAH STATE-BYU CONNECTIONS
BYU assistant coach Dave Rice was an assistant for Stew Morrill at Utah State during the 2004-05 season... Sophomore forward Tai Wesley is from Provo and graduated from Provo High School, while his brother Mekeli played at BYU from 1998-2001.
UTAH STATE VERSUS BYU NOTE-ABLE
Utah State does not have a single player on its roster who has ever played against BYU.
THE BATTLE FOR THE OLD OQUIRRH BUCKET
Born prior to the 1974-75 season, the Old Oquirrh Bucket is the symbol of in-state basketball supremacy in Utah. The trophy is awarded every year to the in-state team which has the best won-loss record against in-state competition. BYU won the bucket in 2007 and 2008, while Utah won it in 2006 and USU won it during the 2004-05 season. In fact, over the last seven years Utah has won the Old Oquirrh Bucket three times, while Utah State and BYU have each won it twice. Overall, Utah State has won the Old Oquirrh Bucket seven times.
UTAH STATE STREAK FROM THREE-POINT RANGE CURRENTLY AT 50 STRAIGHT GAMES
Utah State has made at least one three-point basket in 50 straight games dating back to the 2006-07 season. Dating back to the 2002-03 season, a span of 194 games, Utah State has made at least one three-point basket in all but two of those contests, and both times USU did not make a three-pointer in a game was against BYU. The last time USU did not make a three-pointer in a game was on Dec. 16, 2006 in Provo as BYU defeated the Aggies, 75-62. USU entered that game having made at least one three-pointer in 127 games dating back to the 2002-03 season when BYU held USU without a three-pointer on Dec. 14 in a 66-56 win in Provo.
DID YOU KNOW?
Utah State is one of just three teams in the nation to win at least 23 games in each of the last nine seasons along with Gonzaga and Kansas.
SCOUTING BRIGHAM YOUNG
BYU is 7-0 on the season following a 92-62 win at Weber State Wednesday night. The Cougars, who are picked to finish second in the Mountain West Conference, return two starters and eight letterwinners from last year's team that went 27-8 overall, finished in first-place in the MWC with a 14-2 league record, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament where it lost to Texas A&M, 67-62, in the first round. BYU is led by senior guard Lee Cummard who is averaging 20.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, while junior forward Jonathan Tavernari is averaging 16.1 points and 7.1 rebounds. As a team, BYU is scoring 81.0 points per game and shooting 52.4 percent from the field, 36.2 percent from three-point range, and 72.8 percent from the free throw line. Defensively, it is allowing 57.4 points and its opponents are shooting 38.8 percent from the field, 31.1 percent from three-point range, and 63.1 percent from the free throw line. Dave Rose is 34-8 in his third year as BYU's head coach.
UTAH STATE-BYU SERIES HISTORY
Utah State and Brigham Young will be meeting for the 225th time this weekend, extending the oldest rivalry in USU history. The Aggies trail in the all-time series 134-90. The first game played in the series was on Feb. 23, 1906 with BYU winning 21-14. The last time the two teams played was on Dec. 16, 2006 in Provo with BYU winning, 75-62. Overall, USU has won five of the last seven games played in the series.
VERSUS THE MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE
Utah State is 289-373 (.437) against current members of the Mountain West Conference, while USU head coach Stew Morrill is 61-52 (.540) versus the league. At USU, Morrill is 13-10 (.565) versus the Mountain West Conference and 5-5 against BYU. All-time, Morrill is 12-12 against the Cougars.
LAST MEETING AGAINST THE COUGARS
Junior guard Jaycee Carroll was held to a season-low 16 points in Utah State's 75-62 loss at BYU on Dec. 16, 2006. Senior forward Chris Session scored a career-high 12 points to go with a career-high five steals, while junior forward Michael Earl tallied a season-high with 10 points. Fellow junior forward Stephen DuCharme matched Earl with 10 points. Three of BYU's starters scored in double-figures, led by Trent Plaisted with 18 points, while Keena Young tallied 15 points to go with a game-high 12 rebounds, and Jimmy Balderson tossed in 10 points. After the game opened with the teams trading baskets, BYU pulled away from a 6-6 tie with a 15-5 run to open a double-digit lead at 21-11 after a three-pointer from Lee Cummard at 10:55. The Cougars' lead swelled to its largest of the half at 14 after a jumper by Young to make it 26-12 with 8:42 to go. After an Aggie timeout, USU scored six unanswered points started by a jumper from Session, followed by a layup by fellow senior forward Chaz Spicer and then a pair of Carroll free throws. That would be the closest Utah State would get for the rest of the first stanza, as BYU pushed its lead back to 14 on two different occasions. The Aggies again mounted a rally that was capped by a Session bucket at 1:15 to pull Utah State within, 36-28, and trailed 38-28 at the break. Utah State trimmed the margin down to 10 on three different times early in the second half, the last at 44-34 after a putback by Session at 17:02. The Aggies' deficit grew to its largest of the game at 71-51 with 5:16 to go in the game after a free throw by Plaistad and the Cougars coasted to the win. The Aggies shot a season-low 36.1 percent from the field, but hit a season-high 90.0 percent (18-20) at the free throw line. USU missed all 11 of its three-point attempts, snapping the Aggies' streak of games with at least one three-pointer at 127 straight, dating back to USU's last loss to BYU, Dec. 14, 2002 on the same floor as Saturday's contest. BYU shot a warmish 28-of-55 (50.9 percent) field goal shooting, including 6-of-16 (37.5 percent) behind the three-point arc. At the charity stripe, the Cougars hit 13-of-25 (52.0 percent). BYU also had a 39-35 rebounding edge.
UTAH STATE'S POST PLAYERS SHOOTING LIGHTS OUT THUS FAR
Utah State's four post players are shooting a combined 75.3 percent from the field (70-93) thus far this year. Individually, sophomore forward Tai Wesley is shooting 77.4 percent (24-31) and ranks second in the Western Athletic Conference, while senior forward Gary Wilkinson is shooting 76.9 percent (30-39) and ranks third in the WAC. Sophomore forward Matt Formisano is shooting 71.4 percent (10-14), and sophomore center Modou Niang is shooting 66.7 percent (6-9). Wilkinson entered the week ranking second in the nation in field goal shooting, while Wesley ranked fourth.
