March 17, 2003
LOGAN, Utah -
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Game #33
#2 Kansas (25-7) vs. #15 Utah State (24-8)Ford Center (18,462) * Oklahoma City, Okla. * West RegionMar. 20, 2003 * 7:40 p.m. (MST) * CBS Sports * Aggie Radio Network
Utah State Aggies (24-8, 12-6/3rd)Probable Starters Ht. Wt. Cl. PPG RPG APGF 2 Desmond Penigar 6-7 245 Sr. 15.4 6.5 0.4^F 5 Toraino Johnson 6-4 215 Sr. 7.8 3.6 2.0C 32 Spencer Nelson 6-8 225 So. 10.2 7.3 0.6^G 15 Cardell Butler 6-4 200 Jr. 8.8 2.5 1.6G 20 Mark Brown 5-10 150 Jr. 8.7 2.3 4.6
Off The Bench Ht. Wt. Cl. PPG RPG APGG 1 Ronnie Ross 6-1 190 Sr. 5.8 1.5 1.8F 4 Nate Harris 6-7 230 Fr. 5.2 3.3 0.3^C 11 Mike Puzey 6-9 240 Sr. 1.8 2.8 0.1^G 13 Michael Stowell 6-3 210 So. 1.5 0.6 0.8G 21 Calvin Brown 5-10 160 So. 0.5 0.4 0.6G 22 K.C. Comadena 5-11 165 Fr. 1.7 0.0 0.0G 24 Greg Patton 6-1 175 Jr. 1.2 0.6 1.1F 44 Chad Evans 6-7 210 Jr. 1.8 2.2 0.5
Game Day Headlines
*Utah State is making its 15th NCAA Tournament appearance in school history, its third in the last four years, and the fourth in the last six years. Overall, USU is 6-16 (.273) in its previous 14 NCAA Tournament appearances.
*Utah State is 4-10 all-time in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. In its last NCAA Tournament in 2001, USU (12th seed) defeated Ohio State (5th seed) 77-68 in overtime in the East Region in Greensboro, N.C. USU's win over the Buckeyes was its first in the NCAA Tournament in 31 years as the Aggies had lost nine straight games dating back to 1970.
*Utah State played in the first NCAA Tournament back in 1939 and lost to Oklahoma 50-39 in the first round.
*Utah State is 3-1 against teams in the 2003 NCAA Tournament as they defeated Utah (59-54), Weber State (66-64), and Vermont (62-59), and lost to Brigham Young (66-56).
*Over the last four years, Utah State has the sixth-best winning percentage in the country at 78.6 (103-28), while Kansas has the fourth-best at 79.4 (108-28).
*Utah State has set a pair of school records this year recording its fourth-straight 20-win season to go along with its fourth straight post-season appearance. Over the last four years USU went to the NCAA Tournament in 2000, 2001 and 2003, and to the National Invitation Tournament in 2002.
*Stew Morrill is 1-3 as a head coach in the NCAA Tournament with a 1-2 record at Utah State and an 0-1 record while the head coach at Montana.
Up Next
Utah State (15th seed) will face Kansas (2nd seed) in the first round of the West Region at approximately 7:40 p.m. on Thursday, Mar. 20 at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City, Okla.
Utah State Travel Plans
The Aggies will depart from Salt Lake City on Tuesday at 4:33 p.m. (MST)... The team will headquarter at the Clarion West Hotel in Oklahoma City... Media Relations Director Mike Strauss (435-770-3131) and Associate Media Relations Director Doug Hoffman (435-770-0604) will travel with the team... Strauss will be staying at the media hotel (Westin), while Hoffman will be staying with the team at the Clarion... Utah State will practice from 8:10-9:00 p.m. (CST) at the Ford Center on Wednesday... Interviews with USU players and head coach Stew Morrill will take place prior to practice from 7:30-8:00 p.m. (CST).
About Kansas
Kansas is 25-7 on the season, ranked fourth in the country, and the number two seed in the West Region. The Jayhawks won the Big 12 regular season title with a 14-2 league record before falling to Missouri 68-63 in the semifinals of their conference tournament. Kansas has won 12 of its last 14 games and comes into the NCAA Tournament with a 3-4 record at neutral sites. Kansas is averaging 82.8 points per game and allowing 66.3. The Jayhawks are shooting 49.2 percent from the field and limiting its opponents to 40.3 percent shooting. Senior forward Nick Collison leads the team with 18.4 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, while senior guard Kirk Hinrich is averaging 17.6 points and 3.5 assists per game. Roy Williams is 413-100 in his 15th season as the head coach of the Jayhawks.
Utah State-Kansas Series
Utah State and Kansas will be meeting for the seventh time in school history, with the Jayhawks owning a 4-2 all-time advantage... The last time the two teams met was on Dec. 20, 1968 in Logan, with Kansas recording a 67-61 win... The two teams have never met in the NCAA Tournament... Stew Morrill has never faced Kansas... Utah State is 7-12 all-time against teams from the state of Kansas with an 0-4 record against Kansas State and a 5-4 record against Wichita State, to go along with its 2-4 record against the Jayhawks.
Series Quick Facts
Overall USU trails 2-4 In Logan USU trails 0-1 In Lawrence USU trails 0-1 Current Streak KU, 3 wins First Meeting Mar. 25, 1936 (KU, 39-37) Biggest Utah State Win 50-31 (3/19/36) Biggest Kansas Win 84-55 (12/2/67) USU Under Coach Morrill 0-0
Utah State-Kansas Game-by-Game Results
Date Site Result USU KU1935-36 L 37 391935-36 W 42 371935-36 W 50 331950-51 L 38 5912/2/67 A L 55 8412/20/68 H L 61 67
Utah State-Big 12 Series
Utah State is 16-34 all-time against current members of the Big 12 Conference. USU has faced Baylor (1-0), Colorado (5-18), Iowa State (2-2), Kansas (2-4), Kansas State (0-4), Missouri (1-1), Nebraska (0-2), Oklahoma (0-1), Texas (2-0), Texas A&M (1-1), and Texas Tech (2-1).
Utah State-Kansas Connections
Utah State assistant coach Tim Duryea came to USU from Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College where he was the head coach in 2000 and 2001 and the assistant in 1998 and 1999... Under Duryea, Hutchinson went 40-25 with back-to-back trips to the Region Six Championships... Duryea was born in Medicine Lodge, Kan... USU assistant coach Randy Rahe is no stranger to Big XII basketball having served as an assistant coach at Colorado in 1990... USU forward Toraino Johnson played at Garden City (Kan.) Junior College in 2000.
Utah State-Oklahoma Connections
Utah State center Spencer Nelson served an LDS Church Mission in Oklahoma in 2000 and 2001... USU redshirt Ian McVey was born in Oklahoma City before attending high school in Princeton, Minn... USU SID Mike Strauss spent eight years (1988-96) as an assistant SID at Oklahoma State... Tulsa assistant football coach Matt Wells, played collegiately at Utah State... Lindsay Hassell, who plays for the arena football team in Oklahoma City, played collegiately at Utah State... Brent Guy was an assistant coach at Oklahoma State and Utah State.
Utah State-Arizona State Connections
Utah State starting point guard Mark Brown grew up in Tucson, Ariz. and attended Santa Rita High School and Saddleback J.C... USU SID Mike Strauss worked with Arizona State head coach Rob Evans and assistant coach Russ Pennell when all three were at Oklahoma State... Utah State will play football at Arizona State on Sept. 13... Bruce Snyder was the head football coach at Utah State and Arizona State.
Utah State-Big XII Connections
Tournament director Tim Allen hired USU SID Mike Strauss at the Big Eight Conference... Tournament media director Chris Theisen was a student assistant under Strauss at Oklahoma State... Iowa State head coach Larry Eustachy was 98-53 in five seasons as the head coach of Utah State from 1994-1998 before going to Ames.
Utah State In Oklahoma
Utah State is 10-8 all-time in known games played in the state of Oklahoma... USU has not played a game in Oklahoma since losing at Oral Roberts 82-63 on Feb. 21, 1976... USU played in the All-College Tournament in Oklahoma City in 1959 (3-0), 1960 (2-1), 1961 (1-2), 1970 (3-0) and 1975 (1-2).
Number 15 Seeds In the NCAA Tournament
Only four times has a number 15 seed defeated a number two seed dating back to 1985 with the last occurring during the 2001 tournament when Hampton beat Iowa State. In 1997 Coppin State defeated South Carolina, in 1993 Santa Clara defeated Arizona, and in 1991 Richmond defeated Syracuse.
Good Omen For Kansas?
Utah State and Kansas were at the same first round site in 1988 (Lincoln, Neb.) and the Jayhawks won the NCAA title that year.
Utah Gets Four Teams In NCAA Tournament
With Utah, Utah State, BYU and Weber State all earning bids to the NCAA Tournament, the state of Utah has the second-most teams in the field of 65. North Carolina has five teams in the tournament this year. The last time four schools from the state of Utah were in the NCAA Tournament was back in 1979. That year, USU lost to Southern California in the first round, Utah lost to Pepperdine in the first round, BYU had a bye in the first round and lost to San Francisco in the second round, while Weber State defeated New Mexico State in the first round before losing to Arkansas in the second round.
Aggie Players In The NCAA Tournament
Only three current Utah State players have participated in an NCAA Tournament before as Toraino Johnson and Chad Evans were on the USU team that beat Ohio State and lost to UCLA in 2001. Mike Puzey played in the NCAA Tournament while at Utah in 2000. Johnson played 11 minutes in his two appearances and did not score. Evans played four minutes against UCLA and had three points.
Utah State Note-ables
* Utah State enters the NCAA tournament on a five-game win streak. It is the Aggies' third different five-game win streak of the year as USU has not put together six consecutive wins this season.
* Utah State has put together four straight 20-win seasons and a first-round NCAA Tournament win would give the Aggies 25 wins in three of the last four years (won 28 in 2000 and 2001 and 23 last year).
* Utah State has won at least 20 games in six of the last seven years. Its 24 wins this year ties for the fourth most in school history.
* Utah State has limited the opponents to less than 60 points per game in each of the last three seasons.
Utah State Dominates The Big West Conference
* Utah State has posted a 65-15 record against Big West opponents in the last four years.
* Utah State has won 11 of its last 12 Big West Tournament games and 14 of its last 16 at the league tournament.
* Utah State has played in four straight tournament championship games and five of the last six in the Big West Conference.
Alumni
* Merlin Olsen, Football, 1961 Outland Trophy Winner, NFL Hall of Fame
* Wayne Estes, Basketball, First player to be named AP All-America before the end of the regular season as he was electrocuted less than two hours after scoring a Nelson Fieldhouse Record 48 points against Denver on Feb. 8, 1965.
* Jay Don Blake, Golf, 1980 NCAA Individual champion, current member of the PGA Tour
* Cornell Green, Basketball, Two-time All-American and school's career rebound leader, who went on to an NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys where he was named to the Pro Bowl seven times.
Utah State Versus Ranked Opponents
Utah State is 3-17 over the last 12 years versus ranked opponents, and the Aggies haven't played a ranked team since losing to #18 UCLA 75-50 in the second round of the 2001 NCAA Tournament. All three of those wins over the last 12 years against ranked opponents have come against the University of Utah. The last time USU defeated a top-10 team was on Nov. 18, 1998 when the Aggies defeated ninth-ranked Utah in Logan 62-54. All-time, USU is 7-46 against ranked opponents.
Five Aggies Earn All-Conference Honors
Desmond Penigar became the sixth Utah State basketball player to be named a two-time first-team all-Big West Conference selection as he was named all-league by the conference coaches on Monday. Penigar was not the only Aggie recognized by the league as teammates Mark Brown, Toraino Johnson and Spencer Nelson were named honorable mention all-conference and Nate Harris was an all-Freshman team selection. USU's four selections to either the first, second or honorable mention teams, were the most in the league. Utah State had gone three straight years having at least two players named first team all-league as Shawn Daniels and Troy Rolle earned those honors in 2000, Daniels and Bernard Rock in 2001 and Tony Brown and Penigar in 2002. Penigar, a 6-7 senior forward from Upland, Calif., is averaging 15.2 points per game to rank seventh in the league. He also ranks third in rebounding (6.6), and seventh in field goal percentage (.463). As a two-time selection he joins former Aggies Dean Hunger (1979, 80), Greg Grant (1985, 86), Eric Franson (1995, 96), Marcus Saxon (1997, 98), and Shawn Daniels (2000, 01) as multiple first-team all-Big West honorees. Brown, a 5-10, junior point guard from Tucson, Ariz., ranks second in the league in assists at 4.38 per game. He is third on the team averaging 8.7 points per game. Johnson, a 6-4, senior forward from El Paso, Tex., has averaged 7.7 points per game and is considered the team's top defensive player. Spencer Nelson, a 6-8, sophomore from Pocatello, Idaho, is USU's second leading scorer at 10.2 points per game and leads the team and ranks second in the conference in rebounding at 7.2. Harris, a 6-7 forward from Smithfield, Utah, is the first Aggie to be named to the league's all-freshman team since Tony Brown in 1999. Harris has averaged 5.6 points and 3.4 rebounds while shooting 61.8 percent from the floor in 17.6 minutes per game off the bench.
Penigar Named MVP Of Big West Tournament
Senior forward Desmond Penigar was named the most valuable player of the 2003 Big West Tournament as he averaged 18.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 19-38 (.500) from the field and 6-11 (.545) from three-point range. Joining Penigar on the all-tournament team was teammates Cardell Butler and Mark Brown, along with Cal Poly's Varnie Dennis and Jason Allen, and UC Irvine's Mike Hood. Butler averaged 16.0 points and 4.7 rebounds in the tournament and shot 17-33 (.515) from the field and 4-7 (.571) from three-point range. Brown averaged 9.0 points and 6.3 assists in the tournament, which included an 18 point, 12 assist performance against Cal State Fullerton in the first round. Butler and Brown also went 10-11 (.909) from the free throw line during the tournament.
Nelson Named Co-Hustle Player Of The Year
Sophomore center Spencer Nelson was named the 2003 Big West Conference Co-Best Hustle Player of the Year, sharing the award with UC Santa Barbara's Nick Jones. Nelson started 20 games for USU this season and averaged 10.2 points and 7.2 rebounds, while shooting 64.3 percent from the field. He led the team in blocked shots with 18 and was fifth on the team with 43 assists. Nelson finished second in the league in rebounding.
Penigar Named Mid-Major All-American
Desmond Penigar is one of 20 players from across the country named to the CollegeInsider.com mid-major All-America team. Penigar was also named the Player of the Year in the Big West Conference by CollegeInsider.com after leading the Aggies to a 21-8 overall record and a third-place finish in the Big West with a 12-6 league mark. On the season, Penigar leads the team and is seventh in the league in scoring at 15.2 points per game. Penigar is also third in the league in rebounding at 6.6 boards per game and seventh in field-goal percentage at 46.3 percent. The 20 players honored by CollegeInsider.Com are: Brett Blizzard, UNC Wilmington; Jermaine Boyette, Weber State; Donald Cole, Sam Houston State; Henry Domercant, Eastern Illinois; Antonio Gates, Kent State; Willie Green, Detroit; Mike Helms, Oakland; Luis Flores, Manhattan; Jermaine Hull, Wagner; Brandon Hunter, Ohio; Chris Kaman, Central Michigan; Jason Keep, San Diego; Kyle Korver, Creighton; Ricky Minard, Morehead State; Ugonna Onyekwe, Pennsylvania; Desmond Penigar, Utah State; Patrick Sparks, Western Kentucky; Blake Stepp, Gonzaga; Troy Wheless, College of Charleston and Kent Williams, Southern Illinois.
2003 Big West Tournament Recaps
Quarterfinals: Cardell Butler led a quartet of double-figure scorers for Utah State with a career-high 19 points, while Mark Brown scored 18 points to go along with a career-high 12 assists, as the Aggies hung on for an 89-83 overtime win against Cal State Fullerton. Desmond Penigar added 17 points and seven rebounds, while Spencer Nelson came off the bench to score 16 points and grab a game-high eight rebounds. USU built an early 11-point advantage at 15-4 before being out-scored 16-6 over the next eight minutes. The Titans took their first lead of the game at 27-26 with 2:47 remaining in the half before USU took a 34-33 lead into the locker room. USU took control of the game in the second half and lead by 10 at 57-47 with 8:01 remaining. Cal State Fullerton, however, scored the next eight points to cut the lead to two before the Aggies extended its lead back to nine with 1:31 remaining. Once again, the Titans fought back and erased an eight-point deficit in the final 1:04 to send the game into overtime. In the extra period, Brown hit 8-of-8 free throws in the final :44 seconds to give the Aggies the win. Utah State shot a blistering 58.5 percent in the game and held Cal State Fullerton to 45.0 percent shooting.
Semifinals: Desmond Penigar scored a game-high 24 points as Utah State rallied from a 15-point first half deficit to defeat UC Irvine 62-55. Cardell Butler added 12 points and Toraino Johnson scored 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds. With USU up 8-4 early in the game, UC Irvine went on a 28-9 run over the next 10 minutes to take a 32-17 lead before the Aggies scored the final eight points of the period and cut the margin to seven. After scoring the first two points of the second half to cut the lead to five, Utah State found itself down by 10 at 45-35 with 13:41 remaining before going on a 11-3 run to cut the lead to two. Jordan Harris gave UC Irvine a 54-51 lead with 7:22 remaining, but that would be the last basket the Aggies would allow in the game. USU took its first lead since early in the game at 55-54 on a free throw by Johnson at 4:42. Harris then scored the final point of the game for UCI with a free throw with 4:26 remaining. With the score tied at 55, neither team scored over the next four minutes before Butler put the Aggies ahead for good on a floating six-footer with :35 seconds remaining. Utah State, who out-scored UC Irvine 37-23 in the second half, held the Anteaters to 37.5 percent shooting, including 28.6 percent from three-point range. USU finished the game by shooting 44.7 percent.
Championship: Cardell Butler scored 17 points and recorded a season-high eight rebounds to lead Utah State to a 57-54 win over Cal Poly. Desmond Penigar added 13 points, while Specner Nelson had a game-high 11 rebounds to go along with nine points. USU opened an early 8-2 advantage and was up 25-18 before Cal Poly went on a 9-2 run to tie the game at 27. The Aggies managed just a 33-32 lead at the half, despite shooting 55.6 percent from the field and limiting the Mustangs to 35.3 percent. Cal Poly opened the second half with seven straight points to take its first lead of the game at 39-33. The Mustangs held the lead until the 11:39 mark when Chad Evans scored on an offensive rebound. Cal Poly had no answer for Butler, however, who scored six of the final seven points for USU, including four free throws in the final :15 seconds. Utah State, who out-rebounded Cal Poly 40-28, shot 43.6 percent and held the Mustangs to 35.7 percent.
How The Aggies Got To The NCAA Tournament
Utah State finished in third-place in the Big West Conference with a 12-6 record, trailing UC Santa Barbara (14-4) and UC Irvine (13-5). However, USU won the conference tournament by defeating Cal State Fullerton (89-83 ot), UC Irvine (62-55) and Cal Poly (57-54).
Aggies And The NCAA Tournament
Utah State is making its third trip to the NCAA Tournament in the last four years and its fourth in the last six years... It is the 15th time in school history that USU has qualified for the NCAA Tournament... The Aggies are 6-16 all-time at the NCAA Tournament after breaking a nine-game losing streak by defeating Ohio State 77-68 in overtime in the first round of the East Region in Greensboro, N.C. in 2001 ... USU played in the first NCAA Tournament back in 1939 and lost to Oklahoma 50-39 in the first round... Utah State has played in the NCAA Tournament five times since seedings started in 1980 and the Aggies were listed as the 11th seed in the west in 1980, 10th in the midwest in 1983, 10th in the midwest in 1988, 12th in the west in 1998, 12th in the south in 2000, and 12th in the east in 2001 before earning a 15th seed this season.
Coach Morrill In The NCAA Tournament
Stew Morrill guided Montana to the NCAA Tournament in 1991 and Utah State in 2000, 2001 and 2003... He led Colorado State to the NIT in 1996 and 1998 and Utah State in 2002... He is 1-3 as a coach in the NCAA Tournament and 0-3 in the NIT... He has posted two 20-win seasons at each of the three schools he has coached and has won at least 20 games in six of his last seven years of coaching (two at Colorado State and four at Utah State).
The Big West Conference In The NCAA Tournament
Before Utah State defeated Ohio State in the NCAA Tournament in 2001, the Big West Conference had not had a team win an NCAA Tournament game since 1993 when New Mexico State beat Nebraska in the first round before losing to Cincinnati in the second round. Utah State has represented the Big West Conference in the NCAA Tournament in four of the last six years (New Mexico State, 1999; UC Santa Barbara, 2002). All-time, the Big West Conference is 38-43 in the NCAA Tournament.
Utah State Was One Of The Original Eight
Utah State was one of eight schools that participated in the first NCAA Tournament in 1939. The other teams were Oregon, Texas, Oklahoma, Villanova, Brown, Wake Forest and Ohio State. Of those eight teams, Utah State, Wake Forest, Texas and Oklahoma are in this year's field.
USU At The NCAA Tournament
1939 (First Round * West)L 39-50 vs. Oklahoma at San Francisco, CAW 51-49 vs. Texas at San Francisco, Calif.
1962 (Regional Semifinals * West)W 78-73 vs. Arizona State at Corvallis, Ore.L 62-73 vs. UCLA at Provo, UtahL 71-75 vs. Pepperdine at Provo, Utah
1963 (First Round * West)L 75-79 vs. Arizona State at Eugene, Ore.
1964 (Regional Semifinals * West)W 92-90 vs. Arizona State at Eugene, OreL 58-64 vs. San Francisco at Corvallis, Ore.L 78-88 vs. Seattle at Corvallis, Ore.
1970 (Regional Finals * West)W 91-81 vs. Texas-El Paso at Provo, UtahW 69-68 vs. Santa Clara at Seattle, Wash.L 79-101 vs. UCLA at Seattle, Wash.
1971 (First Round * West)L 82-91 vs. Brigham Young at Logan, Utah
1975 (First Round * West)L 63-69 vs. Montana at Pullman, Wash.
1979 (First Round * West)L 67-86 vs. Southern California at L.A., C.A
1980 (First Round * West * 11th Seed)L 73-76 vs. Clemson at Ogden, Utah
1983 (First Round * Midwest * 10th Seed)L 59-64 vs. Iowa at Louisville, Ky.
1988 (First Round * Midwest * 10th Seed)L 77-80 vs. Vanderbilt at Lincoln, Neb.
1998 (First Round * West * 12th Seed)L 68-82 vs. Maryland at Sacramento, Calif.
2000 (First Round * South * 12th Seed)L 67-75 vs. Connecticut at Birmingham, Ala.
2001 (Second Round * 12th Seed)W 77-68 ot vs. Ohio State at Greensboro, N.C.L 50-75 vs. UCLA at Greensboro, N.C.
2003 (West Region * 15th Seed)vs. Kansas at Oklahoma City, Okla.
Utah State Player Notes
* Big West Tournament MVP Desmond Penigar shot .500 (19-38) in the conference tournament, and .545 (6-11) from three-point range. He is the only USU player to have connected on at least one three-point shot in each of the last four games.
* Spencer Nelson, Desmond Penigar and Mark Brown have each scored in every game they've played in this season.
* Spencer Nelson is shooting .621 (18-of -29) in the month of March, including going 5-for-5 against Cal State Fullerton in the first game of the Big West Tournament and 4-for-6 versus Cal Poly in the Big West Championship game. In March, he is averaging 8.5 points per game.
* USU's starting guards, Cardell Butler and Mark Brown, each were 10-11 at the free throw line in the Big West Tournament.
* Four of Utah State's five starters - Desmond Penigar, Cardell Butler, Mark Brown and Toraino Johnson - averaged more than 30 minutes per game in the Big West Tournament. Penigar, Brown and Johnson each averaged more than 30 minutes per game in USU's last six games of the season.
* Desmond Penigar averaged 17.0 points per game in Utah State's last five games of the season, all of which were wins. Throughout the season, Penigar averaged 16.6 points per game in Aggie wins and 11.9 points in USU losses.
* Junior Cardell Butler is averaging 13.0 points per game this month.
* Junior Mark Brown finished his first season in the Big West Conference ranked among league leaders in four categories. Brown led the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.12), was second among assist leaders (146), was fourth in free throw percent (74-of-87, .851) and finished eighth in steals (43).
* Desmond Penigar averaged 15.4 points per game in Big West Conference games, sixth in the league. He is the only Aggie ranked among the league's top 15 scorers. Penigar is also fourth among the league's leading rebounders (6.5) and field goal percent (46.7).
* Cardell Butler averaged 16.0 points per game in the Big West Tournament. He shot .515 (17-for-33) at the Big West Tournament, including hitting four-of-seven three-point attempts.
* Sophomore Spencer Nelson led the team in rebounding at the Big West Tournament with 9.0 per game. In USU's three games, he grabbed 20 defensive and seven offensive boards. Nelson's 7.8 rebounds leads USU in March.
* Freshman Nate Harris is shooting .606 on the season, going 66-for-109. In March, which includes USU's last six games, he is 15-for- 22 (.682).
* Mark Brown posted 19 assists to nine turnovers in the Big West Tournament's three games, including a season-high 12 assists in the opening game against Cal State Fullerton. Brown has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.12 on the season, with 146 assists to 69 turnovers.
* Freshman Nate Harris was held scoreless in the Big West Tournament semi-final game against UC Irvine, the first time in more than a month Harris did not score in a game. Prior to March 14, the last time Harris played and did not score was Feb. 8 at Cal Poly.
* Desmond Penigar, Spencer Nelson, Toraino Johnson and Nate Harris each blocked two shots in the Big West Tournament, while Mike Puzey had one.
* Spencer Nelson leads the Big West Conference in rebounding with 7.3 per game. Nelson also finished seventh in the league in blocked shots with 20 in conference play, an average of 0.62 per game.
* Junior Ronnie Ross was 10th in the league in three-point field goal percentage at 36.4. He hit 36 of 99 from beyond the arc.
Leftovers From The Big West Tournament
* Cardell Butler recorded recorded five dunks in the Big West Tournament to give him a team-leading 20 on the season.
* Desmond Penigar recorded two dunks in the tournament to give him 13 on the season.
* Mark Brown recorded his first double-double of the season with 18 points and a career-high 12 assists against Cal State Fullerton.
* Spencer Nelson recorded his fourth charge taken on the season, while Toraino Johnson notched his third of the year.
* Desmond Penigar tied his career-high with 37 minutes against Fullerton.
* Cardell Butler scored a career-high 19 points against Cal State Fullerton and had a career-high eight rebounds against Cal Poly. Butler also played a career-high 39 minutes against the Titans.
* Utah State improved to 53-5 under head coach Stew Morrill when holding opponents to under 60 points in a game.
* Utah State's 89 points scored against CS Fullerton were the second-most this season and the second-most ever scored by a USU team in the tournament.
* Utah State is now 8-3 on the season in games decided by five points or less.
* Desmond Penigar has scored in double-figures in eight straight game and in 25 games this season. He has reached double-figures in scoring in 55 of his 63 career games at Utah State. USU is 16-2 when Penigar scores at least 20 points in game, including a 7-1 record this season.
Noting The Utah State Offense
Utah State is leading the Big West Conference in shooting at 46.4 percent, and in scoring margin at plus 7.0 points per game... USU is also sixth in the league in free throw percentage at 71.1 percent after shooting 71.8 percent from the line last season... USU has shot over 50 percent in 10 games this season, including four of the first five... USU has had seven different players led them in scoring in a game... USU has committed more turnovers than assists in eight games this season... USU is committing just 12.3 turnovers per game, which ranks 22nd in the country... USU has made 456 free-throws this season, while its opponents have attempted just 469... In league play, USU made 265 free throws, while its opponents have attempted 254... Over its last three games, USU is 76-155 (49.0) from the field and 15-34 (.441) from three-point range... Over its last three games, USU is 41-57 (.719) from the free throw line, while its opponents are just 35-45 (.778)... Over the last three games, Utah State has 44 assists and 31 turnovers... In USU's last three losses they are a combined 7-of-39 (.179) from three-point range... In its last seven wins, the team is 38-of-95 (.400) from three-point range.
Noting The Utah State Defense
Utah State is leading the Big West Conference with 59.8 points allowed per game, which ranks sixth in the country... Two years ago, USU allowed 57.4 points per game which ranked second in the country, and last year the Aggies allowed 58.1 points per contest which ranked fourth in the country... USU is out-rebounding its opponents by a plus 7.0 clip, which ranks 10th in the country and leads the Big West Conference... USU ranks sixth in the Big West in field goal percentage defense at 43.1 percent and sixth in three-point field goal percentage defense at 34.6 percent... Last year, USU ranked second in the league in field goal percentage defense (39.3), and two years ago they lead the league at 39.5 percent... Only three teams have shot over 50 percent against Utah State this season, and the Aggies have held 18 opponents to under 45 percent shooting... The Aggies have out-rebounded 23 of their 32 opponents this season... USU has held 17 of its opponents to less than 60 points on the season... Over the last three games, USU's opponents are just 67-165 (.406) from the field, and over its last two games they are just 40-105 (.381).
2001 NCAA Tournament Recaps
First Round Versus Ohio State
Utah State got off to a slow start in its first-round NCAA match-up with Ohio State trailing 5-0 in the first two minutes. USU cut that lead to one at 9-8 with 14:09 remaining and took its first lead and 15-14 with 10:59 remaining in the half. The game remained tight for the rest of the period before the Buckeyes scored the final four points of the half to take a 29-24 lead into the locker room. Utah State shot just 33.3 percent in the half, while Ohio State shot 50 percent. However, the Aggies forced 11 turnovers in the opening period and committed just two to keep the game close. Senior center Dimitri Jorssen provided the offense for the Aggies with six first-half points, while guards Tony Brown and Bernard Rock each had five. Utah State opened the second-half with a 9-3 run to take a 34-32 lead. Neither team could break away from the other over the next five minutes. With 10:11 remaining in the game, Ohio State went on a 7-2 run to take a five-point lead with 7:41 remaining. It took the Aggies four minutes to widdle that lead away and USU took a two-point lead on a three-point by senior forward Curtis Bobb with 3:32 remaining. The Buckeyes responded once again and held a 60-56 advantage with 1:04 remaining. USU got its final four points of regulation from Brown on two free-throws and a fade-away jumper in the lane with 1.8 seconds remaining to send the game into overtime. Utah State took control of the game early in overtime with seven straight points from Bobb to build a 69-62 lead with 2:08 remaining. From that point on, USU hit eight-of-12 free-throws to notch the 77-68 win. Utah State shot 57.7 percent in the second-half and 75 percent in overtime to finish the game by shooting 46 percent, including 45.5 percent from three-point range. Ohio State continued its hot shooting in the second-half by making 55.6 percent of its shots, but the Buckeyes went ice cold in overtime hitting just two-of-eight shots. The Aggies had a season-low five turnovers in the game and forced OSU into 21 turnovers. Utah State had four players score in double-figures in the game led by Rock's 18 and Brown's 17 points. Bobb finished with 14 points, all of which were scored in the final 10 minutes of the game. Jorssen just missed a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds, while senior Shawn Daniels had nine points and five boards.
Second Round Versus UCLA
Things looked good for Utah State early against UCLA as the Aggies held a 9-6 lead in the first four minutes of the game. However, from that point on the Aggie offense couldn't buy a basket as UCLA went on a 18-2 run over the next 13 minutes. During that stretch, USU missed 22 straight shots. The Aggies cut the lead to seven but trailed by 11 at 30-19 at the half. Utah State shot just 18.2 percent in the first-half. USU made one final run at the Bruins in the second-half and got the game to within four points at 36-32 with 13:28 remaining and trailed by only five points with 10:30 remaining, but that would be as close as USU would get. UCLA went on a 20-4 run over the next five minutes to put the game away. USU finished the game by shooting a season-low 28.3 percent while UCLA shot 55.4 percent. Daniels led USU with 11 points and six rebounds, while Bobb had seven points and nine rebounds.
Penigar Scores 1,000 Points
With his 494 points on the season, senior forward Desmond Penigar has 1,026 points in his two seasons at Utah State and is the 29th player in Utah State history to score 1,000 points. Penigar is also 14th all-time at Utah State in scoring average at 16.3 points per game, and is 1,026 points rank 26th all-time at USU.
Ross One Of The Keys To Success
Senior guard Ronnie Ross is one of the main keys to success for Utah State this season. Utah State is 5-0 on the season when he scores in double-figures, and 18-1 on the season when he makes at least one three-pointer in a game. Conversely, USU is just 3-7 when he does not make a three-pointer in a game. Over his last five games, Ross is averaging 7.0 points and shooting 34.5 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from three-point range.
Among the Best In The Country
Utah State basketball has been among the best in the country since the 1999-2000 season as USU has posted an amazing 103-28 (.786) record. That 78.6 winning percentage ranks as the sixth-best in the country over the past four years, while the 103 wins are the seventh-most. The following is a look at the top-10 teams in the country based on winning percentage as of Mar. 16, 2003.
Winningest Teams During the 2000s
Team Won Lost Pct.1. Duke 119 19 .8622. Oklahoma 108 25 .8123. Stanford 101 25 .8024. Kansas 108 28 .7945. Arizona 106 28 .7916. UTAH STATE 103 28 .7866. Butler 99 27 .7868. Gonzaga 105 29 .7849. Cincinnati 102 29 .77910. Tulsa 107 32 .770
Versus The Big West Conference
The following is a look at how Utah State has done against the Big West Conference over the years.
USU's Record Versus Current Big West Conference MembersCal Poly USU leads 11-1Cal State Fullerton USU leads 35-16Cal State Northridge USU leads 7-1Idaho USU leads 19-11Long Beach State USU leads 28-21Pacific USU leads 40-19UC Irvine Series tied 26-26UC Riverside USU leads 5-1UC Santa Barbara USU leads 32-22Total USU leads 203-118 (.632)
Aggie Note-ables
* Utah State is 65-15 (.813) in the Big West Conference over the last four years.
* Utah State is 18-6 (.750) in the month of March over the last four years.
* Utah State is 87-7 over the last four years when leading at the half, including an 22-3 record this season.
Bench Scoring
Utah State's bench has given the team a tremendous boost so far this season. USU's reserves have scored 638 points in 32 contests, an average of 19.9 points per game. At least one Utah State player has scored 10 or more points off the bench in 17 of 32 games this season. USU is 18-5 on the season when its bench out-scores its opponents bench. Last year, USU got an average of just 14.8 points per game from its bench.
Guards Key To Aggies Success
Utah State's guards have been the key to the Aggies success this season. In the 24 wins, USU's guards are 220-of-541 (40.7) from the field and 78-of-204 (38.2) from three-point range. In USU's eight losses, the guards are 56-of-186 (30.1) from the field and 14-of-64 (21.9) from three-point range.
Utah State's Probable Starters
F #2 Desmond Penigar (6-7, 245, Sr., Upland, Calif.) - Two-time first-team all-Big West selection... Insider.com Mid Major All-America... Big West all-tournament team for the second year in a row... Big West Tournament Most Valuable Player... Averaged 18.0 points and 6.3 rebounds in the tournament... Leads team in scoring at 15.4 points per game and is second in rebounding at 6.5. F #5 Toraino Johnson (6-4, 215, Sr., El Paso, Texas) - Honorable mention all-Big West selection... Averaged 8.3 points and 4.0 rebounds, while shooting 62.5 percent from the field in the Big West Tournament. C #32 Spencer Nelson (6-8, 225, So., Pocatello, Idaho) - Honorable mention all-Big West... Co-Big West Hustle Player of the Year... A 22-year old sophomore after playing as a freshman in 1999, serving an LDS Church Mission in 2000 and 2001 and redshirting due to injury in 2002... Averaged 9.7 points and 9.0 rebounds in the Big West Tournament... Leads the team in rebounding at 7.3 per game as well as field goal percentage at .655. G #15 Cardell Butler (6-4, 200, Jr., San Francisco, Calif.) - Big West all-Tournament team... Averaged 16.0 points and 4.7 rebounds in the Big West Tournament... Team's third leading scorer at 8.8 points per game, while leading team in free throw percentage at .857. G #20 Mark Brown (5-10, 150, Jr., Tucson, Ariz.) - Honorable mention all-Big West selection... Big West all-tournament team... Averaged 9.0 points and 6.3 assists in the Big West Tournament... His 146 assists lead the team as do his 32.2 minutes played per game.
This & That
* Utah State is 6-3 this season in games played on Thursday and 30-6 over the last five years.
* Utah State is 47-10 over the last four years when recording more steals than its opponents.
* Over the last four years, USU is 71-4 when they shoot better from three point range than its opponents.
* Over the past four years, Utah State is 73-6 when committing fewer fouls than its opponents.
* Cardell Butler has scored in double-figures in each of his last three games and in 12 games this season.
* Stew Morrill is 69-7 (.908) at home as the Aggies head coach.
* Utah State is 23-11 (.676) on the road in league play over the last four years, and 24-18 (.571) in road league games under head coach Stew Morrill.
Nelson Named Big West Conference Player of the Week
Sophomore center Spencer Nelson was named the Big West Conference Player of the Week on Jan. 13 after leading the Aggies to a pair of home wins over Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara. Against the Mustangs, Nelson scored 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the field to go along with three rebounds in just 17 minutes. Against the Gauchos, he recorded his second double-double of the season with 13 points and 12 rebounds on 4-of-4 shooting in just 20 minutes. For the week, Nelson averaged 14.5 points and 7.5 rebounds and shot 91.7 percent from the field. It is the first time in his career that Nelson has been named Big West Conference Player of the week. Nelson becomes the third Aggie to win the award this year as Mark Brown did it after leading USU to the championship of the 2002 Hilo Shootout, and Desmond Penigar won the award after leading the Aggies to a pair of home wins over Utah and Weber State in December.
Penigar Named Big West Conference Player of the Week
Senior Desmond Penigar was named the Big West Conference player of the week on Dec. 23 after leading Utah State to a pair of home wins over Utah and Weber State. Penigar scored 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the win against Utah and then had a season-high 29 points against WSU, including the game-winning basket with :05 seconds remaining. For the week, Penigar averaged 21.0 points and 5.5 rebounds, and shot 59.3 percent from the field. It is the fourth player of the week honor for Penigar in his career.
Brown Named Big West Conference Player of the Week
Junior point guard Mark Brown was named the Big West Conference player of the week on Dec. 2 after leading Utah State to a home win over Whitman College as well as the championship of the 2002 Hilo Shootout in Hilo, Hawai'i with wins over Vermont, Drake and Hawai'i-Hilo. Brown, who was named MVP of the tournament, averaged 13.5 points, 5.8 assists, and 1.8 rebounds per game last week as he shot 51.5 percent from the field, 93.8 percent from the free-throw line, and was a perfect 5-of-5 from three point range.
Penigar Named To Preseason All-Conference Team
Senior forward Desmond Penigar was named to the 2002-03 Big West Conference preseason all-conference team as voted on by media members at the annual basketball media day on Nov. 6. Penigar was named a first-team all-league selection as a junior after leading Utah State in scoring (17.2) and rebounding (6.9). Other players selected to the preseason all-conference team include Varnie Dennis (Cal Poly), Branduinn Fullove (UC Santa Barbara), Mark Hull (UC Santa Barbara), Adam Parada (UC Irvine), and Pape Sow (Cal State Fullerton).
Head Coach Stew Morrill
Stew Morrill (Gonzaga, 1974) is in his fifth season at the helm of the Utah State men's basketball program after posting four straight 20-win seasons and guiding the Aggies to four straight postseason appearances. In his four-plus years at USU, he has an incredible 118-41 record, which is the best record by any coach at Utah State during that time span. Over the past four years, Morrill has coached six first-team all-league players in Shawn Daniels (twice), Troy Rolle, Bernard Rock, Tony Brown and Desmond Penigar (twice). In his five years at USU, he has had over an 80 percent graduation rate. He has been involved in postseason action six times in his career, including the NCAA Tournament at Utah State in 2000 and 2001, and the National Invitation Tournament in 2002. He has been named Coach of the Year three times, winning the award in 1991 at Montana, and in 2000 and 2002 at Utah State. He is only the third coach in the history of the Big West Conference to go undefeated in the league, as he led the 1999-2000 squad to a perfect 19-0 league record, joining Lou Henson and Jerry Tarkanian. Prior to coming to Utah State, Morrill had been the head coach at Colorado State University for seven seasons, recording a 121-86 record (1992-98). Prior to his stint at CSU, Morrill spent five seasons as the head coach at the University of Montana (1987-91), where he went 97-52. During his 17 years as a head coach, Morrill's teams have won at least 20 games eight times and have won at least 17 games in 14 of his 17 seasons as a head coach. He was the second winningest coach at Colorado State behind only Boyd Grant.
Morrill Year-by-Year Coaching Record
Year School Overall Pct. Conf. Place1987 Montana 18-11 .621 8-6 3rd1988 Montana 18-11 .621 7-9 t6th1989 Montana 20-11 .645 11-5 3rd1990 Montana 18-11 .621 10-6 3rd1991 Montana 23-8 .742 13-3 1st1992 Colorado State 14-17 .451 8-8 6th1993 Colorado State 17-12 .586 9-9 5th1994 Colorado State 15-13 .536 8-10 5th1995 Colorado State 17-14 .548 7-11 t7th1996 Colorado State 18-12 .600 11-7 4th1997 Colorado State 20-9 .689 10-6 4th1998 Colorado State 20-9 .689 8-6 4th1999 Utah State 15-13 .536 8-8 4th2000 Utah State 28-6 .824 16-0 1st2001 Utah State 28-6 .824 13-3 2nd2002 Utah State 23-8 .742 13-5 1st2003 Utah State 24-8 .750 12-6 3rdTotals 17th Year 336-179 .652 172-108 .614
Years School Overall Pct. Conf. Pct.87-91 Montana 97-52 .651 49-29 .62892-98 Colorado State 121-86 .585 61-57 .51799- Utah State 118-41 .742 62-22 .738Totals 17th Year 336-179 .652 172-108 .614
