Dec. 14, 2004
LOGAN, Utah -
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Game #9Utah State (6-2) at Brigham Young (2-6)Marriott Center (22,700)•Provo, UtahDec. 18, 2004•7:05 p.m. (MST)•Aggie Radio Network•SportsWest Productions
Game Day Headlines
• Utah State is celebrating its 100th season of basketball during 2004-05 and has an overall record of 1,283-951 (.574).
• Utah State will be looking to win the Old Oquirrh Bucket for the second time in the last four years as USU is 3-0 against teams from the state of Utah. The last time the Aggies won three games against its in-state opponents was during the 1991-92 season when that team was 3-3 against the state. No Utah State team (in the modern era) has ever gone undefeated against its in-state opponents in a single-season.
• Over the last five years Utah State is 11-4 (.733) against its in-state rivals (BYU, Utah and Weber State), recording a 2-1 record in '01, '02, '03, '04, and a 3-0 record thus far this year with wins over BYU, Utah and Weber State. Overall, USU is 12-9 (.571) versus teams from the state of Utah under Morrill.
• Utah State is 40-21 (.656) on the road over the last six years and 42-30 (.583) on the road under head coach Stew Morrill. Last year, USU was 10-2 on the road which was the second-most road wins in school history. This year USU is 0-1 on the road.
• Utah State is 33-11 (.750) in the month of December under Morrill, and has won eight of its last nine games. On the road, USU is 3-9 (.250) during the month.
• Aggies players from the state of Utah include junior forward Nate Harris (Smithfield, Utah/Sky View HS), junior guard Chris Huber (Garland, Utah/Bear River HS), and freshman forward Tai Wesley (Provo, Utah/Provo HS).
• Utah State is 6-6 in known games played on Dec. 18 and 60-16 (.789) in games played on Saturday's under Morrill.
Up Next
Utah State (6-2) will travel to in-state rival Brigham Young (2-6) on Sat., Dec. 18 at 7:05 p.m. The game will be televised live by SportsWest Productions on KSL-TV.
Looking At Utah State
Utah State is 6-2 on the season following a 73-56 home win against Weber State. The Aggies are led by senior forward Spencer Nelson who is averaging 14.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game, while shooting 55.4 percent from the field and 72.7 percent from the free throw line. Junior forward Nate Harris is averaging 13.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, while shooting 64.1 percent from the field and 87.1 percent from the free throw line. Freshman guard Jaycee Carroll is averaging 12.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game and is shooting 53.5 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from three-point range. As a team, Utah State is averaging 67.8 points and is shooting 53.0 percent overall. Defensively, USU is allowing only 56.2 points per game, while its opponents are shooting just 41.9 percent from the field and 32.4 percent from three-point range.
Scouting Brigham Young
Brigham Young is 2-6 on the season following a 49-46 loss to Washington State Saturday in the Delta Center. The Cougars two wins this year have been against Chaminade (77-56) and Boise State (90-77), while its six losses have been against North Carolina (86-50), Stanford (62-53), California (67-64), Utah State (71-57), USC (87-82), and Washington State. The Cougars, who are 1-1 at home this year, are led by senior forward Mike Hall who is averaging 13.8 points, while senior forward Jared Jensen is averaging 8.9 points. As a team, BYU is averaging 64.9 points and shooting 40.4 percent from the field. BYU returns three starters and eight lettermen from last year's team that went 21-9 on the season and finished in second-place in the Mountain West Conference with a 10-4 league record. The Cougars ended its season with an 80-75 loss to Syracuse in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Steve Cleveland is 131-93 in seven-plus years as the Cougars head coach.
Versus The Mountain West Conference
Utah State is 284-370 (.434) all-time against current members of the Mountain West Conference, while USU head coach Stew Morrill is 58-49 (.542). At Utah State, Morrill is 10-7 versus the Mountain West Conference and 3-4 versus BYU. All-time, Morrill is 10-11 against the Cougars, which includes a 7-7 record at Colorado State.
Next Week
Utah State will travel to Moscow, Idaho to face the University of Idaho on Thur., Dec. 23 at 8:05 p.m. (MST), in the Big West opener for both teams. It will be the second-earliest date USU has ever played a league game as the Aggies began its 2001-02 Big West season on Dec. 20 with a 73-56 home win against CS Northridge.
Utah State-Brigham Young Series
Utah State and Brigham Young will be meeting for the 222nd time this weekend, extending the oldest rivalry in USU history. The Aggies trail in the all-time series 133-88, and is 31-82 on the road against the Cougars. The first game played in the series was on Feb. 23, 1906 with BYU winning 21-14. Utah State has won two straight against BYU, including a 71-57 win in Logan on Dec. 1, but BYU has won four of the last seven and 21 of the last 26 games played in the series dating back to the 1985-86 season. Prior to that year, USU had won nine straight in the series. The last time the Cougars defeated Utah State was on Dec. 14, 2002 in Provo by a final score of 66-56. Utah State has lost 14 straight games in Provo and the last time the Aggies won a game on the road against BYU was on Dec. 10, 1985 by a final score of 88-76.
Last Meeting Between Utah State And Brigham Young
Nate Harris matched his career high with 26 points, while Spencer Nelson (14 points and 11 rebounds) and Jaycee Carroll (13 points and 11 rebounds) recorded double-doubles to lead Utah State to a convincing 71-57 victory against Brigham Young on December 1. Utah State had four players score in double figures as point guard David Pak chipped in 10 points to join the previously mentioned players. USU's bench scored just four points as Cass Matheus and John Neil each had two points. Brigham Young was led by Mike Hall, who scored 19 points, while Austin Ainge chipped in 15 points. That duo combined for six three-pointers as the Cougars made eight from behind the arc. BYU was six of nine from three-point range in the first half, but cooled off to two of 12 in the second half. USU forced 15 BYU turnovers, while committing just nine. For the game the Aggie shot 46.3 percent, while BYU was at 41.5 percent. The deciding factor came at the free throw line as USU made 18 of 23, while BYU was just five of eight from the line. The teams were tied at 36 at halftime and the game was within two points when Nelson made two free throws to give USU a 47-45 lead with 15:12 remaining. That started a 16-3 USU run which gave the Aggies a 61-48 lead with five minutes left in the game. BYU got no closer than 11 points (64-53) the rest of the way. The 14-point victory margin marked just the second time in the last nine games in this series, that a game was decided by double-figures.
Last Meeting Between USU And BYU In Provo
Mark Bigelow and Travis Hansen each scored 13 points, most of them during a commanding second-half run, as Brigham Young beat Utah State 66-56 on Dec. 14, 2002 in Provo. Bigelow and Hansen combined for all of BYU's points in a 14-2 run that erased Utah State's final lead and gave the Cougars a 55-46 advantage. Utah State was led by Cardell Butler, who scored a career-high 14 points in his first start. BYU held Desmond Penigar, the Aggies' leading scorer, to 11 points, on 3-of-13 shooting. Utah State led 35-31 at halftime. Bigelow struggled most, missing six shots in a row after an early layup. Penigar's free throw gave the Aggies a 44-41 lead with 10:57 left. But Hansen made two free throws and a layup to give BYU the lead, 45-44. Bigelow took over from there, scoring 10 straight points. He made a jumper and a layup and then hit back-to-back 3-pointers for a 55-46 advantage. The Cougars held Utah State to 8-of-25 shooting in the second half. Utah State also failed to make a three-pointer for the first time since Jan. 17, 1998. BYU's Kevin Woodberry scored 12 points, including three consecutive three-pointers early in the game, and had six assists. Rafael Araujo added 10 points and seven rebounds. Two Aggie reserves made big contributions. Nate Harris scored 10 points and Spencer Nelson added nine points, all in the first half, and nine rebounds.
Recapping The Weber State Game
Spencer Nelson recorded his third double-double in the last five games as he had 12 points and 12 rebounds to lead Utah State to a 73-56 win against Weber State Saturday. Nelson also chipped in a game-high eight assists in 31 minutes. Jaycee Carroll led the Aggies with 14 points, including 10 in the first half. Weber State was led by Lance Allred, who had 16 points and 13 rebounds. Utah State built up a 14-point first half lead and extended its margin to 21 points with 11:47 left in the game, leading 53-32. After that Weber State never got closer than 13 points as the Aggies cruised to the victory. USU shot 54.7 percent from the field and held the Wildcats to just 32.1 percent shooting. It marked the fifth time in eight games the Aggies had shot better than 50 percent, while WSU's percentage was the lowest by an Aggie opponent as well as its worst mark of the year. John Neil and Calvin Brown gave the Aggies an early spark as Neil scored five of USU's first nine points before Brown hit back-to-back three-pointers midway through the half. Neil's nine points were just two shy of his career best, while Brown's six points were a career high. In all 10 different Aggies scored in the game, while nine different players recorded assists. Nate Harris, who entered the game as USU's leading scorer with a 14.9 average and a 4.9 rebounding average for second on the team, was just two of four shooting for five points and recorded just one rebound. Both of those numbers were season lows.
Utah State Ranked Ninth In Latest Mid-Major Poll
Utah State is ranked ninth in the latest CollegeInsider.com mid-major top-25 poll, while fellow Big West member Pacific is third. Gonzaga is first in the poll, followed by Creighton, Pacific, Southern Illinois, Pepperdine, Wichita State, Kent State, Old Dominion and Utah State.
Nelson 14th All-Time At Utah State In Rebounding
With his 12 rebounds against Weber State Saturday night, senior forward Spencer Nelson now has 614 career rebounds, which ranks 14th all-time at Utah State. Nelson is now 33 rebounds shy of moving ahead of Preston Bailess (646 rebounds) and into 13th-place on the all-time list. During his career at Utah State, Nelson has recorded double-digits in rebounds in 21 games and has 15 career double-doubles, including three this season... His career-high in rebounds is 14 versus Idaho State on Dec. 28, 2002, while his season-high is 12 versus Weber State on Dec. 11, 2004.
Aggies Continue Quest For The Old Oquirrh Bucket
The Old Oquirrh Bucket (named after the Oquirrh Mountains to the west of Salt Lake City) is the symbol of in-state basketball supremacy in Utah. The trophy is awarded every year to the in-state college team (BYU, Southern Utah, Utah, Utah State and Weber State) which has the best won-loss record against in-state competition. Utah State won the trophy in 1975 (the first year the trophy was awarded), 1976, 1983, 1984, 1985, and in 2002. USU is 3-0 this year against its in-state rivals with a 71-57 home win against BYU on Dec. 1, a 71-45 home win against Utah on Dec. 4, and a 73-56 home win against Weber State on Dec. 11. USU travels to BYU on Sat., Dec. 18 in its final in-state game of the year.
Utah State Shooting Well From The Field
Utah State is shooting 53.0 percent from the field this year, which includes a school-record breaking 77.8 percent night against UC Davis. The Aggies rank first in the Big West Conference in field goal percentage and ranked second in the country as of Dec. 6. Over its last five games, Utah State is shooting 56.0 percent from the field. At home, USU is shooting 59.0 percent from the field in four games. Last year, USU finished third in the country in field goal percentage at 50.9 percent.
Utah State Among The Best In The Country
Over the last six years, Utah State has been one of the best basketball programs in the country, recording a 134-35 (.793) record. Those 134 wins are tied for the sixth-most in the country, while the 79.3 percent winning percentage is fourth-best. USU has also been among the top-13 teams in the country in points allowed in each of the last five years, and among the top-35 teams in the country in winning percentage in each of those years.
Aggies In The Big West Conference
Utah State has had unparalleled success in the Big West Conference over the last five years, winning three regular season conference championships, three tournament championships, and advancing to five straight postseason tournaments (NCAA-3, NIT-2). Over the last five years, USU leads the Big West in overall titles won with six, postseason appearances with five, and all-conference selections with seven. USU has also dominated the conference's post-season tournament with an amazing 11-2 record over the last five years.
Scouting Utah State's Offense
Utah State is shooting 53.0 percent from the field, which ranks first in the Big West, 71.9 percent from the free throw line and 33.3 percent from three-point range... Utah State is averaging 67.8 points per game and has a scoring margin of plus 11.5... Over its last five games, Utah State is averaging 71.0 points and is shooting 56.0 percent from the field... Utah State has shot over 50 percent from the field in five of its eight games and set a new single-game record for field-goal percentage against UC Davis, shooting 77.8 percent... USU has shot over 50 percent in the first half in seven of its eight games on the year... The Aggies are 123-171 from the free throw line, while its opponents are just 72-99... Utah State is averaging 35.4 points in the first half this year, and 32.4 points in the second half, thus outscoring its opponents by an average of 6.3 points in the first half, and by 5.3 points in the second half... The Aggies are averaging 14.9 assists and just 10.9 turnovers per game... USU has had more assists than turnovers in each of its last five games.
Scouting Utah State's Defense
Utah State is limiting its opponents to just 56.2 points per game, which is first in the Big West Conference, 41.9 percent shooting from the field and 32.4 percent shooting from three-point range... Utah State has committed 121 fouls on the year for an average of 15.1 per game, while its opponents have committed 148 fouls for an average of 18.5 per game... Utah State allowed each of its first three opponents to shot at least 42 percent from the field, but has held four of its last five opponents under 42 percent ... Over its last five games, USU's opponents are shooting just 40.2 percent from the field and averaging 55.4 points... USU has allowed only three of its opponents to shoot over 30 percent from three-point range... The Aggies are limiting its opponents to 29.1 points in the first half and 27.1 points in the second half... Utah State is allowing its opponents just 26.9 rebounds per game... Over its last five games, Utah State has 33 steals... USU had held six of its last seven opponents under 60 points...USU has been out-rebounded in each of its last two games... USU had a season-low eight turnovers against Weber State.
Player Notes
#1 Marques Crane - Scored a season-high 10 points against Central Florida... Shooting 51.9 percent from the field, 30.8 percent from three-point range and 75.0 percent from the free throw line... Averaging 6.8 points per game.
#2 David Pak - Scored a season-high 10 points against Brigham Young... Had a season-high four assists against Utah and Weber State... Shooting 39.0 percent from the field and 30.0 percent from three-point range... Averaging 5.5 points and 2.0 assists per game.
#3 Cass Matheus - Scored a season-high 16 points against UC Davis... Averaging 5.3 points and 1.8 rebounds per game... Shooting 77.8 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from the free throw line... Averaging 6.8 points over his last five games.
#4 Nate Harris - Has scored in double-figures five times this year and tied his career-high with 26 points against Brigham Young... Had 20 points against both Utah and IPFW... Has scored 20-plus points six times in his career and in double-figures 30 times... Is second on the team in scoring and ranks 11th in the Big West Conference at 13.6 points per game... Ranks first in the league in field goal percentage (.641) and fifth in free throw shooting (.871)... Over his last four games he is averaging 17.8 points and 3.0 rebounds and is shooting 70.7 percent from the field.
#5 Robert Cox - Saw his first action of the season against UC Davis and scored two points in four minutes.
#20 Jaycee Carroll - Is third on the team in scoring at 12.3 points per game... Scored a season-high 19 points against Georgia Southern and had 18 points against Utah... Recorded his first career double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds against Brigham Young... Shooting 53.5 percent from the field, 40.0 percent from three-point range, and 76.9 percent from the free throw line... Was named to the BP Top of the World Classic all-tournament team... Also ranks sixth in the league in field goal percentage and ninth in three-point shooting.
#21 Calvin Brown - Scored a career-high six points against Weber State and tied his career-high with four assists against Utah... Shooting 44.4 percent from the field and 54.5 percent from the free throw line, while averaging 2.0 points and 1.6 assists per game.
#23 Chris Huber - Scored a season-high eight points to go along with four assists against UC Davis... Averaging 2.6 points and is shooting 31.6 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from three-point range.
#25 John Neil - Scored a season-high nine points against Weber State... Averaging 4.3 points and 1.8 rebounds per game, while shooting 50.0 percent from the field... Has started five games on the season and is averaging 18.6 minutes per game... Is averaging 8.0 points over his last two games.
#30 Jason Williams - Scored a season-high nine points against Weber State... Averaging 3.0 points and 1.5 rebounds on the season while shooting 36.4 percent from the field.
#31 Ian McVey - Averaging 1.1 points and 0.4 rebounds in 5.3 minutes off the bench... Scored a season-high four points against UC Davis and is shooting 50.0 percent from the field.
#32 Spencer Nelson - Is averaging 14.3 points per game which is first on the team and ninth in the Big West... Ranks second in the league in assists (4.75), third in rebounding (8.4) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.00), and fourth in field goal percentage (.554)... Has scored in double-figures in each of his last seven games and had a season-high 21 points against Utah... Had a season-high 12 rebounds against Weber State... Has 15 career double-doubles... Was named to the BP Top of the World Classic all-tournament team... Is averaging 17.0 points and 8.6 rebounds over his last five games, while shooting 63.6 percent from the field.
Nelson Off To Fast Start
Senior forward Spencer Nelson is off to a fast start this year, scoring in double-figures in each of his last seven games and in 13 of his last 15 dating back to last year. Nelson scored a season-high 21 points against Utah and had 20 at IPFW. He has now scored in double figures 42 times during his career and has 21 career double-figure rebounding games. He also has four 20-point games in his career. He has three double-doubles on the year giving him 15 for his career. Through eight games this year, Nelson leads the team in scoring (14.3), rebounding (8.4) and assists (4.75). He also ranks ninth in the Big West in scoring, second in assists, third in rebounding and fourth in field goal percentage at 55.4 percent.
Harris Ties Career High
Junior forward Nate Harris tied his career-high with 26 points against BYU on Dec. 1 and then had 20 points against both Utah and IPFW. He now has six career 20-plus point games and has scored in double-figures 30 times during his career. Over his last four games he is averaging 17.8 points and 3.0 rebounds, while shooting 70.7 percent from the field.
Carroll Notches First Career Double-Double
Freshman guard Jaycee Carroll recorded his first career double-double against Brigham Young on Dec. 1 with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Carroll has scored in double-figures five times this year and is averaging 12.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Over his last four games, he is averaging 12.3 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 52.8 percent from the field.
Nelson Receiving Recognition In His Senior Season
Senior forward Spencer Nelson (Pocatello, Idaho) is receiving plenty of recognition during his senior season. The following is a list of honors Nelson has received or has been nominated for during his career at Utah State. Senior Season
• Named a preseason Mid-Major All-American by CollegeInsider.com which consists of 25 players from mid-major universities. • Named to preseason All-Big West Conference team. • Nominated for the fourth annual Bayer Advantage Senior CLASS Award. The award is presented annually to the nation's senior basketball Player of the Year. • One of 24 student-athletes from across the country who were nominated for the John Wooden Trophy. • Named to the 2004 BP Top of the World Classic all-tournament team. Junior Season
• Named the 2004 Utah State Chapter Multiple Sclerosis Male College Athlete of the Year. • Second team all-Big West selection. • Big West Conference Hustle Player of the Year. • Academic all-Big West selection. • Big West Conference Player of the Week on Jan. 12, 2004. Sophomore Season
• Honorable mention all-Big West. • Co-Big West Conference Hustle Player of the Year. • Academic all-Big West selection. • Big West Conference Player of the Week on Jan. 13, 2003.
Utah State Trends
• Utah State is 74-7 under head coach Stew Morrill when holding its opponents below 60 points, including a 5-1 record this year. • Utah State is 111-9 over the last six years when leading at the half and 19-25 over the last five years when trailing at the half. This year, USU is 5-1 when leading at the half and 0-1 when trailing at the half. • Utah State has won 31 straight games when shooting better from the field than its opponents. • Utah State is 23-6 (.793) over the last six years following a loss and 30-13 (.698) following a loss under Morrill. Overall, USU has had just six two-game losing streaks in the last six years and hasn't lost three games in a row since the 1998-99 season, Morrill's first.
Harris Named Big West Conference Player Of The Week
Junior forward Nate Harris has been named the Big West Conference Player of the Week for his efforts in the Aggies' victories against Brigham Young and Utah it was announced on Monday. Harris, a 6-7, junior forward from Smithfield, Utah, averaged 23 points and 4.5 rebounds, while hitting 19 of 25 shots from the field for a 76.0 shooting percentage in USU's two games. Against BYU, he was 10 of 13 for a career-high tying 26 points. He also had three rebounds, three steals and two blocks as the Aggies defeated the Cougars 71-57. In the Aggies' 71-45 victory against Utah, Harris was nine of 12 shooting for 20 points, while adding six rebounds and one block. The honor is the fourth of Harris' career as he earned three straight league player of the week accolades last season (Jan. 19, Jan. 26 and Feb. 2). His four player of the week awards tie Desmond Penigar (2002-03) and Kendall Youngblood (1991-92) for the second most honors by an Aggie behind Greg Grant, who won six weekly awards from 1983-86.
Aggies In The NCAA Statistics
As of Dec. 6, Utah State ranked second in the country in field goal percentage at 54.2 percent, trailing only Oklahoma State who was shooting 54.4 percent. USU also ranked 10th in fewest turnovers committed per game (11.5), 17th in scoring defense (55.0), and 20th in fewest personal fouls committed per game (14.7).
Harris Ranks 19th In The Country
As of Dec. 6, junior forward Nate Harris ranked 19th in the country in field goal percentage at 64.6 percent.
A Look At Utah State's Production From Its Bench
During its last four games, Utah State's bench has produced a total of 46 points (26 vs. Weber State), scoring eight against both IPFW and Utah, and only four against BYU. On the year, USU is averaging 16.1 points from its bench with a season-high 36 points against UC Davis.
Aggies At Home
Under head coach Stew Morrill, Utah State is 88-8 (.917) in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum and Aggie teams have won 116 of their last 126 home games (.921) over the last eight years. Overall, Utah State is 382-101 (.791) in the Spectrum. Utah State has a modest four-game winning streak at home, but has won 21 straight games at home during the regular season and 28 of its last 30 at home overall. Against non-league opponents, USU has won 27 straight at home during the regular season, and the last non-league opponent to beat the Aggies at home during the regular season was Brigham Young (82-73) on Jan. 8, 2000. USU has also won 30 straight home games during the month of December and the last time USU lost a home game in December was on Dec. 5, 1999 to Colorado State (64-61).
Aggies Living At The Line, Again
Once again, Utah State is making a living at the free throw line as USU has made 24 more free throws than its opponents have attempted on the year. Through eight games, USU is 123-171 from the charity stripe (71.9), while its opponents are just 72-99 (72.7). Utah State had attempted and made more free throws than its opponents in every game this year before Weber State, as the Wildcats were 15-19 from the free throw line, while USU was just 7-12. Last year, USU was 419-582 (72.0) from the free throw line, while its opponents where 224-329 (68.1).
Utah State Playing Solid Defense Without Fouling
Utah State is committing just 15.1 fouls per game and sending its opponents to the free throw line for an average of just 12.4 free throws per game. Last year, Utah State led the country in fewest fouls committed per game at 14.3, while its opponents averaged just 11.3 free throws per game.
Aggies Winning A Lot Of Games
Going back to the 2002-03 season, Utah State has now won 36 of its last 43 games, which includes a 15-6 record on the road.
Aggies And Cougars Meeting For The Second Time This Year
Utah State and Brigham Young will be meeting for the second time this year on Sat., Dec. 18. The last time the two teams played each other twice in the same season was during the 1992-93 campaign when the Cougars swept the season series. The last time Utah State won two games from BYU during the same year was during the 1985-86 campaign. That year also marked the last time Utah State won a game in Provo.
Utah State Not Rebounding The Ball
Utah State is only averaging 28.9 rebounds per game and has a rebound margin of only 2.0. USU began the year by out-rebounding five of its first six opponents, by have since been out-rebounded in two straight games, marking the first time since the beginning of the 2002-03 season. Furthermore, USU is 5-0 on the season when it out-rebounds its opponent and just 1-2 when it gets out-rebounded.
