Jan. 12, 2007

LOGAN, Utah -

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GAME 17UTAH STATE (11-5, 0-2) vs. LOUISIANA TECH (4-11, 2-1)Sat., Jan. 13, 2007 • 7:05 p.m. MT • Logan, UtahDee Glen Smith Spectrum (10,270) • Aggie Radio Network • WAC.tv
GAME 18UTAH STATE (11-5, 0-2) vs. IDAHO (2-13, 0-3)Mon., Jan. 15, 2007 • 7:05 p.m. MT • Logan, UtahDee Glen Smith Spectrum (10,270) • Aggie Radio Network • WAC.tv

GAME DAY HEADLINES
• Utah State is in its 102nd season of basketball and has an overall record of 1,335-971 (.579).

• Utah State has an eight-game home winning streak and a 118-11 (.915) overall home record under Morrill, which includes a 61-7 (.897) record against conference opponents, and a 6-2 record against WAC opponents. Overall, USU has won two straight conference games at home.

• Utah State has won 17 straight league openers at home and the last time USU lost its first home league game of the season was on Jan. 3, 1989 to Fresno State 76-72. Overall, USU is 24-4 in home conference openers dating back to the 1978-79 season.

• Utah State has not lost three straight conference games since the 1998-99 season, and has never lost three straight conference games to start league play.

• Utah State is 53-17 (.757) in January under Morrill, which includes a 32-3 (.914) home record. Overall, USU has won 20 straight home games during the month and the last team to defeat USU at home in January was UC Irvine (67-66) on Jan. 10, 2002.

• Utah State has had a different player lead the team in scoring in each of the last four games. Prior to its last four games, USU had been led in scoring by the same player (Jaycee Carroll) in 10 of its first 12 games.

UP NEXT
Utah State (11-5, 0-2) returns to Western Athletic Conference action on Sat., Jan. 13 against Louisiana Tech (4-11, 2-1) at 7:05 p.m. in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. USU will then host Idaho (2-13, 0-3) on Mon., Jan. 15 at 7:05 p.m.

AGGIES ON THE AIR AND THE INTERNET
Fans can listen to all of Utah State's games live on KVNU 610 AM in Logan and on 1320 AM or 1230 AM in Salt Lake City, or on the internet at www.UtahStateAggies.com. Fans can also watch every WAC game this year live via the internet at www.WAC.tv.

LOOKING AT UTAH STATE
Utah State is 11-5 on the season after an 81-70 home win against Utah Valley State in its last game. The Aggies, who are 0-2 in the Western Athletic Conference, are led by junior guard Jaycee Carroll who is averaging 20.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, while shooting 54.1 percent from the field, 44.7 percent from three-point range, and 92.0 percent from the free throw line, while junior forward Stephen DuCharme is averaging 10.9 points and 5.4 rebounds, and shooting 60.5 percent from the field and 64.4 percent from the free throw line. Senior forward Durrall Peterson is third on the team in scoring with 9.6 points per game. As a team, USU is averaging 71.8 points and shooting 47.8 percent from the field, 36.7 percent from three-point range, and 77.6 percent from the free throw line, while its opponents are averaging 66.5 points and shooting 46.2 percent from the field, 35.1 percent from three-point range, and 67.2 from the free throw line.

UTAH STATE THIRD IN THE NATION IN FREE THROW SHOOTING
As of Fri., Jan. 12, Utah State leads the WAC and ranks third in the nation in free throw shooting at 77.6 percent, trailing California (.789) and Butler (.777). Over its last eight games, USU is shooting 82.6 percent from the charity stripe (123-149).

VERSUS THE WAC
Utah State is 155-89 (.635) all-time against current members of the Western Athletic Conference and the Aggies have a winning record against every team in the league. In its inaugural season in the WAC, Utah State recorded an 11-5 league record, finished in a tie for second-place, and advanced to the championship game of the conference tournament.

COMPUTER RANKINGS
As of Fri., Jan. 12, Utah State has an RPI of 63 in the country and a strength of schedule of 119 according to the Pomeroy Ratings by Ken Pomeroy, while the WAC is currently ranked ninth out of 32 conferences. USU also has a sagarin rating of 93 in the country.

UTAH STATE STANDING ITS GROUND
Through 16 games this season Utah State has taken 32 charges, led by senior Durrall Peterson who has a team-high 18. During the 2005-06 season, Utah State took a total of 27 charges in 32 games.

DID YOU KNOW?
Utah State is one of just five teams in the country to win at least 23 games in each of the last seven seasons joining Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas and Syracuse. Overall, Utah State teams have won 20-plus games in a season 21 times.

NEXT WEEK
Utah State will play three games next week as it hosts Idaho (2-13, 0-3) on Mon., Jan. 15 at 7:05 p.m., and Boise State (8-6, 2-1) on Thur., Jan. 18 at 7:05 p.m. in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. The game against the Broncos will be televised live by KJZZ-TV. USU will then conclude the week with a game at San Jose State (1-14, 0-3) on Sat., Jan. 20 at 4:05 p.m. (MT).

RECAPPING THE UTAH VALLEY STATE GAME
Durrall Peterson scored a career-high 26 points and added a season-high seven rebounds to lead Utah State to an 81-70 win against Utah Valley State in Logan Wednesday night. Peterson and backcourt mate Jaycee Carroll combined to hit 13 three-pointers as the Aggies pulled away in the final minutes of a hard-fought contest. Carroll finished with 21 points on the night after hitting seven-of-nine three-pointers. UVSC was led by Ryan Toolson, who had 16 points off the bench. The visitors also received 14 points from both Matt Peterson, a Logan, Utah product, and Jordan Brady. Peterson scored 20 of his 26 points in the second half as he was six-of-10 from behind the arc during the game. USU's 13 treys tied for the second most in school history behind the 20 made at New Mexico State last season. Utah State never led in the first half and trailed at the break 35-33. UVSC pushed their advantage to seven points at 40-33 just one minute into the second half before the Aggies went on an 8-0 run behind a pair of threes by Peterson to gain a 41-40 advantage. The teams stayed within two points of each other for the next seven minutes before USU's Stephen DuCharme scored on a layup and added a free throw for a 53-48 USU lead at the 12:06 mark. UVSC pulled within one at 55-54 on a Toolson three-pointer, but the Aggies went on a 9-2 run to lead 64-56 and UVSC was never closer than six points the rest of the game. The Aggies shot 52.3 percent from the field, including hitting 13-of-23 three-pointers for 56.5 percent from behind the arc. USU also used an advantage at the free throw line making 22-of-31 attempts, while UVSC was 14-of-17. The visiting Wolverines shot 46.2 percent from the field, and was eight-of-18 from three-point range. Both teams handled the ball well as the Aggies committed just 10 turnovers, a season-low, and UVSC had 12 miscues. The teams were even on the boards with each club grabbing 28 rebounds. UVSC's Brady had a game-high 10 rebounds, while USU was led by Peterson with seven. The Aggies played just seven players and Carroll played all 40 minutes of the contest.

UTAH STATE FOLLOWING A LOSS
With its 81-70 win against Utah Valley State, Utah State is now 39-9 (.813) following a loss over the last eight years. Utah State had lost back-to-back games for the first time since the 2004-05 season (a span of 63 games) before defeating the Wolverines. The last time USU lost three straight games was at the end of the 1998-99 season.

AGGIES MAKE SEASON-HIGH 13 THREE-POINTERS AGAINST UVSC
Utah State made a season-high 13 three-pointers in its 81-70 win against Utah Valley State Thursday night. Those 13 made three's are tied for the second-most made in a single-game in school history, behind the 20 made three-pointers at New Mexico State last year. The 23 three-point attempts by USU against UVSC is tied for a season-high and tied for the ninth-most three's taken in a single-game in school history. USU's 56.5 percent shooting from three-point range is also a season-high. It is the third time this year that Utah State has shot over 50 percent from three.

AGGIES HOT FROM THREE-POINT RANGE
During its last two games, Utah State is shooting 50.0 percent from three-point range (23-46). During its previous four games, Utah State shot just 28.3 percent from behind the arc (13-46).

UTAH STATE USES JUST SEVEN PLAYERS IN WIN AGAINST WOLVERINES
Utah State used just seven players in its 81-70 win against Utah Valley State. The last time USU played a game with just seven players was in its 82-68 loss to Maryland in the first round of the 1998 NCAA Tournament.

UTAH STATE SCORES SEASON-HIGH 48 SECOND-HALF POINTS
Utah State scored a season-high 48 second-half points in its 81-70 win against Utah Valley State. In fact, USU has scored 40-plus points in the second-half in each of its last three games. During its last three games, USU is averaging 28.3 points in the first-half, and 44.0 points in the second-half.

UTAH STATE COMMITS SEASON-LOW 10 TURNOVERS AGAINST UVSC
Utah State committed a season-low 10 turnovers against Utah Valley State Wednesday night, which were the fewest turnovers for USU since it had eight against Nevada in the WAC Tournament championship game last year.

SCOUTING LOUISIANA TECH
Louisiana Tech is 4-11 on the season and 2-1 in the Western Athletic Conference following its 82-56 loss at Boise State Thursday night. The Bulldogs, who are 1-6 on the road this year, are led by senior forward Chad McKenzie who is averaging 13.3 points and 6.9 rebounds, while senior guard Trey McDowell is averaging 10.4 points. As a team, Louisiana Tech is scoring 61.3 points per game and shooting 40.1 percent from the field, 31.1 percent from three-point range, and 63.5 percent from the free throw line. Defensively, LTU is allowing 68.5 points, while its opponents are shooting 44.7 percent from the field and 38.0 percent from three-point range. The Bulldogs return one starter and 10 lettermen from last year's team that went 20-13 on the season and finished in a tie with Utah State for second-place in the WAC with 11-5 league records. Keith Richard is 144-108 in his ninth year as a collegiate head coach.

UTAH STATE-LOUISIANA TECH SERIES
Utah State and Louisiana Tech will meet for the fourth time this weekend with the Aggies owning a 3-0 all-time advantage. Utah State won the last meeting between the two teams 68-64 in Reno, Nev., in the semifinals of the 2006 Western Athletic Conference Tournament. USU won the only meeting between the two teams in Logan 64-55 on Jan. 18, 2006, and defeated the Bulldogs in Ruston 63-62 on Feb. 4, 2006.

LAST MEETING AGAINST THE BULLDOGS
Jaycee Carroll scored 18 points to lead a trio of Utah State players in double figures as the Aggies defeated Louisiana Tech 68-64 in the WAC Tournament semifinals on Mar. 10, 2006 in Reno, Nev. Utah State used the inside game of post player Nate Harris and the outside game of Carroll and point guard David Pak to hold off Louisiana Tech, which dropped to 20-12. Pak scored 14 points, including nine in the second half, while Harris worked inside for 13 points and seven rebounds. Louisiana Tech was led by Paul Millsap, who scored 18 points on eight-of-10 shooting and Trey McDowell, who scored 14 points while making four three-pointers, including three in the second half. Carroll made five-of-six free throws in the final :23 seconds as the Aggies held off a late charge by the Bulldogs. USU led 59-50 after a basket by Chris Session at the 3:42 mark, but Louisiana Tech scored seven of the game's next nine points to pull within 63-59 at the 1:19 mark. However LTU missed two free throws and a couple of field goal attempts before McDowell made a three-pointer to pull the Bulldogs within 64-62 with :17 seconds left. Carroll then hit two free throws before LTU responded with a Millsap lay-up to make it 66-64 with :1.6 seconds remaining. Carroll then sealed the game with two more free throws. In the first half the teams were tied at 16 before USU went on an 8-0 run to lead 24-16. The Aggies then took a 29-25 lead into the locker room thanks to a 70-foot shot by Harris at the buzzer. USU pushed its lead to 40-33 early in the second half while on a 5-0 run. A 7-0 run late in the game gave the Aggies a 52-43 lead before the Bulldogs rallied to close within two several times before the game ended. The Aggies out-rebounded LTU 31-30 after getting out-rebounded by the athletic Bulldogs by a combined 23 during two regular season games. USU also hit 20-of-24 free throw attempts in the game.

VERSUS THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
Utah State is 12-6 all-time against teams from the state of Louisiana. Overall, Utah State is 3-0 against Louisiana Tech, 2-1 against Centenary, LSU and Tulane, 1-1 against New Orleans, 1-0 against Grambling, 1-1 against Northwestern State, and 0-1 against Louisiana-Lafayette.

AGGIES ON SATURDAY
Utah State is 79-27 (.745) in games played on Saturday under Morrill, including a 5-3 record this year. USU is also 8-4 (.667) in known games played on Jan. 13.

SCOUTING IDAHO
Idaho is 2-13 on the season and 0-3 in the Western Athletic Conference following its 61-56 home loss to New Mexico State Thursday night. The Vandals, who are 1-8 on the road this year, are led by senior guard Keoni Watson who is averaging 16.7 points, while junior forward Darin Nagle averages 10.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. As a team, Idaho is averaging 59.1 points and shooting 40.4 percent from the field, 34.8 percent from three-point range, and 64.3 percent from the free throw line. Defensively, Idaho is allowing 74.1 points, while its opponents are shooting 47.4 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from three-point range. Idaho returns two starters and four lettermen from last year's team that went 4-25 overall and finished in last-place in the WAC with a 1-15 conference record.

UTAH STATE-IDAHO SERIES
Utah State and Idaho will be meeting for the 37th time on Monday with the Aggies holding a 24-12 all-time advantage, which includes a 10-1 home record. The first game played in the series was during the 1945-46 season with the Vandals recording a 55-33 win. The last time the two teams met was on Feb. 15, 2006 in Moscow with Utah State recording an 80-42 win. The last time the two teams played in Logan was on Jan. 14, 2006 with USU notching an 83-58 win. The last time Idaho won a game in the series was on Dec. 23, 2004 in Moscow, 69-62, and the last time the Vandals won in Logan was on Mar. 1, 2003, 52-51. Overall, USU has won 19 of the last 22 games played in the series. USU head coach Stew Morrill is 14-3 against Idaho at USU and 17-13 against the Vandals all-time.

LAST MEETING AGAINST THE VANDALS
David Pak scored a game-high 15 points and added six assists to lead Utah State to a convincing 80-42 Western Athletic Conference win against Idaho on Feb. 15, 2006 in Moscow. Cass Matheus scored the first four points for Utah State and the Aggies raced out to an early 13-point lead at 22-9 before Idaho went on an 8-3 run to cut USU's lead to eight at 25-17 with 7:49 remaining in the half. Following a three-pointer from Nebojsa Jakovljevic to give Idaho 17 points, Utah State went on a 37-0 run over the next 13:53 to turn a close contest into a 45-point lead at 62-17. During that run, the Aggies held the Vandals scoreless for the final 7:49 of the first-half and for the first 6:04 of the second-half. Utah State's biggest lead came with 5:11 remaining in the game on a lay-up by Durrall Peterson to give USU a 50-point advantage at 78-28. The Vandals finished the game by out-scoring the Aggies 14-2 to reduce the margin to 38 points. Matheus added 12 points and nine rebounds for Utah State, while Peterson had 12 points, seven rebounds and a season-high six assists. Nate Harris also scored in double-figures as he finished with 11 points and seven rebounds for the visitors. Keoni Watson led Idaho with 13 points, including 11 in the second half, while Tanoris Shepard added 12 points. Utah State finished by shooting 56.6 percent from the field and 45.8 percent from three-point range, while limiting Idaho to just 29.4 percent shooting. USU also out-rebounded the Vandals 37-24, and recorded 20 assists in the game as compared to just six for UI.

VERSUS THE STATE OF IDAHO
Under Coach Morrill, Utah State is 28-5 (.848) versus teams from the state of Idaho, which includes an 8-2 record against Boise State, 14-3 record against Idaho, and a 6-0 record against Idaho State. USU is also 14-1 (.933) in home games against teams from the state of Idaho under Morrill, with its one loss coming against the Vandals.

AGGIES ON MONDAY
Utah State is 4-2 (.667) in games played on Monday under Morrill. USU is also 7-6 (.538) in known games played on Jan. 15.

PETERSON SCORES CAREER-HIGH 26 POINTS AGAINST UVSC
Senior forward Durrall Peterson scored a career-high 26 points against Utah Valley State Wednesday night as he was eight-of-14 from the field and six-of-10 from three-point range. He also had a season-high seven rebounds to go along with five assists and just one turnover in the game. Those six made three-pointers by Peterson ties his career-high for a single-game. It is the second time this year and fourth time in his career he has scored 20-plus points in a game.

SPICER SCORES CAREER-HIGH 20 POINTS AT FRESNO STATE
Senior forward Chaz Spicer scored a career-high 20 points on seven-of-10 shooting at Fresno State Saturday night. Spicer, who scored a season-high 13 points in his previous game at Boise State two nights earlier, topped his previous career-high of 16 points against Lewis & Clark College during his junior season. Overall, it is the seventh time this year and 16th time in his career he has scored in double-figures.

SPICER PLAYING MUCH BETTER OVER HIS LAST SIX GAMES
Senior forward Chaz Spicer is playing much better over his last six games as he is averaging 11.0 points and 4.0 rebounds, while shooting 50.0 percent from the field, 40.0 percent from three-point range, and 85.7 percent from the free throw line. In two WAC games, Spicer is averaging 16.5 points and 6.5 rebounds, while shooting 50.0 percent from the field, 66.7 percent from three-point range, and 87.5 percent from the free throw line.

DUCHARME SHOOTING OVER 60 PERCENT FROM THE FIELD
Junior forward Stephen DuCharme continues to shoot for a high percentage as he is converting 60.5 percent of his field goals (72-119) on the year. DuCharme would rank second in the WAC and 24th in the nation in field goal percentage, but he does not have enough made field goals to qualify. DuCharme is averaging 4.50 field goals per game, and needs to average 5.0 made field goals per game to qualify for the national and conference stats.

CLARK PLAYING MUCH BETTER DURING HIS LAST SIX GAMES
Junior guard Kris Clark has played much better during his last six games as he is averaging 4.2 points, 4.0 assists and 2.8 rebounds, while shooting 40.0 percent from the field (10-25). During those six games, he has 24 assists and just six turnovers.

UTAH STATE REBOUNDING THE BALL WELL
Utah State has done a good job of rebounding the ball and has not been out-rebounded by each of its last six opponents. During its last six games, USU is averaging 34.8 rebounds per game and outrebounding its opponents by 4.1 boards per contest. Overall, USU has been outrebounded just three times this year.

UTAH STATE CONTINUES NON-CONFERENCE HOME STREAK
With its 81-70 win against Utah Valley State, Utah State has now won 20 straight home games against non-conference opponents and 44 of its last 46 overall. USU has also won 44 straight non-conference regular season home games, which is the second-longest streak in the nation behind Duke (50). The last time USU lost a non-conference home game during the regular season was to BYU (82-73) on Jan. 8, 2000.

UTAH STATE VERSUS IN-STATE OPPONENTS
With its 81-70 win against Utah Valley State, Utah State has now won 13 straight home games against in-state opponents and improved to 15-1 at home against in-state opponents under Morrill. Overall, USU has now won 11 of its last 13 games against teams from the state of Utah, which includes a 5-1 record this year.

DID YOU KNOW?
Through 16 games, Utah State has allowed seven of its opponents to shoot over 50 percent from the field. During the entire 2005-06 season, only four USU opponents shot over 50 percent from the field, and no USU opponents shot over 50 percent from the field during the 2004-05 season.

CARROLL 14TH ALL-TIME IN SCORING AT UTAH STATE
With his 21 points against Utah Valley State, junior guard Jaycee Carroll now ranks 14th all-time in school history with 1,320 career points. Carroll is now 78 points shy of tying Dan Conway (1986-89) for 13th-place all-time with 1,398 career points. Carroll entered the season with 991 career points and has already passed 17 people on USU's all-time scoring list this year.

CARROLL FIRST IN SCHOOL HISTORY IN THREE-POINT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE
Junior guard Jaycee Carroll ranks first all-time at Utah State in career three-point field goal percentage at 46.0 percent. He also ranks third all-time in school history in three-pointer made (210), and fourth in three-pointers attempted (457).

CARROLL EIGHTH ALL-TIME AT UTAH STATE IN FREE THROW PERCENTAGE
Junior guard Jaycee Carroll ranks eighth all-time at Utah State in free throw shooting at 82.1 percent (174-212).

CARROLL 14TH ALL-TIME AT UTAH STATE IN SCORING AVERAGE
Junior guard Jaycee Carroll has played in 80 career games at Utah State and has scored 1,320 points for an average of 16.5 points per game which ranks 14th all-time in school history.

CARROLL EIGHTH IN THE NATION IN FREE THROW SHOOTING
Junior guard Jaycee Carroll currently ranks first in the WAC and eighth in the nation in free throw shooting at 92.0 percent. Overall, Carroll has made 14 straight free throws and 20 of his last 21 during his last five games.

CARROLL 18TH IN THE NATION IN SCORING
Junior guard Jaycee Carroll currently ranks first in the WAC and 18th in the nation in scoring with 20.6 points per game. Carroll also ranks first in the WAC and eighth in the nation in free throw shooting at 92.0 percent.

CARROLL SCORES SEASON-HIGH 29 POINTS AGAINST IPFW
Junior guard Jaycee Carroll scored a season-high 29 points against IPFW on Dec. 21 as he was nine-of-14 from the field, four-of-seven from three-point range, and seven-of-eight from the free throw line. He also added eight rebounds, and a season-high tying four assists in the game.

CARROLL HAS NINE 20-POINT GAMES THIS YEAR
With his 21 points against Utah Valley State, junior guard Jaycee Carroll had now scored at least 20 points in a game nine times this season and 22 times in his career. In fact, Carroll scored 20 or more points in seven straight games this year, which was the longest streak by a Utah State player since Greg Grant scored 20-plus points in seven straight games during the 1985-86 season.

CARROLL AMONG THE WAC LEADERS IN FOUR CATEGORIES
Junior guard Jaycee Carroll currently ranks first in the Western Athletic Conference and eighth in the nation in free throw shooting at 92.0 percent, and first in the WAC and 18th in the nation in scoring with 20.5 points per game. Carroll also ranks fourth in the WAC in field goal percentage (.541), fifth in three-point shooting (.447), and 11th in rebounding (5.6).

CARROLL MAKES SEASON-HIGH SEVEN THREE'S AGAINST UTAH VALLEY STATE
Junior guard Jaycee Carroll made a season-high seven three-pointers against Utah Valley State on only nine attempts. Those seven made three's are the third-most in a single-game for Carroll in his career and tied for the fifth-most in a single-game in school history. In his previous seven games, Carroll was a combined seven-of-27 (.259) from three-point range.

DID YOU KNOW?
Junior guard Jaycee Carroll has made at least one three-point basket in 69 of his 80 career games at Utah State. This year, Carroll has made at least one three-point basket in 12 of USU's 16 games.

AGGIES START LEAGUE PLAY WITH CONSECUTIVE LOSSES
Utah State has started conference play with consecutive losses for the first time since the 1998-99 season, Coach Morrill's first at USU, with road losses at Pacific and Long Beach State. Overall, it is the just the fifth time in the last 28 years that Utah State has opened league play with consecutive seasons.

AGGIES CONTINUE TO GET SOLID SCORING FROM ITS BENCH
Utah State has gotten solid production from its bench all year as its reserves have scored in double-figures in 14 of the teams 16 games. On the year, USU's bench is averaging 22.2 points (355) and 9.1 rebounds (145) per game. Utah State had a season-high 50 points from its bench against Drake, and got a season-high 15 rebounds from its reserves at Boise State.

AGGIES 37-0 RUN AGAINST IDAHO LONGEST IN NCAA HISTORY
Utah State's 37-0 run against Idaho on Wed., Feb. 15 in Moscow, Idaho is the longest run in the history of college basketball according to the NCAA. The previous record according to the NCAA was accomplished by Seton Hall against Kean on Nov. 29, 1998, as the Pirates scored the first 34 points of the game. Against the Vandals, Utah State held Idaho scoreless for the final 7:49 of the first half and for the first 6:04 of the second-half (13:53 total), as UI missed 25 straight shots. During the run, Utah State extended its lead from 25-17 to 62-17. Overall, Utah State held Idaho scoreless for 13:53, which is the third-longest scoring drought in NCAA history. According to the NCAA, the longest scoring drought in NCAA history was on Feb. 25, 1979 when Duke held North Carolina scoreless for 20:48, and the second-longest drought was on Dec. 29, 1984 when Massachusetts held Columbus scoreless for 15:33. USU also held Idaho without a field-goal for 16:01, which is the second-longest stretch in NCAA history behind the Duke-North Carolina game of 1979.

CARROLL NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
For his efforts at the BP Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska, Jaycee Carroll earned Western Athletic Conference player of the week honors it was announced on Mon., Nov. 20. Carroll, a 6-2, 175-pound, junior guard, was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament as he led Utah State to the team championship. The Aggies defeated Centenary (77-71), Drake (92-74), and Weber State (68-55). Carroll began the tournament by scoring 27 points against Centenary as he was eight-of-13 from the field and nine-of-10 from the free throw line. Carroll then recorded his second career double-double against Drake as he scored 24 points and added 10 rebounds. He then concluded the tournament by scoring 21 points against Weber State. Overall, Carroll scored 72 points in the tournament and was just two points shy of tying the all-time tournament record for most points scored with 74. Carroll finished the tournament by averaging 24.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists, while shooting 57.5 percent from the field (23-40), 45.5 percent from three-point range (10-22), and 88.9 percent from the free throw line (16-18). The honor is the second WAC player of the week award for Carroll, who won the award on Dec. 1, 2005 after his performances against Middle Tennessee and Weber State.

UTAH STATE AMONG THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY
Over the last eight years, Utah State has been one of the best basketball programs in the country, with a 186-55 (.772) record. Those 186 wins are the eighth-most in the country, while the 77.2 percent winning percentage is fifth-best. USU has also been among the top-13 teams in the country in points allowed in six of the last seven years, and among the top-35 teams in the country in winning percentage in each of those seasons.

UTAH STATE HAS DOMINATED CONFERENCE PLAY SINCE 2000
Utah State has had tremendous success in league play over the last seven years recording a 95-27 (.779) record, which includes an 84-20 record in the Big West Conference and an 11-7 record in the WAC. Here is a look at how the current members of the Western Athletic Conference has done in league play dating back to the 1999-2000 season. Note: Utah State and Idaho's league record includes six years in the Big West Conference (2000-2005); Boise State's record includes two years in the Big West (2000-2001); Nevada's record includes one year in the Big West (2000); Louisiana Tech's record includes two years in the Sun Belt Conference (2000-01); and New Mexico State's record includes one year in the Big West (2000) and five years in the Sun Belt (2001-05).

SCOUTING UTAH STATE'S OFFENSE
Utah State has shot over 50 percent from the field seven times this year, and over 40 percent from three-point range six times... USU ranks first in the WAC in free throw shooting (.776), third in field goal percentage (.478), third in three-point field goal percentage (.367), fifth in scoring margin (+5.3), and sixth in scoring (71.8)... Over its last five games, Utah State is shooting 44.0 percent from the field, 39.5 percent from three-point range, and 82.4 percent from the free throw line, while averaging 71.4 points per game.

SCOUTING UTAH STATE'S DEFENSE
Utah State ranks second in the WAC in steals (6.63), is third in scoring defense (66.5), fourth in rebounding margin (+3.3), sixth in three-point field goal percentage defense (.351), seventh in field goal percentage defense (.462), and eighth in blocked shots (2.25)... Over its last five games, USU's opponents are averaging 70.4 points and shooting 45.8 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from three-point range.

UTAH STATE ON THE ROAD
Under head coach Stew Morrill, Utah State is 57-44 (.564) on the road, which includes a 42-28 (.600) road record in conference games. Over the last seven years, USU is 41-21 (.661) on the road in league play.

UTAH STATE HAS LOST FOUR STRAIGHT ROAD GAMES
After winning two of its first three road games this year, Utah State has lost four straight road games, which is USU's longest road losing streak since the 1998-99 season when it finished the year with five straight road losses.

OVER THE LAST EIGHT YEARS UTAH STATE IS...

• 80-6 when holding its opponents below 60 points.• 158-17 when leading at the half.• 167-14 when shooting better from the field than its opponent.• 139-27 when out-rebounding its opponent.• 130-12 when shooting better from three-point range than its opponent.• 104-16 when blocking more shots than its opponent.• 67-12 when scoring 70-plus points in a game.

PLAYER NOTES
• 0 Mikel Watson - Has scored in double-figures four times this year, including a season-high 12 points against Drake... Recorded a season-high six assists and five rebounds against Weber State... Averaging 7.1 points, 2.9 assists and 1.9 rebounds, while shooting 42.9 percent from the field and 34.5 percent from three-point range.

• 3 Nick Hammer - Recorded a career-high seven rebounds at Santa Clara, and also played a career-high 23 minutes against the Broncos... Scored a career-high 12 points in the season opener at Northwestern State, and recorded a career-high three steals against Idaho State... Averaging 3.2 points and 2.3 rebounds, while shooting 30.6 percent from the field and 87.5 percent from the free throw line.

• 10 Kris Clark - Scored a season-high nine points against CS Bakersfield... Had a season-high eight assists against Idaho State... Ranks fifth in the WAC in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.93), and seventh in assists (3.25)... Averaging 1.9 points and 1.5 rebounds per game.

• 11 Arvydas Vaitiekus - Scored a season-high six points and two rebounds at Boise State... Had a season-high two blocks against Idaho State... Averaging 1.1 points and 0.7 rebounds per game.

• 20 Jaycee Carroll - Scored a season-high 29 points against IPFW... Has scored in double-figures in all 16 games this season, and in 17 straight overall... Recorded his third career double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds against South Dakota State... Also had 24 points and 10 rebounds against Drake... Has scored in double-figures 68 times in his career and has 22 career 20-point games... Ranks first in the WAC in free throw shooting (.920) and scoring (20.6), and is fourth in field goal percentage (.541), fifth in three-point field goal percentage (.447), and 11th in rebounding (5.6).

• 21 Chris Session - Scored a career-high 12 points, recorded a career-high five steals, and played a career-high 31 minutes at BYU... Had a career-high 10 rebounds at Fresno State... Is averaging 6.1 points and 4.2 rebounds, while shooting 55.9 percent from the field and 78.6 percent from the free throw line... Ranks 10th in the WAC in steals (1.19).

• 23 O.J. Harrison - Tied his season-high with five points and had a season-high three rebounds against CS Bakersfield... Is averaging 1.2 points and 0.8 rebounds.

• 24 Durrall Peterson - Scored a career-high 26 points against Utah Valley State... Tied his career-high with six assists against IPFW... Has scored in double-figures five times this year and 13 times in his career... Also had four career 20-point games... Averaging 9.6 points and 3.3 rebounds, while shooting 40.2 percent from the field, 38.9 percent from three-point range, and 77.5 percent from the free throw line.

• 30 Chaz Spicer - Scored a career-high 20 points at Fresno State... Recorded a career-high six assists against Utah Valley State... Played a career-high 31 minutes against Utah... Recorded a career-high 10 rebounds at South Dakota State... Has scored in double-figures 16 times in his career and seven times this season... Is averaging 9.3 points and 3.2 rebounds, while shooting 48.5 percent from the field, 46.2 percent from three-point range, and 82.4 percent from the free throw line, which ranks fifth in the WAC.

• 31 Michael Earl - Scored a season-high 10 points at BYU after not scoring a single point in USU's previous five games... Had a season-high eight rebounds against Centenary... Averaging 2.8 points and 1.9 rebounds per game, while shooting 43.5 percent from the field and 61.9 percent from the free-throw line.

• 40 Stephen DuCharme - Recorded his second straight double-double with a season-high tying 22 points and a season-high 11 rebounds at Santa Clara... Recorded his first career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds against IPFW... Has scored in double-figures 10 times this year... Also had 22 points against Drake... Shooting 60.5 percent from the field and 64.4 percent from the free throw line... Is averaging 10.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, which ranks 12th in the WAC... Set a new school record by making 17 straight field goals over a two-game span, including a 10-for-10 performance against Drake.

HEAD COACH Stew Morrill
Stew Morrill (Gonzaga, 1974) is in his ninth season at the helm of the Utah State men's basketball program and has posted seven straight 20-win seasons, not to mention guiding the Aggies to seven straight postseason appearances. In his ninth year at USU, he has an incredible 201-68 record, which is the best record by any coach at Utah State during that time span. Over the past seven years, Morrill has coached 13 first-team all-league players in Shawn Daniels (twice), Troy Rolle, Bernard Rock, Tony Brown, Desmond Penigar (twice), Mark Brown, Cardell Butler, Nate Harris (three times), and Spencer Nelson. In his first eight years at USU, he has had over an 80 percent graduation rate. He has been involved in postseason action 10 times in his career, including the NCAA Tournament at Utah State in 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2006, and the National Invitation Tournament in 2002 and 2004. 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 fourth 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, Jerry Tarkanian and Bob Thomason. 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 20 years as a head coach, Morrill's teams have won at least 20 games 11 times and have won at least 17 games in 17 of his 20 seasons as a head coach. He was the second winningest coach at Colorado State behind only Boyd Grant.