Dec. 1, 2008

LOGAN, Utah -

Complete Release in PDF Format

Game 5Utah State (4-0) vs. UC Irvine (0-5)Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2008 • 7 p.m. (MT) • Logan, UtahDee Glen Smith Spectrum (10,270) • Aggie Radio Network

GAME DAY HEADLINES
• Utah State is beginning its 104th season of basketball this year and has an overall record of 1,374-989 (.581). USU hasn't had a losing season since the 1992-93 campaign, a span of 15 years, when that team finished with a 10-17 record.

• Utah State is 4-0 to start a season for the first time since the 2002-03 team began the year with a 5-0 record. Overall, it is the fourth time that USU has started a season 4-0 under head coach Stew Morrill.

• Utah State has won nine straight regular season games dating back to the 2007-08 campaign as it finished last season with five straight wins and has won all four of its games thus far this year.

• Utah State has won 56 straight regular season non-conference home games, which is the second-longest streak in the nation behind Duke who has won 59 straight. When including postseason play, USU has won 32 straight home games against non-conference opponents and 56 of its last 58 overall. The last time Utah State lost a non-conference home game during the regular season was on Jan. 8, 2000 against BYU, 82-73.

• Utah State is 145-12 (.924) in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum under Coach Morrill, which includes a 69-4 (.945) record against non-league opponents. Overall, USU is 439-105 (.807) in 39 years in the building.

• Utah State has won 20 straight games inside the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, which is the eighth-longest active winning streak in the country. BYU has won 51 straight home games, which is the longest streak in the nation.

• Utah State spent 27 years in the Pacific Coast Athletic Association/Big West Conference and won six tournament championships and seven regular season titles. USU's overall league record while a member of the Big West was 283-177 (.615), while its record against current members of the conference is 217-115 (.654) as Utah State has a winning record against every team in the league.

• Utah State is 96-24 (.800) against teams from the state of California during the last 10 years, which includes a 55-5 (.917) record at home.

THIS WEEK
Utah State (4-0) will conclude its three-game homestand on Tuesday, Dec. 2 when it hosts UC Irvine (0-5) at 7 p.m. in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. The Aggies and Anteaters will be meeting for the 58th time, which is the 11th-oldest rivalry in school history.

ON THE AIR
Utah State basketball games are broadcast on KVNU (610 AM) and KLZX (95.9 FM) in Logan, Utah, KFAN (1320 AM) or ESPN Radio (1230 AM) in Salt Lake City and KLZX (105.3 FM) in Montpelier, Idaho, as well as on the internet at www.UtahStateAggies.com. Al Lewis serves as the play-by-play announcer while Rod Tueller serves as the analyst during home games.

ON THE INTERNET
All of Utah State's home games are available for fans to listen and watch live via the internet at www.UtahStateAggies.com. Aggie fans will also be able to follow Utah State home games through its web site via GameTracker, a program that documents each play and updates statistics. Fans can also listen to every road game live via USU's web site.

LOOKING AT UTAH STATE
Utah State is 4-0 this year after recording a 97-57 home win against Cal Poly Saturday night. USU is led by senior forward Gary Wilkinson who is averaging 18.5 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, and shooting 76.5 percent from the field and 81.5 percent from the free throw line. Sophomore forward Tai Wesley is also scoring in double-figures for USU as he is averaging 13.3 points to go along with 6.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game, while shooting 74.1 percent from the field and 72.2 percent from the free throw line. As a team, Utah State is scoring 76.0 points per game and shooting 55.2 percent from the field, 46.8 percent from three-point range, and 70.6 percent from the free throw line. Defensively, USU is allowing 53.8 points and its opponents are shooting 41.1 percent from the field, 38.3 percent from three-point range, and 66.7 percent from the free throw line.

UTAH STATE LEADING THE NATION IN FIELD GOAL SHOOTING
As of Dec. 1, Utah State is leading the nation in field goal shooting at 55.2 percent and it ranks sixth in the nation in three-point shooting at 46.8 percent. Individually, senior forward Gary Wilkinson ranks second in the nation in field goal shooting at 76.5 percent, while sophomore forward Tai Wesley ranks fourth at 74.1 percent.

RANKING UTAH STATE IN THE WAC
As of Dec. 1, Utah State ranks first in the WAC in scoring margin (+22.2), field goal shooting (.552), three-point shooting (.468), assists (17.75), and rebound margin (+12.7). USU also ranks second in scoring (76.0), second in scoring defense (53.8), third in field goal shooting defense (.411), and fourth in free throw shooting (.706). Individually, senior forward Gary Wilkinson leads the WAC in scoring (18.5), and is second in field goal shooting (.765), second in rebounding (8.8), and ninth in free throw shooting (.815), while sophomore forward Tai Wesley leads the WAC in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.17), and ranks third in field goal shooting (.741), fifth in assists (4.75), ninth in blocks (1.00), 10th in rebounding (6.8), and 14th in scoring (13.3). Junior guard Stavon Williams also leads the WAC in shooting as he is making 63.6 percent of his three-pointers, while freshman guard Jaxon Myaer ranks second at 50.0 percent.

UTAH STATE DOES WELL WHEN KEEPING ITS OPPONENTS UNDER 60
Utah State has won 48 straight games when allowing less than 60 points, including each of its four games this season. The last time USU lost a game when allowing fewer than 60 points was on Nov. 20, 2004 in the semifinals of the Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska to Central Florida, 55-52.

UTAH STATE YET TO ALLOW 60 POINTS
Through four games this year, Utah State has yet to allow a team to score 60 points as its opponents are averaging 53.8 points per game. The last time USU started a season by allowing less than 60 points in each of its first four games was during the 1946-47 campaign. Furthermore, the last time USU held four straight opponents to under 60 points at any point during the season was in 2004-05 when that team held six straight opponents under 60.

UTAH STATE IN DECEMBER
Utah State is 53-16 (.768) in games played in December under Coach Morrill, which includes a 46-1 home record. In fact, USU has won 46 straight home games during the month of December. USU is also 7-4 (.636) all-time in known games played on Dec. 2, and 14-6 (.700) in games played on Tuesday under Morrill.

DID YOU KNOW?
Utah State head coach Stew Morrill (241-86) is the winningest coach in school history and is second all-time in games coached (327) behind the legendary E. Lowell Romney (382). Morrill is also the longest tenured coach at Utah State (entering 11th season) since the H. Cecil Baker era (1951-61).

UP NEXT
Following its game against UC Irvine, Utah State will travel to Salt Lake City, Utah and play in-state rival Brigham Young (6-0) on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 5 p.m. in Energy Solutions Arena.

RECAPPING THE CAL POLY GAME
Senior forward Gary Wilkinson netted a game-high 21 points in just 21 minutes in a 97-57 rout of Cal Poly at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum Saturday night. Utah State improved to 4-0 with the win while Cal Poly fell to 1-4. Junior guard Stavon Williams was 5-of-6 from three-point range to finish with 15 points off the bench and sophomore forward Tai Wesley added 14 points and a game-high five assists. Wilkinson snared a game-high nine rebounds, leading USU to a dominating 37-20 rebounding advantage, while sophomore center Modou Niang and sophomore forward Matt Formisano pulled down six each. Chaz Thomas was the only Mustang player in double-figures with 18 points off the bench, while David Hanson had five rebounds. USU pulled away from an 18-18 tie with a 7-0 run, capped by a turnaround jumper from Formisano and Cal Poly never got closer than five points from there on out. The lead hit double-digits for the first time at 33-22 on a jumper from sophomore guard Tyler Newbold with 4:28 left in the half and the Aggies took a 46-30 lead into halftime. Back-to-back Wilkinson layups put USU ahead by 20 for the first time at 50-30 and the Aggies later led 67-42 before Williams put on his long-range shooting clinic. Formisano hit a jumper before Williams hit from all over behind the arc, draining three treys in just under a four minute span. A jumper and a dunk from Niang capped the 15-1 run, putting the Aggies ahead, 82-43, with 7:23 remaining and USU cruised to the victory. Utah State shot a scorching season-best 64.9 percent (37-of-57) from the field, nearly matching it with 64.3 percent (9-of-14) from three-point range. The Aggies also were 82.4 percent (14-of-17) free throw shooting, USU's best outing at the free pitch line this season. Cal Poly was 24-of-57 (42.1 percent) overall, including a better percentage from three-point range at 53.8 percent (7-of-13). The Mustangs hit just 2-of-5 (40.0 percent) from the charity stripe.

NOTE-ABLES FROM THE CAL POLY GAME
Utah State scored a season-high 97 points, which is the most for USU since Nov. 26, 2005 when it defeated Lewis & Clark College, 102-65... The 40-point margin of victory was USU's largest since Dec. 30, 2004 when it defeated Loyola Marymount by 45 (87-42)... Utah State also posted season-highs with 24 assists and seven steals... Utah State has now had single-digit turnovers in each of its last two games as it had five against Weber State and eight against Cal Poly... Utah State shot a season-high 64.9 percent from the field and has now shot over 50 percent in three of its four games this season... USU also shot a season-high 64.3 percent from three-point range (9-14), and a season-high 82.4 percent from the free throw line (14-17).

WESLEY HAS MONSTER GAME AGAINST WEBER STATE
Sophomore forward Tai Wesley had one of the best all-around games in school history Tuesday night against Weber State as he was one assist shy of posting just the fourth double-double in school history. Wesley finished the night with 14 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists, four blocks and two steals in 35 minutes as he was 4-of-6 from the field and 6-of-7 from the free throw line. In the game, Wesley had season-highs in points, rebounds, blocks and steals, and career-highs in assists and minutes played. The last USU player to record a triple-double was Jon Judkins against Pacific on Mar. 5, 1988 was he had 11 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.

STARTING FIVE SCORES IN DOUBLE-FIGURES FOR UTAH STATE
Utah State had all five of its starters score in double-figures against Weber State on Tuesday, Nov. 25. The last time USU had all five of its starters score at least 10 points was on Mar. 2, 2006 at home in an 87-77 win against Fresno State, a span of 78 games.

UTAH STATE POSTS SECOND-BEST STREAK IN NCAA HISTORY AGAINST WEBER STATE
Utah State accomplished a rare feat Tuesday night against Weber State as it held the Wildcats without a field goal for the final 16:20 of the game, which is the second-longest field goal drought in NCAA history. According to the NCAA, the longest stretch in NCAA history one team has held another without a field goal was on Feb. 25, 1979 when Duke held North Carolina scoreless for 20:48. For Utah State, its defensive effort against Weber State is the best since Feb. 15, 2006, when it held Idaho scoreless for 13:53, which was the third-longest scoring drought in NCAA history.

UTAH STATE ALLOWS 14 SECOND-HALF POINTS TO WEBER STATE
Weber State scored just 14 points in the second-half against Utah State Tuesday night, which is the fewest points scored by a USU opponent in a half since Albany scored 14 first-half points against USU on Dec. 29, 2000.

UTAH STATE MAKING MORE FREE THROWS THAN ITS OPPONENTS HAVE ATTEMPTED
Utah State has been very aggressive in its first four games as it has gone to the free throw line 85 times and made 60 (.706). Also, USU is doing a great job of not fouling as its opponents are just 22-of-33 (.667) from the charity stripe this year. Thus far, USU is averaging just 12.0 fouls per game as compared to 18.5 for its opponents.

EXTENDED THREE-POINT LINE NOT LIMITING UTAH STATE SO FAR
Through four games this year, Utah State has attempted 47 three-pointers and made 22 (.468). Through four games last year, Utah State attempted 58 three-pointers and made 22 (.379).

DID YOU KNOW?
Utah State is one of just three teams in the nation to win at least 23 games in each of the last nine seasons along with Gonzaga and Kansas.

SCOUTING UC IRVINE
UC Irvine is 0-5 on the season following a 78-64 loss at Eastern Washington Sunday night. The Anteaters are led by senior forward Kevin Bland who is averaging 11.6 points, while freshman forward Eric Wise is averaging 11.0 points per game. As a team, UC Irvine is scoring 62.4 points per game and shooting 38.8 percent from the field, 35.8 percent from three-point range, and 73.6 percent from the free throw line. Defensively, its opponents are scoring 83.0 points per game and shooting 53.7 percent from the field, 48.6 percent from three-point range, and 69.5 percent from the free throw line. The Anteaters are picked to finish sixth in the Big West Conference according to the league's coaches and media as they return three starters and five letterwinners from last year's team that went 18-16 overall and finished in fifth-place in the Big West with a 9-7 league record. Pat Douglass is 171-159 in 12 seasons at UC Irvine and 547-278 in 28 years as a collegiate head coach.

UTAH STATE-UC IRVINE SERIES HISTORY
Utah State and UC Irvine will be meeting for the 58th time this week with the Aggies holding a 30-27 all-time advantage, which includes a 16-10 record at home. The first game played in the series was on Feb. 3, 1979 in Logan with USU recording a 65-54 win. The last time the two teams met was on Nov. 17, 2007 in Irvine with UCI posting the 70-51 win. The last time the two teams played in Logan was on Feb. 26, 2005 with the Aggies recording an 87-49 win. Overall, USU has won 11 of the last 16 games played in the series, including two straight at home. USU head coach Stew Morrill is 10-5 all-time against UC Irvine.

DID YOU KNOW?
On Jan. 31, 2001 UC Irvine defeated Utah State in Irvine, 56-51, snapping Utah State's 26-game Big West Conference winning streak, which is still the third-longest in the history of the Big West. The following year, UC Irvine defeated Utah State, 67-66, on Jan. 10, 2002 in Logan snapping the Aggies' 34-game home winning streak, which is still a school record.

LAST MEETING AGAINST THE ANTEATERS
Jaycee Carroll scored a game-high 21 points, but was the only Utah State player to finish in double-figures, as UC Irvine rolled to a 70-51 win at the Bren Events Center on Nov. 17, 2007. The 19-point deficit is the worst for a USU team since it lost to Nevada by 20 points, 75-55, on Feb. 25, 2006 in Logan. Kevin Bland scored 15 points and added eight rebounds to lead UC Irvine, while Chuma Awaji and Brett Lauer each scored 14 points. Stephen DuCharme scored nine points and added a season-high 11 rebounds for Utah State. Utah State scored the first four points of the game on baskets by DuCharme and Carroll before UC Irvine answered with eight straight points. USU broke open a close game midway through the first period with a 13-0 run to take a 22-12 advantage before the Anteaters finished the half with a 23-3 run to lead by 10 at the break, 35-25. UC Irvine then scored the first four points of the second-half to extend its lead to 14 before Utah State scored at the 15:27 mark on a jumper by DuCharme. USU eventually cut the lead to six on a pair of free throws by DuCharme with 11:35 to play, but UC Irvine responded with a 13-0 run to extend it margin to 19 at 57-38 with 8:30 to play. The lead ballooned to 25 points on a jumper by Trey Harris before the Aggies scored the final six points of the game. In all, UC Irvine had a 45-16 run during a 17:00 minute stretch of the game that went from the 5:33 mark of the first half to the 8:30 mark of the second half. Utah State finished the game by shooting a season-low 36.2 percent from the field (17-47), while UC Irvine shot 47.3 percent (26-55). The Anteaters also made 8-of-21 three-pointers (.381) and all 10 of its free throws, while USU was 6-of-15 (.400) from behind the arc and 11-of-16 from the free throw line (.688). The Anteaters also forced Utah State into 18 turnovers, which resulted in 13 steals for the home team. UCI also out-rebounded USU, 31-30. In the first-half, UC Irvine shot 48.1 percent from the field (13-27) and made 5-of-11 three-pointers (.455), while Utah State was just 10-of-27 from the field (.370). Carroll led USU with 10 points at the break.

WILKINSON NAMED PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN
Utah State's Gary Wilkinson has been named a preseason high-major All-American by CollegeHoops.net it was announced on Oct. 23. Wilkinson, who was named to the honorable-mention team, is one of 33 players recognized. Wilkinson, a 6-9 senior forward from South Jordan, Utah (Bingham HS/Salt Lake CC), is one of just two players from the Western Athletic Conference to be named preseason All-American by CollegeHoops.net along with Nevada's Armon Johnson. Wilkinson is also one of four players from the state of Utah to be honored joining BYU's Lee Cummard and Jonathan Tavernari, and Utah's Luke Nevill. Wilkinson, who was named the WAC's Preseason Player of the Year by the media this fall, earned second-team all-conference honors as a junior and was also named to the WAC's all-newcomer team as he averaged 13.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 58.4 percent from the field and 81.5 percent from the free throw line. He finished the year ranking fourth in the WAC in field goal shooting, fifth in three throw shooting, eighth in rebounding and 13th in scoring.

WILKINSON RANKS AMONG TOP 10 ALL-TIME AT UTAH STATE IN FG AND FT SHOOTING
Senior forward Gary Wilkinson is shooting 60.2 percent from the field (200-332) during his USU career, which ranks fourth all-time in school history. He is also shooting 81.5 percent from the free throw line (132-162), which ranks eighth all-time in school history.

WESLEY TOP FIELD GOAL SHOOTER IN SCHOOL HISTORY
Sophomore forward Tai Wesley is shooting 64.7 percent from the field (152-235) during his Utah State career, which ranks first all-time in school history.

UTAH STATE'S POST PLAYERS SHOOTING LIGHTS OUT THUS FAR
Utah State's four post players are shooting a combined 73.2 percent from the field (60-82) thus far this year. Individually, senior forward Gary Wilkinson is shooting 76.5 percent (26-34) and ranks second in the Western Athletic Conference, while sophomore forward Tai Wesley is shooting 74.1 percent (20-27) and ranks third in the WAC. Sophomore forward Matt Formisano is shooting 69.2 percent (9-13), and sophomore center Modou Niang is shooting 62.5 percent (5-8).

WILKINSON NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Senior forward Gary Wilkinson was named the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Week on Monday, Nov. 17 after leading Utah State to a season-opening 71-50 home win against Montana State-Northern. Against the Lights, Wilkinson scored a career-high 24 points and added 12 rebounds to notch his eighth career double-double. Wilkinson, who played just 27 minutes, was 10-of-11 from the field and 4-of-6 from the free throw line. It is the first time in his career that Wilkinson has been honored by the WAC. Overall, it is the ninth time that USU has had a player honored by the WAC in its four years in the league.

AGGIES DOMINATING THE GLASS
Through four games this year, Utah State is dominating the glass as it is out-rebounding its opponents by an average of 12.8 boards per game. USU out-rebounded Montana State-Northern, 39-23, UC Santa Barbara, 36-25, Weber State, 31-24, and Cal Poly, 37-20.

UTAH STATE WINNING THE CLOSE GAMES
Utah State has done a great job of finding a way to win close games as it is 8-2 in its last 10 games decided by two or fewer points, including four straight wins in games decided by a single point.

UTAH STATE IN THE DEE GLEN SMITH SPECTRUM
Utah State is 145-12 (.924) in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum under Coach Morrill, which includes a 69-4 (.945) record against non-league opponents, a 76-8 (.905) record against conference opponents and a 21-3 (.875) record against WAC teams. Overall, USU is 439-105 (.807) in 39 years in the building. Utah State finished its 2007-08 regular season with a 17-0 home record, which is a school record for most wins in a single-season, marking just the fourth time in the 38 year history of the building that an Aggie team has gone undefeated at home.

DID YOU KNOW?
Utah State's six returning lettermen to the 2008-09 roster are the most since the 2004-05 season when USU returned seven lettermen.

UTAH STATE PLAYER NOTES
#4 Clint Lee - Played two minutes against Montana-State Northern and four minutes against Cal Poly... Had two rebounds, one point and one assist against the Mustangs.

#5 Pooh Williams - Has started two games this year and is averaging 3.3 points and 1.3 rebounds, while shooting 33.3 percent from the field and 75.0 percent from the free throw line... Had a career-high three assists and played a career-high 27 minutes against Montana State-Northern.

#12 Deremy Geiger - Had season-highs with four assists, two rebounds and one steal in 15 minutes against Cal Poly... Also played against Montana State-Northern and Weber State.

#13 Richard Sirju - Averaging 1.7 points and 1.0 rebounds in 7.7 minutes per game off the bench... Is shooting 28.6 percent from the field and is 1-of-2 from three-point range.

#14 Stavon Williams - Scored a season-high 15 points against Cal Poly and added a season-high three assists... Averaging 8.0 points and 1.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 40.0 percent from the field and 63.6 percent from three-point range... Ranks first in the WAC in three-point shooting.

#15 Modou Niang - Recorded career-highs with eight points and six rebounds against Cal Poly... Had a season-high two blocked shots against Montana State-Northern... Averaging 4.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game, and is shooting 62.5 percent from the field... Ranks ninth in the WAC in blocks.

#21 Jared Quayle - Scored a career-high 10 points against Weber State in his first start of the season... Averaging 8.0 points and 4.5 rebounds, and is shooting 39.1 percent from the field, 50.0 percent from three-point range, and 85.7 percent from the free throw line... Ranks fourth in the WAC in steals (1.67) and fifth in free throw shooting.

#24 Tyler Newbold - Had a season-high 12 points against Weber State and a season-high five assists against Cal Poly... Has started all four games for Utah State this year and 29 straight games dating back to last season... Is averaging 9.0 points and 2.5 rebounds, while shooting 51.9 percent from the field, 50.0 percent from three-point range and 66.7 percent from the free throw line... Has scored in double-figures seven times in his career.

#25 Jaxon Myaer - Has started all four games at the point for Utah State this season and has scored in double-figures twice... Scored a season-high 13 points against Weber State and had 11 points at UC Santa Barbara... Dished out a season-high five assists against Montana State-Northern... Is averaging 8.8 points, 1.8 assists and 1.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 50.0 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from three-point range... Ranks second in the WAC in three-point shooting.

#42 Tai Wesley - Has started all four games for Utah State at power forward this year and 28 games in his career... Is averaging 13.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game, while shooting 74.1 percent from the field and 72.2 percent from the free throw line... Had a season-high 14 points and 10 rebounds against Weber State, while posting career-highs with nine assists and 35 minutes played... Ranks first in the WAC in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.17), third in field goal shooting, fifth in assists, ninth in blocks (1.00), 10 in rebounding, and 13th in scoring.

#44 Matt Formisano - Had career-highs with eight points and six rebounds against Cal Poly... Scored the game-winning basket with three seconds to play at UC Santa Barbara... Averaging 4.8 points and 2.8 rebounds, while shooting 69.2 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from the free throw line.

#55 Gary Wilkinson - Has started all four games at center for Utah State this year and is averaging 18.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 76.5 percent from the field and 81.5 percent from the free throw line... Recorded his eighth career double-double against Montana State-Northern as he scored a career-high 24 points to go along with 12 rebounds... Has scored in double-figures in 12 straight games dating back to last year and in 32 games in his career... Ranks first in the WAC in scoring, second in rebounding, second in field goal shooting, and eighth in free throw shooting... Has started all 39 games in his Utah State career.

UTAH STATE AMONG THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY
Over the last nine years, Utah State has been one of the best basketball programs in the country, recording a 226-73 (.756) record. Those 226 wins are the eighth-most in the country, while the 75.6 percent winning percentage is fifth-best behind Duke (.834), Kansas (.806), Gonzaga (.799) and Florida (.766). USU has also been among the top teams in the country in field goal (.514) and free throw (.792) shooting as it led the nation in both categories during the 2007-08 season.

UTAH STATE HAS DOMINATED CONFERENCE PLAY SINCE 2000
Utah State has had tremendous success in league play over the last nine years recording a 116-36 (.763) record, which includes an 84-20 record in the Big West Conference as it won three regular season championships and four tournament titles and a 32-16 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).

UTAH STATE TOP FIELD GOAL AND FREE THROW SHOOTING TEAM IN 2008
Utah State finished the 2007-08 season as the top shooting team in the nation as it ranked first in both field goal and free throw shooting. On the season, USU shot 51.4 percent from the field and 79.2 percent from the free throw line. The last time a Division I team finished the season leading the nation in two of the three statistical shooting categories was 1999 when Northern Arizona was first in both field goal shooting (.523) and three-point shooting (.445). The last time a team led the nation in field goal and free throw shooting was 1986 when Michigan State shot 56.1 percent from the field and 79.9 percent from the free throw line. Overall, there have been only four teams in the history of the NCAA (Auburn, 1960; Ohio State, 1970; Michigan State, 1986; and Utah State, 2008) to lead the nation in both field goal and free throw shooting and only one team to lead the nation in both field goal and three-point shooting (Northern Arizona, 1999).

MYAER JOINS THE SHORT LIST OF FRESHMEN WHO HAVE STARTED FOR COACH MORRILL
Redshirt freshman guard Jaxon Myaer has started all four games at the point for Utah State this year and is now one of just five freshman in the last 11 years to start for Coach Morrill along with Tony Brown (1998-99), Jaycee Carroll (2004-05), and Tyler Newbold and Tai Wesley (2007-08).

YOUTH WILL BE SERVED
Utah State has 10 underclassmen on its 2008-09 roster with five freshmen and five sophomores, which is the most-ever on a USU team. The 2001-02 squad had nine underclassmen.

WILKINSON ONLY SENIOR ON AGGIE ROSTER
Utah State has just one senior on its roster in forward Gary Wilkinson. The last time a USU team had just one senior on its roster was during the 1999-2000 campaign in guard Troy Rolle. That team finished the season with a 28-6 record, including a perfect 16-0 mark in the Big West Conference.

UTAH STATE NO LONGER CALIFORNIA DREAMING
For the second straight season, Utah State does not have a single player from the state of California on its roster. The 2007-08 season marked the first time since the 1993-94 campaign, a span of 14 years, that Utah State did not have a player from California on its roster. Since the 1994 season, USU has had a total of 45 players from the "Golden State", including a single-season high of seven during the 2003-04 campaign.

UTAH STATE PICKED SECOND IN THE WAC, TWO PLAYERS NAMED PRESEASON ALL-WAC
Utah State is picked to finish second in the Western Athletic Conference this year by both the coaches and media, behind Nevada, while senior forward Gary Wilkinson and sophomore forward Tai Wesley were both named to preseason teams. Wilkinson was named the preseason Player of the Year by the media, while Wesley was voted to the second-team by the coaches.

UTAH STATE TRADITION
•Over the last nine years, Utah State has averaged 24.7 wins and is one of just three schools in the nation to win at least 23 games in each of those seasons joining Gonzaga and Kansas.

•Over the past nine years, Utah State has won four regular season conference championships and four tournament championships.

•Utah State has advanced to nine straight postseason appearances, which is a school record, going to the NCAA Tournament in 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2006 and to the National Invitation Tournament in 2002, 2004, 2007 and 2008.

•Over the last nine years, Utah State has gone 18-5 (.783) in conference postseason tournaments and has advanced to the championship game seven times.

•The Aggies have won 23-plus games in each of the last nine seasons, which is a school record, bettering the old mark of three straight 20-win seasons from 1962-64.

•During the 2007-08 season, Utah State recorded the fifth-most wins in school history (24) and advanced to postseason play for the 26th time.

•During the 2007-08 season, Utah State led the nation in field goal shooting at 51.4 percent and free throw shooting at 79.2 percent, becoming just the fourth team in NCAA history to lead the nation in both statistical categories.

•Over the past nine seasons, Utah State has gone 222-73 overall and 116-36 in conference play. Those 222 wins are the seventh-most in the country over that time period, while its 75.3 percent winning percentage is the fifth-best in the country.

•The 1999-2000 team set a school record with 28 wins and went a perfect 19-0 in the Big West Conference, marking only the third time in league history a team has gone undefeated.

•The 2000-01 team tied the school record for wins (28) and recorded Utah State's first NCAA Tournament win in 31 years with a 77-68 overtime victory against Ohio State.

•From 2000-2001, Utah State won 26-straight Big West games, which is the fourth-longest winning streak in the history of the conference.

•Over the last nine years, Utah State has recorded nine of the 11 winningest seasons in school history.

•Over the past nine years, Utah State has had three All-American selections, 15 first-team all-conference selections, 25 all-conference selections (first and second team) and 30 conference player of the week honorees, not to mention Coach Morrill being named the league's Coach of the Year on two separate occasions.

Nate Bendall RESIGNS WITH UTAH STATE
Utah State head men's basketball coach Stew Morrill announced Wednesday, Nov. 12 that Nate Bendall (Salt Lake City, Utah) has signed a National Letter of Intent to rejoin the Aggie program beginning in the 2009-2010 season. Bendall will have two years of eligibility at USU. Bendall, a 6-8, 245-pound forward, is currently a sophomore at Salt Lake Community College and is averaging 17.5 points and 5.5 rebounds through two games this year. In SLCC's season opener, he scored 25 points going 8-of-11 from the field and 9-of-13 from the free throw line. As a freshman at Utah State during the 2005-06 season, Bendall averaged 2.4 points and 1.5 rebounds in 13 games, while shooting 72.2 percent from the field (13-18). Following the 2005-06 campaign, Bendall served a one-year LDS Service Mission in Nauvoo, Ill. Bendall prepped at Skyline High School in Salt Lake City where he earned first-team all-state honors. As a senior, he averaged nearly 18 points and nine rebounds, and shot 54 percent from the field and 78 percent from the free throw line as he led Skyline to an 18-5 record and to the semifinals of the 5A state tournament. Along with Utah State, Bendall was also being recruited by Boise State, Colorado State, Montana and Montana State.

FROM THE STATE OF UTAH
Aggie players from the state of Utah include senior forward Gary Wilkinson (South Jordan/Bingham), junior forward Clint Lee (North Logan/Sky View HS), junior guard Jared Quayle (Perry/Box Elder HS), sophomore guard Tyler Newbold (Payson/Payson HS), sophomore forward Tai Wesley (Provo/Provo HS), redshirt freshman guard Jaxon Myaer (Salt Lake City/Judge Memorial HS), and freshman guard Skyler Halford (Orem/Timpanogos HS). The seven players from the state of Utah on the 2008-09 roster are the most on a USU team since the 1988-89 squad also had seven in-state players on its roster.

AGGIES ON THE ROAD
Utah State is 66-59 (.528) on the road under head coach Stew Morrill, which includes a 17-22 (.436) record against non-conference opponents.

HEAD COACH Stew Morrill
In 23 seasons as a collegiate head coach and 11 years at Utah State, Stew Morrill has taken the Aggie Basketball program to unprecedented heights leading it to an incredible 241-86 (.737) record, including a 124-44 (.738) conference mark in the Big West and WAC. Morrill became the winningest coach in school history on Jan. 17, 2008 in the Aggies' 82-78 win against Boise State, passing E. Lowell Romney (1920-41) who won 225 games in 22 seasons. In his first 10 years at USU, Morrill has guided the Aggies to nine straight 23-win seasons and nine straight postseason appearances (NCAA-5, NIT-4), both of which are school records. Morrill has also led Utah State to the fifth-best winning percentage in the nation during the last nine years at 75.6 percent with an overall record of 226-73. Against conference opponents, Utah State has a 142-50 record with four regular season league championships and four tournament titles during that time, including appearances in its league's tournament championship game seven times in the last nine years. Under Morrill, Utah State has notched eight of the top 10 seasons in school history during the last nine years as the Aggies set a school record with 28 wins during the 2000 season, tied that record with 28 wins during the 2001 season and notched the fifth-most wins in school history during the 2008 season with 24 victories. During the 2007-08 season, Morrill guided Utah State to a share of its first-ever Western Athletic Conference regular season championship. The 2007-08 Aggie basketball team also set a school record by shooting 79.2 percent from the free throw line, which led the nation. USU also led the nation in field goal shooting at 51.4 percent and became just the fourth team in NCAA Division I history to lead the nation in both field goal and free throw shooting in the same year. For the ninth straight year, USU had at least one player earn first-team all-league accolades as Jaycee Carroll was named the WAC Player of the Year in 2008. Overall, Morrill has coached 10 first-team all-league players at Utah State who have won the award a total of 15 times. Morrill has also taken full advantage of the home court at USU, the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. In Morrill's 11 years, USU is an amazing 145-12 (.924) at home, which includes a 76-8 (.905) record in league play. As for Morrill, he has won 20 or more games on 13 different occasions during his career, and he has won at least 17 games 19 times. Overall, Morrill ranks 23rd in the nation among active coaches and 96th all-time with his 459 career wins, while his career winning percentage of 67.2 percent ranks 28th among active coaches and 100th all-time. He is also one of 27 active coaches with 400 career wins at the Division I level and one of just 13 active coaches to notch at least 13 20-win seasons. His current streak of nine straight 20-win seasons ranks ninth among active coaches and is tied for the 13th-longest streak ever at the Division I level. Morrill has also been named Coach of the Year (2000 BWC, 2002 BWC) twice in his eight years at USU, along with winning the Big Sky award while the head coach at Montana in 1991.

• Head coach Stew Morrill (241-86) is the winningest coach in school history and is second all-time in games coached (327) behind the legendary E. Lowell Romney (382). Morrill is also the longest tenured coach at Utah State (entering 11th season) since the H. Cecil Baker era (1951-61).

• Entering his 11th season with the Aggies, Morrill has a 241-86 (.737) overall record, a 124-44 (.738) conference record and an 18-6 (.750) record in conference postseason play. Overall, Morrill owns a 459-224 (.672) record in 23 years as a collegiate head coach.

• Among active coaches at the Division I level, Morrill ranks 22nd in the nation with his 459 career wins and 27th in winning percentage at 67.2 percent.

• Morrill is one of just 33 active coaches with 400 career wins at the Division I level and one of just 13 active coaches to notch 13 20-win seasons, while his current streak of nine straight 20-win seasons is tied for the eighth-longest in the nation.

• Morrill has been named conference coach of the year three times during his career, winning the award in 1991 while at Montana, and in 2000 and 2002 while at Utah State.

• Morrill has coached 10 first-team all-league players who have won the award a total of 15 times. Those players are Shawn Daniels (twice), Troy Rolle, Bernard Rock, Tony Brown, Desmond Penigar (twice), Mark Brown, Cardell Butler, Nate Harris (three times), Spencer Nelson and Jaycee Carroll (twice).

• Utah State is 145-12 (.924) in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum under Morrill.

• Morrill has led Utah State to nine straight 20-win seasons and nine straight postseason appearances, both of which are school records.

• Morrill led Utah State to its first NCAA Tournament win in 31 years when USU defeated fifth-seeded Ohio State 77-68 in overtime during the 2001 NCAA Tournament.

• Morrill has been involved in postseason action 12 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, 2004, 2007 and 2008.