From Deseret News archives:

Utah State basketball: Slow start but good year for Ags

Published: Sunday, April 13, 2008 1:02 a.m. MDT
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
Utah State basketball coach Stew Morrill and his team are nearly three weeks into life without All-American guard and all-time leading scorer Jaycee Carroll, and perhaps after just the first day, the challenge was delivered.

"You don't replace Jaycee Carroll with one player. We've got to have balance like some of our other teams have had," Morrill said. "We've got to have everybody improve their game and step up if we're going to be competitive, and I mean just competitive to start with."

The Aggies (24-11, 12-4) averaged 72.9 points per game, and Carroll, who scored 22.4 points, was 31 percent of the Aggies offense.

That 31 percent is now going to have to be absorbed in the remaining group.

"We've got to have some newcomers come through. We've got to have the guys returning have a great offseason and improve themselves and take on larger roles," Morrill said. "But if we're going to be a good basketball team, I think we will have to have real good balance."

Carroll notwithstanding, the Aggies essentially had three players score at or near double figures: Gary Wilkinson (13.3) and Tai Wesley (9.9), who'll both return, and Stephen DuCharme (9.4), who graduated.

Behind them, the returner with the highest average is Tyler Newbold (5.4).

Story continues below
"We've had teams where we've had four or five guys near double figures and that's what this team will need to do," Morrill said.

This means Pooh Williams, Desmond Stephens, Modou Niang, DeUndrae Spraggins, Matt Formisano and redshirt Jaxon Myaer will have to step up their games along with newcomers Rich Sirju, Deremy Geiger, Brady Jardine, Jared Quayle, Jordan Stone and Bryce Webster.

The Aggies, however, couldn't have had a better year than last year to begin building a new foundation without Carroll, who set 10 new school records.

Utah State won 23 games or more for the ninth straight year, went to postseason for the ninth straight year and won a share of its first-ever Western Athletic Conference championship.

"The nature of what we have created at Utah State is that there are very high expectations and there are always those who are going to be disappointed," Morrill said. "Our aspirations are always to compete in the NCAA tournament, but with that being said, those that want to be disappointed can be disappointed, but I'm not one of them."

The Aggies lost 61-57 to Illinois State in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament, and seeing that the Aggies ended up there after their miserable 5-5 start to their season is a feat in and of itself.

Recent comments

Lost tons of big time starters? We lost our scoring threat and a...

Re: Good luck is right | April 15, 2008 at 3:14 p.m.

Nate Bendall was placed at SLCC by USU coaches. It was his choice...

Nate Bendall | April 15, 2008 at 2:05 p.m.

Does anyone know about why they didn't mention Nate Bendall? I...

question? | April 15, 2008 at 12:47 p.m.

previousnext

Latest comments

Amen brother!

Jazz not putting in effort

Working hard on defense: Lets see give up 7-9 3s per game score few...

"The worst is over" will become known as most famous of all "famous last words."

Not a single public employee ever decided on a single element of their pay...

Yes I believe a Judge will step in and do the right thing, One of them...

If we exclude the time Palin took to go speak to the financial sharpies in...

Not this year buddy. TCU will own the Utes.

Thurl Bailey's wonderful life

Thurl i just saw you in person lol you went to my brothers school, Riverview...

Cougars land Vegas standout

Actually, ASU offered Collinsworth and wanted him very badly. So the score is...

It would be interesting to know how religiosity modifies the results if at...

Advertisements
Advertisement