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Utah State basketball: Despite loss, Aggies optimistic about next year

The article omits one thing: use the success of this year to "recruit" some althletic and fast badboys who aren't intimidated in tough games that make a real impact on the national polls. I want to see guys who enjoy, and "can't wait," to hit big name teams in the mouth. Speaking for myself, I am tired of our guys taking the court like a bunch of deer in the headlights in big games with big time teams. Let's get it done Stew! And oh yea, schedule a few, just a few, non-conference games againt some respectable teams. Don't wait until the end of the season to compete against tough compitition.

Bendall is incoming and we have already signed two others so I think we are full. Your intimidation comment is pretty funny and off base. Being nervous and intimidated are two different things, I will have to assume since you are the mighty AggieFan74 that you are fearless and are ready to punch everyone in the mouth. Unless of course we met you in person and then Im sure reality would sink in.

The bottom line is the players on this team are not that vocal; Quayle is really quiet, so is Stavon, Pooh, Formisano, Jardine and Newbold all pretty quiet guys. Tai and Jaxon are a little more vocal but your assessment of deer in headlights and being intimidated is off base if not completely idiotic.

The make up of the team is what it is. I really like this group they are humble and work hard. Let's face the facts had Stew not been coaching this team they would not have been in the tourney.

So instead of cheese and whine . . . how about you learn your team a little better. Thanks.

Stew despite his comments will look to up the schedule I have heard. I think we will at least play teams who have tourney experience even if they are not "big time" as you call it.

Although judging the effectiveness of all this scheduling "stuff" seems inconclusive at best.

Look at BYU and Utah . . . what good did it do them?

I think a lot of nothing is placed on schedule but since the selection committee has made it as important as RPI I guess we do need to do the dog and pony show.

Most conferences are plenty good to prepare you for the NCAA's. Your team is still your team, that doesn't change. Again judging by all this upscheduling and the number "power" teams still in the tourney I am not convinced it really matters that much. In fact this may be one of the biggest years for power conferences in recent history. . .
so much for all that "scheduling."

Utah and BYU played arguably more difficult schedules which "prepared" them better for the big dance yet they struggled much more with easier, lower-seeded teams.

Its only an argument used by the bcs conferences against the rest of the ncaa schools to "prove" they deserve to take (almost) all of the at-large berths.

Any fan that needs to play Duke, Kentucky, or UNC or any other bcs school to feel validated has succombed to the brainwashing of the bcs. We played one of the best teams in the country, from the best conference of the bcs leagues to the wire. The game could have gone either way. The team proved they earned their achievements this year.

Go Stew and Go Aggies

A few truths year in and year out:

USU will always be one of the top two teams in the state of Utah;

USU will never be truly appreciated by the Utah media;

and Stew and Mejerus are hands down the best two college coaches that this state has ever seen. Fortunately for us, Stew is going to stay in Logan until he retires.

Go Big Blue!!!

It was nice to read some comments about USU basketball without having to read comments from the USU haters.

The game against Marquette was a tough way to watch the season end.

Sorry for the cliche but I am looking forward to next season.

I found it highly amusing that USU loses against a higher ranked opponent by only one point and the papers are nearly silent - UoU and BYU lose by substantial margins against opponents ranked *much lower* than USU's opponent and they get front page coverage and multiple articles. Bottom line USU made a much better showing than any other team (men) in the state yet they get almost no press.

The Scheduling argument just doesn't hold water. The WAC is basically a one bid league. Win your conference tournament and you are in. Lose and you are out. USU could schedule some road games against some big 12, PAC 10, SEC, ACC, Big East ect., but nobody is going to schedule a home and home and come to Logan. USU has a hard time getting BYU and Utah to do that. So you go on the road and end up losing 3 or 4 extra games and so the committee can easily dimiss them. Small steps, like getting St. Mary's there next year and continuing to get Utah and BYU to come to Logan, winning your conference and the tournament is what USU needs to continue to do.One more thing, there is nothing wrong with continuing to get in State kids. Newbold hit a big shot in the WAC tourney semi's or we would be reading about USU's trip to the NCAA's

USU rules,, probably before your time but I'd include on your list of "hands down" best coaches in the state of Utah, Jack Gardner of the Utes,, i'm an Aggie but Gardner was a giant, in his day, easily outweighing both BYU and the Aggies by a country mile, and, he put Utah basketball on the national map,,

Sorry Harv, you don't get extra credit for playing a closer game, YOU LOST the same as BYU and Utah. Who's to say if BYU or Utah would have played Marquette they would have had different results? It all comes down to matchups and how the teams play on that particular day. BYU didn't get credit for close losses to Wake Forest or Arizona St, so why should you.
BTW, the reason USU doesn't get the same media coverage as BYU and Utah is that people don't care about you as much. Not to sound cruel, but that is the truth.

If you don't participate in aggie self-adulation does that make you a hater? Just try keeping it reality based.