Deseret News | Utah State basketball: Aggies surprised a few with success

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Utah State basketball: Aggies surprised a few with success

AggieFan74 | 6:50 a.m. March 30, 2009

It was a great season. The Aggies are one or two impact players away from 1) completely dominating the WAC (no more half-hearted efforts on the road to teams they should beat)and 2) finally winning a game or two in the NCAAs. Inflicting a very humiliating loss to BYU would also make for a great 2009-2010 season as well. Good luck with recruiting Stew!! Find a couple of nasty bad boys to wear Aggie blue next year!!

Dallas Aggie | 7:27 a.m. March 30, 2009

I too was so impressed with the Aggies this year. Amazing run, and they represented the school and cache valley so well. Thanks team! We will miss Gary W., but I am really excited about next year as well.

Big Pete | 7:47 a.m. March 30, 2009

A hard act to follow but the Aggies certainly have the players to do it and their coach is the best! We'll be looking forward to next year. As for the loss to Marquette, one only has to look at what the Big East has done in the playoffs to confirm that the Aggies came very close to beating a powerful team with a strong tournament history.

Comments continue below

Outstanding Season | 8:08 a.m. March 30, 2009

I understand their will be critics of the schedule, fair enough. However this article is spot on in that nobody, myself included, thought the Ags would steam roll through the WAC. The WAC was not overly difficult but Nevada has two guys who like previous teams will probably end up in the league. We didn't seem to have the athleticism to compete at times either, but in the end we rolled ocnference and rolled in the WAC tourney.

There will always be naysayers but the fact is this team did more with less, in fact they did much more with less than probably most of the Aggie teams I have seen through the years. The biggest factor in that was Jared Quayle, Tai and Gary, were as advertised but Quayle didn't even start the BYU game and once inserted the team took a different look. Don't worry Cougar fans I am not implying we would have won but to any Aggie fan who watched the team, we were so much better with Quayle in there over Mayer it wasn't even close.

Again big props to Stew, nice season Aggies!!!

Steve | 9:02 a.m. March 30, 2009

Excellent article, Jared. This season will be one Aggie fans will talk about for years, along with 2001 and 2004.

represent | 9:04 a.m. March 30, 2009

Though they had the lowest seed of the three instate schools the Aggies represented the state far better than the two MWC schools. Utah was the worst as they had the best seed and lost worse on a nuetral court than Weber did at Tucson to a very mediocre Arizona team. Hopefully all three (plus Weber) can make it back next year and compete better

SoCalAggie | 10:36 a.m. March 30, 2009

the Aggies proved that they were indeed the best team in the state hands down!

Great Season Ags | 10:40 a.m. March 30, 2009

Pleasantly surprised with the success this year after the loss of Jaycee. Stew continues to show that he is one of the greatest coaches this state has ever had.

Looking forward to dominating the WAC and MWC next year.

Go Big Blue!!!

Aggies | 1:41 p.m. March 30, 2009

Don't count on to much for next year. There will be multiple players leaving this year, not just Gary!

Re: Aggies | 2:22 p.m. March 30, 2009

... and these multiple players are?

Multiple Players? | 2:27 p.m. March 30, 2009

Looks like one other player will be gone that didn't play much this past season.

Look for the Aggies to have their first winning football season this fall followed up by a domination of the state and WAC in basketball next year.

It is good to be true blue!!!

re: Aggies | 2:43 p.m. March 30, 2009

Oh really? Just who exactly will be leaving besides Gary? Put up or shut up, anonymous internet poster guy.

Logan State | 3:13 p.m. March 30, 2009

Congratulations on another NCAA Tournament defeat Logan State. That makes Napoleon Dynamite, aka, Stew Morrill 1-5 in NCAA Tournament games. Have fun at the Huntsman Center next year.

Dave | 3:27 p.m. March 30, 2009

I was pleasantly surprised at the season this year and had a blast watching. I just wish we'd swallow our pride a little and do a couple of years worth of 2 for 1's and schedule some quality opponents instead of the softies we do. Utah got a 5 seed because they had a tough non-conference schedule, we should learn from them. How much better would it be to actually have a chance to get into the sweet 16 as opposed to just being happy to get there.

Re Logan State | 3:42 p.m. March 30, 2009

At least USU showed up at the tournament. The Utes with a nice 5 seed showed they didn't belong in the tournament.

Looking forward to beating the U again!

Go Big Blue!!!

AGGIES | 4:51 p.m. March 30, 2009

are awesome! We are the best and we all know it. Our team rocks and our coach is a stud! Way to exceed all expectations this year Aggies! Stew will continue to have a team that out works everyone and we'll continue to impress!!! Great year boys!

Good job with the coverage this year Jared! Thank you!!! Keep us posted! There is always something good to say about us!

re:re: Aggies | 6:28 p.m. March 30, 2009

First off shut your pie hole and just watch. If you think Gary is the only one leaving then you are dumb as a rock.........

Anonymous | 7:03 p.m. March 30, 2009

Jared, you are the best. You made following the Aggies the best ever! I hope you are back next year. It wouldn't be the same without you! Keep up the great work!

RE:re:re:Aggies | 8:07 p.m. March 30, 2009

just up at the athletic training facility and we have two coming in and one "other" recruit that is big, meaning that yes there may be a player currently scholarshipped that may not be next year. Certainly not as the posters above are trying to make it sound negative, very positive. I know we have two solid commits but the third possibility would be a big pickup. Not to mention we have Bendall coming for SLCC.

Shaping up nicely for next season.

I suspect..... | 8:24 p.m. March 30, 2009

Rumors are rumors until we hear something official. Perhaps Skyler Halford, Dominique Cooks, & Clint Lee won't be back next year along with the lost of Gary Wilkinson to graduation. If those three choose to leave, I wish them the best of luck in their other pursuits. The Aggies will return their core next year and will do just fine. I suspect that the new recruits coming in will have a big impact. Thanks for a great season, this team exceeded expectations and gained some valuable experience. Let's go Aggies!!!

re: 8:07 post | 10:58 p.m. March 30, 2009

So you have FOUR new players coming in? Lee is a walkon and will remain with the team, Cooks and Halford will be gone. Anyone else? I think so. The fact that you have another guard coming in this week says that either Geiger or Stavon will leave and maybe just maybe one other player..........

Aggiefan | 11:15 p.m. March 30, 2009

Maybe the Aggies can pick up Grim, he would be a nice fit in the rotation

Gus | 11:16 a.m. April 1, 2009

Im excited for next season for sure. with four starters back i think we can win in the Huntsman (they are losing 4 of their top 6 players) so maybe we can win there and I am looking forward to the cougs return to the spectrum. We also have the St. Mary's game in the spectrum. But we need to have Tai step up this team is best working inside out (just look at our best years, we had Daniels, Nate Harris, Spencer Nielson, Wilkinson. Jaycee scored a lot but it turned our team into a guard first team and the Aggies are much better inside out. I hope Tai can be that next force.

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