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LOCATION: Logan, UT
CONFERENCE: Big West (Eastern Division)
LAST SEASON: 15-13 (.536)
CONFERENCE RECORD: 8-8 (t-4th)
STARTERS LOST/RETURNING: 4/1
NICKNAME: Aggies
COLORS: Navy Blue & White
HOMECOURT: Smith Spectrum (10,270)
COACH: Stew Morrill (Gonzaga '74)
record at school 15-13 (1 year)
career record 233-151 (12 years)
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ASSISTANTS: Randy Rahe (Buena Vista '82)
Don Verlin (Cal State Stanislaus '89)
Mark Aroe (Oklahoma State '83)
TEAM WINS: (last 5 years) 21-18-20-25-15
RPI (last 5 years) 72-164-96-51-170
1998-99 FINISH: Lost in conference first round.
ESPN.com Clubhouse
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Like new things? If so, you'll just love this year's version of the Utah State Aggies. Utah State returns three lettermen from last season, has just one returning starter and is still getting used to second-year coach Stew Morrill and his system. That normally would bode bad things, but Aggie fans have a few reasons to smile. One is the jump shot of 6-3 sophomore guard Tony Brown. Last year he made the Big West All-Freshman team after averaging 11.0 points and drilling 36 percent of his three-pointers. Even as a freshman, he was one of the players on last year's team that opposing coaches truly feared. He's one of those shooters who can score 10 points in two minutes. Another is the play of returning starter Troy Rolle (13.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg), a 6-2 senior swingman. He gives Utah State yet another perimeter threat, having hit 35 percent of his three-pointers last season. And, finally, there is Morrill himself. There's a reason he has 233 career victories. Last season, he made up for the loss of point guard Marcus Saxon and had Utah State playing well by the end of the year. Chances are pretty good that he can pull off a similar trick again this time around. "I think it is very difficult to predict exactly what this team is going to be able to accomplish, where we will end up, where we will be at the start of the year, how fast we will progress," Morrill said. "I know it sounds evasive, but we are in a situation where we have more new players than any time since I started coaching 24 years ago."
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Blue Ribbon Analysis |
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BACKCOURT C- BENCH/DEPTH D-
FRONTCOURT D INTANGIBLES C-
The Aggies are in the middle of a transformation. For the last few seasons, they have been known as a brutally physical team that relied on rebounding and rarely shot three-pointers. Now they have a handful of good perimeter shooters, and no one to rely upon inside. Thankfully the rest of the Big West's Eastern Division is struggling, too. Boise State lost most of its scoring punch, while Idaho is also a big question mark. Utah State has some talent coming into the fold. Expect the Aggies to struggle, even painfully at times, through a preconference schedule that includes the Maui Classic, Northern Arizona (twice), Utah, Weber State, Fresno State and Brigham Young. Then, once Morrill has a chance to work his magic, the team should be ready to make positive steps forward in the weaker but more important league schedule. This team is a year away. |
The new players come in all sizes, shapes and skill levels. The first area to watch is at power forward, where the Aggies have to replace the hard-working, determined Pharoah Davis. Davis' numbers were solid 10.4 points and 7.7 rebounds per game but even those don't measure the workmanlike, blue-collar effort he gave on the low post every night. Aggie fans will at least be familiar with one option, 6-7 sophomore Dan Stewart (1.3 ppg, 1.3 rpg in 1997-98). Stewart has returned from a two-year Mormon mission, so it's likely to take a while before the Aggies can depend too much on him inside. Two other options didn't play last year, but were on the roster. The first is 6-5 sophomore Brennan Ray, who broke a wrist during preseason practice and missed all of last season's game action and a lot of practice time as well. Brad Wilden, a 6-4 sophomore, played on the scout team and will see limited action at best. All of that is why Morrill's first duty of the new season is to get four newcomers Curtis Bobb, Shawn Daniels, Chad Evans and Andre Mahorn ready to contribute immediately. "Our post play is inexperienced, but I am excited about the new kids coming in," Morrill said. "I think the team has potential, but how quickly we will be able to mold that many new players in with our returnees is very hard to predict." Bobb should make an immediate impact. The 6-6 junior averaged 13.0 points and 4.0 rebounds at the College of Southern Idaho last year. He has the size to bang inside against the diminutive Big West, but can also hit from outside: He shot 38 percent from three-point range last season. Daniels is the banger of the bunch. The 6-6, 250-pounder averaged 17.7 points, 11.4 rebounds and 2.8 blocks last year for Bakersfield (Calif.) Junior College. He appears to be a perfect fit for Utah State's tradition of burly power forwards. Evans is the sleeper. The 6-8 freshman went to high school in nearby Ogden, Utah, and originally signed with Loyola Marymount. He averaged 18.0 points and 10.0 rebounds in high school, then skipped Loyola Marymount to go on a mission. He has potential, but like Stewart may need a bit of time to get back into the mix. Mahorn, meanwhile, is the player that has the highest profile coming into Logan. The 6-6 junior was a two-time first-team all-conference selection at Cerro Cosa (Calif.) Junior College. His numbers are impressive: 24.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. He shot .540 from the field. The Aggies are hoping that Mahorn can quickly move into the lineup, then rely on Bobb when they need shooting and Daniels when they need strength. Evans can then fill in the gaps when needed. That takes care of one inside position. Unfortunately, it may also have to take care of another: There is only one center on the roster, and he averaged just 8.3 minutes last season. The player is 6-11 junior Dimitri Johnson (2.5 ppg, 1.9 rpg), a native of Belguim who spent last season adjusting to American basketball. The Aggies are hoping that he has adjusted enough to take a big step forward this year. Otherwise they'll have to be undersized, as no other Aggie stands within three inches of Johnson. That worry is compounded by the fact that the Aggies essentially go with a three-guard attack. Rolle takes care of one. Brown knocks down the other (and virtually any three-pointer he launches). The third is undecided, in part because the Aggie backcourt was hit with more transfers than a busy day at O'Hare. Starter Rashad Elliott left the team. Then backup Brandon Fries transferred to Westminister (Utah) College. Then, finally, redshirt Eric Schmieder also transferred. That leaves a point-guard battle between newcomers Bernard Rock and Rashaun Thomas. The Aggies hope Rock's game is similar to his name. The 5-11 junior averaged 20.0 points and 4.0 assists at New Mexico Military, but that was in 1997-98. He sat out last season to try football. He was successful there too, leading the team in receptions. Thomas, also 5-11, is a sophomore shooter from Fullerton (Calif.) Junior College. He averaged 16.0 points and 4.0 assists last season. One more newcomer, 6-3 junior Dion Balley, will back up the shooting guard position. Balley is from West Covina, Calif. and played at Santa Rosa (Calif.) Junior College.
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