Let the madness begin
Familiarity. That is what the Utah State University men’s basketball team is focusing on right now.
After winning the Big West Conference Championship on Saturday with a 57-54 victory over Cal Poly in Anaheim, Calif., USU learned Sunday it would be a No. 15 seed in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The result: The Aggies (24-8 overall, 12-6 in conference play) head to Oklahoma City to take on No. 2 seed Kansas.
The game will be broadcast Thursday on CBS following the Weber State vs. Wisconsin game in Spokane, Wash. However, in the event of war, televised games could be shown on alternative stations, such as MTV or ESPN.
Being in the bottom of the bracket might not sound like a positive, but USU forward Desmond Penigar begs to differ.
“It’s to our advantage right now,” the senior said after finding out about the Aggies’ fate. “We see them on television; they never see us play on television. We see them all the time, and we know who they are. We’re up for the challenge, and we know it’s going to be a hard task, but we are up for it.”
A challenge indeed, but also somewhat of a blessing.
The approximate 7:30 p.m. start will mark the seventh meeting between the teams, and although USU is down in the series by a 4-2 count, times have changed since the last game against the Jayhawks in 1969.
Since then, the Aggies have made 10 NCAA Tournament appearances, most recently as a No. 12 seed in 2001. USU fell in the second round to UCLA, 75-50.
Despite receiving the lowest seed in school history, Utah State Head Coach Stew Morrill isn’t discouraged.
“When you look at this sort of seeding, you’re going to play a national power, and that’s just how it is,” the fifth-year Aggie coach said. “It kind of looks as if the Big West was just penciled in as a 15, and we thought maybe a 13 or 14 for us, but there’s just no point in worrying about that stuff. You can’t control those sorts of things.”
One thing Morrill can work toward is the performance of his team. The Aggies will look for continued success from, in particular, Penigar, who nabbed the Big West tournament MVP, and forward Cardell Butler.
Butler averaged 16 points and 4.7 rebounds over the weekend and was named to the BWC all-tournament team.
Perhaps the biggest motivator for Kansas, though, will be its surprising No. 2 seed. After finishing the season with a 25-7 overall record, the Jayhawks were fairly confident they would receive a No. 1 spot.
“I’m a little mystified by the seeding and some things,” said Kansas Head Coach Roy Williams in quotes released by the university. “I think everybody was stunned. I think I was probably more ticked off because I understand [the selection system] a lot more.”
Penigar said he believes the key to a Utah State victory would be to contain KU’s potential All-Americans in Kirk Hinrich and Nick Collison.
The forward and guard, both seniors, combine to average 36 points and 13 rebounds, leading the Jayhawks to be one of the highest-scoring teams in the country.
Kansas has won two national championships, most recently in 1988, and has reached the Final Four eight times.
Morrill said, “I know what everyone in basketball knows — the tradition [the Jayhawks] have, what a great program they have. I’m very familiar with their system. They’re a team that plays to beat you by 40, if they can.”
And for the Aggies, it’s not so much about being in the spotlight, but playing to win — period.
USU junior guard Mark Brown said playing in the tournament is what the team has worked for all season.
“No matter who they throw our way, we’re going to go out there and give it our all and leave it all out there on the floor,” he said. “For me, it hasn’t completely sunk in that we’re going to the tournament. When we get down there and get into the atmosphere of everything, I think it will.”
Senior guard Ronnie Ross said, “I’m just so excited. It’s a new experience, and I just want to go out there and compete and upset Kansas.”
–juag@cc.usu.edu