Hoopsters look to break out the broom
State supremacy is on the line for the Utah State University men’s basketball team when they travel to Ogden to hoop it up against Weber State University Saturday at 7:05 p.m. in the Dee Events Center.
Already victorious over the University of Utah and BYU, USU has a chance to beat three in-state rivals in the same year for the first since the team was under the tutelage of Head Coach Rod Tueller during the 1984-85 season.
USU, 5-0 for the first time since the 1998-99 season, might have to play its best game this season to come out with a win, assistant coach Randy Rahe said.
“They [WSU] are a very good team,” Rahe said. “It’s going to take our best effort of any of the teams we’ve played [to beat them].”
Always tough to beat at home, the Wildcats have made some noise away from their home court, beating Louisiana State University, the University of Wisconsin and Colorado State University to capture the Big Island Invitational a couple of weeks ago in Hawaii.
Although, Weber State (5-2 on the season) lost to BYU 65-47 Wednesday night at the Marriott Center, Rahe said the Wildcats have looked impressive, especially in Hawaii.
“They were very impressive and played with a lot of confidence [in Hawaii],” he said. “They played like veterans, like they were supposed to win. I think that says a lot of Weber State’s players and the level they can play at.
“Weber State didn’t care about the names on the other team’s jerseys,” Rahe said.
In order to be successful against WSU, the Aggies must slow down Wildcat point guard Jermaine Boyette. Picked by several magazines as the preseason Big Sky Player of the Year, Boyette is hard to contain when it comes to dribble penetration, Rahe said.
“You got to keep him in front of you,” he said. “He is extremely good with the ball. He not only finishes at the basket, but can get other guys the ball in scoring position.”
Unlike last year, Weber State is a more balanced team, Rahe said. While center Stephan Bachman is averaging more than 10 points per game again, the Wildcats are also receiving big contributions from shooting guard John Hamilton and small forward Chris Woods.
For the Aggies, power forward Desmond Penigar continues to lead the offense as he averages more than 20 points a game (21.2). Senior sharpshooter Tony Brown and small forward Chad Evans are also putting up double figures in scoring, averaging 13.8 and 10 points, respectively.
When asked what it feels like to be 5-0, Rahe said the team is pleased but realizes it can’t afford an emotional let down if the Aggies want to continue winning.
“We feel fortunate to be 5-0,” he said. “I think we are smart enough to realize we need to play with terrific energy and enthusiasm [in order to keep winning].”
Following the Weber State game, Utah State will return to action Saturday, Dec. 15 against Western State University. The Aggies will open conference play Dec. 20 against the University of the Pacific in the Spectrum.