Ags gear up for nationally televised game against Pack
The Utah State Aggies will put their winning streak on the line once again tonight as they face the surging Nevada Wolf Pack (8-13, 5-3). The Aggies (20-2, 9-0 WAC) defeated the Wolf Pack at the Lawlor Events Center in Reno on Jan. 8, 81-67. Nevada pushed Utah State to its limit, as the Wolf Pack led by double-digits at the end of halftime. The Aggies and Wolf Pack have always had memorable games, and this time they expect no different.
“We have watched that game as kind of a reminder as to how good they are,” Morrill said of the Aggies’ first game with the Pack. “We have a great amount of respect for their talent, coaching and their program. We are going to need to continue to hold them in the same respect. They are long, they are shooting the ball well and they have gotten much better with the young players on that team. We need to know what we are in for tomorrow, they have had a full week to prepare and I am positive they will throw some things at us that they have had a chance to work on all week.”
The Wolf Pack, who had a rough preseason and started WAC play 1-3, are now riding a four-game winning streak. The recent success for the Pack is in large part attributed to the improved play of true freshman shooting guard Deonte Burton. Burton is averaging 13 points per game to go with three assists.
“If you look at Burton’s stats, he could be a strong candidate for conference player of the year,” Morrill said. “He is playing very well right now. We got him early last time before he had really begun to shine, but he presents a lot of problems for us.”
The Aggies won’t be able to just key on Burton, however. Dario Hunt, Olek Czyz and Malik Story are all averaging just over 13 points per game. For the Aggies, senior Tai Wesley is averaging just over 14 points per game, while senior Brian Green and junior Brockeith Pane are averaging nearly 11 points per game.
“Dario Hunt was another player who we didn’t have to contend with much the first time we faced them due to foul trouble,” Morrill said. “Nevada has a bunch of good solid players. This is going to be a challenging game for us tomorrow night.”
The Aggies definitely need to be at their best against the Wolf Pack, but they have showed signs of improvement since the beginning of WAC play when Morrill threw somewhat of a tantrum.
“Sometimes it is something that you can’t control and there have been times that I have regretted it,” Morrill said. “Those two teams would have beaten us on the road if we played with the same effort we did at home against them. To go out this last weekend and get those two wins shows that we have improved since the opening weekend of WAC play.”
–ty.d.hus@aggiemail.usu.edu