ISU prepping to come back to USU Spectrum

Enemy Camp: What Idaho’s coach says about USU

• “From my experience and what I know, you have to spend a lot of time at church before playing in the Spectrum. A lot of praying needs to take place. The basketball gods have to be with you.”

• “They know exactly what they’re looking for when you make a mistake and that makes them a tremendously effective executing basketball team. Defensively, they play just as hard.”

After defeating Boise State 75-69 Thursday, the Utah State men’s basketball team will have little time to rest as it will face the Idaho Vandals in the Spectrum on Saturday.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to be a part of that environment,” he said. “The fans are terrific. The students are great. It’s a fun place to play, but the outcomes aren’t so fun for the opponents.”

Idaho has struggled through the early part of the season, posting a 3-10 record, including a 70-44 loss to Nevada in Reno Thursday, a 78-71 loss to Idaho State on Dec. 7 and an 81-48 setback at Portland State on Dec. 30.

The Vandals beat the Aggies in Moscow, Idaho 69-62 last season, but USU rebounded with a 65-43 win at home later in the year.

Idaho head coach Leonard Perry was an assistant coach at USU from 1996-98 under Larry Eustachy.

Perry said he knows what it’s like to be on both the home and visitors bench in Logan.

The Aggies lead the all-time series with the Vandals 22-12 with a 9-1 record at home. The only time Idaho has won in the Spectrum was a 52-51 upset on March 1, 2003.

Perry said the reason USU does so well is because of the program that head coach Stew Morrill has put in place.

“The thing that makes Utah State and Stew’s program so great is how it gets his kids to execute at both ends of the floor,” he said. “And they do it so well. They know exactly what they’re doing. The kids play well together.”

Idaho is led by Tanoris Shephard, who averages 14.5 points a game. On Jan. 5 against New Mexico State, he scored 25 points and pulled down six points.

He also scored 24 points against Portland State on Dec. 10.

As of Jan. 8, the Vandals are last in the WAC in scoring, posting only 61.5 points a game, and second to last in scoring defense, allowing their opponents to score 68.9 points per contest.

Idaho’s struggles aren’t limited to scoring. It is also last in the conference in rebounding, grabbing only 31 boards a game.

-bhhinton@cc.usu.edu