Rally recognizes basketball team’s accomplishments
Nostalgia filled the air Tuesday night in the Spectrum as Utah State University fans gathered in a tribute to the accomplishments of the basketball team this season.
Though the Aggies won only one game in the NCAA Tournament, against Ohio State University, it was a lot to celebrate. It was the first time they had won an NCAA Tournament game in 31 years.
When head coach Stew Morrill took the microphone as the last speaker of the night, he said some college teams win occasionally and once in a few years make it to the NCAA Tournament. He expects more from the Aggies.
“What we want to have at Utah State is a good program continually,” he said.
“We will continue on with the tradition that’s set before us,” said USU forward Brennan Ray during his time on the stand.
New USU President Kermit L. Hall, who used to work at OSU, said the second-greatest sports moment he’s been involved with was “when Utah State took it to the Buckeyes.”
Logan Mayor Doug Thompson said everyone in Utah was a USU fan for a little while last week. At a meeting he attended last Friday with many people from out of state, Thompson said, “they were all Aggies that day.”
“I’ve never given so many high fives in my life,” Thompson said of his experience after the OSU game.
Both Hall and Morrill agreed that USU’s success comes from great people. Morrill has said many times during the course of this season that his team is made up of “good players, great kids.”
Former OSU football coach Woody Hayes said, “In life, you win with people,” Hall said. “We have an extraordinary cast of people here. I owe this group of athletes my heartfelt thanks.”
When senior point guard Bernard Rock was given his chance to speak, he gave thanks to the fans for their attendance in the Spectrum this season and even made some projections.
“My son and [Ray’s] son might be playing for the Aggies in the future,” he said. “I’m always going to have a home in Utah in Logan.”
USU Athletic Director Rance Pugmire thanked the fans as well. He said over the last couple of years USU’s student attendance has increased. Not even the University of Kentucky or the University of Utah can say that, he said. According to Morrill, out of 325 Division I college basketball teams in the country, USU ranks in the top 25 in student attendance.
In addition to thanking the fans, Pugmire was grateful to Morrill for one reason in particular.
“I’d like to thank you for not going to Houston last year,” Pugmire told Morrill.
Morrill followed up Pugmire’s comments by saying that usually the coaching window in the NCAA is five to seven years.
“You’re going to have to put up with me for 10,” Morrill told the crowd.
Morrill explained that he will have positive things to tell recruits in the coming year. He said he will be able to ask potential players if other teams trying to recruit them have won 56 games, two conference tournaments and two NCAA appearances in two years.
“There’s no other team in this state that can say yes to that,” he said.