Aggie basketball looks to match best start in 35 years
Matching its best start in 35 years is on the line for the Utah State men’s basketball team when the Aggies travel to Jackson, Miss. to play Jackson State University on Saturday at 6 p.m.
The Tigers are winless this season (0-5), but have played their first five games on the road against the likes of Iowa State, Arkansas and No. 24 Mississippi State. In fact, USU will be Jackson State’s only home non-conference game.
“Jackson State, I know nothing about,” said USU Head Coach Stew Morrill. “All I know is that their only home game in the preseason is us. To get us at home, I’m sure they’re going to be excited about that opportunity.”
One thing Morrill said he does expect from the Tigers is a scrappy defense. Jackson State has forced an average of 21 turnovers a game this season, and usually likes to run a full-court press after made baskets, Morrill said.
“I’d be surprised if they’re not pressing some, and trying to screw you up with their quickness,” he said. “They’ve always been smaller and athletic.”
More than anything, Morrill said the Aggies need to improve defensively — especially when it comes to crashing the boards. After out-rebounding opponents by nearly seven per game a year ago, USU is out-rebounding opponents at a 4.3 margin this season.
Saturday’s game against Jackson State might be what the doctor ordered for the Aggies, however. Heading into Wednesday’s game against Mississippi State University, JSU had been out-boarded by a whopping 25 rebounds per game by its opponents (55.8-29.3).
Following the Jackson State game, USU’s three primary in-state rivals are up next. The Aggies will play two of them at home, welcoming the University of Utah and Weber State University to the Spectrum on Dec. 17 and Dec. 21, respectively. USU will play at BYU on Dec. 14.
Weber State is currently 3-1 on the season, including a win over preseason Big West Conference favorite the University of California Santa Barbara, while Utah sports a 3-2 record.
BYU will enter Saturday’s game against Creighton University with a chance to start its season 6-0. The Cougars currently have the nation’s longest home-court winning streak at 37 games.
In order to continue its early season success, Morrill said it is imperative USU continues to take care of the ball. In two of their three games in Hawaii, the Aggies finished with fewer than 10 turnovers.
“That’s been a plus so far, kind of a little bit of a surprise that we have passed the ball so well and turned it over so little,” he said. “So, hopefully that will be a strength of this team.”
Following the Weber State game, the Aggies will then play their final non-conference games of the year when they host Arkansas State University in the Gossner Foods Classic on Dec. 27. USU will then play either Idaho State University or the University of Missouri Kansas City the following day. Utah State has never lost in the nine years of the annual tournament.
USU’s first Big West Conference games will take place just before spring semester starts. The Aggies will open BWC play on the road against Cal State University Northridge on Jan. 2, and long-time nemesis the University of the Pacific on Jan. 4.
–jasonwturner@cc.usu.edu