USU looks for revenge against UNLV
After beating Fresno State at home, Utah State has had two days to prepare for UNLV.
“We’re a little beat up now,” said USU head coach Stew Morrill. “We have some nicks and bruises, but nothing that will keep guys from playing. But they’re irritants. They’re hard on you as you play. They’re hard on you physically, and they’re hard on you mentally.”
The first time the two teams met this season Utah State lost by two, 77-79, in overtime after a foul was called and UNLV made two shots from the line.
“It was one of those kind of games where when it was all over, you felt like you let one get away,” Morrill said. “And I’m sure they felt like they earned one and found a way to win it. That’s the nature of competition.”
Since that game, Utah State gone 5-2 in the Mountain West putting them at 9-5 in the conference, good enough for fifth place. USU is three games ahead of UNLV and has only four more MW games before the conference tournament.
The Rebels leaned heavily on freshman guard Rashad Vaughn who scored over 17 points per game earlier in the year. On Feb. 10 Vaughn had knee surgery to fix a torn meniscus and is out indefinitely, according to the UNLV Athletic Department.
Vaughn shot nearly 40 percent behind the 3-point line and close to 50 percent from the field. In Vaughn’s absence, senior guard Jelan Kendrick is averaging 16 points per game in the last two games.
“He’s really shooting the ball well,” said Morrill about Kendrick. “I think he’s made five of his last seven 3-pointers. He’s a guy that you originally thought was more of a driver than a shooter. Well, you can’t say that right now because he’s knocking in 3’s.”
In the post the Rebels play through sophomore forward Christian Wood and freshman forward Goodluck Okonoboh. Wood averages more than 15 points per game and also grabs nearly 10 rebounds in each contest. Both players block three shots per game and at 6-foot-11 and 6-foot-10 their length can be a defensive nightmare.
“You’re looking at having to worry about them inside because they’re so long, skilled, big and athletic,” Morrill said. “You have to try to guard them inside, but that’s a double-edged sword because they have guys on the perimeter who can really shoot it. They make it tough because they can score inside and they can make 3’s.”
Okonoboh accounts for close to 5 rebounds and five points each game but has scored at least 10 in every game since Vaughn went down.
“He played really well against New Mexico,” Morrill said. “They went to him hard inside, and he scored it a bunch for them. I think what happened is they lost Vaughn and some other guys stepped up. Some other guys said, ‘Well, he’s not around. I have to do more.’ And they have the ability to do more.”
— kalen.s.taylor@aggiemail.usu.edu
Twitter: @kalen_taylor