Ag basketball vying for second seed in BWC
Barring a postseason home game – an NIT invite – Friday night’s matchup with Idaho will be the last time the seniors of the Utah State basketball team will play in the Spectrum.
But head coach Stew Morrill said his team, including seniors Spencer Nelson, Calvin Brown, John Neil, Ian McVey, Tyler Williams and Jason Williams, needs to remain focused against the Vandals.
“We’ve just got to make sure we channel our emotion positively,” Morrill said. “I’ve seen it go both ways with Senior Night. We’ve got to make sure it’s a celebration, not a funeral.”
The Ags suffered a 69-62 loss to the Vandals earlier this season in Moscow, Idaho, and Morrill said his team needs to remain focused on winning and earning a second seed in next week’s conference tournament.
With a win over Idaho Friday, USU would guarantee itself at least a tie for second place in the Big West and the possibility of a first round bye.
“If we take care of our business, we’re going to finish second,” Morrill said. “If we win against Idaho we’re going to finish second.”
Still, with both Cal State Northridge and Cal State Fullerton sitting at 11-5, the Aggies might find themselves in a tie for second place. Morrill said that, regardless of how the tiebreakers might turn out, his team can feel good about a 21-win season.
“They need to feel good about some things they’ve accomplished, regardless of what happens from here on out,” he said. “They can’t take away 21 wins. If we finish second, they can’t take that away.”
Morrill said the Vandals will come into the Spectrum ready to play Friday and will create a difficult matchup with their quickness.
“They get you in one-on-one situation a lot and trying to guard some of those guys off the dribble is a challenge for our guys,” he said. “They beat us up there and they’ll be excited to play when they come to the Spectrum.”
Nelson and the rest of the seniors will be honored Friday and Morrill said he hopes his players got the most out of their final season.
“I always tell them you need to enjoy every day of your senior year,” he said. “It’s a special time, it’s a special experience. I remember realizing as a senior that I was just going to milk the heck out of it, and hopefully those guys feel like they have too.”
Friday’s game will tip off at 7 p.m. in the Spectrum.
-acf@cc.usu.edu