Aggie basketball gets rematch with Gaels
And now for the big show.
After a season-opening victory Saturday against Idaho State, the Utah State men’s basketball team is ready to go against the highly rated Saint Mary’s Gaels on Thursday.
“It’s been on my mind for awhile, ever since I saw this game,” said junior center Jarred Shaw. “No disrespect to the other teams we’re playing, but it kind of caught my eye. They’re normally a Top-25 team, and we’ve got them coming in the Spectrum.”
Due to past history between the two teams and the Gaels receiving votes in Top-25 polls, Thursday’s game has received national attention.
Assistant coach Chris Jones said the Aggies prepared the same for this game as they would for any other.
“We all know it’s a big game, a great opponent,” Jones said. “We don’t treat it any differently than any other game.”
Senior guard Preston Medlin redshirted during Utah State’s last matchup against the Gaels but suited up for the game during his freshman season in 2009.
“It was a tough loss when when played here against them,” Medlin said. “They were a good team just like they are now. Same coach, well-coached team, very physical.”
The Gaels are led by senior point guard and four-year starter Matthew Dellavedova. Dellavedova has received national acclaim and started for the Australian Olympic team in London.
“He’s phenomenal,” Jones said. “He’s basically a Steve Nash of college basketball. The ball’s in his hands 90 percent of the game. He makes plays for himself, for others. He’s a nightmare to deal with.”
Medlin faced off against Dellavedova when both were freshman and said the Australian only continues to improve.
“He’s a player that makes their team run,” he said. “We’re trying to keep the ball out of his hands. He’s a great playmaker and makes everyone on the court better.”
Shaw said the coaches have prepared the Aggies well and they like their plans.
“We’re doing some things to kind of mess with the point guard,” Shaw said. “They’ve got a really good point guard. We’ve got a good game plan to try and confuse him a little bit.”
Jones singled out junior guard Stephen Holt as another shotmaker the Aggies need to be aware of and said the rest of the Gaels are tough too.
“They’re very experienced, very tested,” Jones said. “They basically six of their top-seven guys back.”
Shaw said the Gaels are also talented and big in the post.
“They’ve got a lot of guys,” he said. “It’s going to be a pretty physical game.”
Medlin said the Aggies are trying to focus on their offensive preparation and view it as an advantage.
“We’ve just got to come out and play our game and run our sets really well,” he said. “We’ve got to cut hard and screen well and we’ll have a pretty good chance.”
History shows two evenly matched teams. The Gaels won a Bracket Buster matchup on their home floor in 2008 and snapped the Aggies’ 37-home game winning streak in the Spectrum the next year. The Aggies won 75-65 at Saint Mary’s in 2010.
“That was a great, great memory,” Jones said of the 2010 win. “But we’re glad we’re playing them here.”
The Aggies are very excited for the matchup.
“This is a big game for us and a very good team that is coming in and trying to beat us,” Medlin said.
Tipoff is at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Spectrum and Shaw said the team needs the fans as loud as possible.
“Everybody be pumped up, we will be pumped up and we’re going to do our job,” he said.
– m.hop@aggiemail.usu.edu
Twitter: @legendarymhops