Aggie basketball: It’s one big family, players say
After recording 52 wins the last two seasons, the most of any two-year span in Utah State history, the Aggie basketball squad can’t help but feel a closeness.
“We’re like a family,” said USU point guard Bernard Rock.
The “family” sees each other not only on the court, but spends time together off-court on a regular basis, as well.
“We all make jokes and hang out at each others’ houses,” said forward Curtis Bobb. “We pick each other up. We carry each other.”
Head coach Stew Morrill said the Aggies have been successful over the last two seasons because of three things – they are unselfish, coachable and know how to play defense.
“That’s been the heart and soul – those three things,” he said.
The team “spreads the wealth” with its scoring, Rock said. Four starters have averaged in double figures this year – guard Tony Brown at 12.2, forward Shawn Daniels at 12.1, Rock at 10.4 and Bobb at 10.3.
“We know we have a lot of people out there who can score,” Rock said. “Anyone can go out and score 30 points in one night.”
“There is no ‘I’ in team,” Bobb said. “That’s why we’ve got balanced scoring.”
Bobb said the Aggie players aren’t afraid to make the extra pass or take a charge for the good of the team.
Rock said part of the team’s success comes because the players listen to the coaches and do what they say rather than do their own thing.
“We’re not pricks,” he said.
“Everybody respects him,” Bobb said of Morrill. “Everybody’s bought into his system.”
Morrill and his staff know what they’re doing, Rock said. According to Rock, Morrill said he has never let the assistant coaches take on as large a role as they have done this year.
One part of Morrill’s system is the constant goal to keep the opposing team under 40 percent shooting, Bobb said. That defense gets the offense clicking, Bobb said.
Each team member takes pride in guarding well enough to keep an opposing player from doing what he is normally able to do, Rock said. Rock, like Bobb, said he thinks the defense makes the offense run better. The team gets pumped up playing good defense, which helps the shots start falling, Rock said.
Since USU players know each other so well, each player anticipates what the other is going to do on the court, Bobb said. And just like siblings, the USU basketball “family” can get on each other’s nerves, Rock said. When that starts to happen, Rock said the Aggie players go and “kick it” to forget about basketball.
“We all just click,” he said. “The chemistry we all have is great.”
“We have a saying that we say every day at the end of practice about sticking together,” Morrill said. “That is what these kids do.”
According to Rock, another part of the team’s success has been the nearly-packed houses at the Spectrum.
“The fans have been great,” he said.
Unfortunately, five members of the “family” will head out after this season. Bobb, forward Dion Bailey, Daniels, center Dimitri Jorssen and Rock will play their last games as Aggies in the Big West Conference Tournament and then possibly in the NCAA Tournament.
When it’s all over, Bobb said he will look back with fond memories of a great two years at USU.
“We’re all going to miss each other,” Bobb said.
When they have a reunion down the road, they will think of their time winning more than 50 games and remember what an accomplishment it was, he said.
“It’s hard to believe that those five guys are leaving already.” Morrill said. “Good players, great kids.”