Aggie men’s basketball to face BYU
In what has become one of the most heated hardwood rivalries in the nation, Utah State and BYU are set to tip it off once again Wednesday in Provo at the Marriott Center.
“In-state games always carry more meaning, especially for kids from Utah like myself,” said sophomore forward Ben Clifford. “It’s a big game for us. You definitely want to be declared best in state.”
Games between the two teams have been fiercely competitive for years, and this season looks to be no different.
“They’re a great team every year,” said junior guard Preston Medlin. “Winning a game on the road is tough anywhere, especially down in Provo. It’s a tough place to play. They usually get a lot of fans, especially when they play us. It should be a fun game.”
The rivalry has been very evenly split with the home team dominating. Since the 1999-2000 season, both teams have won seven games apiece in the series with one road victory for both sides.
“BYU is always tough and they’re always tough at their place,” Clifford said. “I’m sure they’re packed at that place, so mainly it’s just trying to get better every day.”
Assistant coach Chris Jones said the Aggies will need to play smart to pull of the road victory.
“In that building, if you’re not ready to go right away they can run you out real quick,” he said. “We’ve got to take good shots, we’ve got to take care of the ball, we’ve got to get back to set up our defense. When they get it rolling down there, they’re alm