Aggie Notebook
FLASH BACK TO THE ’90s This week’s road trip for the Aggies looks more like it was pulled from Utah State’s schedule from the mid ’90s. The Aggies will renew a pair of Big West rivalries as they play at California Polytechnic State University on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. and University of California-Irvine Saturday at 8:05 p.m. Jaycee Carroll is the only Aggie player to have played in games while Utah State competed in the Big West and traveled to California frequently. Carroll said he knows it will bring back some good memories. “Going to California for the weekend, being in the sunshine a bit, it will be good to go back to that atmosphere,” Carroll said. Head coach Stew Morrill said he certainly remembers the days of traveling to California to play. “I told the kids we used to always get a burst of energy going down there,” Morrill said. “It was usually in January and February when it was a little colder in Logan.”
NOT IN THE AGGIES’ CONFERENCE, NOT A PROBLEM With Utah State’s 77-58 home win against Montana-Western Monday, the Aggies extended their non-conference home-game winning streak to 46. The streak is the second longest in the nation behind Duke, which has won 51 straight non-conference home games. The last time Utah State was beaten in the Spectrum in a non-conference regular season game was on Jan. 8, 2000, against Brigham Young University, with a score of 82-73. The Aggies will have a chance to extend that streak when they welcome in Austin Peay on Nov. 20.
“LETS GO FRESHMAN” This year’s Aggie team has seven freshmen on it’s 2007-08 roster, which is the most since 1957-58. At one point late in the second half Monday night when the Aggies were leading the game 74-52, students began chanting “Let’s go freshmen” in response to there being four freshmen on the court at the same time. Freshman guard/forward Pooh Williams recorded his first career start and logged 21 minutes of play, which was third highest in the team. He ended the game with eight points, two rebounds, two steals and an assist while also recording three turnovers.
NIANG TECHNICAL Many fans were wondering why Montana-Western shot two free throws at the beginning of the second half. A technical foul was given when USU freshman center Modou Niang came out for the second half dressed and ready to play after he had started the game on the bench in street clothes. Niang had not been listed by the coaches in the game-day score book. Morrill said Niang, who played high school basketball in Japan and is from Senegal, is adjusting to life in the United States and his fellow teammates are helping him. “Modou is a good kid,” Morrill said. “He is adjusting to a new country, culture and a new language. The guys really like him and have been great at helping him figure things out.”
CARROLL UNDER THE WEATHER Carroll said he played the Weber State game while suffering through stomach cramps, but is feeling better. For the season, Carroll is averaging 22.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. His scoring average is good enough for second place in the Western Athletic Conference behind University of Idaho guard Trevor Morris, who is averaging 25 a game. -sam.bryner@aggiemail.usu.edu