Aggies seek revenge again, Morrill seeks 300th win
Unlike college football, college basketball gives teams a chance to bounce back quickly from a disappointing loss. That’s what the Aggies (5-2), who lost to No. 9 Georgetown on Saturday, 68-51, will be looking to do tonight when they face the Long Beach State 49ers (5-4).
Under Aggie head coach Stew Morrill the Aggies have rarely lost back-to-back games, and rarely lose in the Spectrum. Last season the Aggies found themselves on the bad end of a 75-62 loss against the 49ers, they will be looking to avenge another road loss just as they have done twice already.
“One good thing about basketball is you don’t have to wait a week to play,” Morrill said. “Compared to football it has always been a plus for basketball to get back out there pretty soon. I was disappointed with our second half against Georgetown, but we have to move forward. We get to play a Long Beach State team that thumped us last year. They will come here ready to go.”
Against Idaho and former Aggie assistant coach Don Verlin, Morrill won his 500th game as a head coach. Against the 49ers, who are a former Big West Conference opponent, Morrill will be looking for his 300th win as Aggie Head Coach.
“I knew when the season started where I was at, but I hadn’t realized lately that I was crowding 300,” Morrill said. “It was cool last year when I got my 500th career win. That certainly had some significance. It is not something I sit and think about a whole lot. I guess I am happy to still be working. That is the best thing I could say, that I am happy to still be doing this for a living, because it is tough to do this for a living.”
A huge challenge for the Aggies tonight will be guarding junior point-guard Casper Ware who is leading the 49ers with 15 points and nearly six assists per game.
“He is probably only 5′ 8″ or 5’9″, but he is so quick,” Morrill said. “He gave us fits last year in the open court and when he was coming off ball-screens. It has been amazing the number of point guards we have seen that have been so talented, and here we have another one.
Morrill often calls upon senior wing-men Pooh Williams or Tyler Newbold to guard the other team’s best offensive player, but the this time junior point-guard Brockeith Pane will shoulder much of the responsibility.
“In this case with all of the other weapons that they have we have enough other guys to guard too,” Morrill said. “We just have to have our point guard step up and guard him.”
Junior forward T.J. Robinson is one of the 49ers other weapons that the Aggies will need to worry about. Robinson is averaging a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds a game, and he led the 49ers over the Aggies last season with 25 points and 11 rebounds.
“They presented us with a lot of problems last year, and they do again this year,” Morrill said. “Part of the equation is T.J. Robinson. He kind of took over the game down there last year and really hurt us.”
Senior forward Tai Wesley was more or less ineffective on the road trip against Denver and Georgetown due to foul trouble. Wesley will most likely match-up against Robinson and the Aggies will need a strong performance from Wesley to keep the 49ers’ junior forward in check. The Aggies also need Wesley to remain on the floor because they run their complex offense through him.
“The main thing he has to do is eliminate the dumb fouls,” Morrill said of Wesley. “It has been a career long process. He has to play a little smarter and he will. He will make the adjustment and he will get his minutes like he needs to. Obviously, we need Tai Wesley on the floor.”
The Aggies are not at the point where they some would like them to be so far this season, but Morrill is confident that the team will improve.
“The record doesn’t reflect that we are not playing as well as we expect to play,” Morrill said. “What I believe and what I will tell the kids today is that we will be a better team in February and March then we are right now. That is what we have to believe, that we are going to keep getting better. We have done that, and we did that last year.”
Tip-off against the 49ers is slated for 7:05 p.m. inside the Spectrum.
-ty.d.hus@aggiemail.usu.edu